Leading With Plc’s

Inquiry-based, Data-driven Decision Making Ric Seager - Bronson Community Schools

“ Being data driven is an admirable goal. Just because a school collects data, does not mean the data are being used to improve student achievement.”

Robert Marzano

“ Authentic PLC’s are exceedingly rare in schools; unsupervised isolation is the norm.”

Mike Schmoker

“ Most of us in education are mediocre at what we do” (Wagner)

“ Every study of classroom practice reveals that most teaching is mediocre – or worse.” (Goddard, Sizer, et. al.)

“ Direct involvement in instruction is among the least frequent activities performed by administrators of any kind, at any level” (Elmore)

“ Excellent teachers modify their curriculum based on data collected from student learning.”

“ Excellent teachers take responsibility for failed student performance.”

Platt, Trip, Ogden, Fraser

“ The best explanation for why our schools aren’t far more successful, intellectually engaging places is fairly simple: the most important people within and outside schools know very little about what actually goes on inside them.”

Mike Schmoker

Do you agree or disagree with this premise? Take a stand….

Know your school

Know your students

Know each other

Collect and analyze data

Set goals for improvement based on the data

Adjust instructional processes

Check your progress regularly

Uncover, needs, priorities and resources

Build a school profile to better understand strengths and weaknesses

Develop intrinsic motivation through consensus

Create a focused direction for change, accompanied by realistic goals

Establish baseline measures to measure progress and evaluate programs/practices

Aldersebaes, Inge, Potter, Hamilton, 2000

The purpose of a TBD is not to debate but to gain new ideas and deepen understanding

Refer to text whenever possible, citing page and location

Speak to each other, not the facilitator

Monitor your own ‘air time’

The most promising context for continuous professional learning

A Professional Learning Community , or PLC is an extended learning opportunity to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Learning_Community

Professional Learning Communities seek to promote life long learning for its members through a safe and supportive working and learning environment which encourages collaboration, innovation, sharing and the development of partnerships.

http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=13525

What do students need to know and be able to do?

How will we know when they have learned it?

What will we do for those who haven’t learned it?

What will we do for those who already know it?

Teachers As Sole Proprietors

Teachers As Teammates

Teachers As Collaborative Workers

Educators as Learners

Educators as Learning Professionals

Shared beliefs, values and vision

Shared and supportive leadership

Supportive conditions – structural and relational

Collective, intentional & applied learning

Shared personal practices

Filling the Time

What are we supposed to be doing?

Sharing Personal Practices

What is everyone doing in their classrooms?

Planning, Planning, Planning

What should we be teaching?

Developing Common Assessments

What does mastery look like?

Analyzing Student Learning

Are students learning what they’re supposed to learn?

Differentiating Follow-up

What are you doing differently for different learners?

Reflecting on Instructional Practices

Which practices are most effective?

Step One: Establish Student Achievement Goals

Know how things are – then compare to how things ought to be

Step Two: Identify Important Questions

BEFORE seeking solutions or posing theories, develop a list of deep questions regarding why the current reality exists.

Step Three: Collect Data To Answer Questions

Resist jumping to conclusions; let the data speak for itself; stay focused on the questions

Step Four: Purpose Data Analysis

Sort the data in multiple ways – compare & contrast – look for ‘threads’

Step Five: Generate Theories and Create a Plan

Draw inferences and formulate explanations; deal with reality – not assumptions

Step Six: Purposeful Action Planning

Keep the plan SMART and simple; assign internal accountability; know how you will measure the plan

Step Seven: Collect data on the plan

Not and end unto itself, but rather, an ongoing process

ENC - 2001

Easily disaggregated

Skill-based; objective-based

Routine, embedded, accessible assessments

4 Point Increase

ELA Teacher Grade Period Fall Text Level Spring Text Level Adequate Progress? Fall Oral Reading Rate Spring Oral Reading Rate Fall Fluency Score Spring Fluency Score Fall Comprehension Spring Comprehension Keller 5 2 40 50 YES 101 109 9 12 13 15 Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 147 135 13 14 16 19 Keller 5 2 60 70 YES 128 146 13 13 16 16 Keller 5 2 60 70 YES 132 136 13 14 17 18 Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 127 130 14 14 20 19 Keller 5 2 24 30 NO 90 84 11 13 14 17 Keller 5 2 30 38 NO 78 114 11 12 15 20 Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 118 105 11 12 12 16 Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 138 144 10 13 15 18 Keller 5 2 10 14 NO 55 19 24 Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 118 130 11 14 12 18 Keller 5 2 14 NA 54 19 Keller 5 2 20 30 YES 60 81 11 13 12 17 Keller 5 2 38 50 YES 95 124 12 14 21 17 Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 113 117 13 13 17 15 Keller 5 2 38 50 YES 93 117 11 13 14 17 Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 115 131 12 13 13 15 Keller 5 2 40 70 YES 144 137 13 14 16 18

5TH Start Mid Lexile DRA DRA Change DRA Change 1/16 58 60 7 68 13 830-980 50 80 30 80 856-1006 50 50 0 70 20 1009-1159 70 80 10 80 748-898 34 40 6 50 10 865-1015 50 60 10 60 0 714-864 40 40 0 50 10 454-604 50 40 -10 60 20 844-994 38 50 12 50 0 563-713 60 80 20 80 533-683 30 40 10 50 10 884-1034 60 80 20 80 872-1022 50 70 20 70 617-767 50 70 20 70 933-1083 80 60 -20 80 20 844-994 70 80 10 80 661-811 60 40 -20 60 20 598-748 70 60 -10 80 20 60 80 20 80 50 60 10 70 10 0 70 70

Paired Reading Scores