636 Essential Question 1!

Michael Johnson!

1. How does a principal create a learning community culture with focus on

student learning vs. teacher needs, how has this been a paradigm shift in
your school?

I believe that a principal needs to establish the tight and loose aspect of PLC
participation. What is it that we want our children to know and how will we know
they have learned it? (Learning By Doing, 2010) Throughout this process, the staff has
the ability to answer these questions in a lot of different ways. But at the end of the
day, they need to be answered and proven if requested.
Teaching science, I have the directive to know what standards I am to have the
students demonstrate mastery of, NGSS. If these standards ask for an argument, a
model, or to defend, those are the skills that I am responsible for my students being
proficient in. How I get there is up to me and my PLC. I think the autonomy is
critical to the creative nature of teachers. If I worked in a cookie cutter world, I
believe I would lose the passion that drives me to give each student the best
experience I can.

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2. How is data used in your school to measure what a student has done to
successfully complete a course reflecting new learning?

In our core classes we are using pre assessments to establish baseline

knowledge. From there we can act, based on results. Speaking from the science
perspective because that is what I am most familiar with, pre assessments are handy
to all students. Fixed mindset students want to get perfect scores on these pre tests
but cant because the concepts are so new to them as learners. It forces them to see
they dont know everything and that that is ok.
Self pacing units help with all students in that after the pre assessment
students have the opportunity to monitor their own learning and I as a teacher can
help struggling students get back on track. Its great to see students push themselves
through extension challenges because they have proven they know and can apply the
new information in a way that is meaningful. It also allows for small group instruction
with the kids that dont alway get to the finish line at the same time. These are two
ways that have been affective in documenting student learning.

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3. What is the evidence in your school or district that common assessments are
used to measure student progress? Is the focus on learning or grade
achievement?

Common summative assessments like WKCE, Badger Exam, ACT Aspire all have
or will be used to assess our schools ability to educate young people. These are more
about the score than their ability to affect instructional change. In several areas in
the district of La Crosse, we are using common unit end summative assessments and

being able to sit down as a PLC and discuss results. I would not say that it is like this
throughout the district, but progress is being made in this direction.
Common formative assessments seem to be finding their way into the
classrooms more and more. A very good example of this would be their use during our
tier 2 intervention time. All of these need to be developed through PLC time and the
goal of implementation with fidelity requires ownership by the staff. Many times
their is no grade associated with a common formative assessment, therefore, it may
be the purest form of data to assess growth. Teachers are gathering and organizing
data so they can react.

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4. Give some specific example(s) of how your school responds when students
have learned?

We have quarterly celebrations for students who have met certain benchmarks.
Most relate to grades but one focuses on missing work, we feel that if a students is
not participating in their learning on a regular basis, real growth will be tough to
demonstrate. As a pod, we take trips that reward student effort and achievement as
well as small impromptu movie days for those who have demonstrated proficiency in
one or more of their core classes.
The students who put forth the effort go off and do their thing with the rest of
their performing peers while the students who did not put forth the effort work with
staff to close those achievement gaps. This can be very valuable time to work with
students in small group setting although if you asked them they may not agree. We
utilize this time to help these students find success and try to make that connection
with future opportunities.

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5. How would you describe your schools collaborative process and setting of
norms youve experienced with what Dufour describes in the text?

To be honest, initially we were told you are doing PLC work and it was left to
us to figure out the rest. I think that our supervisors wanted the process to just take
off but didnt understand that doing PLC work the right way is something that takes
time to iron out. My principal saw our struggles and invested in us by sending us to
presentations by the DuFours and their counterparts.
Thats when our PLC groups really started to work on that idea of student
learning as a focus and got away from the coblaboration as the DuFours call it.
Having common prep time at Longfellow makes meeting times easier and I believe is
an important part to PLC success. As far as norms are concerned, we discussed the
main ideas like encourage listening, refrain from interrupting, be on time and so on. I
wouldnt say that we follow a set list of norms, but I dont think we have hard
feelings in any way. We have worked together for a very long time and really
participated in more informal PLC work prior to this initiative.

6. Why are interdisciplinary teams an advantage addressing student learning

vs. department or grade level teams?

I am a member of both types of PLCs and feel that both have rolls that
encourage improved student learning. The interdisciplinary team is able to focus on
integration and stream lining some of the standards by sharing some of that
responsibility across subject matter. For me to see what is happening in the other
core areas encourages me to support those same topics and support my peers in my
classroom.
Department PLC meetings can be helpful in solidifying what is happening at the
district level. Our supervisors are trying to support equivalent learning at any school
in the district and in order to do that we need to meet and focus on student learning
opportunities within the district. The frustration that we have is the lack of time to
meet and make uniform decisions. There is not common planning time when you are
working across the district.

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7. When and how will principal handle roadblocks in collaboration or deal with
resistant staff?

Personally, I have not had an interaction where my principal had to address a

member for non compliance. I like the ideas the DuFours use, especially creating a
safe environment for open conversation. As principal, I would hope that I have been
part of the PLC process enough to know what was going on in each of the various PLC
groupings. By being involved in the process I believe I would have the facts in my
possession to manage these crucial conversations.
The idea of consensus could be a tough one. In my PLC groups we all kind of
talk through the needs and find the ways that we can be supportive. There certainly
are things that anyone of us doesnt necessarily want to do, but if it is a need of our
group and help with improved student learning we are supportive and do what we can
to make it happen.

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8. What is the importance of teams celebrating student success; describe your

experience with this essential?

Last year we closed the achievement gap by 4 points at Longfellow, that was a
pretty big deal. There was cake and clapping and recognition for this event and
overall people were feeling pretty good. I thought it was nice but really not
necessary because I and others feel that we work really hard to impact student
experiences and that is just what we do. I asked teachers about this event while
working on this answer and pretty much everyone thought it was nice and that was
kind of it.
I believe as an administrator it is the gesture to the staff that makes the future
challenges go more smoothly. It is a good feeling knowing that we are doing good
things for kids, although I believe we genuinely want to be doing good things for kids.
The extra recognition and praise is just enough to let the staff know that the principal
noticed. The praise doesnt make you work harder, I think it may help you enjoy the
hard work a little more.

9. What is the difference between attainable goal and stretch goal, why is it
important to have both in a buildings site plan?

To balance out those long journey goals with intermittent successes is what will
ultimately allow you to reach that stretch goal. If your staff views the end result as
being an impossible task, buy in with fidelity will suffer. Allow for the smaller
successes, the attainable goal. Staff will appreciate the small victories yet see that
they are making progress toward the stretch goals.

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10.Analyze the staff in your school/district, what do you see as the successes
implementing PLCs and what are the future hurdles?

The successes in PLC work for Longfellow Middle has been the collaboration
and what has come from the collaboration. Just getting together with staff with a
common focus or agenda has been very powerful. The synergy that comes from these
meetings makes this job so great. The district at times has allowed for PLC time
when in the past has always felt the need to fill that time with agenda items. Staff
has often felt that the district wouldnt trust them to use their time wisely and make
positive impacts if left to their own timetable. I think they are learning that that is
what the staff needs, time to perfect their craft.
A future hurdle happens to be our current hurdle. I know that common
assessments are the goal for all core subjects both summative and some formative.
Getting there in a big district is tough going because of individual personalities as well
as time to get progress done. Another very troubling challenge relates to the progress
monitoring of Tier 2 interventions and getting people on track with those ideas along
with what the data means and where it is stored and why it is stored and so on.

11.Analyze the diagram on pg. 249-251 in text, respond to each of the seven
areas as to what do see as strengths or needs attention in your school/
district.?

Shift in fundamental purpose: I think we have done a good job of getting away from
just teaching content to focusing on whether or not students are learning. Through
assessments and the analysis of those assessments, we are reacting more than ever to
what needs to be done when students dont learn. This in turn has had a related
impact on us closing the achievement gap.

A shift in use of assessments: We now use research supported screeners to help

identify problem areas and growth three times a year in both reading and math. We
are moving towards common summative assessments as well as using some common
formative. This move is slow going because of time mostly but also personality and
the desire for autonomy within the middle level. One thing for sure is happening
though and that is we are reacting to what the assessments are telling us which is
improving student performance.

A shift when students dont learn: We have established interventions at various

levels to meet the needs of the students who are not learning or who are refusing to
learn. We have tier 2 interventions when students are not successful in core
curriculum area especially in the areas of literacy and math. When gaps are
identified we have tier 3 interventions to close those gaps in literacy and math.
Teachers more than ever are reacting to formative assessments to reteach concepts
that can be fixed prior to summative assessments. That was not always the case and
now is common practice.

Shift in the work of teachers: This new idea of sharing best practice strategies has
been something that has opened the door to all students having similar great
experiences in the La Crosse public schools. As a seventh grade science teacher and
PLC member, best practice is an important conversation during every PLC meeting. It
lightens the workload when staff shares the what and how to do of various lessons.
Not only the shared decision making but also the collaborative process has made our
work with the NGSS more authentic than it would be with any one of us doing it
ourselves.

A shift in focus: I think it used to be widely practiced that you gave assignments and
assessments and put the grades in the grade book and moved on to the next subject
regardless of what the grades said. Back in the days of the bell shaped curve
encouraged teachers to focus on the average learning and fostered an environment of
students possibly doing well on a task yet receiving a subpar grade because everyone
else did a little better. Teachers today are more focused on the outcomes and what
implications they have on student learning. It no longer is ok for a teacher to say it is
my job to teach and their job to learn. We have vested interest in the students who
do learn but maybe even more of an interest in the students who didnt.

A shift in school culture: The biggest change I see when I think about the change in
culture in my school would have to be the way teachers make commitment
statements. I have to check with my PLC before I can say one way or another. This
collaboration piece is becoming so ingrained in staff that the shift from independence
and the idea of closing my door and doing what I want is now interdependence and
lets see what the data tells us and react from there.

A shift in professional development: We are no where near where we want to be at

Longfellow but we have come a long way and continue to educate ourselves and keep
the ball rolling. Professional development here has become very individualistic, when
we have a need for learning, my principal has done whatever she can to get us to
those opportunities. She has dedicated resources to the betterment of the staff and
the life long learners the staff has become. The idea of taking credits to move on the
pay scale, you don't hear as much of that any more, its more we need this information
to make what we are trying to do with kids better. I believe that is a healthy way to
go.

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DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning By Doing (2nd ed., p.
280). Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree Press.