Whole Faculty Study GroupsWhole Faculty Study Groups(WFSG)(WFSG)

Presented by Jennifer HughesPresented by Jennifer Hughes

Dr. Bista Spring 2015Dr. Bista Spring 2015

What is WFSG? What is WFSG? (Whole Faculty Study Group) (Whole Faculty Study Group)

Organizing the ENTIRE school faculty Organizing the ENTIRE school faculty into study groups to bring about into study groups to bring about school wide improvement. school wide improvement.

WholeWhole means means ALL ALL - - all classroom all classroom teachers, all resource teachers, all teachers, all resource teachers, all special teachers, librarian, counselor , special teachers, librarian, counselor , and anyone else holding professional and anyone else holding professional certificationcertification

Why Whole Faculty Study Groups ?Why Whole Faculty Study Groups ?

WFSGs allow teachers more personal flexibility in site PD scheduleWFSGs allow teachers more personal flexibility in site PD schedule

WFSGs allow teachers to use the study group action plan as their own WFSGs allow teachers to use the study group action plan as their own individual staff development planindividual staff development plan

WFSGs can address most, if not all, or our SIP goals and objectivesWFSGs can address most, if not all, or our SIP goals and objectives

WFSGs can allow for fewer staff meetings (if you donate some WFSGs can allow for fewer staff meetings (if you donate some traditional staff meeting time for study groups)traditional staff meeting time for study groups)

WFSGs reduce teacher isolation WFSGs reduce teacher isolation

WFSGs allow teachers to substitute required “workshop times” WFSGs allow teachers to substitute required “workshop times”

WFSGs encourage teachers to WFSGs encourage teachers to experiment.experiment. In groups, teachers try new In groups, teachers try new materials, new techniques, new strategies, new technologies. Teachers materials, new techniques, new strategies, new technologies. Teachers reflectreflect on what works and does not work. on what works and does not work.

Where Do We Begin?Where Do We Begin?

To be successful, groups need:To be successful, groups need:

TIMETIMERecommendation: A minimum of 1 hour every other weekRecommendation: A minimum of 1 hour every other week

An EXPLICIT PURPOSEAn EXPLICIT PURPOSESIP objectives and each group’s action planSIP objectives and each group’s action plan

An understanding of “HOW TO COLLABORATE”An understanding of “HOW TO COLLABORATE”Group norms, guidelines for meeting and use of protocolsGroup norms, guidelines for meeting and use of protocols

To ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for working collaborativelyTo ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for working collaborativelyAgreement to begin and develop action plansAgreement to begin and develop action plans

The essence of the Whole-Faculty Study Group (as a form of professional learning community) is

found in one question:

“What are our students learning and achieving as a result of what we are

learning and doing in our study group?” (Lick &Murphy, 2007, p.3).

WFSG Guiding PrincipalsWFSG Guiding Principals

Students are firstStudents are first

Everyone participatesEveryone participates

Leadership is sharedLeadership is shared

Responsibility is equalResponsibility is equal

The work is posted publicallyThe work is posted publically

Murphy’s Whole-Faculty Study Groups’-Murphy’s Whole-Faculty Study Groups’-Carlene Murphy, 2001 Carlene Murphy, 2001

WFSG Guiding QuestionsWFSG Guiding Questions

What do students need for teachers to doWhat do students need for teachers to do so so that teachers will have a deep knowledge of that teachers will have a deep knowledge of what they teach?what they teach?What do students need for teachers to doWhat do students need for teachers to do so so that teachers will be more skillful in how they that teachers will be more skillful in how they teach?teach?What do students need for teachers to doWhat do students need for teachers to do so so that teachers will challenge students to learn that teachers will challenge students to learn difficult and fundamental concepts?difficult and fundamental concepts?What do students need for teachers to doWhat do students need for teachers to do so so that teachers will give students skills to be deep that teachers will give students skills to be deep thinkers and problem solvers?thinkers and problem solvers?

Research Research The central research question in this thesis study was whether WFSG had an impact on student learning for kindergarten through third grade elementary students. In the Kearney Public Schools, this mixed method study found that WFSG did have an impact on student learning. Student achievement did increase from the beginning of the year to the end of the year as measured by Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS).

Teacher and principal surveys and district administrator interview results indicated that educators’ perceptions were that student learning did increase and teacher practices did improve. District administrators did consider WFSG to be an important part of the school improvement process for the district.

PrincipalPrincipal

- is the most important factor in the successful initiation, is the most important factor in the successful initiation, implementation, and continuation of WFSGs implementation, and continuation of WFSGs

- is an active participant in the training and is an active participant in the training and planning sessions planning sessions

- receives action plans and responds to them receives action plans and responds to them – receives the study group logs and responds to receives the study group logs and responds to

them them – may assign some responsibilities to assistant may assign some responsibilities to assistant

principals for responding to logsprincipals for responding to logs– is a participant at all IC meetingsis a participant at all IC meetings

The Study Group LeaderThe Study Group Leader

– rotates every meeting so that leadership is a shared rotates every meeting so that leadership is a shared responsibility among all study group membersresponsibility among all study group members

– confirms logistics of meetings with study group members confirms logistics of meetings with study group members (e.g., date, time, location, and resources needed)(e.g., date, time, location, and resources needed)

– checks log from last meeting to confirm what the focus of checks log from last meeting to confirm what the focus of the meeting will be and if it is time to revisit the action plan the meeting will be and if it is time to revisit the action plan and the group norms and takes appropriate actionand the group norms and takes appropriate action

– starts & ends meeting on timestarts & ends meeting on time– reminds members that stray from the focus of the meeting reminds members that stray from the focus of the meeting

to refocusto refocus– sees that the study group log is completed and that the sees that the study group log is completed and that the

members and the principal receive a copymembers and the principal receive a copy

Individual Study Group MembersIndividual Study Group Members

– respect norms established by the study grouprespect norms established by the study group– take turns serving as leader, recognizing that leadership is take turns serving as leader, recognizing that leadership is

a shared responsibilitya shared responsibility– take turns representing the study group at an IC meeting take turns representing the study group at an IC meeting

and bring back to the study group what he or she learnedand bring back to the study group what he or she learned– participate in the development of the study group action participate in the development of the study group action

plan and commits to its actionsplan and commits to its actions– take responsibility for his or her own learning and for take responsibility for his or her own learning and for

seeking resources for the study groupseeking resources for the study group– take responsibility for regularly bringing student work to the take responsibility for regularly bringing student work to the

study group meetingstudy group meeting– bring back to the study group what he or she has done in bring back to the study group what he or she has done in

the classroom as a result of the study group workthe classroom as a result of the study group work

References References Murphy, C. U., & Lick, D. W. (2005). Whole-Faculty Study Groups: Creating

professional learning communities that target student learning. Thousand Oaks,

CA: Corwin.

Lick, D. W., & Murphy, C. U. (2007). The Whole-Faculty Study Groups fieldbook:

Lessons learned and best practices from classrooms, districts, and schools.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Wendell, Cynthia, "THE IMPACT OF WHOLE-FACULTY STUDY GROUPS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER PRACTICIES IN GRADES K-3 OF A NEBRASKA SCHOOL DISTRICT: A MIXED METHOD CASE STUDY“ (2010). Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research. Paper 46.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/46