In a class I teach for prospective administrators,

Transcription

1 SEDL Leer APRIL The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle: Implemening a Sandards-Based Approach o Professional Developmen In a class I each for prospecive adminisraors, a suden shared he sory of one school where he principal announced ha his year hey were doing professional learning communiies (PLCs). The principal gave everyone a book o read abou effecive insrucion, old eachers when hey were o mee, and le hem self-organize o implemen he book s ideas. This example is no unusual. For some schools, he erm professional learning communiy means geing groups of eachers ogeher o alk abou insrucion, wih lile guidance abou wha hey acually do or how o move from alking ogeher o implemening changes in pracice. Guidance does exis bu is oo ofen seen as a way o ge a group sared hrough reading a book or hosing a workshop; professional learning resuling in applicaion is minimal (Hord, 2004). In Moving NSDC s Saff Developmen Sandards ino Pracice: Innovaion Configuraions, Roy and Hord (2003) provide an in-deph guide for designing and delivering qualiy professional learning opporuniies. The auhors discuss an underlying premise of he NSDC sandards: he day-o-day professional conversaions focused on insrucional issues... form he basis for powerful professional developmen. Addiionally, he erms collaboraion and collaboraive can be found in he descripion of almos every sandard. While his book provides many clues on wha collaboraive professional conversaions abou eaching and learning look like in pracice, wha eachers acually do when hey come ogeher o design lessons or alk abou suden progress varies grealy. Some eacher eams discuss books, some research ways o each paricular conceps, and ohers have wide-ranging discussions abou he various challenges hey face as eachers, such as lack of suppor from adminisraion and parens, unmoivaed sudens, or insufficien resources. In he work SEDL did from o encourage schools and disrics o work more sysemically o improve suden achievemen, we encounered all of he above. I also became clear ha almos none of he work eachers were doing when hey me as a PLC resuled in any real susained change in wha happened in classrooms. Wha a wase of precious ime for eachers. I s no wonder ha we heard he refrain, Jus leave me in my classroom so I can ge some work done. Building on previous work on PLCs, lesson sudy, looking a suden work, and sandardsbased insrucion, SEDL saff developed he Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle (PTLC). The PTLC process begins when eachers look a suden performance daa from sae assessmens or locally developed benchmark ess aligned o sae sandards. The process comprises six phases ha are played ou during wo collaboraive meeings (see char, p. 12). Ideally, groups of 2 8 eachers are gahered ogeher for a period of 2 3 hours 1 o sudy he sandards, selec an effecive sraegy o address hose sandards, and plan an effecive lesson using ha sraegy. Then hose eachers reurn o heir classrooms o implemen he lesson. The same group of eachers reconvenes a few weeks laer in a second collaboraive meeing o analyze suden work ha was generaed during he lesson and adjus heir plans for fuure insrucion accordingly. The PTLC process is based on elemens of research from boh effecive adul learning and effecive insrucion ied o increased suden By Ed Tobia 1 For he firs year or 2 of implemening he PTLC, 2 3 hours is recommended; however, when saff become more adep wih he process and more comforable wih collaboraion, meeings can be run more efficienly and require less ime. Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory

2 12 SEDL Leer APRIL 2007 The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle Prior o beginning he cycle, a eam of eachers examines suden achievemen daa from sae achievemen ess or local benchmark ess aligned o he sae sandards and selecs sandards on which o focus. Phase I: Sudy Teachers work in collaboraive planning eams (grade-level, verical, or deparmenal) o criically examine and discuss he learning expecaions from he seleced sae sandards. Teachers working collaboraively develop a common undersanding of he following: The conceps and skills sudens need o mee he expecaions in he sandards How he sandards for a grade or course are assessed on sae and local ess How he sandards fi wihin a scope and sequence of he disric curriculum Phase II: Selec Collaboraive planning eams research and selec insrucional sraegies and resources for enhancing learning as described in he sandards. Working collaboraively, eachers idenify effecive research-based sraegies and appropriae resources ha will be used o suppor learning ha is aligned o he sandards; and agree on appropriae assessmen echniques ha will be used o provide evidence of suden learning. Phase III: Plan Collaboraive planning eams work ogeher o formally plan a lesson incorporaing he seleced sraegies and agree on he ype of suden work each eacher will ake ino he Analyze phase of he PTLC o reveal evidence of suden learning. Working collaboraively, eachers develop a common formal plan oulining he lesson objecives (relevan o he sandards), he maerials being used, he procedures, he ime frame for he lesson, and he aciviies in which sudens will be engaged; and decide wha evidence of suden learning will be colleced during he implemenaion. Phase IV: Implemen Teachers each he planned lesson, make noe of implemenaion successes and challenges, and gaher he agreed-upon evidence of suden learning. Working collaboraively, eachers deliver he lesson as planned in he specified ime period; record resuls, noing where sudens sruggled and where insrucion did no achieve expeced oucomes; and collec he agreed-upon evidence of suden learning o ake back o he collaboraive planning eam. Phase V: Analyze Teachers gaher again in collaboraive eams o examine suden work and discuss suden undersanding of he sandards. Working collaboraively, eachers revisi and familiarize hemselves wih he sandards before analyzing suden work; analyze a sampling of suden work for evidence of suden learning; discuss wheher sudens have me he expecaions oulined in he sandards and make inferences abou he srenghs, weaknesses, and implicaions of insrucion; and idenify wha sudens know and wha skill needs o be srenghened in fuure lessons. Phase VI: Adjus Collaboraive eams reflec on he resuls of analyzing suden work. Teachers discuss alernaive insrucional sraegies or modificaions o he original insrucional sraegy ha may be beer suied o promoing suden learning. Working collaboraively, eachers reflec on heir common and disparae eaching experiences; consider and idenify alernaive insrucional sraegies for fuure insrucion; refine and improve he lesson; and deermine when he insrucional modificaions will ake place, wha can be buil ino subsequen lessons, and wha needs an addiional argeed lesson. achievemen. I akes he recommendaions from Marzano s (2001, 2003) work on classroom insrucion and school facors ha are closely relaed o suden achievemen (paricularly he imporance of having a guaraneed, viable curriculum) and pus hem ino an organized model for eacher developmen. The PTLC also models he behaviors suggesed by he NSDC sandards. The process encourages eacher collaboraion; focuses on job-embedded learning; uses a sysemic improvemen sraegy; ies learning o a se of sandards; and moniors progress of eachers and sudens. The PTLC process begins by inroducing saff o he process, carving ou sufficien ime for eachers o mee during he school day, and pulling ogeher he prin resources necessary o suppor he work (suden achievemen daa, sae sandards, curriculum documens). Teacher eams made up of 3 8 grade-level or conen-area eachers mus be esablished. Teams begin by examining suden achievemen daa and selecing a sae sandard or a se of sandards o focus on for he firs cycle. Depending on he level of comfor eachers have wih suden achievemen daa or wih aking ime o really sudy he sae sandards, some professional developmen may be necessary before beginning. One of he advanages of inroducing he PTLC process is ha i provides a way o focus professional developmen while allowing for individual differences. The PTLC is a professional developmen model in iself, bu i also requires some argeed professional developmen for he eachers who are using i. Teachers need o be up-o-dae on how o analyze suden achievemen daa. They need guidance in sudying and unwrapping he sandards, in deepening conen so hey have a greaer reperoire of eaching sraegies o call on, in developing proocols for looking a suden work, and in using muliple approaches o adjus insrucion for sudens who have no masered he sandards hey have augh. Providing professional developmen sessions in each of hese areas creaes a purpose for professional developmen ha is focused on supporing he PTLC (see figure on p. 13). The PTLC process iself is no revoluionary, bu is srucure provides some clear direcion for eachers as hey begin o work ogeher o improve insrucion. Inroducing and iniiaing he srucure of he PTLC, however, is no enough Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory

3 SEDL Leer APRIL Conex for Change Wha eachers do in a professional learning communiy Focus on daa Focused Professional Developmen Professional eaching and learning cycle* Teachers collaborae o ensure insrucional coherence STUDY he sandards and agree on suden learning expecaions. ADJUST insrucion o ensure all sudens are proficien in he sae sandards SELECT insrucional sraegies and resources o mee expecaions ANALYZE suden work PLAN lessons ha include a common assessmen IMPLEMENT he plan *Adaped from he professional eaching model of he Charles A. Dana Cener Teacher collaboraion is enhanced by a conex of favorable condiions wihin he school: Safe and orderly environmen Climae ha promoes open, rusing relaionships and collaboraion Sense of urgency High expecaions for saff and sudens Compeen, caring aduls Muual accounabiliy Leaders can creae he favorable condiions for powerful professional learning by: Creaing an amosphere and conex for change Developing and communicaing a shared vision for change Planning and providing resources Invesing in professional developmen Checking progress Giving coninuous assisance Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory

4 14 SEDL Leer APRIL 2007 Leaders mus creae a climae ha promoes open, rusing relaionships. o ensure ha eachers use he process in a way ha improves heir classroom insrucion and suden achievemen. During a sie visi o a high school, I wached in amazemen as a group of algebra eachers (who me on heir own ime) sruggled wih how o each a paricular mah concep well. They had developed heir own Web sie where hey posed lesson plans hey could each follow and had developed some common assessmens. During his session, hey were using he resuls of one common assessmen o figure ou why a number of sudens didn ge a paricular algebraic concep and were sruggling wih how o each ha concep in such a way ha all sudens would successfully apply i in pracice. Two novice eachers were in he group, and I can only imagine he learning ha was aking place, no o menion he modeling of wha i means o be a professional. During anoher sie visi, I wached as eachers who had been provided wih 2 days of professional developmen on PLCs me o collaborae on eaching heir sudens o develop pre-reading skills. The conversaion almos immediaely urned o saemens abou individual sudens, general commens abou parens, and complains abou he expecaions being placed on hem by adminisraors. The one area hey were in unanimous agreemen abou was ha hey would be beer off working in heir own classrooms in isolaion. Wha made he difference beween hese wo siuaions? I all came down o leadership no only he leadership of he principal and he disric personnel, bu also ha of eacher leaders wih responsibiliy for creaing he condiions in which he PTLC process can be successful. Leaders who hope o implemen he PTLC mus pay close aenion o he implemenaion of he process. Researchers focusing on implemenaion have idenified six key leadership behaviors, which are discussed below (Hord, 1992). 1. Creae an amosphere and conex for change The condiions in which eachers are working can be he difference beween he successful implemenaion of he PTLC resuling in improved suden learning or is inclusion in he vas burial ground of educaional reform ideas. If eachers have had lile opporuniy o work on collaboraive eams, simply giving hem ime, es resuls, a se of sandards, and he charge o improve doesn work. Sharing wha hey know abou he sandards and abou insrucion is risky business. If hey know more han heir colleagues, hey risk being isolaed as know-i-alls, and if he know lile, hey risk exposing heir ignorance. Eiher scenario resuls in sifled meeings ha soon lead o frusraion wih he process and evenual anger wih hose who iniiaed he change. Leaders mus help creae a safe and orderly environmen in he school. They mus creae a climae ha promoes open, rusing relaionships and collaboraion among all saff members (Tschannen-Moran, 2004). Leaders hold high expecaions for saff and sudens and pay aenion o he concerns of eachers and sudens alike while holding everyone accounable for resuls. Finally, hey model he behaviors hey wan o see in ohers, like aending professional developmen sessions and PTLC meeings o provide encouragemen and suppor. 2. Develop and communicae a shared vision for change When everyone in he school shares a sense of urgency abou he need for improvemen, here is greaer likelihood of being able o have eachers implemen he PTLC. Leaders work wih all saff members o creae a clear picure of wha should happen in classrooms in order o achieve improved suden learning. Wih ha end in mind, he saff can hen picure how hey can work ogeher o reach heir goals. Leaders refer o his vision a every meeing and in every communicaion and make i clear ha he PTLC is he kind of process ha mees NSDC sandards and can help focus he work of eachers raher han adding o i. 3. Plan and provide resources In order for he implemenaion of he PTLC o be effecive, leaders plan for he bes use of ime, personnel, maerials, and fiscal resources o suppor he process. Teachers who have access o disaggregaed daa, he sae sandards for he grade and conen hey each, and a scope and sequence ha is aligned wih he sae sandards have he easies ime using he PTLC. They also need sufficien ime for collaboraion and access o sources of informaion abou research-based insrucional sraegies and assessmen pracices. 4. Inves in professional developmen Too ofen, professional developmen sessions are offered away from he school and cover a wide variey of opics ha may or may no address he needs of eachers or he sudens hey each. As menioned earlier, professional developmen can be designed o suppor eachers in deepening heir conen knowledge and becoming more familiar wih he use of daa (including classroom evidence of suden learning) o inform insrucion. By focusing professional developmen and avoiding one-sho wonders, he invesmen made in professional developmen has a greaer long-erm impac on classroom insrucion. Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory

5 SEDL Leer APRIL Check progress Once he PTLC is in place i is imperaive o coninually check wih he eachers o see how i is going. The key quesions are, Is i helping you each more effecively? and Is i making a difference wih suden learning? Leaders visi classrooms frequenly and gaher progress informaion abou he impac of he PTLC on eaching and suden achievemen boh formally and informally. The daa gahered provide informaion abou wha addiional assisance or professional developmen may be needed and wha adjusmens need o be made o he implemenaion plan. 6. Give coninuous assisance When SEDL saff inroduced he PTLC o a number of school disrics, we found i invaluable o have someone wih conen experise o work wih eachers as hey ackled he challenging job of sudying he sandards and developing a common undersanding of effecive insrucion and assessmen ha suppors sudens masering he sandards. Based on he conversaions, classroom visis, and formal assessmens of eacher and suden learning, argeed assisance mus be made available o eachers hrough he focused professional developmen opporuniies, on-sie conen and insrucional assisance, and ensuring ha necessary resources are available o suppor eachers implemening he PTLC. The PTLC can be a powerful ool for helping eachers no only learn new sraegies for helping sudens succeed bu also implemen and es hose sraegies in a communiy of learners who are focused on bringing sae sandards o life in he classroom. An assisan superinenden in Arkansas, Sally Benne repored ha for eachers in her disric, using he PTLC has become a par of heir rouine. They mee collegially on a regular basis and alk abou how heir sudens are performing. She can see he evidence of heir collaboraive work from he dynamics of wha s going on in he classroom when she makes her school visis. The PTLC process is complex, and aenion mus be paid o he conex in which i plays ou and he suppor i needs o become a regular par of wha happens in school. In a recen conversaion, Michael Fullan said, I s no longer OK for eachers o work in isolaion. The new role for eachers is ineracive professionalism. The PTLC is an excellen ool for helping eachers ake on ha new role. References Hord, S. (ed.) (2004). Learning ogeher, leading ogeher: Changing schools hrough professional learning communiies. New York: Teachers College Press. Hord, S. M. (1992). Faciliaive leadership: The imperaive for change. Ausin, TX: Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory. Marzano, R. (2001). Classroom insrucion ha works: Research-based sraegies for increasing suden achievemen. Alexandria, VA: Associaion of Supervision and Curriculum Developmen. Marzano, R. (2003). Wha works in schools: Translaing research ino acion. Alexandria, VA: Associaion of Supervision and Curriculum Developmen. Roy, P., & Hord, S. (2003) Moving NSDC s saff developmen sandards ino pracice: Innovaion configuraions. Oxford, OH: Naional Saff Developmen Council. Tschannen-Moran, M. (2004). Trus maers: Leadership for successful schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Ed Tobia, is a former SEDL employee and reired eacher and adminisraor who is currenly consuling for NSDC and SEDL. He is also eaching parime a Texas Sae Universiy and creaing reflecive opporuniies for eachers and school adminisraors as a Courage o Teach faciliaor. He can be conaced a eobia@ausin.rr.com. Souhwes Educaional Developmen Laboraory