New Hope School DistrictNovember 22, 2010

Presented by NATC Reform Commission

Video Linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2zqTYgcpfg&feature=related

In Flight Construction = Educational Reform

ProgramsInitiativesOne and done trainingsTYNT & LYNT

How can we pull everything together to target real student achievement while still operating the School District on a daily basis?

Professional Learning

Communities

EQ: What are Professional Learning Communities (PLC)?

Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Utilizes teacher collaboration focused on student learning.

Maximizes the knowledge and experience of current staff to impact long term improvement .

ISSLC #2Guided by a clear vision:

At New Hope School District all decisions, policies and resources support engaged learning and student achievement in an environment that promotes personal excellence, respect, diversity and civic responsibility every day to enable students to become contributing members of society and successful participants in the global economy.

New Hope School District PLC

?Whole Faculty Study Groups

Whole Faculty Study GroupsDeveloped by Carlene Murphy

TeacherDirector of Staff Development35 years in Augusta, GA Public School SystemNational Staff Development Council Past President

WFSG research- 18 years (1987-2005)Proven success record at all levels of public

educationSchool districts across the U.S. have seen success

Whole-Faculty Study GroupsWhole-Faculty Study Groups (WFSGs) is a student driven

approach to build a community in which professionals continuously strive to increase student learning. This is accomplished as practitioners deepen their own knowledge and understanding of what is taught, reflect on their practices, sharpen their skills, and take joint responsibility for the students they teach. “Whole-Faculty” means that every faculty member at a school is a member of a study group focusing on data-based student instructional needs. In such a context, a study group is a small number of individuals joining together to increase their capacities to enable students to reach higher levels of performance. The collective synergy of all the study groups advance the whole school. - Carlene Murphy

Author, Whole Faculty Study Groups

Whole Faculty Study GroupsFocused and guided by two questions:What do students need for teachers to do so

that teachers will have a deeper understanding of what they teach?

What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will be more skillful in how they teach?

Whole-Faculty Study GroupsSimply: Structure

Vehicle

Place

WFSG are NOT:A new programTask Force A one and done training and initiativeQuick fix **************************************************

******Whole Faculty Study Groups = A way to focus

school wide and individual teacher’s efforts through collaboration as a way to target effective instruction and student achievement.

Whole-Faculty Study GroupsStudent centeredStudent needs determine member needsLeadership rotatesAsks: “What do I need to do and learn in order

to change how I teach and what I teach?”All members are equal and share the

responsibility of the group. Instructional techniques are practiced in the

group members’ classrooms before sharing with others.

3-5 members per group

Principles (3)

1. Students are 1st !2. Everyone participates3. Leadership is shared4. Responsibility is equal5. The work is public

Traditional New Hope MeetingsDepartment/Grade Level CommitteesManagerial focusAgenda is developed by

building administration Lead by a grade

level/department chairperson

Interaction and communication is often one-way

Members are appointed or “volunteered”

Lead by a chairpersonObjectives are usually

dictated by the administration or driven by “name “ of committee

Limited actual controlFinite in nature

WFSG Process/Cycle1. Analyze student data2. Identify student needs3. Categorize student needs4. Complete Individual Action Plan5. WFSG design Action Plan 6. WFSG implement the Action Research7. The whole faculty analyzes impact of AP

What Will Drive NHSD WFSG?The School Improvement Plan and SWOTS!1.Analyze student data2.Identify student needs3.Categorize student needs

New Hope Key AreasMentor ProgramAssessment Reading initiative

WFSG in ActionTeacher groups of 3 – 5 people are establishedThe groups focus on the student needs identified

in the District Improvement Plan and SWOTS.An action plan is created by the group. The

teachers collaborate to identify instructional techniques that will target the areas of need.

Individual teachers attempt these techniques in their classrooms and then report back to the group.

The effective techniques are then shared with the whole faculty/District.

Where are we now?Initial District assessment (SWOTS)-

completedVision and Mission Statements -revisedThe 2009-2010 Improvement Plan was

approved by PDEAll District and building level administrators

have attended WFSG training.Performance Tracker has been purchased

What happens next?Professional Development:A core group of teachers from each building will

attend PLC/WFSG training institute in December 2010.

Pilot PLC/WFSG teams will begin working as a PLC during the remainder of the 10-11 SY.

Pilot team data will be shared District wide in June.

The Pilot team will train the remaining teachers in the New Hope SD during the Summer 2011 PD institute.

Full implementation – August 2011.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is

success.”- Henry Ford

1. DuFour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., & Many (2006) Learning by doing: A handbook forprofessional learning Communities at work., (2-4).

2. Dufour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership,

May, 2004, 8-11.3. Murphy, C. and Lick, D. (2005). Whole-Faculty Study Groups: Professional Learning Communities That Target Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

4. Murphy, C. and Lick, D (2006). The Whole-Faculty Study Groups Field book: Lessons Learned and Best Practices From Classrooms, Districts, and Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 5. Piercey, D. (2010) Why don’t teacher collaborate? A leadership conundrum. Phi Delta Kappan,92(1), 54-56.