Professional Learning Teams October 2010

1. Professional Learning TeamsOctober 2010

2. Recap The PLT meeting 1 Data Morning tea Developing a learning log The PLT in action Leading a PLT Role play 9.00 10.30 11.00 – 1.00

3. NMR - School Improvement Model

4. Complex change …. Change in the way teachers operate De-privatised practice Collaboration and challenge Joint planning Peer observation Personalisation Evidence based practice /goal setting Strategies for differentiation Pedagogical teaching and content knowledge Teaching frameworks/concepts Literacy and numeracy teaching strategies Standards and continuums of learning Assessment practices Technology Teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about students’ capacity to learn

5. Challenges & barriers to change Low Expectations! “The biggest resistance to improving high schools is the deep-seated belief that many of our students cannot learn much for a range of reasons including social class and language background.” Prof Patrick Griffin 2009

6. Activity: Think, pair, share ‘Communities that undermine learning’….. and change Discuss article by Platt & Tripp at tables • Think about the different teams you have worked in. Identify one effective team and one low performing team – what was the difference? How would you define a high functioning, accountable PLT?

7. The genius of ‘AND’…………….. The tyranny of ‘OR’ Must we be A or B, not both??? • High performing organisations seek to be both A and B • Not a question of balance – implies going to the mid point (50-50) • Create a culture that is simultaneously loose and tight • Concept of • ‘directed empowerment’ • ‘defined autonomy’

8. AiZ Structure Teams of teachers (PLTs and Triads) Team leaders (PLT leaders) Learning leaders School improvement team (SIT) NMR

9. School Improvement Team/Leadership Team PLT PLT PLT Triad Triad Triad Triad Triad Triad PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AiZ (Learning Leaders, PLT leaders) Coaches

10. School readiness • What’s your story?? • Implementation stage • Building awareness • Common understanding • Planning • Piloting • Full implementation • Planning • Where do you want to be in 2011 • What do you need to do • What will be your challenges • What will you do when you get back to your school

11. Action plan Goal: Clarity and alignment Review structures, frameworks Teaching and learning – what and how Assessments Role and responsibilities Teams Student voice School organisation Year levels Timetable Meetings Develop 2011 implementation plan Consider change strategy Action learning with existing teams

12. Activity – table talk • Your story • Where are PLTs in your school at now? • Where would you like them to be in a year’s time? • What will you do to get there? ‘Connect peers with purpose’ … …. Fullen ‘Create a sense of urgency’ …………Kotter

13. Professional Learning Teams Key characteristics, core work …………..

14. PLTs – look like? Size Ideally no more than 6 Composition Mix of experienced and beginning Mix of expertise (eg numeracy/literacy/disciplines) Primary Usually year level Secondary Year level Discipline

15. AiZ PLTs a new team work approach • Evidence not inference • Challenge not share • Group responsibility • From ‘my class’ to our students • Your problem to our solution • Developmental not deficit approach • Peer accountability rather than system reporting • Expectations of ALL students Patrick Griffin

16. Effective PLTS

17. Ticking the effective team boxes TEAMS

18. Four critical questions for learning: • What is it we expect our students to learn? • How will we know when they have learned it? • How will we respond when they don’t learn? • How will we respond when they already know it?

19. The PLT meeting What does is it look like, feel like, sound like ………….. Featuring: Lena Clark Lorraine Edwards Patricia Quan

20. Activity: Observation and table discussion What is the PLT leader doing? What are PLT members doing? Nature of conversation, questioning? How does this align with student centred meetings at your school? The main outcome of the meeting was the development of the learning log. From the PLT discussion you have just observed identify what you think should be the key elements of a student learning log?

21. Using data … to improve student learning Developmental learning and evidence based practice

22. What is our data? Our data collection is evidence-based monitoring of student performance. The data: • Paints a picture of every student and class • A profile of results which tells a story..... • Is evidence of what students can do...a formative, forward looking model • Informs us about what we want students to learn • Tells us when a student has achieved to a certain level

23. The Patrick Griffin model Use of data based on Theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – scaffolding of instruction/learning Developmental continuums or “learning pathway maps”

24. Underpinning Theories • Glaser – stages of increasing competence • Rasch – identifying the stages • Vygotsky – scaffolding instruction

25. Patrick Griffin model cont... Based on the belief that, by knowing where students sit along the continuum, teachers can target the teaching strategies and interventions to scaffold the students to the next level Goal:to monitor, promote and accelerate students along a developmental continuum (eg VELs) by focusing the teaching to where they ARE, rather than where they SHOULD BE.

26. Deficit v Developmental learning approach Prof Patrick Griffin • Deficit approach to learning: • Focus on what students cannot do • Outcome is a ‘fix-it’ approach. • Developmental approach: • Build on and scaffold the existing knowledge bases of every student. • Focus on student readiness to learn.

27. A developmental approach to learning Develop culture of looking at learning goals from a developmental perspective PLTs require clarity around: Guaranteed curriculum/essential learning:What it is we want our students to learn at each year level - aligned with VELs Does it have endurance? Does it have leverage? Does it prepare students for next level of learning? (Douglas Reeves 2002 – assessing significance of standards)

28. A developmental approach to learning • Knowing when each student has learned it • What will students know and be able to do as a result of unit of work • How will students demonstrate their learning • What will it look like in terms of students work • How will we monitor students’ learning? • Types of assessment, • Purposeful, Focused, Diagnostic, Timely

29. Making reliable judgements • Teachers need to have 3 sets of data in order for a reliable judgement to be made for each student in the school • Tests should be reliable and accurate i.e. calibrated and not subject to opinion • Where possible use departmental resources -they are free, well researched and developed • Tests should have an aspect of literacy or numeracy as a focus • Tests should have data that provides detailed information about skill levels • Tests should be able to indicate where the student needs to go next. For example have a developmental continuum • Test results should be able to indicate student growth once the test is repeated • Test results should help teachers develop groupings in their classes

30. Closing the gap??? • Idea of closing gap will not be addressed because all kids should move; in fact the gap may widen in some instances. • It’s about identifying where students are ready to learn rather than where they are expected to be. • Teaching concepts, not just skills will enable students to perform better in future tests.

31. Activity - Think, pair, share Do you believe that schools should be expected to deliver a guaranteed curriculum at each year level What does a guaranteed curriculum mean to you How does it impact on the 4 critical questions for learning? To what extent is the use of learning continuums embedded in the practice of your school? What is the value of a continuum for teachers, for students Do you have concerns about the use of a continuum Share these with the person next to you.

32. Developing a learning log

33. Professional Learning Team Log Literacy Date:

34. Professional Learning Team Student LogNumeracy LowSchool Code xxxx Date Started: 21st July 2010

35. The PLT in action Leading the change ………… Leading the change …………

36. Leadership The principal and team leader are key to the redesign process. “A neutral principal or team leader is an undermining force.”

37. The work of the PLT leader Lead the team Understand change Model behaviours Develop culture of challenge – questioning Develop the capacity of the team Pedagogical knowledge Assessment practices Use of data Goal setting and strategy selection Support collaboration Regular, focused meetings Establish protocols Develop structure and processes

38. PLT Meetings Develop agreed protocols/norms Set agenda/proformas Regular time Keep to time Have a focus Share facilitation Encourage participation and group

39. The process • TEAMS of teachers take responsibility for the cohort • LEADERS take teams of teachers through the following cycle: • REVIEW where the students are at. • What is their Zone of proximal development? • Look at evidence of what students can DO, SAY, MAKE or WRITE • What evidence have we used to determine this? • What learning GOALS are appropriate? • PLAN STRATEGIES/ INTERVENTIONS to move them forward • IDENTIFY THE RESOURCES needed • STIPULATE THE EVIDENCE required to say that kids have moved

40. The Process ……Patrick Griffin

41. The Process Hume Central SC Teacher Inquiry Knowledge Building cycle

42. PLT agenda and timing

43. Activity: Producing a learning log Task: complete a learning log for a student or a cohort of students Grade 5: Inference Data - 2009 Y5 Spa/Naplan diagnostic data (sample) - 2009 Y5 Naplan questions and source material Steps - Analyse data 10 min - Select cohorts/student 5 min - Identify/develop learning goals 10 min - Identify teaching strategies to achieve learning goals 10 min - Identify evidence to show learning goals have been met 10 min

44. Activity: Producing a learning log Groups of 5 – 6 teachers Nominate: Team leader and observer Team Leader: lead meeting Observer: note type of questioning, level of challenge, use and focus on data, team participation, use of protocols to engage team member in discussion Reflection: 5 mins • Observer reports back to team about observations. Group reflects 2 key positives and 2 key challenges for doing the work in their schools.