All Things PLC Magazine Volume 8, Issue 1 by Solution Tree

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PLC M A G A Z I N E Volume 8, Issue 1

INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS

INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

A Change from Within

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PLC M A G A Z I N E

Vo l u m e 8 , I s s u e 1

Features The School Board’s Role in Supporting PLCs Jessicca Rodgers From one board member to another.

Student Recognition Jasmine Kullar A tier 1 proactive student discipline strategy.

Top Tiers for Instructional Leadership Nathaniel Provencio What it means to be a top tier 1 instructional leader.

Effective Behavior Support in a PLC Kristen Bordonaro How to support student behavior in the classroom.

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To o l s & R e s o u rc e s fo r I n s p i ra t i o n a n d E xce l l e n ce

First Thing

Own it!

FAQs about PLCs

Balancing team accountability and teacher autonomy.

Learning Champion

Regina Stephens Owens, the gift.

Case Study

The Bowie Middle School PLC story.

The Recommender

Relational teaching.

Words Matter

What are collective commitments?

Research Report

Professionals learning in community the most effective PD Model.

Why I Love PLCs Igniting the flame.

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PLC M A G A Z I N E

SOLUTION TREE: CEO Jeffrey C. Jones

PRESIDENT Edmund M. Ackerman SOLUTION TREE PRESS:

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Douglas M. Rife ART DIRECTOR Rian Anderson PAGE DESIGNERS Laura Cox, Abigail Bowen, Kelsey Hergül, Fabiana Cochran, Julie Csizmadia, Rian Anderson

AllThingsPLC (ISSN 2476-2571 [print], 2476-258X [Online]) is published four times a year by Solution Tree Press. 555 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404 800.733.6786 (toll free) / 812.336.7700 FAX: 812.336.7790 email: info@SolutionTree.com SolutionTree.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to Solution Tree, 555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN, 47404 Copyright © 2023 by Solution Tree Press

A llThi n g s P LC | Vol u m e 8 , Iss ue 1

First Thing Own It!

Aaron Hansen

ike almost all classroom visits I make, I began this one by asking a student what he was supposed to learn. This seventh grader didn’t hesitate. He whipped open his “Progress Tracker,” something his teacher and her team were experimenting with to help their students take greater ownership of their learning. I was particularly excited to see it because just a couple months earlier I had met with the reluctant teacher team, including his teacher, to coach and encourage them. They had been frustrated with their results, so I had challenged them to own their learning as a team and try something different. So, when the invitation to observe and see their progress came a few months later, I jumped at the chance. Back to the student. I asked this young man some questions about the tool, and he quickly explained that it helped him track his progress toward proficiency in six different essential learning targets within that unit. He explained, with what I would call humble pride, that he knew how to do all six and he was confident in taking the summative assessment. I nodded, smiling at his smile. I could see how he had kept track of his learning. One target went from a 1 in the beginning to a 4 by the end, indicating a progression from struggle to mastery. I asked him, “So, you know how to do all these things now, but was any of it hard for you?” Immediately, he pointed at one of the targets. “That one!” “Yeah? What was hard about it?” He explained that he “just didn’t get it,” that it was a real struggle. So, I asked my favorite question in a metacognitive conversation like this: “How did you do it? Tell me about how you went from really struggling to really getting it.” I listened intently, giving all my attention, as he told me the story of how he overcame the struggle. He was happy to tell it. He explained the activities he’d engaged in, showing me his notes, group assignments, and independent practice, and he even described the intervention groups he’d self-selected. I was impressed. I asked, “So, with all these things you did, it seems like you worked hard. Is that right?” “Yeah, real hard!” he said as he trained his eyes on mine. “Hmm . . . Okay, so what I think you’re telling me

is that your effort had something to do with your progress?” I questioned. “Well, yeah!” he declared. I paused, nodding, trying to communicate the admiration and respect I felt for his perseverance in the face of true struggle. Finally, I asked, “Do you think that applies to other areas of your life, maybe?” He paused, thinking about it, and then nodded. I clarified, “So, is it true to say when you work hard, you improve?” He considered my question carefully, glanced at his tracker again, and then nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s true.” With deep sincerity and slowly, I spoke these words: “That is a really interesting thing to know about yourself, isn’t it?” He nodded, and then a smile crept back over his face. I moved on to the next student. When I walked out of the classroom, my teacher heart was warmed. Each learner I spoke with was able to explain what the intended learning goal was, where they started, where they currently were, and what they had done and were doing to improve. It was impressive. They owned it. I turned to the principal, assistant principal, and learning coach who had listened and videoed the conversation to use in professional learning with the rest of the teams in the school. I asked, “What would happen if that kid had that kind of conversation in every single one of his classes, multiple times throughout the year, for the three years of his middle school career?” We speculated with excitement and hope, concluding that it would be transformative in that child’s life. The experience of hearing himself tell multiple stories, grounded in evidence, where he faced and overcame challenges would empower him with the quiet confidence to know that he is truly a capable learner, able to face any challenge. We were elated at the life-changing possibilities for him and all students in the school if they all had that sense of self-efficacy. It truly inspires me when I see individuals, both kids and adults, becoming empowered, becoming aware of their own potential. It lights me up when I see a kid “get it” after they have gone to battle really trying to get it. Even better is when they reflect on the victory and start to understand that their own potential is limited only by their willingness to give effort. I get just as excited to see teachers as they step into their power as change agents, by being willing to meet together with a team, tune out the noise, question old practices, experiment together,

formatively assess, and then study and act on the results. This once-hesitant, even reluctant, teacher beamed with excitement as we debriefed the observation later. The job hadn’t gotten easier. The demand on her time and endless distractions pulling on her attention hadn’t changed. What had changed was her willingness with her team to own their process, focus, try something uncomfortable, and keep failing forward. They were learning. They were developing and growing as individuals. She was experiencing the sense of fulfillment that comes when we are aligned with our purpose. That sense of fulfillment is what sustains us against distraction and discouragement and even keeps people from leaving the profession like so many are doing these days (Pendola, Marshall, Pressley, & Trammell, 2023). Because the adults were learning, they were seeing their students grow their academic skills and, even more important, their self-efficacy as learners. How does all of this tie into PLCs? One could argue this is PLCs! At the pinnacle of the PLC process are learners empowered to own and improve learning, kids and adults, all nested in a community. This doesn’t happen naturally. It took a lot of work for this teacher and her team to get to the place where we could have such conversations with her students. It takes effort to understand and implement the framework. It takes a willingness to vulnerably question our practices within a team. Perhaps most important of all, to become a true Professional Learning Community at Work, it takes commitment and courage from the individuals within the system to stay focused on learning and to resist the inevitable distractions. When we do manage to stay focused and consistently devote our effort, it’s transformative for our students and us. Our kids learn more skills at deeper levels. But even more important, they learn that they are powerful learners, that their effort matters, and that they are truly capable of facing any challenges. Paradoxically, while focused on helping them learn these things about themselves, we in turn learn the same things about ourselves. And just like with that young man, that’s a really interesting thing to know about yourself, isn’t it?

Reference

Pendola, A., Marshall, D. T., Pressley, T., & Trammell, D. L. (2023). Why teachers leave: It isn’t what you think. Phi Delta Kappan, 105(1), 51–55.

Volum e 8, I ssue 1 | A l l Thi ngs PLC

The School Board’s

Support

PLCs JESSICCA RODGERS

In recent years, the role of school board members in the educational land-

scape has evolved significantly, especially in light of the challenges posed by the pandemic. Across the US, school boards have grabbed headlines for controversial policies, heated debates, and disruptive meetings. However, it’s essential to understand the true purpose of school board members. They are public officials elected to represent their community’s values, set the direction for the school district, hold it accountable for student outcomes, and ensure policies align with the district’s mission. As a school board member myself, I understand the unique role the board members hold as community elected officials. Boards must balance both supporting the community’s priorities and fulfilling the educational requirements set by the state and federal government. Board members need to understand the significance of their role and how it can have an impact all the way down to the classroom level—whether it is positive or negative. As stated by Robert Eaker, Janel Keating, Mike Hagadone, and Megan Rhoades (2021),

“if the board is educated and has a deep understanding of the why, what, and how involved in advancing the mission of the district, student learning will dramatically increase” 8

Role in

ing From One Board Member to Another (pp. 13–14). This article sets out to demonstrate ways a school board member can be impactful and effective in supporting the journey toward developing a strong professional learning community within their district.

Have a Clear Understanding of Current Student Outcomes The foundational step in a board’s support for the development of a Professional Learning Community at Work

is the establishment of clear goals. However, this process must be preceded by a thorough understanding of the district’s current outcomes. Often, the initiation of the PLC journey is driven by poor student outcomes. Therefore, as a board, engaging in a comprehensive review of data alongside district leadership is imperative to gain a holistic perspective before charting the path forward. It is undeniably challenging to confront data that do not align with desired results. It can be disheartening to acknowledge that not all students are performing at grade level. Nevertheless, if the overarching goal is to ensure that every student achieves at or above grade level, districts must possess an accurate understanding of their current standing. The board plays a pivotal role in supporting this endeavor. A crucial facet of this involvement is to ask probing questions. Why are certain groups of students not meeting grade-level expectations? What deficiencies exist within our educational processes at the school level? Volum e 8, I ssue 1 | A l l Thi ngs PLC

TOP A S A S C H O O L L E A D E R S H I P consultant and coach, I have the wonderful opportunity to work with schools across the US, seeking out ways to enhance their school culture and instructional effectiveness by implementing the PLC process. Many of the schools and leaders I serve are working tirelessly to mitigate the learning loss students experienced as a result of the pandemic of 2020.

A llThi n g s P LC | Vol u m e 8 , Iss ue 1

There is no doubt that schools and districts are working hard to create and acquire programs, resources, systems, structures, and frameworks to assist students who are struggling academically and not meeting grade-level expectations. Through significant funding expenditures to combat the learning loss, states and districts have spent millions of dollars on resources, programs, and interventions to help schools work to accelerate learning for students.

for Instructional Leadership N AT H A N I E L P R O V E N C I O Even though these efforts are admirable, the challenge I continuously see with my work is that as schools focus on these programs, interventions, and remedial supports, the school leaders must manage their implementation and monitor their results, while the management and monitoring of the effectiveness of vital tier 1 instruction is neglected.

Tier 1 instruction, simply defined, provides students with the instructional foundation within a tiered model of school supports. Often referred to as core instruction or initial first instruction, tier 1 is what must be provided to all students. It is the foundational cornerstone of our schools. Any carpenter will tell you that one doesn’t build a house by starting with the roof. One starts by first laying a strong, solid foundation on which the rest of the house is built. If the foundation isn’t laid correctly, the house will eventually collapse. Instructional leaders who are given permission to intentionally focus on tier 1 instruction are focusing on the school’s foundation, the school’s core. During this unprecedented time, now more than ever, our school leaders need to be given the time, training, professional autonomy, and support to move from being reactionary instructional managers to proactive, top tier 1 instructional leaders. So, what does it mean to be a top tier 1 instructional leader? The acronym TIERS represents how educators can significantly enhance their focus on effective tier 1 instruction through the PLC framework.

Targeted

Tier 1 leaders make sure their teachers’ and teams’ instructional planning and delivery are targeted to essential standards. This is the essence of the first critical question in a PLC: What do we want our students to learn? Highly effective PLC-based teams have developed strong habits of collaboratively working interdependently to ensure there is collective coherence and understanding around essential standards. Once teachers in a grade level or department understand the nuances of an essential standard, they work to ensure their lessons, strategies, activities, and resources are directly aligned to the demands of that standard. Tier 1 instructional leaders support their teams with this work by ensuring they have the time, resources, training, and support needed to become learners of the standards themselves before their students learn the standards. When top tier 1 instructional leaders observe classroom instruction, it is apparent that the activities, strategies, and Volum e 8, I ssue 1 | A l l Thi ngs PLC

K R I ST E N B O R D O N A R O

Behavior. Dysregulated. Unsafe. Mental health.

Effective Behavior Support in a PLC T

hese are all terms we hear more often than not within the public school setting. Since the pandemic, we have seen the largest increase in students struggling to manage their emotions to be successful at school and in life. The rate of youth hospitalizations has almost doubled as has the number of students receiving services through a full inpatient or partial hospitalization program. Students are reporting high levels of isolation, anxiety, frustration, and loss of belonging. The World Health Organization reports a 25 percent increase among individuals with anxiety or depression since 2020. As families suffer long waiting periods for medical intervention, they are reaching out to the schools to establish interventions and supports. Schools have seen a large increase in the number of requests for evaluations, interventions, and supports in meeting the complex mental health needs our students are currently facing. This leaves those of us in the class-

room with minimal resources to support students experiencing big emotions. When students are displaying such behaviors in our classrooms, it can be very frustrating and at times scary for everyone, including the student who is struggling. Teachers will often share a sense of helplessness because they aren’t able to implement the right strategies to help the student in the moment. Just like we build our academic toolboxes, we have to also build our behavior toolboxes. The difference is that many of us aren’t taught in our college coursework exactly how to support behaviors in our classroom. Effective behavior support that helps a student feel successful can be very customized and dependent on the individual. Long gone are the days when a student is sent to the office so the principal can handle the infraction. As classroom teachers, we must make the conscious choice to learn more about how to support our students. Volum e 8, I ssue 1 | A l l Thi ngs PLC

“ . . . the more you open your control and share it with others, the more control you actually have.”

THE THERMOSTAT OR THE THERMOMETER In the moment of behavior escalation, teachers must make a choice: either be the thermostat or be the thermometer. The thermostat controls the temperature of the room, whereas the thermometer reacts to the temperature in the room. There is a huge truth in the concept that an escalated adult cannot deescalate a child. The first step in supporting behavior is knowing yourself, knowing what you bring and how you bring it to the situation. We choose how we engage, when we engage, and what that engagement looks like. As school staff, we don’t need to prove that we control the environment. A wise colleague once told me the more you open your control and share it with others, the more control you actually have. The second part of setting the thermostat is knowing when the room needs to be cooled down and when the room can be heated up. This comes down to having 26

A llThi n g s P LC | Vol u m e 8 , Iss ue 1

a genuine connection with your students. They know who truly believes in them and who is faking it. You know when the vibe feels off, and kids have this same sense. If you’ve ever had a bad moment with a friend or family member, you know it can be really hard to just pick back up and move on sometimes. Yet we expect students to move forward without having time to process their emotions or to know how you are going to react the next day. Sometimes we tiptoe around the other person, unsure if they are really OK and we are good or if they are still upset about the incident. Students feel the same way. If they have displayed a negative behavior and not yet had the opportunity to process that with the adult, they may have increased anxiety or worry about the next interaction. After large behaviors, we often go through a process that reestablishes the rapport with the student, but sometimes this vital step doesn’t occur, and it creates a barrier for the student to move forward.

It’s our job to set the thermostat to a safe temperature, and that starts with knowing your students and, most importantly, your students truly knowing that you are going to be there for them each and every day regardless of how hard the day was yesterday. When you have to correct negative behavior, do you find opportunities to build connections with that student throughout the day? We need to ensure that we are operating at a 5:1 ratio, with five positive connections for each one negative occurrence. The third piece is making sure the thermostat is working correctly. Our thermostat must be tuned up regularly through looking at data and determining what strategies are working and what strategies aren’t as effective right now. Behavior is one of those tricky things that makes it feel like it’s never ever getting better. When you can clearly define the ABCs of behavior—antecedent (what happened

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PLC M A G A Z I N E

Strategies and stories to fuel your journey Each issue includes inspiration, fixes, tools, and more—a must-have for emerging and veteran PLCs.

“

This magazine helped reinforce the importance of wellfunctioning PLCs in our district.” —Virginia Bennett, executive director of academic support services, Bulloch County Schools, Georgia

Print and digital versions available Subscribe Online SolutionTree.com/PLCmag

Call

800.733.6786 (Ask about bulk discounts.)

Why I Love PLCs Igniting the Flame The very first time I heard Dr. Rick DuFour keynote at a Professional Learning Communities at Work Institute, I had just completed my first year as a campus principal. I was fortunate to be able to attend the institute with a few members of the leadership team at our school. I had a minimal understanding of what a professional learning community really was prior to attending, but when the three-day conference ended, a flame had been ignited inside me as I truly understood the impact that our school becoming a high-performing professional learning community would have on both our staff and our students. After attending the conference, our leadership team knew we needed to make some changes, but we were excited at the possibilities that lay ahead for our school, and we committed to doing our best to learn and lead this work together.

I became a teacher because I wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of children. I am passionate about learning, and I strove to create a classroom environment where students were engaged, connected, loved to learn, and at the end of the year were academically prepared for the next grade level ahead and beyond. As a new campus principal, I envisioned leading a school where all students felt a sense of belonging, were valued and respected, and one where 48

A llThi n g s P LC | Vol u m e 8 , Iss ue 1

all staff members worked together to ensure their learning. I hoped our families would be proud their children attended our school, and our local businesses would want to partner with us to create a true community for our students. Our school was a high-performing school by state standards, so the thought could easily have been, “Why should we change anything?” But when our leadership team had conversations about what “all students” really meant, we realized our data didn’t show learning and growth for all students; in fact, some of our practices needed to be reexamined. We had exceptional teachers, but they weren’t working collaboratively to share instructional practices, learn from one another, or take a collective responsibility for all of the students in their grade level. We had more of a “my students, your students” mentality with differences in what children were learning depending on the teacher they had. I remember Dr. DuFour saying, “When we know better, it’s our moral responsibility to do better.” This really resonated with me and became the way we approached leading this work on our campus. We created a new shared mission and vision, which guided the decisions, behaviors, and actions within our school. Over the next couple of years, we could really see the “we” instead of “me” mentality and the way we worked together. Our teams became more collaborative and cohesive, and the biggest change was seeing how all staff members approached campus and team goals. The mentality was what we will do together, and our teams accomplished more together than they ever could have individually. Students were growing even more in essential knowledge and skills, and we saw tremendous gains for our students who received additional supports in language acquisition and special education services. Students and staff members were thriving in our professional learning community, and when we surveyed students,

SHAWN CRESWELL

families, and staff members about our school, those results showed we were living our mission and making great strides toward our vision. Not only do our students deserve our best, but our staff members do as well. Working as a professional learning community gives the very best outcomes for both students and staff members. It was such an honor when our school became a Model PLC School my sixth year as principal. The work of being a professional learning community doesn’t stop with becoming a Model PLC School; it’s never-ending work, but this way of work matters and can be transformational for adults and children. I have seen firsthand the impact of professional learning communities, not only as a principal, but throughout the United States when presenting and coaching districts and schools in this work. Witnessing districts and schools make impactful positive changes for their staff and students continually ignites that flame inside of me, knowing that working this way together we can truly ensure learning for all, which is why I love PLCs!

SHAWN CRESWELL has been a campus principal and director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment and is a presenter, coach, and author. She is a passionate leader of professional learning communities and learning for all.

AllThingsPLC Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 1

Discussion Questions

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Use this convenient tear-out card to go over and reinforce the topics discussed in this issue with the members of your team.

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The School Board’s Role in Supporting PLCs (p. 8) 1. What is the purpose of the school board in relation to the PLC journey? 2. Is the school board a part of the district’s decision-making process? If not, what steps can be taken to include them?

3. In what ways does your school board lead from the view of the firefighter? How can it transition to the perspective of the pilot instead?

Student Recognition (p. 14) 1. In what ways can student recognition act as a preventative strategy for improving student behavior?

2. What part does student recognition currently play in your school? 3. Complete the student recognition audit. What areas of student recognition need to be improved on?

Top Tiers for Instructional Leadership (p. 18) 1. How would you define a top tier 1 instructional leader? 2. How can instructional leaders ensure teachers are using research-based best practices while allowing them autonomy in their classrooms?

3. Which aspect of TIERS needs the most work in your school? What will you focus on first?

Effective Behavior Support in a PLC (p. 25) 1. In what ways should educators be a thermostat in the classroom? 2. How do you track behavior data to inform your practices? 3. How does your team collaboratively problem-solve for challenging behaviors? What are other strategies you might try?

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AllThingsPLC Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 1

Refresher Course Because everyone needs a reminder now and again.

The 3 Big Ideas of a PLC 1. FOCUS ON LEARNING 2. BUILD A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE 3. FOCUS ON RESULTS

The fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure high levels of learning for all students. This focus on learning translates into four critical questions that drive the daily work of the school. In PLCs, educators demonstrate their commitment to helping all students learn by working collaboratively to address the following critical questions: 1. What do we want students to learn? What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course? 2. How will we know if they have learned? Are we monitoring each student’s learning on a timely basis? 3. What will we do if they don’t learn? What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty?

2 3

4. What will we do if they already know it?

PLC

•

Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, develop common assessments for learning, analyze evidence of student learning, and use that evidence to learn from one another.

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PLCs measure their effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions.

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All programs, policies, and practices are continually assessed on the basis of their impact on student learning.

•

All staff members receive relevant and timely information on their effectiveness in achieving intended results.

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