leading professional learning communities

Leading professionallearning communitiesBuilding teacher expertise and improving student learning

Module 1: Leading for change

Overview of the PLC programProgram rationale

Program aim

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Start thinking about the Inquiry Challenge:

• Focus Area

• Specific Focus Area: Level, Strand, Sub strand

• Alignment with SIPs (SSP, AIP, PDP)

Determine:

• What you want to find out

• What evidence sources you have or need to gather

Evaluate and Diagnose

Prioritise and Set Goals

Refine Priorities and Goals

Develop and Plan

Finalise Plan

Begin implementation

Implement and monitor

Share learnings and impact of your Inquiry

Challenge

MODULE 1

School Leaders + Instructional Leaders

MODULE 2


MODULE 3

MODULE 4

Instructional Leaders

MODULE 5


MODULE 6 MODULE 7 MODULE 8


Face-to-face Modules

9:00am- 4:30pm

Leading for Change

Vision, values and culture

What are high impact PLCs?

What is collaborative inquiry?

Leading for Impact

The role of school leadership in high impact PLCs

Leading collaborative inquiry

Leading Others

Building a culture of collective efficacy and collaboration

Leading Learning

Building practice excellence and collective action as a focus of PLCs

Leading for Sustainability

Theory of Action for sustained school improvement with a relentless focus on student growth

School Based Applied Learning

(In situ Modules)

Pre-course Applied Learning

Strengthening PLCs for impact Applied Learning

Strengthening PLCs for impact

Strengthening PLCs for impact

3

Program overview

4

Bruce Armstrong

Deputy Secretary, RSG

5

Where are you now?

6

Space writing activityFind someone new to work with for this activity

Identify who will be person A and who will be person B

8

I think I know the answer

This is not as easy as I thought…

Based on James Nottingham

Yippee…I understand it

now…

I think I am getting it

Help…I’m confused! What

options do I have?

What should I do next?

The PLC learning pit

Risk perception process model

9

Overarching inquiry questions of the PLC program

What are high impact PLCs?

Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the Excellence in Teachingand Learning Initiative of the FISO?

How can School Leaders (Principals and Instructional Leaders) develop high impact PLCs to understand impact on student learning and build teacher expertise?

How can School Leaders build a culture of collective efficacy and collaboration to ensurerecurring cycles of inquiry promote specific actions for improving student learning?

How can School Leaders build teacher expertise and improve student learning?

How can School Leaders sustain high impact PLCswith a relentless focus on student growth?

10

Overarching inquiry questions of the PLC program What are high impact PLCs? Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Initiative of the FISO?

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Module 1:Leading for change:


Session 2:The WHAT

Moral purpose, vision, values

Why PLCs?(The research)

What are PLCs? What is our

role in leading PLCs?

8 conditions of effective PLCs

Having an inquiry mindset

Using an inquiry cycle

Planning for a Scaffolded

Inquiry

Session 1:The WHY

Session 3:The HOW

Effective secondary schools ..

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• A strong overall learner-centred vision

• Middle leaders who contribute to forming the priorities and strategies

• Middle and senior leaders whose roles are structured to create coherence

• Strong overall routines and practices

• Good organisation in terms of monitoring and evaluation

• Strong collective responsibility

Evidence suggests, are ‘tightly linked’ and have

Split screen

13

Content HowWhat I am learning

about (Knowledge, PLCs, Teaching and Learning)

What practice and mindsets I am learning to do (strategies and tools)

Session 1: Overarching inquiry questions of the PLC program

What are high impact PLCs? Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Initiative of the FISO?

14




Why PLCs?(The research

Session 1:The WHY

What is your hope?

15

Why?1. Record the hopes you have for

your learners (graffiti poster)

Why?

Why?

2. How do your hopes link to your school’s vision and values?How do you know if your vision is effective?

Why?

Why?3. Reflecting on your hopes, vision and values, capture in one sentence

your moral purpose or why you work at your school

Why?

Maturity matrix

What evidence tells you this?

Self assessment rating for vision, values, culture

19

Why? 4. School introductions: 1 min each school:

Names, roles, share the moral purpose sentenceIdentify 2 things your school does really well

Identify 1 area that requires improvement and you intend (at this stage) to be the focus of your PLC work

Why?

Morning tea10.45 – 11.15

Why PLCs?

The change leader activity:

• Connect

• Extend

• Challenge

22

Questions and wonderings: Why PLCs?

23

System-wide targets

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Happy, healthy

and resilient

kids

Breaking the link

Learning for life

More students develop strong critical &

creative thinking skills

More students excel in reading

More students excel in science

More students excel in maths

More students excel in the arts

More students stay in

education

Reduce the impact of

disadvantage

More students will be resilient

More students are physically

active

Pride and confidence in our schools

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO)

25


What are high impact PLCs? Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the excellence in teaching and learning initiative of the FISO?

26



Session 2:The WHAT

8 Conditions of effective PLCs

What are PLCs? What is our role in leading PLCs?

What does learning mean for our students?

Keeping students front of mind

What do students think about learning?

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Marvin’s model

28

30 seconds THINK

30 seconds SHARE

No responding

Marvin’s model

PLCs are about…

29

30 seconds THINK

30 seconds SHARE

No responding

Marvin’s model

PLCs are not about…

30

30 seconds THINK

30 seconds SHARE

No responding

Marvin’s model

Purpose of PLCs

31

30 seconds THINK

30 seconds SHARE

No responding

I/we think

Marvin’s model

32

I/we think

33

Video, research

Others think

34

Add to others think

35

Others think – research

Find a partner and both read the ‘8 conditions of effective PLCs’

Each person reads one of other 2 readings

Share a summary of one of two other readings with your partner and

any new insights from all three readings

What?

Add to others think

37

Share

• What is the purpose of PLCs? (Why?)

• What are PLCs?

• What is the role of Instructional Leaders in PLCs?

• What is the role of principals in leading the work of PLCs in schools?

Synthesise your understandings into one or two statements:

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Questions and wonderings: What are PLCs?

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Lunch1.00 – 1.45

Questions and wonderings: Why and what

Review the question wall and the themes that have been identified

What stands out most to you?


What are high impact PLCs? Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the excellence in teaching and learning Initiative of the FISO?

42




Using the FISO improvement cycle

Planning for a Scaffolded Inquiry

Session 3:The HOW

Model curiosity

How can we create the conditions for adults to be curious about their practice, to support risk-taking, build trust and commit to change?

It is impossible for young people to sustain - or grow in curiosity - if they aren’t surrounded by adults who are curious. Halbert & Kaser

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Inquiry at the heart of PLCs

Leaders with an inquiry habit of mind do not presume an outcome; instead they allow for a range of outcomes and keep searching for increased understanding and clarity. Inquiry mindedness demands engagement in questioning, reflecting and decision-making.Lorna Earl and Helen Timperley, 2008 (p.9)

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Inquiry mindset

• Believes that there is always more to learn by inquiring into what makes the most difference for their learners

• Allows for a range of outcomes and keeps searching for increased understanding and clarity

• Avoids cynicism that sometimes comes with experience - the ‘been there, done that’ stance

• Asks questions of one’s practice rather than looking for answers

• Has an evidence-seeking mindset

• Is aware that important inquiry questions often emerge for a tough issue or problem or challenge

Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert

A person with an inquiry mindset is someone who:

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How?Do you believe you have an inquiry mindset as a school leader or

instructional leader?

Do you embrace change and uncertainty as an opportunity for learning?

How?

The importance of Collaborative Inquiry

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Judy Halbert

Linda Kaser

FISO improvement cycle

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An inquiry approach using the FISO cycle of improvement

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Only one inquiry focus for any one teacher

… and the group with whom they are working.

50

An inquiry approachHelen Timperley videos

Write down the key points for youShare with a partner

Together, identify the most important point for you

How?

Helen Timperley

52

The phases of the inquiry approach: Activity

Groups of 8 - 4 pairs: one pair for each phases of the inquiry

Read through the Inquiry approach supporting materials in your workbook.

Pairs focus on the supporting material information for your phase

Identify three practical examples of what you might see for your phase

Share with your group of 8

How?

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How does the inquiry approach connect with what you already know and do?

What new ideas did you get that extended your thinking in new

directions?

What is still challenging or confusing for you? What questions, wonderings or puzzles do you now have?

What’s going on for our learners?

Can you name two adults in this learning setting

who believe you will be a success in life?

How?

What’s going on for our learners?What are you learning and why is this important?

How is it going?

What’s your next step?

How?

Build Inquiry cycle commitment in your school:

The path to success leads through ‘failure’

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Scaffolded Inquiry (SI) overview

Inquiry is not about already having the answers!

A micro inquiry cycle

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Scaffolded Inquiry

The SI should be:

• Curriculum focused: English or maths

• Specific, targeted, narrow

• Include evidence/research based strategies

• Collective capacity building

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This year Next year Beyond

Select a very targeted inquiry within your current teaching program that relates to the school improvement priorities e.g.• Work with one

team of teachers• Work with one

learning area

Scale up approachesand successes in a measured way• Focused inquiry

that is consistently measuring impact on student learning progress.

Once teachers know that students have learned and the teachers have addressed a Puzzle of Practice, they can then transfer that knowledge to other areas.

Continue to scale up approaches and successes in a measured way.

Pecha Kucha example

60

Having an inquiry mindsetUsing inquiry approaches in our work

Modelling curiosity Recognising that risk and failure are part of the work

What else would you add?

How?

Relationship between the SSP, the AIP and P&D plans

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School Strategic Plan (SSP)• Strategic direction• Four-year goals and targets• Key improvement strategies

Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)• Actions and success criteria• Monitoring of progress

Performance and Development Plans • Roles and

responsibilities for teachers, principal and education support staff to deliver strategic direction

School self-evaluation• Evaluates outcomes

of improvement efforts from SSP and AIP

• Informs development of next SSP and AIP (or updates to current plans)

Planning time

Consider:

• Links to your school priorities and using the benchmarking on the Maturity Matrix

• Sources of evidence you will use or gather which will allow for a deeper understanding of what is going on for the learner

• Actions each of you are going to take to promote and lead teacher learning and the PLC work in your school

• How could you strengthen the collaborative practices in your school and testnew processes through the SI?

In school teams discuss beginning ideas for your Scaffolded Inquiry

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Pause and discussWhere do you see the opportunities to strengthen

what you are already doing?What might be some possible challenges?

Question time


What are high impact PLCs? Why implement inquiry-based PLCs as a core element of the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Initiative of the FISO?

65

Reflect back on where we have been

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Session 2:The WHAT


Why PLCs(The research)

(session 2)

What are PLCs? What is our role in

leading PLCs?

8 conditions of effective PLCs


Using an inquiry cycle

Planning for a Scaffolded Inquiry

Session 1:The WHY

Session 3:The HOW

Where are you now?

67

Thank youDon’t forget to jump on FUSE to access your readings for tomorrow

leading professional learning communities

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