This document outlines the agenda for a professional development session on developing professional learning communities (PLCs). The session will include introductions, a definition of PLCs, establishing crucial questions, discussing connections, evaluating current PLC practices using colored dots, and next steps of reading an article and establishing norms. PLCs are defined as teams that work interdependently towards common goals and are mutually accountable. Their key questions focus on what students should learn, how to assess learning, and how to help struggling students.

1. Beginning the Journey Developing Professional Learning Communities Amy Boyette, DPI West Bladen High School February 12, 2010

2. Session Overview Introductions Purpose/Definition Crucial Questions Connections Protocol Evaluation of Practice Task Completion PLC Next steps: article, norms

3. Definition Rick DuFour defines a PLC or professional learning community as “every imaginable combination of individuals with an interest in education” grade-level teaching team school committee school department school district state department of education national professional organization

4. Purpose The driving engine of a PLC is the collaborative team , on which members work interdependently to achieve a common goal for which each team member is mutually accountable. -Dufour, Dufour, Eaker

5. Crucial Questions What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

6. Connections Protocol What does a school look like if it is functioning as a professional learning community?

7. Evaluation of Practice We are going to chart the components of our PLC/team by using the following multi-colored dots: Melon Lime Avacado Lemon *Please take one dot of each color to represent your rating for questions 1-4.

8. Components of a PLC Indicate the extent to which each of the following statements is true of your team/PLC. 1………………………5…………………….10 not true being addressed true

9. Components of a PLC: MELON 1 We have identified team norms to guide our work. 1………………………5…………………….10 not true being addressed true

10. Components of a PLC: LIME 2 We have analyzed student data and have established specific goals that we are working interdependently to achieve. 1………………………5…………………….10 not true being addressed true

11. Components of a PLC: AVACADO 3 We have developed frequent common assessments that help us determine student mastery of essential learning. 1………………………5…………………….10 not true being addressed true

12. Components of a PLC: LEMON 4 We meet to discuss results of common assessments and to plan adjustments for instruction. 1………………………5…………………….10 not true being addressed true

13. Using Data Let’s look at our continuum. What is our data demonstrating to us about our team? How are we going to adjust our practice to yield results?

14. Next Steps Read the passage labeled “Big Idea # 2” in Rick DuFour’s article “Schools as Learning Communities” Make any notations. Save the Last Word for Me Protocol Norms Activity

15. Credits Parts of this presentation were adapted from the work of: Schools as Learning Communities by Rick DuFour (2004) Professional Learning Communities at Work by Dufour, Dufour, and Eaker (2006). Special Thanks to: Melissa Brown Melissa Champion Hurst Julie Malcolm