Essential Elements of a Professional Learning

Community

Anthony Muhammad

Principal

Southfield High School

Southfield, Michigan

Schools Don’t Make a Difference

Student achievement is primarily a function of his or her background. Schools do little to lessen the gap between more and less able students, and there is little evidence to suggest school reform has any impact on student achievement

Jenks, et al, Inequality: A Reassessment of the Effects of Family and Schooling in America, 1972

Schools Do Make a DifferenceEffective Schools Research of Ron Edmonds, Larry Lezotte, Wilbur Brookover, Michael Rutter, and others concluded that:

All Children Can Learn Schools control the factors to assure that

students master the core of the curriculum

Schools Do Make a Difference

An analysis of research conducted over a thirty-five year period demonstrates that schools that are highly effective produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds

Robert Marzano, What Works in Schools, 2003

Current Challenges

Flattening of the world and a new world economic structure

NCLB Training and retaining qualified educators Reform vs. Reculturing Societal value of education

“These are the best of times and the worst of times”

Three Ways to Change People

Use of ForcePersuasionLearning (which leads to a

paradigm shift)

PLCs?

The PLC framework provides a vehicle for educators to implement best practice in a way that is both beneficial to the students and the adults

The primary function of a PLC is Learning Systematically implemented for the first

time at Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL by Dr. Richard DuFour and his staff

Professional Learning Communities

“Professional” – someone with the expertise in a specialized field, an individual who has not only pursued advanced training to enter the field, but who is also expected to remain current in it’s evolving knowledge base.

“Learning” – ongoing action and perpetual curiosity

“Community” – a group linked by common interests

Characteristics of a PLC

Shared Mission, Vision, Values and Goals Collective Inquiry Collaborative Teams Action Orientation and Experimentation Continuous Improvement Results Orientation

PLC Fundamental Questions about Learning

What do we want students to know? How do we know if the students have

learned it? What do we do when students don’t learn

it? Do we believe that they can learn it?

Levey Middle School A PLC Success

97% African-American student population – Student population of 800+

School-wide Title 1 eligible Over 80% of students live in single female headed households Achievement scores well below state averages 25% – 40% annual student turnover rate 2000-2001 school over 3000 disciplinary suspensions 2000-2001 school year over 150 students failed two or more

classes and were required to attend summer school 2001-2002 school year, I was the third principal in three years

Year #1

Make school principle-centered and defend those principles

Establish order and discipline for all Build belief and provide vision for

staff, students, and parents Study high-achieving schools with

same demographic and SES status

Year #2

Update and align curriculum Develop Common Assessments Systematically provide daily collaboration

time for teachers Systematically provide support for

struggling students Analyze school mission and vision Continue work from Year #1

Year #3

Professional Development! Staff Evaluation! Work on Affective Needs Continue work from Years 1 & 2

Year #4

Build Community Partnerships Market School Emphasize Parent and Community

Relations Implement Service Learning Continue work from Years 1,2, and 3

Year #5

Develop a system to constantly monitor, evaluate, and refine systems

Develop future leaders among staff members

Showcase your school state wide and nationally

Levey Achievement Results

Reading 2001 – 40% Proficient

(State Avg. 68%) 2005 – 88% Proficient

(State Avg. 62%)

Math 2002 – 42% Proficient

(State Avg. 54%) 2005 – 76% Proficient

(State Avg. 62%)

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Read2001

Math2002

Levey

Michigan

Afr.Amer.

Other Levey Victories 2004-2005 school year, 6 students failed one or more

academic classes, down from 150 in 2002 2004-2005 school year, 148 student suspensions, down

from over 3000 during the 2001-2002 school year 52% of Levey students are on the honor roll 18 charitable student service learning projects completed

during the 2004-2005 school year Trailblazing “Hip-Hop” class that links literacy to pop

culture Business course and student run store offered for students

in grades 6, 7, and 8 – “The Levey Dollar Store”

Paradigm Shifts Schools are not places designed to give adults a

place to work, they are designed to be places where students are served

Data is used to inform instruction Collaboration is essential to achieve success for all

students and is embedded into the school culture Assurances are made to students as well as adults Students are guaranteed extra time and support

when they struggle with learning essential standards

Professional development is job embedded

Paradigm Shifts

Shifts the emphasis from “teaching” to “learning”

Teachers focus instruction on Essential Standards and teach more in-depth

Goal is success for all instead of “sorting” students

Celebration of achievement is a part of a PLC’s culture

Provide systematic and timely intervention

The Levey Formula

Same Students + Same Building + Same Challenges + Same Parents + Same

Community + Different School Professionals =

Different Results

Conclusion

Why did you become a teacher? To change the lives of kids, to make a difference!!!!

Challenging environments need the best teachers.

You are the best, a revolutionary – Change the World!

Anthony MuhammadMuhammadas@southfield.k12.mi.us