PLC Story

 

At Timber Creek, we have reflected on the growth and development of the PLC process following a gradual release model. Our journey began in August of 2015 with intentional teaching and learning about the PLC process with our staff, then shifted to direct implementation, to collaborative ownership, thus resulting in a campus culture that epitomizes the goals and tenets of the Professional Learning Community. In our first year, the administration team established a dedicated and protected collaborative time for grade level and vertical teams to meet weekly during the first hour of the school day.  During collaborative work, campus leaders provided support for establishment of norms, collective commitments, shared beliefs, the development of the campus vision and mission, and a structure to support backwards design planning. In addition, the administration team insured a dedicated intervention and enrichment period that was created as a component of the master schedule for K-5. Leaders from across the district were invited to attend our collaboratives as they considered emulating the model at their own campus.  

 

The following year, campus administration established a Guiding Coalition to refine and support grade level and vertical teams using “Learning By Doing, a handbook for professional learning communities at work. In order to empower leaders in the Coalition to have the confidence to lead change, we engaged in a book study “The Innovator's Mindset” by George Couros. In this book, the author encourages teachers to be innovative educators in order for students to become innovative learners, understanding that innovation is a mindset and not a skill. This shift in mindset enabled the creation of our campus mission statement, “Challenging all learners to achieve; growing hearts and minds” and the development of a campus common and formative assessment calendar.

 

During the summer of 2017, campus leadership evaluated the progress of the PLC process within grade level teams.  As a result, teaching assignments were changed to increase productivity of the collaborative effort. Validation for these changes was determined through a book study of “Making Teamwork Meaningful” and specifically relating to chapter 1, “Getting the right people in the right places” and chapter 5, “Improving Collaborative Capacity.”  To support the development of the collaborative process with new grade level teams, the Guiding Coalition participated in the “Gallup Strengths Finder Survey,” wherein leaders learned their own strengths and how to maximize the strengths of their team members.

 

Over the next two years, the PLC process has become infused into daily practice and intentionally focused conversations occur naturally during team collaboration time. As a high performing school, who has sustained a straight A accountability rating, it has become challenging to identify growth goals at the campus level. To stay true to the core beliefs of the PLC process and our Timber Creek mission statement, we have refined our goals to promote all student learning at high levels, through both intervention and enrichment.  New campus vision and goals were established focusing on “100/80/60” meaning the expectation would be 100% of all learners would attain grade level passing “Approaches” standard, 80% would attain the “Meets” passing standard, and 60% would achieve “Masters” level performance. The first action steps to meet those goals was the establishment of flexible grouping of students during intervention and enrichment time to provide prescribed instruction based on individual student ability and need. Collaborative teams consistently reflected on campus, team, and student goal achievements to create sustainability of academic performance (evidence provided in Achievement Data files and Resource files).

 

In the spring of 2020, remote learning presented new challenges for our campus. As a result of the culture and practices already established within collaborative times, teams were able to overcome those limitations. Teams maintained their protective collaborative planning time to identify essential learning targets, establish expectations for masters performance, anticipate potential misconceptions for student learning, and provide opportunities for intervention and enrichment. In addition to planning, collaborative teams met to create common formative assessments and evaluated student performance. 

 

With the challenges of COVID, in the Fall of 2020, we adjusted our goal to focus on individual student growth that ensures high expectations for all student achievement, resulting in 100% of all learners making at least one year's growth. In addition to our academic goal this year, we have established a goal to support social emotional learning.  Ensuring that 100% of all learners will have a connection to an adult on campus. These goals support Timber Creek’s continued core values “Challenging all learners to achieve; growing hearts and minds.”

 

2022/2023

 

Over time, many changes can impact the educational pathways that our staff and students experience. In the course of a short time, Timber Creek has seen significant changes over the past two school years due to student growth and changes in our demographic makeup. As a result of student growth, we have had a staff increase of 11 new staff in 2021-22 and 21 new staff in 2022-2023. Due to rezoning of neighborhood schools, we had an increase of approximately 200 students new to TCES. This alone added an average of one to two teachers per grade level. As a result this increase has the building capacity at 102%. TCES will receive additional building square footage to support student growth. Our campus experienced a 60% increase in our Gifted and Talented students in one year. In addition to the GT growth, we’ve seen a 35% increase in Emergent Bilingual(ESL) students. Along with the increase in GT and EB populations, the student behavior program, Positive Approach to Student Success (PASS), was relocated to TCES which resulted in doubling the number of students participating in this program from EOY 21-22 (6) to MOY 22-23 (14) due to Decker Elementary discontinuing their PASS program and being rezoned to Timber Creek.

 

Timber Creek received PLC Model School status in May 2021. With the changes our campus is experiencing, it is critical to our team that we maintain the purity of our PLC process. 

 

Timber Creek’s most impactful change was the addition of our new principal, Tara Bailey. Being a seasoned principal, she has brought fresh ideas and new perspectives to the campus.  We’ve seen a change in our PLC approach. Instead of using conference time to meet with teams, we’ve added a specific weekly PLC hour. During this time, teams focus on essential learning standards to create learning progressions to support high priority learning standards for RLA, math, and science. We created a vertical alignment across grade levels to support Kinder- 5th grade essential learning standards. Mrs. Bailey truly believes in the power of the collaborative PLC process and she wanted to have a “PLC reboot” due to the increase in new staff and their level of knowledge and experience with the PLC process.

 

 

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Collaborative teams are the heart of the PLC process. Timber Creek is a learning community made up of many smaller, high-functioning and interdependent teams. Grade level and content-area teams work together to contribute to the whole. Grade level teams establish norms and protocols specific to each team’s needs at the beginning of the year. These teams incorporate the elements of learning design, essential for student mastery, through collaborative processes. 

 

Monitoring student learning in a timely manner happens at Timber Creek because our master schedule is designed with the PLC process as a top priority. It includes dedicated time for collaborative meetings of all grade levels during the first hour of the day with an assigned day for each team. Specialists in GT, ESL, reading, math and dyslexia are available to participate in collaborative teams by helping them analyze data and supporting ideas for remediation/enrichment. Other members of the leadership team, including the principal, assistant principal and counselor are available as well during these meetings.Collaborative conversations ultimately drive instructional practice leading to student growth. With the support of all of these staff members, the process of answering all four PLC questions are addressed. 

 

• What is it we want our students to learn?

• How will we know if each student has learned it?

• How will we respond when some students do not learn it?

• How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency? 

 

Also a part of the PLC process is the collection and analysis of data regarding student learning. At Timber Creek, this collection of data takes many forms. Academic data is collected using a variety of sources including Texas KEA, Star Renaissance Reading and Math, Fountas and Pinnell Reading Levels, common formative assessments, summative assessments, and Interim Assessments from TEA. These many pieces of data enable our staff to prioritize and to develop a targeted focus for each student’s learning needs. Individual student data is analyzed,  discussed and addressed during both our weekly meetings and during district mastery planning days. Mastery planning days always begin using backward design, making certain that everyone is clear on expectations and what constitutes student demonstration of mastery. Teams continue the PLC process throughout the week during their planning time, because the process has now become a professional community. 

 

At Timber Creek, we have a process through which we constantly monitor and adjust our responses to these needs. As student learning needs are determined,targeted action plans are established for students needing help. Each grading period, teams participate in scheduled “Kid Talks’  with our leadership team to collaboratively discuss  student performance. When a student is identified as needing Tier 2 or 3 services, further discussion continues at a SIT meeting which also involves the parents. 

 

At Timber Creek, we understand how social-emotional factors impact academic progress, so we are mindful of monitoring SEL learning as well. SEL is addressed through programs and practices such as Great Expectations, morning meetings, restorative circles and a student/staff mentor program. To give students the opportunity to explore personal interests and connect to others who share a similar interest, Timber Creek created Cougar College, based upon the philosophy of Genius Hour. All students, K-5, choose a Cougar College “course” to take once a week; their choices range from crafts to dancing to cooking. 

 

2022/2023

At the heart of the professional learning communities, our campus has aligned together essential TEKS for ELA, Math, and Science. Each grade level chose what they believed to be their essential standards. Then the campus met together to look for gaps across the grade levels. District support staff came to contribute to the alignment process. Once the campus had aligned the essential standards for Math, Reading, Writing and Science, each grade level began deconstructing their essential standards using a learning design template. Teachers discuss how to adapt to each student’s performance. This directly answers the 4 PLC questions. As a grade level, the teachers map out what is expected next for students that are not meeting, meeting, and exceeding expectations for each essential TEKS. Our campus growth led to the PLC collaborative process being revisited to ensure collective commitment and student success.

2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

Our school day includes two intervention periods throughout the day. During these intervention times, no new instruction occurs, ensuring that no student misses core instruction. During intervention times flexible grouping takes place as well as tier 3 interventions, GT, ESL, speech, dyslexia, Texas House Bill 4545, specialized support and enrichment. 

 

At Timber Creek, we have developed the mindset that all students are “ours.” This has led to a very effective system of flexible grouping within grade levels, a shared commitment that is the framework of our student success. Teachers within the grade level lead the flex groups based upon their teaching strengths. All instructional staff members participate in these flex groups from teachers to instructional paraprofessionals. Flex grouping is truly a campus-wide effort. Students are able to flex through different groups based on their level of mastery of specific essential TEKS identified during PLC. Brief informal assessments are given throughout the intervention time to determine progress. Groups change frequently based upon mastery. This system has been effective in accelerating student progress. 

 

At the beginning of every school year, we sit down as a campus and discuss our new goals for the year. We look at the previous years’ data and we make a collective commitment to achieve the attainable goal by the end of the school year. To monitor our student learning in a timely manner we use programs such as Texas Kea and Star Renaissance to help set goals and track progress for our students. As a campus, we use Texas Kea and Star Renaissance to show at least one year's worth of student individual growth. Students are assessed three times per year: beginning, middle, and end. 

 

At Timber Creek, we strive to focus on the whole child. When students are struggling academically, we try to figure out the reason behind the struggle. We will work with the student on a specific behavioral goal if needed to help them become more successful in the classroom. We also have a PASS program which helps students who need more support with behavior. The PASS teachers assist the students within the classroom setting, working with the classroom teacher as a team. 

 

Our Special Education Program is another way we provide interventions to our students. Students are given appropriate goals to strive toward to help close the learning gaps. The classroom teacher, special education teacher, and student work collaboratively toward these goals. 

 

2022/2023

In addition, our GT program includes high-interest advanced content, creative and critical thinking skills, research and technology skills, and the opportunity to pursue topics of individual interest. Each year's curriculum units are connected by a broad-based theme as well as grade level scope and sequence. GT students are pulled out 3-4 times a week during their intervention time to provide enrichment and extension.  The GT student population has increased by 60%.  To support this growth, teachers focus on question 4 on enriching and extending students' learning during their PLC.

 

Our Emergent Bilingual (ESL) population has greatly increased over the past 2 years. Additional training from the district and our EB specialist have been made available to support our EB learners with best practices. In addition, our ESL specialist has developed a “Rise and Shine” Telpas Prep Tutoring before school to ensure students are prepared for the Speaking part of Telpas. Our goal is to increase our speaking domain by one level.The average length of time most students spoke last year was 10-20 seconds. Our goal this year is to prepare students to speak for 60 seconds. 

 

Regarding our 3rd-5th grade students, we currently provide targeted tutoring instruction based on progress measures for students to demonstrate growth within the levels of mastery on the state assessment.

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

Teachers set SMART goals every year with their appraiser. Members of the leadership team are encouraged to have a leadership goal to grow as a leader and to support our collaborative teams. Goals are chosen by the teacher in areas in which they want to improve. Teachers meet mid-year with their appraiser to address the goals and share documentation for the goals. Teachers who continue to grow can better support their students. 

Teachers also set personal SMART goals for the year through TTESS.Goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time based, and support the campus goal. Another important part of the goal setting process is celebrating the good. We are able to do this during our staff meetings where we share good things and during kid talks when we are specific with our data. 

 

Our special teachers (Art, Music and Physical Education) are a collaborative team within our campus and with other educators in our district. Specials teachers are an integral part of our staff and collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate core content. For example, in PE students use counting, directional, and mathematical operations as they exercise. Once again, our mission is to build the whole child and we believe music, art, and physical education is part of growing the whole child. 

 

Vertical team meetings play an important role in building teacher capacity. Each year, specialists have led all content teachers in learning how curriculum expectations develop from one grade level to the next. Teachers have focused on the language of the student expectations, noting how the rigor increases vertically. They also studied how expectations were assessed. This process has helped teachers develop a better understanding of how to refine teaching practices to better prepare students for the next grade level. In addition, vertical teams work together to plan and lead content curriculum nights. Vertical teaming allows teachers to understand where their students are coming from as well as the expectations for the next year. 

 

Timber Creek has sent teams to attend PLC conferences since 2018. Teams were made up of staff representing different roles--usually an administrator, instructional specialists, team leaders and classroom teachers. These groups return to our campus to share the PLC philosophy and practices with the rest of the staff. The sharing of this informative experience placed a valued emphasis on always learning and growing as educators.

 

2022/2023

In the 2020-2021 school year our K-3 classroom teachers and specialists began the Reading Academy journey. This in-depth training on the Science of Reading has helped our primary teachers recognize the importance of phonics instruction and phonological awareness to help grow students as readers. In turn, this helped us identify the essential standards and improve our overall reading instruction.

 

In anticipation of upcoming state assessment design changes and rigor increase, teams have examined data through a different lens. Teachers have worked collaboratively to incorporate different question types and responses to increase student preparedness and success.

 

Achievement Data Files

• achievement-data-files.pdf
• 3-5-school-student-achievement-data.xlsx
• k-2-school-student-achievement-data.xlsx

Additional Achievement Data

Timber Creek has always been a high achieving campus. When our new principal was chosen to lead the campus in 2015, she placed a new emphasis on PLC practices and processes. Our PLC journey has ensured that we maintain this high standard (100/80/60, as described in the PLC Story) meaning the expectation would be 100% of all learners would obtain grade level passing standards, 80% would exceed passing standards, and 60% would achieve masters level performance, while increasing the percentage of our students who exceed grade level expectations on state assessments. We have taken great pride in maintaining high expectations and not settling with our past accomplishments.

2022/2023

As we have grown students, teachers, and a new principal this year, our emphasis was on rebooting our PLC frame of mind and focus. Our teams are learning that the professional learning community is the collaboration that exist among their teams and not a meeting they attend. Our teams our focusing on highlighting essential standards for Reading, Math, and Science to ensure we maintain student growth and success. We re-evaluated our goals to determine how we can be considered for TEA Distinctions. Within our comparison groups, we are aiming for 100/85/60. The increase to 85% Meets Standard will allow us to be considered for the TEA Distinctions this upcoming school year. We continue to make our achievement strategies and expectations an ongoing evaluative process to ensure our professional learning communities exceed previous year's success.

SCHOOL DESIGNATIONS

2019-2020 #16 Best Elementary School in Harris County

2020-2021 # 4 Best Elementary School in Harris County

2021-2022  #6 Best Public Elementary School in Harris County

 2021-2022 #13 Best Public Elementary School in the Houston Area

 2021-2022 #19 Best Public Elementary School Teachers in Harris County

STAFF RECOGNITION

2017-2018 - Title 3 Symposium Conference Presenter - ESL Specialist, Jackie MacPhee, was invited to present during this state conference.

 2017-2018 - Title 3 Symposium Conference Presenter - 5th Grade Teacher, Brenda Abrams, was invited to present during this state conference.

 2018-2019 - Tomball Education Foundation Grant awarded to the First Grade Team allowing them to incorporate Osmos into their instructional settings

 2018-2019 - Tomball ISD Elementary Principal of the Year, Lauren Thompson

2018-2019 - Tomball ISD Paraprofessional of the Year, Karen Smith

2018-2019 - Superintendent’s Shining Star awarded to 2nd grade teacher Bethany McDowell (for her work with Project Based Learning)

 2018-2019 - Superintendent’s Shining Star awarded - Kindergarten teacher, Emily Zaleski (for her ability to support the Social-Emotional needs of her learners)

 2019-2020 - Great Day Houston - Ashley Homestore Red Apple Award recipient - 5th grade teacher, Charles Barnhouse

2019-2020 - HEB Excellence in Education Texas Semi-Finalist, 5th grade teacher, Charles Barnhouse

 2019-2020 - Tomball Chamber of Commerce - Excellence in Education - awarded to 5th grade teacher, Brenda Abrams

 2019-2020 - Nominee as a Great Expectations Trainer - Michele McCann, 5th grade teacher

 2020-2021 - Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching - Texas Finalist Kindergarten teacher, Desirae Harcrow.  Mrs. Harcrow is one of three math finalists in Texas for their national recognition.

 2020-2021 - 5th grade teacher, Shannon Clepper chosen to lead an innovative PBL recycling project for Tomball ISD

 2020-2021 - ConnectED Postcast Guest Speaker - Gabby Avellaneda, 5th Grade Virtual Teacher

2021-2022- A+ Teacher of the Year Meenah Thomas

2021-2022- A+ Teacher of the Year Kristi Budd

2021-2022- A+ Paraprofessional of the Year Erolene Reyes

2022-2023 A+ Teacher of the Year Holly Smith

2022-2023 A+ Teacher of the Year Wade Hare

2022-2023 A+ Paraprofessional of the Year Ryan Jozwiak

2022-2023 English as a Second Language Teacher of the Year Cyleen Davis

2022-2023 "Whatever It Takes for Students" TISD RockStar Recogntion: Whitney Hoffer, Assistant Principal, and Deborah Russell, Librarian

2022-2023- Bethany McDowell, 3rd Grade Teacher/Lead Campus Mentor, asked to present to district mentors/mentees in November 2022

2022-2023- TCES hosted a STEAM Night

 

 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

2015-2016 – Greater North Houston Music Festival - Superior Rating / Trophy at contest

2015-2016 - 11 students selected to Tomball ISD Honor Choir

2016-2017 – Greater North Houston Music Festival - Superior Rating and Best in Class / 2 Trophies at contest

 2016-2017 - 12 students selected to Tomball ISD Honor Choir

 2017-2018 – Greater North Houston Music Festival - Superior Rating and Best in Class / 2 Trophies at contest

 2017-2018 - Tomball ISD Battle of the Books - 3rd place team

 2017-2018 – Greater North Houston Music Festival - Superior Rating and Best in Class / 2 Trophies at contest

 2017-2018 - 14 students selected to Tomball ISD Honor Choir

 2018-2019 - 13 students placed 1st or 2nd in the district UIL Academic Competition

 2018-2019 – Greater North Houston Music Festival - Superior Rating and Best in Class / 2 Trophies at contest

 2018-2019 - Tomball ISD Battle of the Books - 2nd place team

 2018-2019 - Destination Imagination Team - 3rd place finish

 2018-2019 - 11 students selected to Tomball ISD Honor Choir

 2019-2020 - UIL Academic Competition - 5th grade 2nd place overall and campus 3rd place Elementary Sweepstakes

 2019-2020 - Robotics - Innovation Competition - 2nd place

 2019-2020 - 14 students selected to Tomball ISD Honor Choir

 2020-2021 - First in Math - Texas Team of the Month - Kelly Moore’s 2nd Grade Class

 2020-2021 - Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Finalist - 2nd grader, Reid Lancaster

2021-2022 Destination Imagination Placed 8th for Global Competition in Kansas

 

2021-2022District Science Fair Project, Rowan Unser, 1st Place

2022-2023 Destination Imagination Scientific Team 1st Place for District

 

2022-2023 Destination Imagination Fine Arts Team 3rd Place for District

2022-2023 UIL 3rd Place in District

2022-2023 District Science Fair Project, Rowan Unser, 1st Place

 

 ACHIEVEMENT DATA

 2015-2016 - State Academic Achievement Distinction Designation - Science

 2016-2017 - State Academic Achievement Distinction Designation - Science

 2017-2018 - TEA STAAR Distinction Designation - Comparative Closing the Gaps

 2017-2018 - Texas Honor Roll School

 2017-2018 - Schools Transforming Learning Distinction by N2 Learning and Principals Institute

 2018-2019 - State Academic Achievement Rating, A and Distinction Designation - Comparative Closing the Gaps (100%)

 2018-2019 - Texas Honor Roll School

2022-2023 TEA State Accountability Rating A (Straight A District)

 

 

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Files

• 3-ladder-learning-progression-1-2bi-decoding.docx
• tces-professional-learning-communities.pptx
• science-esstential-standards.xlsx
• reading-essential-standards.xlsx
• math-essential-standards.xlsx
• tek-4-7c-progression-2_-proficiency-scales.docx
• tek-4-7c-progression-3_-ladder.docx
• tek-4-7c-learning-progression-1.docx
• 1-learning-progression-1-2bi-decoding.docx
• 2-learning-progression-proficiency-scales-1-2bi-decoding.docx
• resources-1.pdf