Professional

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• Professional
• Learning Communities

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The mission of the Petal School District is to
empower all students with the attitudes,
knowledge, and lifelong learning skills essential
to thrive as responsible citizens in an
ever-changing global society .
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Why implement Professional Learning Communities?
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Traditional Professional Development

• Teachers feel that it is not relevant.
• Little follow-up
• Teachers endure it, then do their own thing.

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The Facts

• Traditionally, teachers plan lessons, activities,
  and assessments in isolation.
• Master teachers have spent many years in the
  classroom only to retire with all of their
  expertise never having shared any of this
  knowledge and experience.

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What does the research say?
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A growing body of research is available
indicating the impact of PLCs on student
achievement.
Source www.allthingsplc.info
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Further research data also credits Professional
Learning Communities with the following

• Assisting schools in data analysis procedures
• Determining essential outcomes
• Creating formative and summative assessments to
  assess mastery of standards
• Planning for interventions for students who need
  extra help
• Improving school climate
• Increased teacher retention

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What is a Professional Learning Community?

• Clarity precedes competence.
• Mike Schmoker

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• The basic idea of Professional Learning
  Communities is teachers learning together from
  each other and with each other.

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What does a PLC look like?

• Varied organizational structures to meet the
  individual needs of each school
• Within each Grade level
• Based upon teams of teachers who teach the same
  groups of students
• Vertical organization Subject area oriented
  across grade levels
• Subject area oriented within each grade level
• Designed specifically to address needs of a
  specific population

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Just what do PLCs do?

• The work that goes on in PLCs varies depending
  upon the needs of the school, the particular PLC,
  and the individual students.
• Lesson Study
• Curriculum Alignment
• Pacing of Curriculum
• Planning Units/Common Assessments
• Planning/Designing Interventions
• Reviewing data from Common Assessments
• Designing a plan to address weaknesses based upon
  test results

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Guiding Questions for PLCsThe answers to these
questions should drive the work of the PLC.

• What knowledge and skills should every student
  acquire as a result of this unit of instruction?
• How will we know when each student has acquired
  the essential knowledge and skills?
• How will we respond when some students do not
  learn?
• How will we respond when some students have
  clearly achieved the intended outcomes?

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Professional Learning Communities can change the
culture of schools.
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A Shift in . . .
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Obstacles to Implementation

• Full Support of District/School Administration
• Resistance to Change
• Lack of Urgency
• Lack of Understanding/Training
• Resources

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It must be understood by school leaders and
communicated to teachers that the notion of
Professional Learning Communities is not a
program, but rather an ongoing, never-ending
process specifically designed to change the very
culture of schools and districts.
Richard DuFour
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Testimonials
In my twenty-eight years as a teacher, this is
the best sustained professional development in
which I have been involved. Tommy
Edwards Biology Teacher Girls Basketball Coach
The end result of Lesson Study is you have good
lessons that work. Laurie Rhodes Physics
Teacher
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THE BOTTOM LINE . . .
To involve all stakeholders in meaningful
discussion and participation to achieve the
mission of the Petal School District.
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References

• All Things PLC. Research, education tools and
  blog for building a professional learning
  community. Retrieved online July 5, 2007 from
  www.allthingsplc.info
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T.
  (2006). Learning by doing. IN Solution Tree.
• Hutto, J., Bond, I., Linton, J. (2007). Lesson
  study Petal High School professional learning
  communities. On www.petalschools.com ppt. video
  presentation.
• National Staff Development Council
• Schmoker, M. (2004). Learning communities at the
  crossroads A response to Joyce and Cook. Phi
  Delta Kappan, 86, 84-89.