Spring 2018
TA K I N G
FLIGHT
AY O MU R PI LM IP AF CYT
C OAC H I N G C O L L A B O R AT I V E T E A M S I N P LC S AT W O R K â„¢
foreword by REBECCA DUFOUR THOMAS W.
MANY
MICHAEL J.
MAFFONI
SUSAN K.
SPARKS
TESHA FERRIBY
THOMAS
AAMMPPLLI IFFYY YYOOUURR I IMMPPAACCTT “If “If you you recognize recognize thethe need need forfor signifi signifi cant cant structural structural and and cultural cultural shifts shifts in in our our schools schools and and want want to to learn learn at at a deeper a deeper level level about about thethe work work of of collaborative collaborative teams teams and and how how coaching coaching those those teams teams can can enhance enhance and and accelerate accelerate thethe teams’ teams’ impact impact onon student student learning, learning, then then you you absolutely absolutely have have thethe right right book book in in your your hands. hands. Amplifying Amplifying Your Your Impact Impact willwill supply supply you you with with what what you you need need to to provide provide clarity, clarity, feedback, feedback, and and support support to to thethe engines engines of of continuous continuous improvement.” improvement.”
—From —From the the foreword foreword byby REBECCA REBECCA DUFOUR, DUFOUR, Author Author and and Educational Educational Consultant Consultant
“Growing “Growing and and supporting supporting teams teams in in a PLC a PLC is is a rather a rather large large task. task. This This book book willwill increase increase thethe impact impact of of leaders leaders in in a PLC a PLC who who need need to to move move their their teams teams in in thethe right right direction.” direction.”
—JOSEPH —JOSEPH POWELL, POWELL,
Instructional Instructional Coach, Coach, James James Bowie Bowie High High School, School, Austin, Austin, Texas Texas
READERS READERS WILL: WILL:
• •Gain Gain anecdotal anecdotal insights insights from from teachers teachers andand empirical empirical evidence evidence from from schools schools that that confi confi rmrm how how coaching coaching andand refirefi ning ning collaborative collaborative teams teams cancan strengthen strengthen PLCs PLCs • •UseUse thethe pathways pathways forfor coaching coaching collaborative collaborative teams teams to to reflrefl ectect onon thethe effectiveness effectiveness of of their their instructional instructional practices practices • •Learn Learn how how to to develop develop andand useuse a strategy a strategy implementation implementation guide guide to to map map outout team team success success • •Consider Consider how how coaches coaches cancan operate operate as consultants, as consultants, collaborators, collaborators, andand coaches coaches of of reflrefl ective ective thinking thinking • •Analyze Analyze coaching coaching scenarios scenarios that that illustrate illustrate how how to to turn turn ineff ineff ective ective team team meetings meetings into into positively positively collaborative collaborative ones ones
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PLC M A G A Z I N E
Spring 2018
Features Navigating Change in a Consortiumwide PLC Erica Martin
The Ups and Downs of a Districtwide PLC
Want Successful PLCs? Bill Hall
Effective Leadership Matters Most
Focusing on Results With Case Studies Jennifer C. McCrystal From Current Reality to Better Practices
Turning Schools Around in an Urban District Using the PLC Process Michelle L. Dillard
The Seneca High School Story
10 14 28 34
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
4
On the importance of believing.
ICYMI
7
Short bits you might have missed.
FAQs about PLCs
9
Time for interventions.
Learning champion
22
Joe Cuddemi, “If I can do it, you can do it!�
PLC clinic
27
Motivating unmotivated students.
The recommender
41
Books to PLC by.
Skill shop
42
Effective leadership teams.
Classic R&D
44
What effective leaders do.
Contemporary R&D
46
A growth mindset, poverty, & student achievement.
Why I love PLCs The formula for school transformation.
48
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SOLUTION TREE: CEO Jeffrey C. Jones
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PRESIDENT Edmund M. Ackerman SOLUTION TREE PRESS:
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PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Douglas M. Rife ART DIRECTOR Rian Anderson PAGE DESIGNERS Abigail Bowen, Laura Cox, 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 © 2018 by Solution Tree Press
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AllThingsPLC Magazine/Spring 2018
First Thing On the Importance of
Believing
What do Mason Crest Elementary School, Woodlawn Middle School, and Fern Creek High School have in common? At first glance, you might say, “Not very much.” All three schools are located in diverse communities in different parts of the country and serve students representing a variety of ages, backgrounds, and demographics. These schools appear to be far more different than alike, but a closer look reveals they all share some common characteristics. All three schools have dedicated faculty that believe learning is the fundamental purpose of their school. Each school values the work of collaborative teams that focus on delivering a guaranteed and viable curriculum, using data to drive instruction, and providing students with additional time and support. These schools regularly examine their policies, practices, and procedures in light of the impact they have on student learning and embrace a never-ending cycle of continuous improvement. Mason Crest, Woodlawn, and Fern Creek are truly extraordinary, and each has been recognized many times at the local, state, and national levels, but these schools share one other distinction— each has been recognized as a recipient of the prestigious DuFour Award of Excellence. The DuFour Award honors the legacy of Dr. Richard DuFour. During a career spanning nearly 50 years, DuFour inspired thousands of educators across the country and around the world. Throughout his career, DuFour held steadfast to the belief that what we do as adults has a tremendous impact on our students’ lives. He argued that what we do as educators can make a difference, that what we do matters, and that
when focused on the right work, the school a child goes to can ing Community at Work, our professional practice is deeply be more impactful than the home a child comes from. This rooted in best practice and grounded in optimistic certainty. unwavering belief in the collective efficacy of teachers and ad- Because we truly believe that all children can learn, they do. Beministrators is one of the qualities that is honored with the cause we believe that working together in collaborative teams is DuFour Award. more effective, it is. Because we believe that every child in every So, how did Mason Crest, Woodlawn, and Fern Creek school deserves our best efforts every day, we create cultures achieve such extraordinary levels of success? How did they that ensure all students learn to high levels. accomplish their goal of ensuring high levels of learning for When we believe in ourselves, our colleagues, and our pracall? The teachers and administrators in these schools first had tice, everything we do is focused on the singular goal of ento believe that they could; they had to believe that what they suring high levels of learning for all. By continuing to work— did every day had a significant impact on the students in their and believe—together, we make a difference in the lives of schools. Researchers call this notion “a sense of efficacy,” and our students. when teachers and principals believe that all kids can learn, they —Thomas Many impact their students in truly remarkable ways. When working in a school operating as a Professional Learn-
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Boys’ Book Club At Truesdell Education Campus in Washington DC, a group of fifth-grade boys have proved wrong the common belief that boys don’t like to read. Administrators provided a few students with books about boys of color, which captured the interest of not only those students but also a group of minority students, who in turn created a book club. The club, the most popular on campus, devours book after book and engages in serious conversations about the themes in these books and how they relate to the boys’ lives. Read more: “These Kids Started a Book Club for Minority Boys. It’s the Most Popular Club in School,” by Perry Stein. Washington Post. www.washingtonpost .com/local/education/these-kids-started -a-book-club-for-minority-boys-its-the -most-popular-one-in-school/2018/01/21 /c15620e2-fc6d-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019 393_story.html?utm_term=.a1deb52bf91f
is “to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying life.” With nearly onefourth of undergrad students enrolled, the campus is seeing a change in its culture—students are “showing more gratitude, procrastinating less, and increasing social connections.” You may be wondering what is on the final exam. Instead of a test, the final is a “Hack Yo’Self Project,” a personal self-improvement project.
by the parents of a rape victim, has been launched to give students their own voice in this movement. Read more: “#MeToo Goes to School,” by Lauren Camera. U.S. News &World Report. www.usnews.com/news/education-news /articles/2018-01-08/the-metoo-movement -goes-to-school
Homeschooling Regulations Up for Debate
Read more: “Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever: Happiness,” by David Shimer. New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2018 /01/26/nyregion/at-yale-class-on-happiness -draws-huge-crowd-laurie-santos.html? rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2F education&action=click&content Collection=education&region=rank& module=package&version=highlights& contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
California officials found 13 siblings allegedly held captive by their parents in deplorable conditions. Because the parents claimed the children were begin homeschooled, they were not missed by local schools. Homeschooling advocates expect this case will bring about debate on homeschooling oversight and regulations. Read more: “Home-Schooling Advocates Brace for Regulation Debate After 13 Siblings Were Found Shackled,” by Carolyn Thompson. TIME. http://time .com/5122422/home-schooling-cali fornia-shackled-siblings/
#MeTooK12 The Pursuit of Happiness The most popular class in Yale’s 316year history is Psychology and the Good Life, with 1,182 undergraduates currently enrolled; most large lectures do not exceed 600 students. The goal of the course
The #MeToo movement has taken hold in Hollywood, higher education, and other industry areas but not so much in K–12 education—until now. While the epidemic has certainly touched public and private schools, underreporting has had a huge impact on the reality of the extent to which sexual harassment is recognized in schools. Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, a nonprofit founded Spring 2018/AllThingsPLC Magazine
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Turning Schools Around in an
URBAN DISTRICT Using the PLC Process The Seneca High School Story
Michelle L. Dillard
S
eneca High School is located in the urban city of Louisville, Kentucky. It is, by Jefferson County standards, considered a mid- to largesize district. Seneca’s tradition of quality education has existed since 1957, and the school was the launchpad of famous alumni such as national news anchor Diane Sawyer, Louisville’s “Mayor for Life” Jerry Abramson, and NBA great Wes Unseld. That is why, in 2010–11, the community reacted with surprise when
Dillard speaks to students.
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Seneca was identified by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) as a “persistently low achieving” (PLA) school. The very location of Seneca High School—a safe, residential setting in the desirable east end of the city—made the community ask, “How could this happen to a good school in a good part of town?” Analysis of student achievement data and leadership practices revealed that over time, Seneca’s teaching staff and pedagogy remained steady, while the student body and culture had changed. A majority of policies and practices were not student centered and did not reflect the increasing diversity and needs of students. The tradition of Seneca was to be Louisville’s best kept secret—a school with a strong Advanced Placement (AP) program that could overcome the lower test scores of regular program students by depending on the middleto upper-class honors and advanced students. However, approximately nine years ago, all high schools in Jefferson County were allowed to open an advanced program. This diluted the former advanced program powerhouses, Seneca included. After the KDE leadership audit, Seneca was exposed for having catered to this group of students while failing to have systems in place to support the other
AllThingsPLC Magazine/Spring 2018
students who, under the new system, now composed of over 90 percent of the student body. At its peak, there were 2,000 students on Seneca’s campus. While enrollment had decreased prior to the application of the PLA label, this new status certainly affected public confidence and, therefore, enrollment for the following school year. In 2011–12, Seneca’s total enrollment was 1,381 students. In January of 2011, the district swiftly responded to the stark data and appointed me as the new principal. My charge was to transform the school culture and significantly reverse negative achievement trends within three years. I was now responsible for looking to the data, both written and observed, and using those findings to initiate turnaround efforts. My first major task in this role was to tell 38 percent of the teaching staff that they would not return to Seneca in 2011–12. Administratively, I had to re-staff two of three assistant principals. Finally, I had to examine the current demographics of both our school and our surrounding community. I soon found that the changes to both were in direct correlation to the changes observed in our student body. Those factors contributed to an incredibly academically, racially, and socially diverse student population.
Seneca High School
BY THE NUMBERS Metrics for the 2010–11 school year through the 2012–13 school year.
17.6%
76.7%
STUDENT CHALLENGES
TEACHERS WITH MASTERS DEGREES
86% FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH STATUS
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
INCREASE IN COLLEGE READINESS
28.8%
21.77%
19.2%
OVERALL
AFRICAN AMERICAN
ESL
41% African American
11% Hispanic
45% Caucasian
47% Female
STUDENT DIVERSITY 53% Male 1% Asian/Mixed
PERCENTILE RATING INCREASE
AVERAGE FRESHMAN GRADUATION RATE
84.2%
42
2013
2013
12
59.7%
5 2011
2011
In two years, Seneca went from the 5th to the 42nd percentile.
Likewise, the socioeconomic changes impacting the community surrounding Seneca resulted in an increasingly high rate of unemployment and a growing population of students living in low-income hotels or with extended families due to loss of income and homes. Additionally, the rate of new immigrants increased, with Catholic Charities often placing families in the community surrounding Seneca or in the Seneca residence areas. As such, our English learners (EL) population had risen substantially. Considering these factors, I knew I had to be careful in my selection of new and remaining staff members and administrators. I assembled an interview committee that was composed of data-driven and results-oriented leaders. Utilizing the KDE data, formal interviews were conducted using questions based on the previous leadership’s deficiencies report. The interview committee sought visionary, innovative, culturally responsive teachers and leaders. We knew for certain that if any change was to occur, we had to staff our school with leaders who were invested in being culturally responsive to the needs of our students. The needs of our students were not unlike many in schools and districts facing the challenges associated with turnaround. Our student population identified for free and reduced-price lunch services grew. We were approximately 45 percent Caucasian, 41 percent African American, and 11 percent Hispanic. The remaining 4 percent associated themselves primarily as Asian or mixed race. We were approximately 53 percent male and 47 percent female. Approximately 36
AllThingsPLC Magazine/Spring 2018
13 percent of our students were in the Exceptional Child Education (ECE) program. Another 17.6 percent of our students spoke English as their second (or third or fourth) language. According to Infinite Campus data, 76.7 percent of our students held free and reduced-price lunch status. This last statistic was a huge step away from Seneca’s traditional standing in the community. Such diversity created unique challenges that required a unique approach. Recognizing that we must provide curriculum and pedagogical approaches that were relevant and engaging to our students, both the remaining and selected staff at Seneca embraced the differences we saw in our students and promoted them as assets rather than as challenges. Within two years of this approach, our school had made great strides. At the heart of this work, however, was the focus on creating an environment of high expectations, providing systems of support, and expecting all students to succeed. Together, leadership and staff re-created the mission, vision, motto, and belief statements of the school to signify unity, a change in direction, and a commitment to student achievement. Symbolically, we officially acknowledged the change of our school mascot from Redskins to Redhawks. Although changed in the ’90s, the Redhawk had been neither a prominent nor consistent image. I recognized the identity crises and developed and promoted one mascot image on all publications and communications. This change had immediate effects on teachers and students alike. Both began to re-
fer to themselves as Redhawks and began to unite as a school Redhawk family. Operation Beautification launched immediately: The front of the school was painted. Lockers were painted. College banners were hung. The dress code policy changed to allow students to wear actual school colors: red and gold. A nice new marquee was built flashing the good news of Seneca to all who passed. Classroom assignments were changed to allow teachers of the same content to be near one another, thus inviting daily collaboration and collegiality among teachers. These symbolic changes are now evident throughout the school and reflect messages of school pride and high expectations for all. Through the hard work, dedication, and commitment of Seneca’s leadership, staff, students, and parents, the declining trend in enrollment witnessed during the 2011–12 school year reverted. Through careful staffing selection, program selection, and the intentional development and building of a strong school culture, Seneca served almost 1,500 students in grades 9 through 12, surpassing district projections after that first year of my hiring. We worked to rebuild our standing in the community and increase partnerships with both alumni and local businesses. The instructional leadership team developed and implemented a plan for continuous improvement that was shared with stakeholders and was regularly monitored for effectiveness. The new Seneca now included students engaged in education, human services (which now includes pre-law and pre-veterinarian programs), Marine
Corps JROTC, urban agri-science technology, AP, English as a second language (ESL), and special needs programs. The new staff was now composed of teacher leaders who were extremely dedicated to student achievement and success. The strategic placement of teachers resulted in a staff now collaboratively working, planning, and analyzing student data in collaborative teams. One hundred percent of Seneca’s faculty was highly qualified, and 86 percent of teachers held master’s degrees. Diversity, as compared to many schools, was also reflected in the racial makeup of our teaching staff: Asian/Pacific Islander, 1 percent; Hispanic, 2 percent; African American, 18 percent; white, 79 percent. Male teachers made up 43 percent of the staff, and females composed the other 57 percent. These diverse perspectives enhanced our focus on culturally responsive teaching and more closely represented the student population we served.
Identifying Our Big Rocks With the assistance of the KDEappointed staff, our team crafted an improvement plan to address stated deficiencies. Our work was heavily informed by research-based reform strategies—such as technology integration, embedded professional development, culturally responsive teaching, extended school services, standards-based grading, positive behavior intervention system (PBIS), and schoolwide literacy—that were proven to be successful with turnaround schools. We
found that at the heart of the study was the idea that in order to successfully reform our school we had to first identify our priorities. We had to both name and categorize the “big rocks” that impacted our ability to improve student achievement. Our initial discussion began at the summer leadership retreat. We wanted to make sure that our faculty and staff knew our mission, our vision, and the work that informed both. As such, we planned what would eventually be known as Seneca’s Annual Summer Faculty Retreat. We knew that we needed to have time for all of our teacher leaders to digest and process what was needed of them to bring our vision to fruition. In short, we wanted to hit the ground running when we presented our plan to faculty and staff. We knew that the feedback they provided from this initial retreat would be pivotal for our school as we moved forward. We needed to establish and provide focused training and real-time strategies centered around our big rocks. After much collaboration, we determined that our three big rocks, or priorities in improving student achievement, must address: 1.
Academic performance (focus on learning)
2.
Transforming school culture (collaborative culture)
3.
Making data-informed decisions (results oriented)
We identified the three big rocks not knowing how closely aligned they were with the three big ideas of PLCs. Un-
der each named big rock, we developed goals, strategies, and monitoring systems that would ultimately be funded by our federal school improvement grant (SIG). After establishing our big rocks, we found that only one true question remained: What would be the most effective strategy to both encourage buildingwide collaboration and effect instructional changes informed by data and centered on student needs? We needed a structure that encouraged teachers and administrators to actively collaborate and learn from one another as educators. We needed to establish and foster a professional learning community environment.
Using the PLC Model to Create Change After determining that the PLC model would be the most effective method to tackle our three big rocks, we began seeking assistance to help us develop them. Utilizing our SIG funding, we were able to bring in educational consultants from Solution Tree—the source of all things PLC. These consultants provided relevant, ongoing, and embedded professional development to train our teachers on how to examine and use data to inform instruction and create change. Their very intentional and tailored training sessions informed our continuous improvement efforts. Through their guidance, our teachers began to see the PLC not as a structure but as the Seneca way of doing things. In short, the very collaboration that the Spring 2018/AllThingsPLC Magazine
37
Why I Love PLCs The Formula for School Transformation
BY ASPASIA CARLSON
As a new principal coming into an urban school deemed as failing seven years ago, trying to find a starting point for the work seemed overwhelming. I knew that student learning was not the priority. Teachers and administrators spent the majority of their time on discipline, and although collaborative time was included in the teachers’ contracts, it was unstructured and ineffective. We began the PLC journey by really defining our collaborative “why”—why we became educators, why learning had to be measured, and why we had to address learning for all students and no longer be satisfied with averages. Working with our PLC coach, Sharon Kramer, we came to a consensus and created our common beliefs and vision for the school. All efforts, resources, and instructional time had to be focused on student learning. We started and ended with the three big ideas: a focus on learning, a culture of collaboration, and always, always being driven by results. At first, the instructional leadership team had to be very prescriptive about the PLC meeting agendas: we had a day for reviewing data from common assessments, a day to plan remediation, time to look at student work and share best practices, and a day for lesson planning. As the teachers took ownership, we could be looser on the control, and the teams came up with their agreed-on norms and days for each type of work. As administrators, we be-
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AllThingsPLC Magazine/Spring 2018
came less facilitators and more resources for the teams. I won’t lie, this was not an easy transition; however, once the teachers saw the results of their systematic practices—a 38 percent gain in reading scores, an 11
We started and ended with the three big ideas: a focus on learning, a culture of collaboration, and always, always being driven by results. percent gain in Algebra I, and a 40 percent gain in geometry—they were sold! We planned with the end in mind, using assessment blueprints to target the standards for instruction and formative assessment. We broke down standards and created learning targets that were student friendly. And most important, we intervened strategically—no longer was after-school tutoring a blanket, onesize-fits-all extension of the class lesson. By tracking learning mastery for each student by standard, we were also able to group students in tutoring to remediate
only on the standard where their data showed a lack of mastery. This honored both the students’ learning and the teachers’ profession. The successful growth in academic learning for the students also transferred over into other parts of the school culture. The teachers felt effective and successful, increasing their morale and school pride. The students gained confidence and were inspired to continue looking at their data and improving in areas where they saw deficiencies. This was the formula for school transformation in an urban Title I school. This is why I love PLCs!
ASPASIA CARLSON is the award-winning principal of John Marshall High Enterprise School in Oklahoma City Public Schools.
AllThingsPLC Magazine | Spring 2018 vw
Discussion Questions 2018 Spring
TA K I
Use this convenient tear-out card to go over and reinforce the topics discussed in this issue with the members of your team.
NG
FLIG
HT
Navigating Change in a Consortiumwide PLC (p. 10) 1.
How does your PLC handle the implementation of new standards? What works, and what doesn’t work?
2. How are teachers supported as they navigate the day-to-day of implementing change? 3. What lessons have you learned while implementing change throughout your PLC?
Want Successful PLCs?: Effective Leadership Matters Most (p. 14) 1.
Describe the differences between PLC lite schools and true PLCs. What aspects describe your school?
2. What does leading by collaboration mean to you? Is this concept in play at your school? What evidence supports your answer?
3. Who is in your guiding coalition, and what do they do? If you do not have a guiding coalition, what steps can you take to build one? Fill out Essential Leadership Teams on page 42 to help answer this question.
4. Describe the culture in your school. Does this sound like a high-performing learning culture? What can you do personally to influence the culture?
Focusing on Results With Case Studies (p. 28) 1.
Describe your understanding of the case study approach. Could this approach be used effectively in your school? Why, or why not?
2. In what ways does your PLC learn from the past in order to be more effective in the future? How does it handle complex problems such as Antonio’s case?
3. Are teachers given the opportunity to think diagnostically? In what ways? Is this process effective? 4. Describe the difference between compliance and responsibility. Are there different understandings among your team? Try to come to a consensus on a definition for each.
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AllThingsPLC Magazine | Spring 2018
w
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
1
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?
• No school can help all students achieve at high levels if teachers work in isolation. • 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.
• PLCs measure their effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. • 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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