PLC - Progress over Perfection by Laurie Ferry

Before

2025-02-12 20:17:19 UTC

Our PLC group did not teach the same material for ELA. Often times we would not be on the same standard for Tier 1 instruction and would only be on the same standard for Tier 2 instruction.

Before

2025-02-12 20:19:12 UTC

My PLC had different goals at different times in the year.

Before

2025-02-12 20:19:12 UTC

My PLC would be teaching different standards at different times.

Now

2025-02-12 20:19:58 UTC

My PLC is teaching the standards at the same time according to the pacing guides.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:20:11 UTC

Before we adopted Amplify my PLC would often teach different material and standards at different times.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:20:32 UTC

My PLC was comprised of grades 4-6 and we would look at data on a common standard that majority were struggling with, and we would break the standard down and then split the kids amongst the teachers to teach a different part of the standard.

Before

2025-02-12 20:20:43 UTC

Before we began working together in our PLC, we were overwhelmed with making/changing assessments, practice tests, and R & R Tests.

Before

2025-02-12 20:20:53 UTC

My PLC used different common assessments in our classrooms.

Now

2025-02-12 20:21:09 UTC

We have a clear direction in our meetings on what we intend to accomplish and we gain clear understanding more quickly.

NOW

2025-02-12 20:21:10 UTC

My PLC is more in sync after adopting a curriculum and able to compare more timely data to support Tier 2 instruction.

Before

2025-02-12 20:21:20 UTC

My PLC taught the standards when it was convenient in each classroom/ buildings schedule. No 2 classrooms were on the same skill at the same time.

Now

2025-02-12 20:21:36 UTC

We have consistent pacing, consistent goals, and seem to be on the same page district-wide.

Now

2025-02-12 20:21:48 UTC

We are all using the same common assessments in math and reading.

Before

2025-02-12 20:22:05 UTC

We were too far out of sync as a district level team to compare data cohesively.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:22:28 UTC

My PLC would often have different unit common assessments so we were not able to compare data accurately.

NOW

2025-02-12 20:23:17 UTC

My PLC is able to compare many different common assessments such as unit assessments, iLearn checkpoint assessments, etc.

Before

2025-02-12 20:23:26 UTC

My PLC was using iReady reading and math summative Reveal assessments to assess who was struggling and who was not.

Now

2025-02-12 20:23:27 UTC

We have laid foundations and clear plans to remain reasonably in sync so that the data we bring and discuss is comparative and drives our next steps.

Now

2025-02-12 20:23:32 UTC

Now, years later, we can see the fruits of our labor and how much better these changes have been for our students and for us!

Before

2025-02-12 20:23:50 UTC

My PLC had different common assessments with different goals. For example, we would not make sure our assessments covered the same things.

Now

2025-02-12 20:25:42 UTC

We do common assessments at the same time with the same goals.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:26:14 UTC

My PLC was not efficiently using the the time to plan for those tier 2 students (bubble kids).

Before

2025-02-12 20:26:42 UTC

Each teacher used their own assessment, both CFA and summatives.

Before

2025-02-12 20:26:49 UTC

We were not specific enough when describing activities for RTI

NOW

2025-02-12 20:27:25 UTC

My PLC is planning Tier 2 material and groups together and we are even sharing kids for small groups during our intervention time based on the data reviewed in our PLC.

Now

2025-02-12 20:27:31 UTC

We create data sheets with RTI activities and plans that target the standards for which we need to intervene.

After

2025-02-12 20:28:22 UTC

Assessments are the same across the district. Our PLC debates the pros/ cons of each question and have created rubrics for scoring.

Before

2025-02-12 20:28:43 UTC

Our group rarely made it to this important group of students, focusing so much time on those who needed Tier 2 & 3 instruction.

Now

2025-02-12 20:28:46 UTC

We create retests so that students can relearn information and can go back and retest in an effort to not only better the grade, but to actually learn the material.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:29:31 UTC

Our pacing guides were outdated because standards were updated in 2023.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:29:32 UTC

My PLC was not efficiently planning for students who were successful or HA. We often focused more on the students who needed extra support instead or how we could improve Tier 1 instruction.

Before

2025-02-12 20:29:36 UTC

Supporting struggling students is a staple of primary grades. We are fantastic at making sure students are continuing to grow.

Now

2025-02-12 20:29:48 UTC

We do not allow this group of students to be overlooked and work specifically to include detailed plans for either enrichment or their next level of challenge/skill.

After

2025-02-12 20:30:30 UTC

My PLC has done a great job of sharing ideas to use with students who are struggling. Many more options to allow for greater student success.

NOW

2025-02-12 20:31:23 UTC

My PLC is able to come up with extension and enrichment work for students who were successful or HA. With the help of Casey Ginn for material and ideas along with group discussion we are able to push our students who need a challenge.

After

2025-02-12 20:32:07 UTC

We are so organized in our folders with practice tests, tests, and retests. We can easily access the tests and adapt them from year to year and easily make changes.

Now

2025-02-12 20:32:36 UTC

We look carefully at the common assessment beginning with the standards covered and the way in which they are presented to address any clarity needs to ensure we are on the SAME PAGE.

Before

2025-02-12 20:32:58 UTC

At times, I did not have true data to support who I was working with. And my data definitely didn't align with other teachers in my PLC.

Before

2025-02-12 20:32:59 UTC

Our PLC was great at naming and aiming a common assessment, but not enough consideration was given to specific needs of students and what detailed skills we wanted to examine with the assessment itself.

Now

2025-02-12 20:33:36 UTC

We plan out times and strategies to help these students. We even share kids with other teachers within our PLC groups.

Before

2025-02-12 20:34:31 UTC

This was never really a topic of discussion.

Before

2025-02-12 20:34:42 UTC

We focused more on the kids who were struggling and not the kids who needed enrichment.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:36:23 UTC

Previously, any differentiation or scaffolding was fully dependent on the "who" was supporting the students.

Now

2025-02-12 20:37:12 UTC

We work together to discuss how we can reach each student and the specific needs, even if it is enrichment.

BEFORE

2025-02-12 20:42:31 UTC

For enrichment activities, we had to find and tweak existing (sometimes outdated) materials, or create something from scratch, so if there were conflicting priorities, we may not have had time during PLCs to work on creating relevant materials.

NOW

2025-02-12 20:48:54 UTC

With the new curriculum, we have built-in STEM or cross-curricular activities that we can use, so that alleviates the need to fully create something to use. It frees us up to discuss what we use, why we chose it over another activity option, and to consider how we might alter it for our purposes. There are also online "PocketLab" modules that I have assigned before.