Building a Culture of Learning in TCS

Teachers may or may not know that throughout the year, all administrators in our district are invited to participate in the TCS Administrators' Collaborative.  The group typically meets at HTHS from 8:30 until about 11:00 four or five times throughout the year.  This is the second year the group has been meeting.  The goal of the collaborative is to learn with and from one another.

Objectives of the Collaborative Meetings for 15-16:

• Read and discuss Cultures Built to Last, Systemic PLCs at Work
• Create a collaborative culture in schools with a focus on learning
• Understand why systemwide reform is most effective
• Review and revise district Strategic Plan and Professional Development Plan
• Share ways we are facilitating professional growth
• Develop procedures and a protocol for walkthroughs
• Share walkthrough updates and data from each school
• Determine next steps

On December 2, using the Michael Fullan and Richard DuFour book, Cultures Built to Last, Systemic PLCs at Work, the group did a "deep dive" into Professional Learning Communities, discussing why PLCs are the best hope for sustained and substantive school improvement.  The administrators examined the six characteristics of high-performing PLCs as described by Rick DuFour and his colleagues:

1. Shared mission, vision, values, and goals which are all focused on student learning.

2. A collaborative culture with a focus on learning

3. Collaborative inquiry into best practice and current reality

4. Action orientation or "learning by doing"

5. A commitment to continuous improvement

6. A results orientation

As a culminating activity, the participants wrote 10 to 15 word gists to summarize Professional Learning Communities:

• A community of learners who value collaboration, results, shared values, all with the purpose of improving student learning
• A PLC is a team with a growth mindset and shared purpose and vision focused on learning.
• Participatory, learning focused, ongoing, growth mindset, collegiality, communicative
• A community of learners committed to continuous growth for students and self
• Collaborative efforts to inspire student achievement through data and discourse
• Learning together to improve student achievement
• Collaborative, shared mindset, continuous improvement, process (not a program)
• Collective group of learners working on common goals
• People, practices, processes, student learning, reflection
• Working together in all capacities to continuously improve student and teacher learning
• Together resolute improvement
• Organization that focuses on teacher and student learning
• Collaborative learning, culture focused on student achievement and growth, shared vision, continuous
• Collaborative culture of shared learning, mission, vision with commitment to continuous learning
• Everyone learning together intentionally

The TCS Administrative Collaborative will meet again January 27.