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Educators work in collaborative teams, rather than in isolation, and take collective responsibility for student learning.

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Educators work in collaborative teams, rather than in isolation, and take collective responsibility for student learning.

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Collaborative teams implement a guaranteed and viable curriculum, unit by unit.

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Collaborative teams implement a guaranteed and viable curriculum, unit by unit.

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Collaborative teams monitor student learning through an ongoing assessment process that includes frequent, team-developed, common formative assessments.

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Collaborative teams monitor student learning through an ongoing assessment process that includes frequent, team-developed, common formative assessments.

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Educators use the results of common assessments to improve individual practice, build the team's capacity to achieve its goals, and intervene and enrich on behalf of students.

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Educators use the results of common assessments to improve individual practice, build the team's capacity to achieve its goals, and intervene and enrich on behalf of students.

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The school provides a systematic process for intervention and enrichment.

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The school provides a systematic process for intervention and enrichment.

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Developing Norms Team Activity- see pages 2 & 3

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Developing Norms Team Activity- see pages 2 & 3

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"Regular use of classroom formative assessments would raise student achievement by 0.4 to 0.7 standard deviations - enough to raise the US to the top five in international rankings (as cited in William, 2007, p. 189)

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"Regular use of classroom formative assessments would raise student achievement by 0.4 to 0.7 standard deviations - enough to raise the US to the top five in international rankings (as cited in William, 2007, p. 189)

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"The collaborative development of these assessments will deepen teachers' knowledge of the standards and targets as well as the expected proficiency levels." - Amplify Your Impact

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"The collaborative development of these assessments will deepen teachers' knowledge of the standards and targets as well as the expected proficiency levels." - Amplify Your Impact

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Dr. Richard DuFour: “A summative assessment is how students prove they have learned. A formative assessment gives a student a chance to improve upon their learning.”

A common formative assessment is when a team collectively gathers evidence of learning at crucial points in the instructional journey, so their students have a chance to improve upon their learning. Members of collaborative teams use the power of common formative assessments (CFAs) to ensure that each and every student attains the learning that is considered essential for their course or grade level.

(The Power of Common Formative

Assessments)

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Teams must use protocol to examine results.

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Teams must use protocol to examine results.

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"A protocol provides a structure to the conversation and ensures that specific questions are answered in an efficient fashion. An effective analysis of results includes identifying specific learning targets that students learned, didn’t learn, or excelled in. Teams also determine the instructional strategies that led to high levels of learning, including any significant differences in results across the team. Most importantly, members identify the students who need additional time and support, and co-plan the interventions they will provide to improve their learning." (The Power of Common Assessments)

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"They willingly adjust their instructional strategies. Inherent in the common formative assessment process is the notion that members of the team are trying to improve their collective practice so their students learn more. There’s a willingness to hold up the proverbial mirror and recognize that some methods are more effective than others. Their teaching styles may differ, but they use evidence of learning and non-learning to make better instructional decisions." (The Power of Common Assessments)

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"John Hattie (2016) defines collective efficacy as the belief that, through collective actions, educators can influence student outcomes and improve student learning as the number one factor affecting student achievement. According to Hattie, when teacher teams see the impact of their efforts on student learning, they recognize their ability to improve student learning, even in the face of significant challenges. This phenomenon has ranked as having the highest impact on student learning (1.57 effect size)."
(The Power of Common Assessments)

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"It is also important that coaches work with teams to compare data between classes to identify any strategies that are especially successful and make plans to replicate them in other classes." - Amplify Your Impact, pg. 101

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"It is also important that coaches work with teams to compare data between classes to identify any strategies that are especially successful and make plans to replicate them in other classes." - Amplify Your Impact, pg. 101

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"...focusing on assessment items is safer for teachers than reflecting on their own instructional practices. While analyzing the assessment is a necessary activity, it is crucial that teams not get stuck there. Coaches are instrumental in moving teams through this portion of the pathways tool while maintaining an emphasis on student learning and reflection on teacher practices." - Amplify Your Impact, pg. 102

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"...focusing on assessment items is safer for teachers than reflecting on their own instructional practices. While analyzing the assessment is a necessary activity, it is crucial that teams not get stuck there. Coaches are instrumental in moving teams through this portion of the pathways tool while maintaining an emphasis on student learning and reflection on teacher practices." - Amplify Your Impact, pg. 102

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Development of Common Assessments Continuum p.6&7

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Development of Common Assessments Continuum p.6&7

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MTSS Embedded with PLC Critical Question #3

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MTSS Embedded with PLC Critical Question #3

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Anchor Statement #5 for Padlet Additional Resources

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Collaborative learning has been shown to not only develop higher-level thinking skills in students, but boost their confidence and self-esteem as well.

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When thinking of a traditional classroom, you probably envision one teacher working alone with a group of students. While educators often work alone in the classroom, they do not - and should not - operate independently. Throughout my career, I've always found that the best way to improve an educational experience is to work together.

Here are some of the advantages of a collaborative educational environment - not only for your students, but for yourself:

Collaboration Helps Brainstorm Creative Ideas

It may seem like a no brainer, but a true brainstorm is not possible without collaboration. Collaboration provides a safety net; it helps you catapult your thinking and develop ideas that may seem crazy at first.

Working with a small group of trusted teachers gave me the opportunity to turn what I thought was a silly idea at the time into a unique and creative lesson plan. When it was time for my class to study Elizabethan England, I had the idea to have my students rewrite Shakespeare into different time periods that we had already studied. I was hesitant to bring this idea to a large group - it seemed so out there! But after developing the idea with my peers, I had a new and creative lesson plan that my students would love. Peer-to-peer collaboration can turn a small idea into the seeds for something fabulous.

Professional Collaboration Teaches You About Yourself

The process of becoming a National Board certified teacher was the most important of my career. The experience -particularly working with other professionals - made me turn inside-out and think about things from a new perspective. Learning and working with others made me dig deeper and explore who I was as a learner and a teacher. Equally important, it made me explore who my kids could be as learners.

In our educational culture today, it's extremely important to join professional learning communities and pursue professional learning opportunities to ensure ongoing growth for our students and for ourselves.

Learning Collaboratively Helps Students

The collaboration shouldn't end among the teachers - it should be used during the school day among students, as well! Plan activities that give students the opportunity to work and collaborate together to learn and grow from each other.

Collaborative learning has been shown to not only develop higher-level thinking skills in students, but boost their confidence and self-esteem as well. Group projects can maximize educational experience by demonstrating the material, while improving social and interpersonal skills. Students learn how to work with various types of learners and develop their leadership skills.

When we work together, we create a better learning experience. Teacher collaboration positively impacts student achievement, and allows us as educators to explore new territory.

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When thinking of a traditional classroom, you probably envision one teacher working alone with a group of students. While educators often work alone in the classroom, they do not - and should not - operate independently. Throughout my career, I've always found that the best way to improve an educational experience is to work together.

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"Every high-performing team goes through cycles of growth and development. Educators’ time for collaboration is often stuck after a full day of teaching or crammed into minutes between periods. These helpful strategies will help you reset your collaboration time."

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Collaborative team structures- example video

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Collaborative team structures- example video

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Where to start: Creating a Culture of Collaboration & Support

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Where to start: Creating a Culture of Collaboration & Support

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/collaboration-and-collective-inquiry-plc

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Proficiency: Teacher teams prioritize and unwrap standards, identify learning targets, and follow pacing guides created by the district or the publisher.

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Proficiency: Teacher teams prioritize and unwrap standards, identify learning targets, and follow pacing guides created by the district or the publisher.

# data[].attributes.headline
 guaranteed and viable curriculum is the variable most strongly related to student achievement at the school level. That is, one of the most powerful things a school can do to help enhance student achievement is to guarantee that specific content is taught in specific courses and grade levels (Marzano). Guntersville Middle School is dedicated to the PLC Process in which teachers collaborate in departments to determine the essential standards and together through classroom tasks, collaborative formative assessments, and response-to-intervention deliver a guaranteed and viable curriculum for the essential standards listed in the documents for each content area and grade level.  The guaranteed and viable curriculum are the absolute essential knowledge and skills ALL students must acquire in the course or grade level. Our teams will teach all of the standards in their curricular area but will focus their common formative assessment, intervention, and extension efforts on those skills that are so essential that every student must know.

# data[].attributes.subject
 guaranteed and viable curriculum is the variable most strongly related to student achievement at the school level. That is, one of the most powerful things a school can do to help enhance student achievement is to guarantee that specific content is taught in specific courses and grade levels (Marzano). Guntersville Middle School is dedicated to the PLC Process in which teachers collaborate in departments to determine the essential standards and together through classroom tasks, collaborative formative assessments, and response-to-intervention deliver a guaranteed and viable curriculum for the essential standards listed in the documents for each content area and grade level.  The guaranteed and viable curriculum are the absolute essential knowledge and skills ALL students must acquire in the course or grade level. Our teams will teach all of the standards in their curricular area but will focus their common formative assessment, intervention, and extension efforts on those skills that are so essential that every student must know.

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Marzano -  Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

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A guaranteed and viable curriculum is the variable most strongly related to student achievement at the school level. That is, one of the most powerful things a school can do to help enhance student achievement is to guarantee that specific content is taught in specific courses and grade levels (Marzano). Guntersville Middle School is dedicated to the PLC Process in which teachers collaborate in departments to determine the essential standards and together through classroom tasks, collaborative formative assessments, and response-to-intervention deliver a guaranteed and viable curriculum for the essential standards listed in the documents for each content area and grade level.

The guaranteed and viable curriculum are the absolute essential knowledge and skills ALL students must acquire in the course or grade level. Our teams will teach all of the standards in their curricular area but will focus their common formative assessment, intervention, and extension efforts on those skills that are so essential that every student must know.

How will we determine what is essential?

Teacher teams will utilize the state standards, testing blueprints, and their own professional judgements to come to consensus on the guaranteed and viable curriculum in the course/grade level. Teams will consider the following while engaging in this work:

Endurance - Does the GVC standard provide students with knowledge/skills beyond the unit of study?

Readiness - Does the GVC standard provide students with knowledge/skills needed in the next course/grade level?

Leverage - Does the GVC standard provide students with knowledge/skills that will assist them in other disciplines?

Adapted from the work of Larry Ainsworth, "Unwrapping the standards: A simple process for making the standards manageable. Englewood, CO: Lead and Learn Process. 2013

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Curriculum / What is a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum?

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A guaranteed and viable curriculum is the variable most strongly related to student achievement at the school level. That is, one of the most powerful things a school can do to help enhance student achievement is to guarantee that specific content is taught in specific courses and grade levels (Marzano).

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Go back

With this practical guide, K-12 educators will target specific needs with an immediate course of action within a professional learning community.
Benefits

Learn how to drive increased academic achievement for all students.

Consider anecdotes from the authors' experiences working with schools that illustrate best practices in action.

Contemplate your school's reality, and determine what actions you can take to improve student achievement.

Plan for structural changes that will produce the school culture your school seeks.

Use helpful protocols, rubrics, and action and assessment plans found throughout the book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Charting a Course Focused on Learning
Chapter 2: Transforming Culture and Structures
Chapter 3: Focusing on 21st Century Learners
Chapter 4: Establishing a Common Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
Chapter 5: Creating and Using Common Assessments
Chapter 6: Planning Meaningful and Effective Instruction
Chapter 7: Embracing Accountability
Epilogue: School Improvement for All-Start Now!

STUDY GUIDE

Develop a clear path toward your goals by using the free study guide.

REPRODUCIBLES

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Epilogue

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Books

Buffum, A., Mattos, M., & Weber, C. (2012). Simplifying Response to Intervention: Four Essential Guiding Principles. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Depka, E. (2017). Raising the Rigor: Effective Questioning Strategies and Techniques for the Classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Toncheff, M., & Kanold, T. D. (2015). Beyond the Common Core: A Handbook for Mathematics in a PLC at Work, High School. T. D. Kanold (Ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Websites

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One of the leading K-12 education companies, Solution Tree offers professional development, online courses, and education books for teachers. Solution Tree works to raise student achievement and performance by providing customizable tools and strategies that empower educators and further teacher education.

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"To make assessment items effective, teachers must predict student misconceptions and the mistakes those misconceptions cause."

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"To make assessment items effective, teachers must predict student misconceptions and the mistakes those misconceptions cause."