Development of professional learning communities at Highland Park ISD in Amarillo, TX. Description of implementation of Fundamental 5, Marcia Tate strategies, Reflective Teacher and Leadward resources for improved teacher and student peformance. Presented at Region 16 ESC at Panhandle School Leadership Association.

1. Development and Evolution of
Professional Learning Communities
at Highland Park ISD
Region 16 PSLA
April 9, 2014

2. Resources
• “The Fundamental 5” by Sean Cain & Mike Laird
www.leadyourschool.com
• “Becoming a Reflective Teacher” by Robert J. Marzano
www.marzanoresearch.com
• “Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites” by Marcia Tate
www.developingmindinc.com
• Lead4ward.com , Ervin Knezek
• Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

3. What is a PLC?
• A professional learning community is a group
of educators that meet regularly, share
expertise and work collaboratively in order to
improve teaching skills and improve student
academic performance.
--- From “The Glossary of Education Reform”

4. PLCs at HPISD
• Leadership Team
• Superintendent, Principals, Assistant Principals,
Technology Director, Athletic Director, SPED Director,
Curriculum Directors.
• Teacher PLCs
• Campus teams of teachers who self-identified similar
weaknesses in Reflective Teacher conferences.

5. What Does a PLC Look Like?
Secondary Collaboration
February 6, 2014

6. HPISD Leadership PLC
• Every Tuesday at 9:30 AM with an agenda
• Book study or quote sharing
• Plan collaboration
• “Housekeeping” items

7. Campus PLCs
• Every Thursday at 7:40 AM
• Discuss teaching topics and strategies of interest
• Share classroom experiences
• Limit or eliminate “housekeeping” items

8. PLC Communication
• Organize and share useful information
– Originally on a Wiki page
– Migrated to Google Docs
• Our goal is to create an “electronic library” of
best practices and interesting ideas.

9. “Look” is not important, results are!
• Collegiality
• Focused professional development
• Improved teaching strategies and
techniques
• Ultimately, the desired results are ever
improving student success and ongoing
teacher improvement.

10. Leadership PLC Page

11. Leadership PLC Individual Page

12. Angie Baldwin Book Study # 1
“Any plan should be flexible so that it may be
adjusted for changing demands or issues that
haven't been considered - after all, no matter
how well you do your homework, you won't
think of everything!"
--- From “Practical Literacy Coaching” by Jan
Miller Burkins

13. Angie Baldwin Book Study # 2
• A teacher’s job is not to teach kids. A teacher's job is to
create meaningful, engaging work, whereby kids learn
the things we want them to learn.
• A leader’s job is not to teach teachers. A leader’s job is
to create meaningful, engaging work, whereby
teachers learn the things we want them to learn.
----From “Leading for Learning” by Phil Schlechty

14. One Sentence Job Description

15. One Word Activity
Our Words:
Perseverance, Growth, Still, Faith
Moment, Intentional, Christian, Listen
Commit, Balance, Reflect
On Facebook: Amarillooneword

16. Quote Example
• Greg Popovich “I can’t make every decision”.
How does this relate to you as a school leader?

17. Fundamental 5

18. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
1. Frame the lesson
2. Work in the Power Zone
3. Frequent small group
purposeful talk
4. Recognize and reinforce
5. Writing critically

19. Complexity of Questioning
Bloom’s Taxonomy

20. Fundamental 5 at HPISD
• School Year 2012-13
– Sean Cain workshop
– District book study with campus discussions
– Focus of walk-through visits
• School Year 2013-14
– Reviewed with staff, individually or collaboratively
– Modeled in administrative presentations
– Summative conferences discussions

21. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
We will discuss various Marcia Tate
strategies used by Highland Park High
School teachers in their classroom.

22. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
I will share a Marcia Tate strategy
with my peers that I am willing to try
and how I will attempt to use it in my
classroom in the next two weeks.

23. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
Marcia Tate Strategies
Brainstorming and Discussion, Writing, Movement
Reciprocal Teaching, Drawing and Artwork, Visualization
Field Trips, Work Study, Graphic Organizers, Storytelling
Project-based and Problem-based Instruction, Music
Visuals, Humor, Games, Manipulatives, Technology
Role play, Metaphor, Analogy and Simile, Mnemonic Devices

24. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
Within your assigned group, read
your partners’ emails. Then, discuss
your shared experiences using
Marcia Tate strategies in your
classrooms. Analyze the attempts to
implement new techniques to
increase student learning.

25. Complexity of Questioning
Bloom’s Taxonomy

26. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
I can tie into (the Fine Arts) TEKS by
using Broadway music as “filler”
between classes and as prompts for
writing assignments.
--- Theater Arts teacher

27. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
I tried reciprocal teaching last year
and it did not work well at all…I need
to model the whole thought process,
research and decision making for a
lesson to the students.
--- CTE Business
teacher

28. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
I used reciprocal teaching in my class
this week using Garage Band to have
students make an audio recording
about themselves.
---- FCS teacher

29. Campus Review of
Fundamental 5
In an email to your principal, describe
the implementation of a Marcia Tate
strategy that is out of your comfort
zone that you will attempt to use in
your classroom in the next two
weeks. After using that strategy,
send a follow-up email on the
strengths and weaknesses of your
implementation.

30. Complexity of Questioning
Bloom’s Taxonomy

31. E-mail Response
• One Marcia Tate strategy that is out of my
comfort zone is mnemonic devices. I have a
couple of go-to ones, but I am uncomfortable
with elementary-ish methods, and those have
always seemed to be more of an elementary
thing. However, I will try to start incorporating
some of those methods into my English
classes. I’m thinking maybe vocabulary would
be a good way to start working with some of
those. We shall see...

32. Positive Outcomes of Fundamental 5
in HPISD
• Common vocabulary made teaching
performance easier to discuss in conferences.
• Improved teaching performances from both
management and organizational standpoints.
• Encouraged teachers to move toward learner-
centered instruction.

33. Becoming a Reflective Teacher

34. HPISD Leadership Team Plan
• Summer 2013
– Chose Marzano’s “Becoming a Reflective Teacher”
for district-wide book study.
– Yearly calendar developed for weekly
collaboration at campus and district levels.
• Fall 2013
– Introduction of reflective practice to teachers.
– Self-reflective conferences with principals and
curriculum directors.

35. HPISD Leadership Team Plan
• January 2013
– PLCs assigned by based on similar “weaknesses”.
– Developed Google Sites for organization of shared
materials and model district technology vision.
• Spring 2013
– Ongoing group meetings with focus on chosen areas.
– Active monitoring of sites for new information.
– Discussion in PDAS Summative Conferences.
– Determination of Professional Development.

36. Becoming a Reflective Teacher
* Marzano’s Causal Links
From Learning Sciences International.

37. Marzano Teacher Scales

38. Marzano Teacher Element # 2

39. Marzano Teacher Element # 16

40. Reflective Teacher Conferences
• Teacher, principal, curriculum director
• Teacher controlled agenda
• Discussion of all aspects of teaching
• Lasted from 20 to 45 minutes
• Notes used to talk to teachers about teaching

41. Lead4ward Essential 8

42. Lead4ward Essential 8

43. Data Gathering & PLC Development
• Teachers were grouped by self-identified
weaknesses to create PLC groups.
• Administrators proposed initial agendas.
• Set expectations to members.
• Posting to Google Sites.
• Continue to encourage discussion.

44. HPHS PLC Groups
• Active Learning
• Learning Goals & Engagement
• Structuring Lessons (2)

45. Teacher PLC Pages
• Personal page
• Make comments
• Attach pdf files
• Direct links to websites
• Links to videos (YouTube, etc.)
• Include pictures and images

46. HS Structuring Lessons 2

47. Identify/Preview/Organize

48. HPHS Active Learning

49. Friendly Controversy over Evolution
• Review and self-ranking (5 minutes)
• Partner assignment (2 minutes)
• Review critical vocabulary (5 minutes)
• Framing (2 minutes)
• Partner talks (7 minutes) Share, not convert
• Explain critical writing assignment (3 minutes)
• Writing (20 minutes)Submit via e-mail

50. Positive Outcomes of Reflective
Teaching in HPISD
• Campus team concept developed further.
• Easier to discuss teaching in conferences.
• Implementation of new teaching strategies.
• Teacher self-reflection more introspective
than Teacher Self-Report on PDAS.

51. HPISD Contacts
• Mike Brown, Superintendent
• mike.brown@hpisd.net
• Vanette Barnett, Elementary Principal
• vanette.barnett@hpisd.net
• Stacie Jones, Asst. Elementary Principal
• stacie.jones@hpisd.net
• Angie Baldwin, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator
• angie.baldwin@hpisd.net
• Pam Hicks, SPED Director
• pam.hicks@hpisd.net

52. HPISD Contacts
• Susan Looney, Technology Director
• susan.looney@hpisd.net
• Neila Malcom, Middle School Principal
• neila.malcom@hpisd.net
• Todd Moore, Asst. Secondary Principal
• todd.moore@hpisd.net
• Jill Swann, Secondary Curriculum Coordinator
• jill.swann@hpisd.net
• Shawn Read, High School Principal
• shawn.read@hpisd.net