The Practice of Authentic PLCs
Part II The Essential Tasks of Authentic PLCs
Chapter 3 Looking at Student and Teacher Work
At first glance, this title truly sets the tone for the work of a PLC. "Looking at Student and TEACHER work." The teacher work is how we respond to the student work. Are we making instructional adjustments based on the student outcomes? What types of feedback are we giving to each other, if any?
A phrase Venables uses multiples times is "trust the process." In his work he has found that PLCs must work through the messy times and trust the process of his PLCs. How might you as leaders in your departments encourage and support teachers through this process?
What potential barriers do you perceive could arise out of the use of the Tuning Protocol on pg 44? In what we will address those barriers?
Pages 46-47 lists 4 primary reasons teachers are uncomfortable offering critcal feedback to one another in the PLC setting. Of those four, where to do the teachers in your department fit? How might we work on supporting them to move past their fears?
Chapter 3 has quite a bit of information including several protocols for use including teacher peer observations. Please familiarize yourself with the protocols so we can discuss the best mode of moving forward with your departments.
Chapter 4 Designing Quality Common Formative Assessments
This is not a new piece of information for our PLCs. During the past two years, we have spent quite a bit of time looking at data (next chapter!) and working with our common assessments. Venables uses the term ELO or Essential Learning Outcomes. I would love to hear your thoughts, but I likened out ELOs to our current use of Learning Targets.
On page 69 in the bottom paragraph, Venables is quite direct regarding his feelings about multiple choice tests. If we truly want to learn how our students are processing information and progressing towards mastering the ELOs, what types of assessments do we need to be administering? How might your departments feel about his comments on page 69?
Teachers must think about assessments as ways to inform them on the instruction they are delivering. Tests must no longer be isolated final measures of student mastery, but "catalysts" for what happens next.
On page 72 Venables lists several bullet points for the requirements that alternative assessments much meet. How do you see this coming to fruition in your department? What might be a situation in which alternative assessments are created by the PLC?
Rubrics, rubrics, rubrics! I spend quite a bit of time providing feedback to the rubrics showcased on our SBBBs. In reading the remainder of this chapter, how might your department benefit from the use of standards based rubrics?
Chapter 5 Reviewing and Responding to Data
The biggest idea our PLCs must take away from this chapter is that looking at data must be intentional. It cannot be a passing thought...just something to do....a fleeting conversation. It must be planned.
There is no shortage of data here in NISD. We have many sources of macro and micro data to share with our teachers. In reviewing the Notice and Wonder protocol on page 96, how might your departments use this as a tool to intentionalize their data discussions?
How does it shift your thinking about data?