RSA 2- Using PLCs for RtI

While learning more about professional learning communities and a successful model for PLCs, I began researching how Response to Intervention (RtI) planning is best promoted using a professional learning community model.  When used together, it’s a natural process.  Not only is this better for teachers, but it gives maximum results to our students.   Students’ data is reviewed and best practices for interventions are collaborated upon with staff in an organized and effective structure, not as two separate meetings.  However, one meeting per year is not going to accomplish this.  This process is ongoing and tweaked for each student’s need throughout the school year. These communities differ as the workload differs. “The work of professional learning communities is as varied as its membership”(Martin-Kniep 77).  In my school, we have success with two layers of meetings.  One within our smaller team, and one that meets at a building level with our grade level representative, the interventionists and administration team.       

Mattos and Buffum, authors of the Pyramid Response to Intervention, are interviewed about how PLCs should be used in conjunction with intervention problem solving.  One concern Mattos states is how he fears schools will toss out their working PLCs and switch their attention to RtI problem solving models.  They don’t have to since they should “be embraced and validated with what you’re already doing.” It’s a perfect melding” and “the book would be a way to show people it’s the same work, not two different things.” Mattos states.

In addition a key focus is on the response piece. Buffum asks  “When kids aren’t learning, how do we respond?”  In our school, teachers use interventions for kid’s needs and provide data from those interventions. He agrees “We use that data to make decisions to help [kids] learn.  We don’t give up on kids.” The work we do to help kids succeed is what good teachers have done in the past and are doing presently.  The only difference is schools have to prove it and collaborate to achieve it.

Here is a helpful list of alignment questions to help organize and rate your needs for your professional learning community. (Martin-Kniep 83) Respond to 1 or all and comment.

Alignment of Organizational Work and Needs

1.       What do you we want our organization to be like or have achieved ten years from now? Five years from now?

2.       What is my place in this system, and how do I related to and function with others in and outside of this organization?

3.       How does my perspective and that of others influence how I view and what I can do in this organization?

4.       What are my organizational qualities, needs, and problems?

5.       How can I best influence and support my organization?

References

Martin-Kniep, G. (2008). Communities that learn, lead, and last: Building and sustaining educational expertise (pp. 77-109). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Solution Tree (2008, October 8) Solution Tree: Interview With Mike Mattos and Austin Buffum [video] You Tube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2clk3JT1Cg

RSA #1 Professional Learning Communities: What Are They And Why Are They Important?: Introduction

Online Source: Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

Professional Learning Communities  (PLCs) are evolving to enhance collaboration and problem solving within schools.    Martin-Kniep creates a breakdown of each person's role in the learning community as "participants".  These participants are one of five roles: learner, reflective practitioner, researcher, designer-author, and presenter-facilitator that encompass all staff titles and community members.  Isn’t a quality teacher, already a combination of these 5 roles?  Now schools have to prove that they have these quality teachers or interventions in place for the best results and practices.  A student’s learning is not resting on one person’s shoulder; it’s resting on the whole school districts. School district’s need a plan to follow and by creating professional learning communities the school, staff, and students will all benefit. 

Author Shirley M. Hold’s  research about PLCs was found through The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).  Her stance, still  the ideal over 10 years later, argues the need to change to current teaching practices.  In her research, direct teaching in isolation of subjects is not the best way for students to learn.  They compared teachers around the globe and found in the countries where “teachers teach fewer classes and use a greater portion of their time to plan, confer with colleagues, work with students individually, visit other classrooms, and engage in other professional development activities” the students’ outcomes increased ( Hord 1997),.   These communities have to evolve over time as society and educational practices change. We have started to progress with learning based centers K-8, and collaboration among staff during weekly and monthly meetings and institutes.  To further evolve, why not create professional learning communities using technology?  Instead of a typical meeting in a principal’s office, lounge, or classroom, PLC’s can use online technologies to share and collaborate ideas even when teachers don’t have common plan time. 

Besides both being a great resource for facilitating and creating a lasting Professional Learning Community, they have different focuses in mind.  One of the main differences is that assessment and feedback are given greater depth in Martin-Kniep.  Constructive criticism is an important factor for creating a PLC that works.  SEDLs focus is on structure and teaching practices should evolve with the learning community.  If the professional learning community uses feedback to develop their best practices, it would be a perfect, all encompassing, PLC. 

References

Hord,  Shirley M. (1997) Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?: Issues About Change, Volume 6, Number 1 Retrieved from: http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/cha35.html

Martin-Kniep, Giselle O. (2008). Communities that learn, lead, and last. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

The Southwest Educational Developmental Laboratory (2011) SEDL:Advancing Research Improving Education;  Retrieved from: http://www.sedl.org/