Lakeland Middle School
Professional Learning Communities
(PLC)
Goal of Professional Learning Communities:
To provide effective collaborative teams to impact student
achievement in a Professional Learning Community.
Lakeland Middle School
Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
What are Professional Learning Communities?
A strategy for providing professional development that will
help in improving and sustaining student learning and
achievement. PLC will provide school personnel time to
function as a professional learning community. The path to
change in the classroom lies within and through PLC and
every staff member.
Lakeland Middle School
Collaborative
Structure and Culture
Culture: How we do business
Curriculum Teams: Focus on alignment
Teacher Leaders: Everyone has a voice
Time: How do you know when students are learning
Must Avoid: ‘Three Deadly C’s in Collaboration Team’s
Choices:
Not Individual; Team Effort
Calendar:
Do Not Focus Calendar
Consequences:
Do Not focus on discipline
PLC Teams Should Focus on:
First and Foremost:
Alignment of Curriculum
Grading and Reporting
Common Assessments
RESULTS!
Benefits of Common Assessments
Focus Instruction on Essential Learning Skills
Reinforces Common Core Curriculum
Creates Better (More Valid and Reliable) Exams
Results Identify Curricular Areas and Instruction that needs attention
Requires Collaboration Among Teachers
Provides Objective Indicators of Effectiveness
Dr. Tom Many – Illinois District 96
PLC Teams Should Focus on: Lesson Study
Focus on Deepening Teachers’ Content Knowledge
Includes Opportunities for Research, Practice, & Reflection
Is Embedded in Teachers’ Work that takes place everyday
Is Sustained Over Time
Is founded on a sense of collegiality and collaboration among
teachers and between teachers and principals in solving
important problems related to teaching and learning.
(Sparks 2002)
Lesson Study: Teacher Learning!
Requires Individual Reflection
Requires Social Interaction
Is accomplished when teachers draw on their own past
knowledge and experience as they work with others to
examine practice and reach toward new understandings.
(Lambert-1995)
Occurs when teachers invent and discover methods that
enhance student learning.
(Lambert, Collay, Dietz, & Richert-1996)
The Lesson Study Cycle
Set Goal
Conduct Research
Plan a Lesson
Teach & Observe Lesson
Evaluate the Lesson
Reflect, Revise, and Repeat
Adapted from Boss (2002)
PLC Teams Should Also Focus On:
Fifteen Critical Questions for Team Consideration
Smart Goals:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results Focused, & Time Bound
Team Building
End of Year Team Assessments
Fifteen Critical Questions Teams Should Consider
1.
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4.
5.
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7.
8.
Is each member of our team clear on the intended outcomes of our course in general as well as
the specific outcomes for each unit?
Have we aligned the outcomes of our course to state goals and high stake testing such as the
ISTEP+ and STI?
Have we identified the prerequisite knowledge and skills needed to master the intended outcomes
of the course and unit?
Have we identified strategies and created instruments to assess whether students have the
prerequisite knowledge and skills? Pre and Post testing-STI and common assessments
Have we agreed how to best sequence the content of the course to help students achieve the
intended outcomes?
Have we agreed on the criteria we will use in judging the quality of student work in key areas of
our course such as writing, speaking, and projects?
Have we taught students the criteria we will use in judging the quality of student work and
provided them with examples?
Have we developed common assessments that help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of
individual students?
Fifteen Critical Questions Teams Should Consider
9.
10.
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15.
Have we established the proficiency level we want all students to achieve on our
assessments.
Have we identified content and/or topics that can be eliminated so we can devote
more time to essential curriculum?
Have we analyzed student achievement data and established measurable team
goals that we are working together to achieve?
Have we identified team norms or protocols to guide us in working together?
Do we adhere to our teams norms?
Are we continually looking for ways to help students achieve at high levels?
Have we done everything we can to support student learning and achievement?
Goals Should Address:
Which Steps Should We Take First?
What is Our Timeline?
What Evidence will we Present to Demonstrate Our
Progress?
Identify a SMART GOAL for
Lakeland Middle School
Strategic and Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-oriented
Time Bound
Connected to Public Law 221
Lakeland Middle School
PLC End of Year Assessment
1.
2.
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4.
Please provide evidence of your PLC Team’s attention to Public
Law 221 Goals. Are you focusing on PL 221 goals.
Please describe your PLC Team’s efforts to enhance their
collaborative performance, knowledge and abilities.
Common Assessments: Please describe the types of common
assessments used by your team this year. Please describe the
PLC Team’s learning that occurred as a result.
Please examine your SMART GOALS and provide evidence of
measurable student achievement gains as it relates to these
goals.
Eric Twadell, Ph.D.
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Utilizing Effective Collaborative Teams to Impact Student Achievement in a
Professional Learning Community