Our Definition: Professional Learning Communities are sacred, regularly scheduled, structured meeting times where teachers and leaders collaborate and engage in continuous learning and cycles for improvement in support of achieving identified goals in the school plan. Professional Learning Communities support reflection on classroom instruction and student learning, and builds capacity around content, pedagogy and informed instructional decision-making to improve learning for ALL students, especially those who have been historically marginalized and negatively impacted by existing systems.
Professional Learning Communities
The Process
Understand
Unpack, Examine, Own
Unpack content standards and rich tasks. Deeply explore content, skills, texts, and potential misconceptions, especially with respect to student’s identities and the associated historical experiences with those elements, for success with grade-level expectations
Examine and/or craft exemplar products or responses that reflect successful learning for named concepts and skills
Own and internalize grade-level content expectations to build teacher capacity and impact planning
A note about PLC sessions: The facilitator’s guides are divided into three parts based on DuFour’s research that identifies three key elements to Professional Learning Communities: student learning, teacher collaboration, and results. When discussing results in the Understand or Plan phase, focus on EXPECTED results. When discussing results in the Reflect phase, focus on EVIDENCE-BASED results. Choose prompts from the guide in each of the three sections that are the highest-leverage and aligned to a targeted focus to engage your team in conversation. Capture key points from the conversation that teachers can access later when independently planning (i.e., a note catcher, a Jamboard, chart paper, etc.) The goal is for teachers to discuss and share, not to complete a document or lesson planning template.
Leads participants through conversations that allow them to dig more deeply into the resources provided within a specific module section in the new Curriculum Units. Teachers can begin to make clear decisions around pacing the options over a series of days and determining how to use the texts and activities to engage their students.
Unpacking ELA Authentic Performance Tasks (K-3)
Guides teachers through identifying the connections between authentic performance tasks and other formative tasks of a unit. Opens conversations for how to help students bridge understandings to meet success as they progress through the content and skills of the unit as a whole.
Unpacking an ELA Unit Overview (K-12)
This tool is designed to guide teachers through navigating the high-level overview of an ELA Unit from the SDP ELA Curriculum Guides. These units offer comprehensive options for teachers to plan and deliver high-quality instruction. This guide allows teachers time to carefully read the Unit Overview and deeply consider their needs in teaching the unit so they can begin to intellectually prepare for the lessons.
Unpacking an ELA Culminating Task (K-12)
This tool is allows teachers to dive into the detailed Culminating Task guidance for a given ELA Unit so they may enter into the intellectual prep process. Teachers will work to identify and understand how the task allows students to show how content and skills understanding are acquired by the end of the unit, and begin to consider key planning moves that may need to take place.
Leads participants through conversations around what resources and options are available in the new Curriculum Units for math, how they tie to the identified learning goals, and how they can begin to make clear decisions that will benefit their particular students.
Examines grade-level math tasks so teachers can identify potential student responses in preparation for planning appropriate access points for instruction
Unpacking Science Performance Standards
Guides teachers through thinking about the three key components of Science Performance Expectations: the Science and Engineering Practices, the Disciplinary Core Ideas, and the Crosscutting Concept. Teachers can use deeper understanding of the expectations to prepare to plan for engagement
This guide opens conversations around major areas of consideration to identify high-leverage teachable moments through the use of complex text in ELA, Social Studies, Science, or other content areas where learning relies on the use of high-quality text. This guide can be used to help teachers collaboratively prioritize and determine specific aspects of the text they wish to highlight and bring to life when planning for engagement and potential scaffolds. It contains prompts and questions adapted from Nancy Hennessy’s Blueprint for Comprehension Instruction (2021)
Plan
Connect, Engage, Determine
Connect current student data, identities, experiences, professional learning, and teacher expertise and biases/perceptions to actively plan lessons and scaffolding opportunities for equitable access
Engage in backwards planning for and delivery of high-quality Tier 1 learning experiences
Determine which formative/summative data will be used to guide decisions and adjust instruction in real time as needed
A note about PLC sessions: The facilitator’s guides are divided into three parts based on DuFour’s research that identifies three key elements to Professional Learning Communities: student learning, teacher collaboration, and results. When discussing results in the Understand or Plan phase, focus on EXPECTED results. When discussing results in the Reflect phase, focus on EVIDENCE-BASED results. Choose prompts from the guide in each of the three sections that are the highest-leverage and aligned to a targeted focus to engage your team in conversation. Capture key points from the conversation that teachers can access later when independently planning (i.e., a note catcher, a Jamboard, chart paper, etc.) The goal is for teachers to discuss and share, not to complete a document or lesson planning template.
Planning for Foundational Skills (K-2)
This tool is designed to build teacher’s capacity for phonics/phonemic awareness knowledge and instruction in order to ensure that students experience quality instruction that allows a space for students to grow as readers and writers.
The goal of this guide is to provide teachers an opportunity to explore available resources in the curriculum units to consider aligned quality scaffolds and additional strategies that increase students’ access to Tier 1 instruction and positive student outcomes.
In addition to these guides, any planning tools that have been provided from the Office of Curriculum and Instruction to teachers are appropriate to support PLC. Simply ensure teachers are still able to engage in opportunities to discuss student learning, collaborate together, and discuss results when incorporating these options.
Planning for Math Connectedness
The goal of this document is to help teachers intentionally connect the key ideas of the lesson with a focus on the connection between the Formative Task and Guided Instruction. If teachers know and understand how the components are connected, they can support student learning and assess if students are meeting the learning target.
Planning for the Opening Routine
This tool supports purposeful planning of daily Opening Routines. The Opening Routine is the first component of the Math Framework. The Opening Routine provides students with an entry point into each lesson by activating prior knowledge. It gives students an opportunity to develop number sense, engage in discourse, and build class community.
Planning for the Formative Task
Allows teachers to deeply explore each part of the Formative Task: Launch, Work, and Debrief. Gives space to discuss key teacher and student actions for each, and allows for scaffolding considerations.
In addition to these guides, any planning tools that have been provided from the Office of Curriculum and Instruction to teachers are appropriate to support PLC. Simply ensure teachers are still able to engage in opportunities to discuss student learning, collaborate together, and discuss results when incorporating these options.
Planning for Productive Discussions
Allows teachers to actively revise a selected, already completed lesson plan to assess opportunities for productive discussions. The protocol focuses on goals and talk moves that help teachers build student capacity for engaging in rich, content-based discussions.
This tool is designed to guide teachers through considering key scaffolded questions and engagement options for students using complex text via a “Three Reads” Close Reading approach. Teachers can work collaboratively to discuss what options will best meet the needs and strengths of their students. This guide can support teachers as they think through complex text options for ELA classrooms, but can also support any lesson in which the learning is centered in text (ie: Social Studies or Science)
In addition to these guides, any planning tools that have been provided from the Office of Curriculum and Instruction to teachers are appropriate to support PLC. Simply ensure teachers are still able to engage in opportunities to discuss student learning, collaborate together, and discuss results when incorporating these options.
Reflect
Analyze, Evaluate, Act
Analyze student products to identify trends and examine what learning goals were met, what misconceptions still exist, what inequalities are being reproduced in the data
Evaluate and actively reflect on the efficacy of teacher practice and instructional decisions made throughout the “Understand” and “Plan” phases as evidenced in the student products
Act by intentionally applying new learning to upcoming instructional opportunities. Look for how needed reteaching can be embedded in upcoming content to accelerate rather than remediate whenever possible
A note about PLC sessions: The facilitator’s guides are divided into three parts based on DuFour’s research that identifies three key elements to Professional Learning Communities: student learning, teacher collaboration, and results. When discussing results in the Understand or Plan phase, focus on EXPECTED results. When discussing results in the Reflect phase, focus on EVIDENCE-BASED results. Choose prompts from the guide in each of the three sections that are the highest-leverage and aligned to a targeted focus to engage your team in conversation. Capture key points from the conversation that teachers can access later when independently planning (i.e., a note catcher, a Jamboard, chart paper, etc.) The goal is for teachers to discuss and share, not to complete a document or lesson planning template.
Star Screener Reflection Guide
Allows teachers to explore student data from Star screeners for math and/or ELA so they can reflect on how Tier One programming is impacting both achievement and growth.
This guide supports teacher teams through active reflection of both student successes and teacher practice via an in-depth Student Work Analysis (SWA) process. Teachers work to identify trends present in student work in order to critically evaluate their teaching practice and determine appropriate next steps in upcoming content.
This lesson reflection guide allows teams of teachers to complete a reflective action cycle during professional learning community (PLC) meetings with the goal of increasing positive learning outcomes for students.
Professional Learning Communities Guide
Click Below to View the Guide!
What is the Professional Learning Communities Guide?
This comprehensive document provides clarity on the purpose and goals of Professional Learning Communities in the SDP, as well as highlights key roles and responsibilities.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for everyone! Anyone who plans, facilitates, supports, or participates in sessions can learn about their specific role and responsibilities in the work, explore the research base, and see how PLC connect to other strategies they are working on in their schools. It is a one-stop-shop for all things PLC!
How do I use this guide?
You can use this guide to get a comprehensive overview of how PLC can support teacher planning efforts. You can also use the bookmarks in the table of contents to jump to specific sessions if you are looking for targeted information.
Resources
Additional resources will be added as they become available
ETVL
News and Events
Announcements
Upcoming Events/Important Dates
June 9th, 2022
Common Planning Time is now Professional Learning Communities!
Out name has officially changed from common planning time to professional learning communities. Thank you to everyone that took the time to vote.
May 26th, 2022
Renaming Common Planning Time: Cast Your Vote!
Thank you for the suggestions and participation in generating ideas for a new name for Common Planning Time that will uphold the spirit of the space and align to our district wide beliefs regarding equity. The time has come to cast your vote for a new name! Please click HERE to see the top three options generated from our survey data and make your selection. Voting will remain open until Wednesday, June 8th. Stay tuned for the big reveal!
Support Team and Contact
Randi Klein-Davila, Deputy Chief, School and Network Development
Abbey Gunn, Executive Director, School and Network Development
TBD, Director, School and Network Development
TBD, PLS, School and Network Development
Network Professional Learning Specialists and Lead Academic Coaches
General Questions? Reach out to PLC@philasd.org