1. What is it we want all students to learn?

2. How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning?

3. How will we respond when a student experiences initial difficulty in learning?

4. How will we deepen the learning for students who have already mastered essential knowledge and skills?

DuFour, Eaker and DuFour (2005)

Triangle High Five provides professional development to support teachers and administrators in responding to each of the four questions. While differentiated instruction has been a buzz word in education for several years, it is often difficult for a school or school system to define differentiation. Rick Wormeli described differentiation as “Three things are regularly happening if [a] teacher differentiates. One, are the kids on task and engaged in what’s going on? Two, are they learning and is there proof that they are learning? And third, are they content – has the teacher made the atmosphere in the classroom a safe and inviting one? And it has to be developmentally appropriate – in fact, in the first chapter of any book on differentiation you will find that it says differentiation always begins with a developmentally appropriate curriculum and atmosphere. Those are the attributes of a successfully differentiated classroom” (NASSP Interview).

Triangle High Five frequently polls educators to inform the professional development topics and presenters that are selected each year. Over the past two years, professional learning communities (PLCs) from across the five school districts have asked for support in differentiated instruction. Teachers want to close achievement gaps, but they also want to support students who have already mastered key skills and concepts. As teachers have started using common formative assessments and utilizing the assessment data to inform future instruction, it has become evident that differentiated instruction will support all students. A one-size-fits-all approach to education does not help students and it may even cause struggling learners and advanced students to become disengaged. Since Triangle High Five aims to prepare 100% of the Triangle’s students to graduate College and Career Ready, differentiated instruction will offer support in preparing students for the next level.

On February 23, 2012, Triangle High Five will host Rick Wormeli at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh.

One of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, Rick Wormeli brings innovation, energy, validity and high standards to both his presentations, and his instructional practice, which includes 30 years teaching math, science, English, physical education, health, and history and coaching teachers. Rick’s work has been reported in numerous media, including ABC’s Good Morning America, Hardball with Chris Matthews, National Geographic and Good Housekeeping magazines, What Matters Most: Teaching for the 21st Century, and the Washington Post. Rick Wormeli is a columnist for the National Middle School Association’s Middle Ground magazine, and he is the author of the award-winning book, Meet Me in the Middle, as well as the best-selling books, Day One and Beyond, Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, Differentiation: From Planning to Practice, Grades 6-12, Metaphors & Analogies: Power Tools for Teaching any Subject, all five from Stenhouse Publishers, as well as Summarization in any Subject, published by ASCD, and the Homework foldout from Incentive Publications. His classroom practice is a showcase for ASCD’s best-selling series, “At Work in the Differentiated Classroom,” and Rick Wormeli is a contributing author to Middle School Matters and Because You Teach, published by Incentive Publications.

Wormeli has been asked to present to teachers and administrators in all 50 states, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Australia, the Middle East, and at the White House. He is Disney’s American Teacher Awards 1996 Outstanding English Teacher of the Nation.

Triangle High Five will sell 100 seats to this event. In order to register for the event, visit Rick Wormeli – Registration. All remaining seats will be reserved for educators in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Durham Public Schools, Johnston County Schools, Orange County Schools, and Wake County Public School System. This will be the final professional development offered by Triangle High Five for the 2011-2012 school year. During the past year, Triangle High Five hosted the Algebra Readiness Summit with Dr. Cathy Seeley, Motivating Students with author and presenter Nicole Vagle, and Professional Learning Communities at Work: Bringing the Big Ideas to Life with Dr. Rick and Becky DuFour. Triangle High Five has reached over 2,000 educators through the 2011-2012 professional development offerings. To gain perspective on how Triangle High Five, a regional collaborative, has a direct impact on teaching and learning visit About Triangle High Five.

“An ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.”

What Are Educators Saying About the Two-Day Event?

“I have attended many of the DuFour workshops and every time I gain a deeper knowledge of PLC. I have been able to go back to my school and implement another piece…..”
Durham Public Schools

“Having this mid-year, rather than in August, when we are too busy to soak in the info., was a wise decision. Mid-year conferences are great because we have the first semester to think about and the second semester for which to plan.”
Johnston County Schools

“I can’t wait to return to my classroom and apply these strategies with my students, colleagues, and school. I feel re-invigorated and inspired to become a stronger teacher.”
Orange County Schools

“I am eager to return to my school to implement/share various facets of PLC that will make us more effective.”
Wake County Public School System

“I enjoyed the time to discuss what we learned with my team. I think it will make it much easier to implement the PLC more effectively.”
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

“Our district will definitely benefit from the ideas presented.”
Pitt County Schools

“Thank you for the clarity. I am leaving having truly understood what I can do and how to do it. I also know why it is important. I feel empowered not overwhelmed by your training. I think this is very doable for our schools!”
Martin County Schools

“The presentations were not long enough, because I could learn from these presenters all day, any day!”
Hoke County Schools

“Have PLC Sessions in North Carolina more frequently.”
Wilson County Schools

Triangle High Five would like to thank the educators who attended this event. The five school districts who belong to Triangle High Five have seen the positive results of operating as a Professional Learning Community. We also feel that the school districts who emphasize the PLC approach will be able to develop curriculum documents which support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the North Carolina Essential Standards. We wish you the best as you continue your PLC journey!

Feel free to add your thoughts on the PLC Sessions with Rick and Becky DuFour on the Triangle High Five Blog!

1) A PLC accepts learning as the fundamental purpose of our school.

2) A PLC is committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose.

3) A PLC assesses its effectiveness on the basis of results, rather than intentions.

Day One emphasized the importance of Common Formative Assessments, Data Analysis, and the need to clarify 8-10 Essential Common Outcomes (skills, concepts, and dispositions) per semester by course/content area.

The presenters shared resources which support the ongoing work of teacher teams. Critical Issues for Team Consideration, Developing Norms, and a Survey on Team Norms are all available online, along with other tools for teacher teams.

Solution Tree also offers a commercial-free website for educators which includes a blog, resources for team meetings, data from K-12 schools from across the United States, articles and research on the topic of Professional Learning Communities, and the opportunity for educators to share their own school or district success stories. Visit All Things PLC to continue learning after the conference ends. You can continue learning with educators from across the nation through online conversations, webinars, and resources that are featured from high performing teams.

Triangle High Five has hosted Rick and Becky DuFour multiple times over the past six years. It never gets old seeing a team of teachers staying late to make plans for implementing the Big Ideas of a PLC or seeing a team of sixth grade teachers planning how to improve on their existing practice. Teaching in American schools has traditionally been viewed as the role of an individual teacher. The power of professional learning communities is evident when teachers see that working in collaboration is more powerful than working in isolation. As school districts across North Carolina begin to implement the Common Core State Standards and North Carolina Essential Standards, professional learning communities will support curriculum development, instruction, assessment, creative ways to support all learners, and literacy across the curriculum. We are looking forward to Day Two!

In an article titled, “Work Together: But Only if You Want To,” published in the February (2011) issue of Phi Delta Kappan, Rick DuFour argues that collaboration among educators cannot be a voluntary process and presents evidence that teacher isolation is not as successful as a collaborative culture. He shares how a pilot works with the air traffic controller and a team of airline staff prior to take-off. As teachers embrace the idea of operating as a professional learning community (PLC), they must recognize that collaborative teams are not optional. As teacher teams begin to develop in a grade level and across grades, they should eventually include grade level teams at the district level and vertical teams across schools.

Questions To Consider:

1) Does our school encourage teacher collaboration?

2) Does our school schedule time for collaboration on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis?

3) What happens when a teacher team opts out of collaborative team time?

4) How does the work of collaborative teams support student learning?

5) What are the current barriers to collaboration in our school?

6) How can teachers utilize Web 2.0 tools to organize curriculum documents, share ideas, and collaborate between meetings?

How has collaboration impacted student achievement in your school?
Please share your team’s story.

Prior to the two-day conference, educators may learn from Rick and Becky on a FREE webinar. On December 12, Solution Tree is hosting a webinar titled, New Insights on How Effective PLCs Improve Schools. The webinar will be held between 4:00 – 5:00 pm EST. Register to for the FREE webinar at Solution Tree/DuFour Webinar.

Educators may also wish to visit the following websites which support the ongoing work of Professional Learning Communities:

Rick DuFour on the Importance of PLCs (4:39)
YouTube

How PLCs Use Assessments
All Things PLC

Moving from a Tradition of Isolation to a Culture of Collaboration
All THings PLC

What’s the Difference Between a PLC, a Collaborative Team, and a Task Force?
All Things PLC

For additional conference updates, visit Triangle High Five Hosts Rick and Becky DuFour on December 14-15, 2011.

Triangle High Five hosted Rick and Becky in 2010 at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Educators who attended the two-day training shared the following:

“The entire presentation was valuable!”
(Elementary Teacher, Beaufort County Schools)

“This was a profoundly empowering professional development opportunity!”
(Middle School Teacher, Wake County Public School System)

“One of the best workshops I have ever attended!”
(High School Teacher, Montgomery County Schools)

“Hearing the DuFours has been an extremely beneficial experience. I would recommend the opportunity to every educator across the nation.”
(High School Teacher, Wake County Public School System)

“I clearly see the relevance of collaborative teams because it has a direct impact on student achievement when effectively implemented.”
(District and School Transformation Coach, NCDPI)

“This is my first exposure to what a PLC really is…..Thank you Triangle High Five for allowing other districts this opportunity to learn from the experts!”
(Curriculum Coach, Granville County Schools)

Bring your team to the two-day conference on December 14-15, at the North Raleigh Hilton. There has never been greater clarity and specificity about how to improve schools: educators must develop their collective capacity to function as a professional learning community. In many schools, educators avoid the real work of PLCs and settle for “PLC Lite.” The DuFours will clarify how educators are using powerful processes to drive continuous improvement and will address the ineffective processes of pseudo PLCs.

Vagle encouraged educators to focus on students’ strengths. Each student enters our classroom with unique strengths. Creating small wins for students should be the goal of a professional learning community. Solution Tree has free reproducibles and resources shared by Vagle online at Solution Tree.

Resources Include:

Self-Assessing Your Motivational Practice

Understanding the Learner

For Discussion:

How can educators look for student’s strengths versus deficits?

How will you implement one of the 25 strategies shared by Nicole Vagle?

Whole Child Tenets

Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.

Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.

Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.

Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.

Each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.

Through the Pyramid of Intervention, advisory, home/school communication and partnerships, academic support, credit recovery, grading practices, and operating as a PLC, school districts across the Triangle are supporting the Whole Child. The vision of Triangle High Five is “All students graduating with high school diplomas, well prepared to pursue higher education and careers of their choice.” As teachers and administrators continue to develop a mindset that “These are our students,” schools will be able to reach the goal. Professional Learning Communities are not an event, a department meeting, vertical teaming, or a staff meeting. According to Mike Schmoker, “It starts with a group of teachers who meet regularly as a team to identify essential and valued student learning, develop common formative assessments, analyze current levels of achievement, set achievement goals, share strategies, and then create lessons to improve upon those levels.”

References:

ASCD Whole Child podcast (October 2011).

Schmoker, M. in On common ground: The power of professional learning communities. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (Eds.). (2005). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

David Conley
College Knowledge: Getting In is Only Half the Battle

The vision of Triangle High Five is “All students graduating with high school diplomas, well prepared to pursue higher education and careers of their choice.” Recently, the Center for Public Education created a video titled, Data First: College and Career Readiness (3:30).

As North Carolina public schools move towards implementation of the Common Core State Standards, the entire state will focus on college and career readiness, new standards and their potential impact on teaching and learning. The video created by the Center for Public Education provides professional learning teams with leading indicator data and questions to consider. How do we know if a student is “On-Track” for College and Career Readiness? How will operating as a Professional Learning Community (PLC) support the transition to new standards?

David Conley, a Professor of Educational Policy and Leadership in the College of Education at the University of Oregon, wrote a book titled College Knowledge (2005) and more recently College and Career Ready: Helping All Students Succeed Beyond High School (2010). Dr. Conley also has an informative article on this topic which is available online at Rethinking College Readiness (2009).

Montgomery County Schools (Rockville, MD) developed Seven Keys to College Readiness. The school district’s website states, “It’s important for all children to know that college is a realistic option. All students who are willing to take challenging courses and work hard can go to college. There are many routes a student can take to earn a college degree and many programs to help families pay for college. Students can even earn college credit while still in high school.” If school districts are seeking resources on College Readiness strategies, this district website offers several quality resources. The most important thing to note is that Montgomery County Schools decided to quit debating which students are college ready and take bold steps to prepare all students for college.

If you are interested in learning about On-Track Indicators, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform is hosting a webinar on Friday, October 7, at 1:00 pm EST.

College Readiness Lessons from Consortium on Chicago School Research
Date: Friday, October 7
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Presenter: Elaine Allensworth, Senior Director and Chief Research Officer, Consortium on Chicago School Research

Register for the Webinar: http://bit.ly/qIR5zA

About:
Researchers at the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) at the University of Chicago have conducated a number of studies over the last several years aimed at helping middle and high schools improve their students’ attainment of high school and college degrees. Elaine Allensworth will present a summary of this research, and describe the use of research findings to develop indicator systems and school practice in Chicago public schools. She will discuss three lines of work: 1) ninth grade indicator systems for high school graduation and college readiness; 2) twelfth grade indicators of college readiness and college access monitoring systems; and 3) middle grade indicators of high school and college readiness.

How does your school define College and Career Readiness? Once educators define the goal, PLCs can support students and families by sending clear signals about whether a student is “On-Track” or “Off-Track.” Schools can also utilize the Pyramid of Interventions and other strategies to support students as they transition from middle school to high school and from high school to college and careers. If you would like to see how well your former students are doing in the UNC System schools, visit Freshman Measures.

As we enter the final weeks of September, school staff will organize Parent/Guardian – Teacher Conferences, Student-Led Conferences, Open House, PTA meetings, progress reports and other communication documents which allow students and families to analyze the student’s progress.  This is the time in the school year when it is most evident that educators, teacher teams, administrators, students and families benefit from the four questions asked in a Professional Learning Community.

If organized properly, DuFour, Eaker and DuFour (2005) explain that the following questions will guide the work of a Professional Learning Community:

1.       What is it we want all students to learn?

2.       How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning?

3.       How will we respond when a student experiences initial difficulty in learning?

4.       How will we deepen the learning for students who have already mastered essential
knowledge and skills?

Does your teacher team ask the questions above?  How do these questions support teaching and learning in your school?  Each year, teams of teachers review the state standards and identify grade level or course-specific goals.  There are multiple ways to reach the goals determined by teachers and administrators.  However, it is important that all staff members have a clear understanding of the key concepts, skills, content, and enduring understandings for each grade level or course.  If a parent moves from another state or country and asks teachers in your school district which skills and understandings are taught in the seventh grade, would the parent receive the same answer from teachers at six different middle schools?

Resource for Teacher Teams:

Did you miss Allison Zmuda’s ASCD webinar on creating authentic assessments?

Watch the archive here:

Creating Authentic Assessments
Allison Zmuda
Archived Webinar – Recorded on September 13, 2011
ASCD 

References:

DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & DuFour, R. (Eds.). (2005). On common ground: The power of professional learning communities.  Bloomington, IN: National Education Service.

Take a moment to share how operating as a Professional Learning Community has impacted teaching and learning in your school.  Share your thoughts below.