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Professional Learning Communities
BEYOND THE TERM
PURPOSE & OUTCOMES
• To explore our understandings of Professional Learning Communities and how they can support you and your students
• To stimulate discussion regarding educational focus and practices
EXERCISE 1
• CHOOSE A PARTNER TO WORK WITH FOR THIS EXERCISE.
TASK: TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
Which IB principles most inform my practice(Mission, values, LP)
REPORTING OUT
John Ralston Saul: …..any wilful undermining of universal public education…..would be a flagrant betrayal of the basic principles of middle-class representative democracy.
September 2004
EXERCISE [5 minutes]
• (GROUP A) List from your perspective the characteristics of an effective school
• (GROUP B) List from your perspective the characteristics of an ineffective school
Merging IB and PLC
• Given the principles of effecive/non effective schools-and what you know from IB ,determine a principle which guides your practice-
• -Discuss common features of IB –and school effectiveness
Merging IB and PlC
• Design a study which will measure the degree of implementation for one of the IB Standards
• Design an action project which will enhance the effectiveness of that chosen standard in your setting
Merging IB and PLC
Ensure that you design a study which will:>Tell what you are trying to measure (define)>Understand how you will know what it is
(evidence)>Understand how you will measure it’s success
(data ) >Understand when you will know if it is(sustainable)
THE ORIGINS• Peter Senge, originator of the
‘Learning Organizations’ model, postulates that the future success of our public education system lies in empowering students. With reference to the students’ comments [Appendix 1] what points do you agree with? Which do you disagree with?
RESEARCH : Effective Schools
• Focus on student learning • Effective classroom instruction• High expectations • Basic skill acquisition• Frequent monitoring of student
progress• Focused feedback to students
RESEARCH : Effective Schools
• Emphasis on writing • Multiple opportunities to learn• Accountability for performance• Collaborative planning• Collegial relationships• Student time on task
RESEARCH : Effective Schools
• Guaranteed and viable curriculum• Distributed leadership• Regular collection and analysis of
data• Clear goals• Common vision and mission• Parent involvement
RESEARCH : Effective Schools
• Home – school relations• Sense of community• Trusting relationships• Safe and orderly climate
– DuFour et. al. 2002
RESEARCH : Ineffective Schools
• Lack of vision• Unfocused leadership• Dysfunctional staff relationships• Ineffective classroom practices
- Teddie & Springfield, 1993; Reynolds, 1995; Stoll & Fink, 1996
The Six Components of the PLC Framework
• Shared purpose• Collaborative teams • School community and capacity• Focus on student learning• Safe, orderly climate• Distributed leadership
SHARED PURPOSE
• Commonly held MISSION, VISION
• Clear, challenging SMART goals
• Commonly held VALUES
COLLABORATIVE TEAMS
• Team norms guide collaboration• Collaboration embedded in routine
practice• Time built into school day• Teams focused on critical
questions associated with student learning
SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY
Parent and Community Involvement
Relationship Building Leadership Developed
Throughout Community Student Involvement &
Leadership Home-School Links
FOCUS ON STUDENT LEARNING
• Opportunity to learn• Student learning (what do we know
about learning and what are we doing about it?)
• Guaranteed and viable curriculum• Equitable access to learning• Individual and collaborative
interventions for students not meeting with success
FOCUS ON STUDENT LEARNING
• Effective classroom practices and strategies
• Formative assessment which helps inform teaching and learning
SAFE AND ORDERLY CLIMATE
• SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL – INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT
• SAFETY A HIGH AND EVIDENT PRIORITY – PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL
• SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EMPHASIZED
DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP
Shared leadership with staff, parents and students
Communal responsibility for school direction and successful attainment of school goals
Instructional Leadership
KEY QUESTIONS ON STUDENT LEARNING
1. What is it we wish all students to learn?2. What strategies do we employ to teach
students?3. How do we know when they have learned
it? (assessments)4. What do we do (individually and
collectively) when they haven’t learned it? What are our interventions?
PROFESSIONAL LEARNINGCOMMUNITIES FRAMEWORK
• Shared purpose• Collaborative teams around
student learning• School community and capacity• Focus on student learning• Safe, orderly climate• Distributed leadership