The School Leader's Guide to Professional Learning Communities at Work TM. Richard DuFour

Start With Questions

Create a Guiding Coalition

Build Shared Knowledge With Staff by Learning Together

Build the Foundation of a Professional Learning Community

Establish the Fundamental Purpose of the School

Help Staff Members Clarify the School They Are Attempting to Create

Clarify the Commitments That Are Vital to Creating the School

Establish Indicators of Progress and Strategies for Monitoring Those Indicators

Develop a Critical Mass to Support Implementation and Begin Taking Action

2 Creating the Structures for Collaboration

Organize People Into Meaningful Teams Focused on Learning

       Does Your School Structure Foster Collaboration or Isolation?

       Provide Teams With Time to Collaborate

       Ensure Campus Layout Supports Ongoing Collaboration and Shared Responsibility for Student Learning

      3 Transforming Groups Into High-Performing Teams

       Engage Teams in Identifying Collective Commitments to Guide Collaboration

       Engage Teams in Working Collaboratively to Achieve SMART Goals

       Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

      4 Focusing on the Right Work

       Creating a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

       Monitoring Student Learning Through Common Formative Assessments

       Bringing New Members Into the Professional Learning Community Culture

       Providing the Collaborative Team With a Role in the Selection Process

       Supporting New Members

      5 Demonstrating Reciprocal Accountability in a Professional Learning Community

       What Gets Monitored Gets Done

       Reciprocal Accountability

       Team Leaders

       Hope Is Not a Strategy

      6 Establishing a Focus on Results

       A Results Orientation

       Data Analysis Protocol

       A Change in Adult Practice

       Teacher Supervision and Evaluation in a Professional Learning Community

      7 Responding When Students Don’t Learn

       Effective Intervention Ensures Students Receive Additional Time and Support for Learning

       Effective Intervention Is Timely

       Effective Intervention Is Directive Rather Than Invitational

       Effective Intervention Is Specific and Precise Regarding the Needs of an Individual Student

       Effective Intervention Provides Students Access to Staff Most Effective in Providing Help

       Effective Intervention Is Fluid and Flexible

       Effective Intervention Is Systematic

       The Biggest Obstacle to Powerful Intervention and Enrichment

      8 Communicating Purpose and Priorities

       Getting Tight About the Right Things

       Communicating What Is Tight

       Being a Leader Who Is Willing to Confront

       Giving the Gift of Coherence

      9 Sustaining School Improvement

       Plan for Short-Term Wins

       Persevere

       Build the Leadership Capacity of People Throughout the School

      10 Fostering Collective Efficacy

       Collective Efficacy

       Conclusion

       References

       Index

       Reproducibles

      Visit go.solution-tree.com/plcbooks to download the following materials related to this book.

       Introduction

       Why Is Principal Leadership So Important?

       Chapter 1

       A Data Picture of Our School

       Finding Common Ground in Education Reform

       Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community

       Why Should We Describe the School or District We Are Trying to Create?

       Schaumburg School District 54 Mission and Goals

       Why Should We Articulate Collective Commitments?

       The Professional Learning Communities at Work™ Continuum: Laying the Foundation

       Where Do We Go From Here? Worksheet: Laying the Foundation of a PLC

       The Professional Learning Communities at Work™ Continuum: Responding to Conflict

       Where Do We Go From Here? Worksheet: Effective Communication (Chapter 9)

       Chapter 2

       Why Should We Use Teams as Our Basic Structure?

       Chapter 3

       Critical Issues for Team Consideration

       Why Should We Collaborate?

       Why Should We Create Norms?

       Developing Norms

       Survey on Team Norms

       The Professional Learning Communities at Work™ Continuum: Building a Collaborative Culture Through High-Performing Teams