Nurturing and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities

Over the last decade many schools have embraced the idea of professional learning communities (PLC's). While the term describes all sorts of collaborative activities, the PLC advocated by Rick DuFour, Shirley Hord and others is a school where teachers and principals focus on intently on improving student learning. They are committed to their own learning and act on that learning in ways that will positively improve students' education.

As PLC's have matured some schools struggle with ways to nurture and sustain the vitality that was often present in the early years. Schools that have successfully navigated this path find that five things support the continued growth of professional community.

• First, create a schedule or other structure to provide time for teachers to work together and reduce isolation. There are many options, limited only by one's creativity.
• Next, embrace policies that encourage greater autonomy, foster collaboration and improve communication. Share what works. Have conversations about successes and opportunities for growth.
• Third, provide time for professional development both during the school day and at other times. Consider converting staff meeting time into opportunities for professional dialogue.
• Fourth, when hiring new teachers look for candidates who are comfortable with feedback, examining their practice and who share your commitment to professional learning.
• Finally, be transparent about your own learning and encourage those around you to do the same. Read widely. Be inquisitive. Work to create an atmosphere of trust and respect among all personnel.

We'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with PLC's and how you work to maintain their vitality in your school.

Decision Fatigue

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about whether the time of day you make a decision impacts the quality of that decision. Well, the evidence is clear that there may be an impact. It is called decision fatigue and it describes a phenomena where the quality of one's decisions made later in the day deteriorates.

The research shows that during the day one's mental energy is depleted, particularly if you focused on complex tasks and decisions. Decision fatigue can cloud a person's judgment and explains undesirable behaviors such as losing focus during meetings, getting angry with colleagues, becoming impulsive or making decisions without consideration of the consequences.

There are things you can do to minimize the effect. They include:

• recognizing the problem and monitoring your behavior during the day;
• planning your day so that you schedule important meetings and decisions early in the day;
• avoiding back-to-back meetings so that you have time to recharge your 'mental energy' between meetings;
• taking short mental breaks;
• sleeping on decisions and avoiding making complex decision late in the day; and
• being clear about your goals so that you minimize the drain of energy associated with sorting through complex issues.

A Research Brief that describes this term more fully is available at from the Oregon GEAR UP site at http://tinyurl.com/6wlllhq. We would enjoy hearing from you about your experience with decision fatigue and ideas you may have for avoiding the impact.

Seeking Volunteers to Fix Up Schools

Almost every school faces the need to reduce expenditures and deal with shrinking resources. In order to maintain a strong instructional program fewer resources may be available to maintain the building and school grounds.

Howard Johnston recently prepared a Research Brief for an Oregon GEAR UP principal about how to seek volunteers to help fix up his school. Here's a summary of the brief.

"There isn't much research on how to secure volunteers to participate in school clean-ups and fix-ups, but some key ideas can be found in anecdotal examples from many communities around the nation. The first recommendation is that securing volunteers is easier when the school has a solid, active community relations program in place. If people are familiar with the school and its mission, they are more likely to volunteer when the call goes out for help. Secondly, people are more likely to volunteer if asked to do something specific. Finally, communicating with key groups is likely to build support within the group (e.g., alumni, churches, local businesses, service clubs) to help out. That makes the school an integral part of their public service agenda, and usually puts their volunteer efforts at the school's disposal."

You can read the entire Research Brief here. We'd be interested in hearing from you about ways you work with your community to maintain your school campus.

Using Instructional Rounds to Improve Instruction

Instructional Rounds is a process based on the work of Dr. Richard Elmore. Rounds is adapted from the medical rounds process used in the medical schools to diagnose and identify treatment and is based on a belief that by working together educators can solve common instructional practices.

Rounds is a multi-step process. First is identification of a "problem of practice," or an area of inquiry. Then a team "makes the rounds" by visiting classrooms throughout the school. The observers then debrief their observation and the data is used to identify appropriate next steps.

The South Lane School District in Cottage Grove, OR, an Oregon GEAR UP district, implemented an Instructional Rounds model. In South Lane each school selects a "problem of practice" or an area of inquiry that is their focus for the year. Visits by teams of district administrators makes the "rounds," visiting classrooms to gather information. Following the "rounds" the team meets, debriefs and provides the school's principal with advice about next steps.

The emphasis is on identifying factual patterns from the observations, not personal opinion or personal judgment. The debriefing does not identify specific teachers or classrooms but rather looks for trends across the school's classrooms.

A brief PowerPoint from the Oregon Leadership Network describes the South Lane Instructional Rounds model.

Tools and Resources for Principals

Sixteen new schools have joined the Oregon GEAR UP network. With the generous support of the Ford Family Foundation these schools have begun to enjoy the benefits of the Oregon GEAR UP Program.

The Principals Leadership Program, a component of Oregon GEAR UP, provides support for principals in their work with teachers and community to create college readiness and access. It includes on-site visits from a mentor, regional meetings and seminars, networking with other GEAR UP principals, and professional tools and resources.

Over 200 Research Briefs are available to principals. They cover virtually all of the major topics of interest for secondary school principals and each was developed at the request of a principal. There are also several other tools that will help principals work with their staff to implement a comprehensive college readiness program. A new addition is a set of podcasts,Principal's Perspectives, each prepared by a Oregon GEAR UP principal about an initiative in their school. The podcasts are also available at Apple's iTunes store.

I think you will find these tools and resources helpful in your work to improve college readiness. I'd enjoy hearing from you about their usefulness.

How Can School Leaders Keep Up With Innovations in Technology and Learning?

The digital technology and social media landscape changes every day, and many of these changes have a profound effect on students, families and schools.  It's nearly impossible for technology specialists to keep up with all of the new developments in the field, and for school leaders who have a lot of other things on their mind, it looks hopeless.

Fortunately, there are some resources that  present information about innovations and new technologies in plain, non-technical language.  One of the most useful is eSchoolNews, a daily electronic newspaper about technology innovation in schools (http://www.eschoolnews.com/).  eSchoolNews showcases both new technologies and innovative uses of more familiar devices, such as smart phones, e-readers, or laptop computers.  A recent edition contained great articles on the growing use of iPads to replace textbooks, digital archives for teaching students about the 9-11 anniversary, using technology as part of your incident response and school safety plans, and tackling reading comprehension.  eSchoolNews is published daily and is free to educators. It is delivered to your email, so you can either save the edition, forward it to someone who might benefit from seeing it, or simply delete it.  

Another site, not devoted exclusively to technology but focused more broadly on innovation, is Edutopia (www.edutopia.org), a free, online resource for educators committed to improving teaching and learning in their schools. The site is subtitled, "What Works in Education," and they are careful to present ideas that come from real practitioners and real schools.  On the site today is a section devoted to digital citizenship -- a compendium of resources on cyberbullying, netiquette, and internet safety.  Regular features also include videos, group discussions, blogs, classroom resources -- all focused on innovative practices in real world settings. 

Both eSchoolNews and Edutopia provide rich resources for educators in a user-friendly manner.  A great way to use these excellent tools is to share a feature story with the faculty to start a conversation in your own school about innovations that strengthen teaching and learning.  Pretty soon, you'll sound like an expert!

Working with Generation Y Teachers

As Baby Boomer teachers retire and are replaced by members of Generation Y (born between 1977 and 1995) we have come to appreciate that Gen Y employees have a very different set of characteristics shaped by a far different set of life experiences. They are . . .

• Highly educated, value education and attribute their success to education;
• Very comfortable using technology and expect it to be available in the workplace;
• Tend to be creative, innovative and self-confident;
• Committed to making a difference and contributing to positive social change;
• Want to be connected, updated and included and involved in their work;
• Desire relationships with co-workers and supervisors;
• Looking for opportunities for growth, challenging work and assignments and flexibility in work schedules;
• Possess collaborative skills, are committed to team-building and expect to be held accountable.

So, what are some strategies for working with Gen Y teachers? A report from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (www.tqsource.org) identified ten strategies. They are described in this article about working with Gen Y teachers and a changing workforce (www.principalspartnership.com/feature510.html).

I hope you find the ideas thought-provoking. While the tools are not new, the application to Gen Y teachers is different than it would be for Baby Boomers. Just as Baby Boomers changed American society, so will Gen Y. They hold tremendous potential for making a difference in the lives of American students. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with Generation Y teachers.

A "Wiki" as a Planning & Meeting Tool

I must admit that I am a relative novice with social media but I'm an energetic learner and am always looking for tools that can help with some of the management tasks required of principals. Recently I've begun to use a "Wiki" for some of my classes and when I work with groups. Wiki is most often associated with Wikipedia but that is just one form of a wiki. A wiki is a website where any member can edit contributes, like projects that several people share, or for suggesting agenda items for a meeting. Some teachers use wikis in classrooms. While there are many uses, some use a wiki as a tool to have students share their work and gather feedback from others.

I created my classroom wikis at www.wikispaces.com, a site that allows you to create free wikis. They are easy to create and a useful place for a committee or other group to maintain their agendas, minutes and any documents related to the work. You can limit access to the site so that only members can contribute.

I've found wikis to be useful and would enjoy hearing from you about your experience with wikis or other social media tools used by principals.

Supporting Teachers and Staff During Change

As expectations rise for schools, the resources to support them are stable or declining. This combination of forces means that most schools are dealing with significant reorganization and change. Successful leaders understand that the success of any change is directly related to developing the capacity of the people in the organization.

The School Administrators of Iowa identified several strategies that principals can use to support people during these changes. I found them to be a helpful reminder and would be interested in hearing from you about their value.

• Allow people to discuss feelings of loss and the difficulty of "letting go" of familiar programs and practices;
• Identify the needs of individual people and tailor the support based upon need;
• Develop support groups that are problem solving, action-oriented and non-judgmental;
• Be candid about unmet needs and work with people to plan specific ways to meet the need;
• Focus on strengths, skills, and interests of each person;
• Provide opportunity for everyone involved to share their ideas and talents;
• Plan ways for individuals to expand their skills to support the change;
• Identify ways that individuals can work to support one another throughout the change;
• Focus on successes and achievements;
• Give extra support to those who need it;
• Keep communication open and encouraging.

College Preparation Timeline

Principals play a key role in helping students prepare for admission and success in college. The best schools start early to prepare kids for a post-secondary experience and they make sure teachers and other staff, students and their families, and community members all have the information and tools they need to support students take the right courses, gain admission, find financial support and head off to college with the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

At the recent GEAR UP Success Conference at Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend, Howard Johnston and Ron Williamson shared a comprehensive timeline they developed for principals. The timeline is linked to the five core concepts of the Oregon GEAR UP model---relationships, reality of affordability, rigor, relevance, and right classes. The timeline includes links to incredible resources and identifies activities that should take place from 6th grade through high school. College Prep: A Timeline for Leaders is a valuable resource. We'd enjoy hearing from you about the timeline and about how you support your students' preparation for college.

Developing Professional Norms

I'm an absolute believer in the importance of working together when planning and making decisions. One of the things I've found most helpful is to have an agreed upon set of norms that will guide group operations, discussion and decision-making. A good starting point is to look at the seven norms of collaboration suggested by Garmston and Wellman (www.adaptiveschools.com). But some of the most effective norms are those identified by the faculty in a school. At Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, IL they developed their own list of "Professional Behavior Norms" they used for professional development and when meeting with one another.

1. The learning that occurs today belongs to you, and it rests largely with you.
2. Enter into the discussion enthusiastically.
3. Give freely of your experience, but don't dominate the discussion.
4. Confine your discussion to the task assigned.
5. Say what you think . . . be honest.
6. Only one person should talk at a time. Avoid private conversations while someone else is talking.
7. Listen attentively to the presentation and discussion.
8. Be patient with other participants. Appreciate their point-of-view.

The experience in Glen Ellyn was positive. Because they were mutually agreed to, the norms reflected their collective commitment to one another.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways that you've worked to develop norms to guide your work.

Build a Key Communicator Network

I'm constantly reminded about the importance of both sharing and gathering information about your school. One model is the Key Communicator Network developed by the National School Public Relations Association (www.nspra.org). It reminds us that communication is a two-way street and it is important to maintain a network that can help you advocate for your school.

Here are some steps that you can use to build your own network.

1. Bring together a small group of trusted people who know your community and ask them to suggest others who are opinion leaders in your community. Many of them may not work in schools but all interact with other community members.
2. Invite these people to meet with you to discuss your successes, your challenges and your vision for your school.
3. At the meeting describe the objectives of the group. For example, to provide members with honest, object information about your school; for members to share this information with others in the community; to identify questions or concerns that emerge in the community.
4. Establish a way to maintain communication using e-mail, telephone or scheduled meetings.

I hope you enjoy these ideas about building and maintain a network of contacts. Such a group can help share the good news about your school's successes and also help alert you to any issues or concerns in the community. I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways you've used to both share and gather information from your community.

Consensus - "Fist to Five"

Building consensus can be a challenge. While often the preferred way to make decisions, consensus can be fleeting. It doesn't mean that everyone agrees wholeheartedly with the decision, but it does mean that everyone can support the decision. At a minimum, everyone should agree they can live with the decision.

One tool I've found to be useful is "Fist to Five." It can help you seek common ground and is a quick way to assess the support among every participants. Ask every participant to indicate their level of support from a closed fist (no support) to all five fingers (enthusiastic support). Most groups I work with agree that the discussion continues until everyone holds up at least three fingers. Here's the complete set of descriptors adapted from those prepared by Adventure Associates (2009)

Fist	“I need to talk more on the proposal and require changes to support it.”
1 Finger	“I still need to discuss some issues and I will suggest changes that should be made.”
2 Fingers	“I am moderately comfortable with the idea but would like to discuss some minor things.”
3 Fingers	“I’m not in total agreement but feel comfortable to let this idea pass without further discussion.”
4 Fingers	“I think it’s a good idea and will work for it.
5 Fingers	“It’s a great idea and I will be one of those working to implement it.”

I've used "Fist to Five" many times and it is always helpful to gauge the level of support for a decision. I'm convinced that we made a better decision when we worked to build a higher level of support. I'd enjoy hearing from you about how you work with groups to reach agreement. I'd also enjoy learning about your experience using the "Fist to Five" approach.

Trimester Schedules

In recent years many schools have implemented a trimester schedule as a way to provide greater flexibility in their schedule. Trimester schedules divide the school year into three parts with students taking fewer classes each trimester than in a traditional semester schedule. But, over the year, a trimester generally offers students more classes and an opportunity to enrich their educational experience. Trimester schedules also allow for earlier intervention and credit recovery options than other schedules. Trimesters often allow the first trimester to finish prior to winter break and often align with the schedule of nearby colleges, thus easing options for dual enrollment.

As with any scheduling model, trimesters don't solve every problem a school may face with their schedule. But it does provide an innovative way to look at the use of time.

There are lots of resources available on trimester schedules. One is a site devoted just to trimester schedules (www.trimesters.org). The other is a site from a high school that recently adopted the trimester model (www.a2skyline.org/skyline/home/trimesters). Finally, a Research Brief on the trimester schedule is available on the Education Partnerships, Inc. website and on my website (www.ronwilliamson.com).

I'd enjoy the opportunity to learn from you about your experience with trimester schedules and both the benefits and challenges you've encountered.

Challenging Economic Times

No school is immune from the need to plan for a future impacted by declining, or at the best, stable resources. Schools are caught between expectations for improved student performance and the reality that there are fewer human and financial resources to support the program. Almost universally the issue is one of how to be both efficient and more effective.

There are generally three responses. First, you can identify areas where you might reduce expenses by eliminating programs or reducing budgets. But in many schools these efficiencies have already been achieved. Second, you can consider alternative ways of doing things you're already doing. For example, some rural schools have shifted to a four-day week to reduced costs of transportation, food service, and office support. Some have begun to work together by combining programs, sharing teachers, or sharing central office resources. In Michigan one district contracted with a nearby district for a portion of the superintendent's time. Others consolidated human resources or business services. Third, you can prioritize what you are doing. This is often difficult, even when you use data, because it is often seen as valuing one program more than others. If you prioritize be sure to anchor your decisions in your school's vision and mission. Some schools have learned that reducing every program a little isn't very effective. It may be necessary to focus on fewer things and do them really well. Always be sure someone is advocating for the neediest students, those requiring the most support.

Some schools have begun to work together to share professional development. Others have worked with local business leaders to sponsor professional development. Or you might want to increase efforts to identify volunteers, such as senior citizens, to work with students.

Unfortunately many of the decisions involve reductions in the number of teachers and other staff. They invariably mean larger class size, fewer course offerings, and reduced opportunities for students. When appropriate decisions about how to respond to these reductions are almost always better when teachers, families and other stakeholders are included. And, of course, it is important to support remaining staff as they deal with the new reality of fewer colleagues.

These are challenging times for schools and their leaders. I'd enjoy hearing form you about how you and your community are dealing with your declining resources.

Schools that Break the Mold

I'm always looking for examples of how a principal and their staff works to improve the educational experience of their students. One of my favorite organizations is the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta. They sponsor both the High Schools that Work and Middle Schools that Work programs in every region of the nation. But they also provide incredible resources for educators on their website (www.sreb.org). They recently published their January newsletter, "Schools Break the Mold to Produce Graduates Ready for Success in College and Careers." The newsletter shares examples from schools that are small and large, located in rural areas and the inner city. Each is a powerful story about how adults working together can transform their schools. I hope you find them both informative and inspirational.

Lesson Study: Improving Instruction One Lesson at a Time

Originally used by Japanese teachers, lesson study emphasizes working in small groups to plan, teach, observe, and critique a lesson. Lesson study involves groups of teachers in a collaborative process designed to systematically examine their practice with the goal of becoming more effective. Teachers College at Columbia University has many resources about the lesson study process (www.tc.columbia.edu/lessonstudy/lesson-study.html) and they've developed a lesson study protocol that describes how the process might work.

• Participants should be volunteers but the invitation to participate should be inclusive.
• While working on a study lesson, teachers work together to develop a detailed plan for the lesson.
• One member of the group teaches the lesson in a real classroom while other members of the group observe the lesson.
• The group comes together to discuss their observations about the lesson and student learning.
• The group works together to revise the lesson.
• Another teacher teaches the revised lesson while group members observe.
• The group reconvenes to discuss the observed lesson.
• The revision process may continue as long as the group believes it is necessary.
• Teachers talk about what the study lesson taught them and how they can apply the learning to their own classroom. They may prepare a report to be shared with others.

Lesson study is a valuable tool to engage teachers in examining their own work and developing plans for improvement. It is anchored in a collaborative culture where teachers are comfortable working together and talking about complex issues.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with lesson study or other professional development activities.

Book Study: A Tool for Professional Conversation

A good way to engage teaches and other staff in their own professional growth is to organize a book study group. At some schools, every teacher may be asked to read the same book and work in small groups to discuss the book and its implications for practice. In others, teachers may choose from among several books and join colleagues who selected the same book for their discussion.

Here are some things I've learned about organizing book study groups.

• Membership should be voluntary, but inclusive.
• Decide a meeting schedule, meeting place, length of book to be read, and what will happen after the book is red. It is recommended that meetings last no more than one hour and be held at a consistent time and place.
• Select a responsible facilitator to keep the group on task and to help manage the meetings.
• Select a book with a clear objective in mind. For example, select a book that aligns with your school improvement plan.
• Conversation is important in a book study. Members of the group share insights, ask questions about the text, and learn from others. It is important to talk about how the ideas can be directly applied in the classroom and how to overcome any potential obstacles.
• Journaling is a useful way for members to think about their reading and reflect on how it might be used.

Additional information about conducting a book study is available at www.eyeoneducation.com/BookStudyGroupFAQ/BookStudyFAQ.asp.

I would enjoy hearing from you about ways you engage teachers in their professional growth and promote conversations about improving your school. I look forward to hearing from you.

Both Eligible and Ready for College

The December 2010 issue of Principal Leadership had a thoughtful article by Dr. David Conley from the University of Oregon Center for Educational Policy Research on helping students become both eligible for college admission and prepared for success in entry-level college courses.

Dr. Conley's work emphasizes readiness in four critical areas: "development of key cognitive strategies, mastery of key content knowledge, proficiency with a set of academic behaviors, and sufficient college knowledge about what post-secondary education requires."

For example, he suggests that students must know how to think about and apply content knowledge, how to identify a problem, how to collect information and evaluate the resources they used, how to interpret, analyze and evaluate the information and then communicate their work by organizing it and constructing a logical means of presenting the work

He suggests that most high schools do a good job of encouraging college attendance, and helping students navigate both the admission and financial aid process. In addition, many schools provide students with a set of courses that deal with content knowledge. What most schools lack is a recognition that college success also requires a set of intellectual dispositions and skills for success in college courses.

After studying 38 high schools, seven key principles were identified. They include:

1. Create and maintain a college going culture in your school - Signal to students that the school prepares them for postsecondary success.
2. Create a core academic program aligned with and leading to college readiness by the end of the 12th grade - Define a core academic program that, for all students, that leads to college readiness.
3. Teach self-management skills and expect students to use them in high school - Help students learn to manage their own learning, to set and manage completion of goals, and to manage taking notes and completing long-term, complex assignments.
4. Make college real by preparing students for the complexity of applying to college and making the transition -Work with students and families as early as middle school and no later than the 9th grade to understand the importance of planning, taking the appropriate courses, and timelines for both admission and financial aid.
5. Create assignments and grading policies that align more closely with college expectations - Because the college experience requires students to work more independently and to manage assignments and homework without receiving a daily or weekly grade, schools should provide this experience during high school. Develop assignments that use college type experiences and expectations.
6. Make the senior year meaningful and challenging - Assure that the senior year is both academically enriching and challenging. Every student should experience a college like experience such as senior seminar, senior project or AP course.
7. Build partnerships with postsecondary institutions and programs - Work to build a relationship with postsecondary programs and institutions. Find ways for faculty to work together and to align their expectations and instruction.

Assuring that every student is prepared for postsecondary education is a critical activity in K-12 schools. I'd like to know how you respond to Dr. Conley's seven recommendations and what you and your teachers are doing to assure that each of your students is prepared for post-secondary education.

Additional information about Dr. Conley's work is available at www.collegecareerready.org. Principal Leadership is a publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and is available online to members (www.principals.org).