Professional Learning Communities (School Improvement and Accountability- Curriculum and Instruction Division)

Initiative: To implement Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) throughout our district.

Goals:

To improve student achievement

1. What do we want our students to learn?
2. How do we know when they have learned it?
3. What will we do for the students who do not learn?
4. What will we do to deepen the knowledge of the students who do learn?

To improve teacher effectiveness through collaboration and data analysis of effective teaching strategies

Targeted Population: Teachers and administrators across all grade levels.

Timeline: The Office of School Improvement and Title I began training schools in Professional Learning Communities in 2005. In 2007, the Office of School Improvement and Title I began working collaboratively with the Professional Development Office on this initiative. As a result, specific courses in Professional Learning Communities were developed and a cadre of School Improvement trainers identified. Training continues today both districtwide and at individual school sites.

Professional Development: The following PLC courses have been developed to date: Foundations of Professional Learning Communities, Professional Learning Communities in Action, Professional Learning Communities Facilitation and Professional Learning Communities and the Continuous Improvement Model.

Transferability: PLCs provide administrators and teachers a supportive structure for the implementation of school improvement initiatives (Continuous Improvement Model, Response to Intervention and Empowering Effective Teachers).

* Increase promotion rates at all grade levels and the percentage of high school graduates, * Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods, * Motivate students to become responsible learners, * Challenge and support all students with an appropriate curriculum, * Recruit, develop, and retain a highly effective, diverse workforce