Best PLC Practices

in Action
Rich Smith, Associate
Solution Tree

Wow, so this is what we should be doing!
Clarity Precedes Competence
Knowing Doing Gap
New Program Implementation
Imagined
Implementation
Actual
Implementation
Four Key Questions of a Professional
Learning Community
Q1. What do we want our students to learn?

Q2. How will we know they have learned it?

Q3. How will we respond when learning did not
take place?

Q4. How do we respond when learning has already
occurred?
How will we know they have learned it?
Essential standard
Develop CFA
P and P
Set SMART goal
Understand
Standard
Give common assessment
Plan based on common assessment results
How will we respond when learning
has not occurred?
Analyze data
How will we respond when learning has
already occurred?
What do we want all students to learn?
Teach, CFU,
App. Adj.
Re-teach - individualize, small group, deploy, etc.
Enrichment and deepen
Re-Assess Learning Produce a Product based on Standard
Goal
Your goal is to use the data to determine:
best practices,
gaps in practice,
next steps to answer question three, what
do we do when learning has not occurred,
and four, what do we do when learning has
already occurred.

Essential Standard
Learning Target
Second Grade: Compare and contrast story
elements that designate similarities and
differences.
Fourth Grade: Compare and contrast information
on the same topic from several passages.
Seventh Grade: Compare and contrast points of
view in narrative text.
Eleventh Grade: Compare and contrast the major
period themes, styles, and trends in American
literature from the colonial period forward.

Ms. Apple
4
th
year teacher
Bilingual
Reading specialist
credential
Displays strong
leadership skills
Mr. Blowhard
27 year veteran
teacher
First year at this
grade level
High opinion of his
own ability
Mrs. Crabtree
12 year veteran
teacher all at the
same grade level
Prefers not to
share students
with other
teachers
Competent and
quiet
Ms. Sunnyday
Special Education
teacher
12 year veteran
Taught English at the
middle school level for
6 years before coming
to Special Ed.
Prefers push-in
assistance for students
she serves
Common Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment Used:
A ten question test was given after 8 days of
instruction targeted at the standard.

Proficient Score:
The PLC has decided that on this common
formative assessment that a score of 80 would
be considered proficient mastery of this
standard.

SMART Goal
After 8 days of instruction no less than 80% of
all students will have reached a proficiency
level of 80% on the CFA.


After re-teaching and re-assessing those non-
proficient students no less than 98% of all
students will be proficient.
Instructional Practices
Strategies - Instructional
Materials
CFU Checking for Understanding during
initial instruction
Re-teach During initial instruction when they
found misunderstanding..how did they
address it.
Team Norms
They have established and agree to the following PLC
norms:
Agree to be on time and focused on maximizing
student learning.
Agree to adhere to any decisions that are made by
the PLC.
Agree to share responsibility for the creation of
common assessments, schedule of assessments,
and the results of all assessments.
Agree to share materials, student achievement
results, and be open to new ideas and suggestions.

How will we know they have learned it?
Learning Target
Develop CFA
P and P
Set SMART goal
Understand
Standard
Give common assessment
How will we respond when learning
has not occurred?
Analyze data
How will we respond when learning has
already occurred?
What do we want all students to learn?
Teach, CFU,
App. Adj.
Questions to Answer with Your Team
1. How was the performance of the overall team as compared their
SMART goal?
2. What was the overall performance of the sub-groups of the entire
grade level as compared to individual teacher results?
3. What connections can you make between student performance
on the CFA and instructional strategies?
4. What does the sub-group data tell you about the effectiveness of
instructional strategies?
5. What does the data suggest about next steps for this team as they
work to answer question 3 and 4 of a PLC team?
6. How would you coach this team as the administrator interested in
improving student learning?
7. What recommendations would you make to this team prior to
taking on the next essential standard?

What Did We Learn?
What connections can we
make about the practices
and the students results?
What elements allowed us
to complete this activity so
quickly?
What practices and
elements would help your
team to work for your
team?


Protocols
the rules or conventions of behavior on official
occasions
the rules of correct or appropriate behavior of
a group, organization, or profession
What are the key protocol questions or guidance
you give or should give your PLC teams?
To schedule professional
development, contact
Solution Tree
at (800) 733-6786.

Thank you!
rich_smith@sanger.k12.ca.us