Marguerite Hahn Elementary School (2023)

  1. PLC Story
  2. PLC Practices
  3. Achievement Data
  4. Awards
  5. Resources

Our PLC journey started in the fall of 2017.  Our principal and teacher leaders joined the California Principal Support Network (CAPS Network), a multi-year professional learning network of K-12 educators focused on the implementation of the practices and tenets of professional learning communities.  After learning about the overwhelming and undisputed impact of PLCs on teacher and student learning, we realized we needed to shift our priorities and time commitments to a laser-like focus on high levels of learning for all students and build our capacity to become a true PLC.

 When PLCs were first brought up to the staff, they were not initially sold.  Despite staff concerns about paperwork and another meeting, we held on to the fact that we believe all of our students can learn at high levels, and we made a commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve this vision.  We were also committed to providing support for teachers in doing the PLC work. We started by looking at our district vision statement and comparing that statement with the definition of a PLC. We called out what PLCs had looked like in the past, ultimately deciding that we were in fact participating in “PLC lite, not PLC right.”  From this point on, we committed to staff learning about PLCs in order to improve learning for all students.  At this point we adopted three mantras for our school: 1. Our focus is learning, 2. Success breeds success, and 3. Where we are is where we are, but it’s not where we want to stay.

We started by ensuring that all teachers were members of a collaborative team who met regularly and began working together creating norms for their teams.  Each grade level then determined which priority standard they would teach the following month and we spent weekly meetings preparing.  We looked at the standard, learning targets, prerequisite skills, depth of knowledge, and created a common formative assessment. Before all of our grade levels had a PLT meeting, we had a grade level (4th grade) offer to film one of their PLT meetings in which they analyzed data from a common formative assessment.  We watched that video as a staff, and throughout the video we paused and had discussions and this began to deepen and shape the PLT process for our school.  Staff asked questions like “how were you so comfortable sharing that your students didn’t do well?”  and we spent time as a whole school talking about what 4th grade teachers could do to support the students who were not learning.  Again, our belief in the PLC process strengthened, as we took a team (staff) approach to creative solutions to solve ways kids were not learning, it was clear that we were better as a group than as individuals.

Over the course of the next year at each staff meeting, we discussed and shared different parts of the PLC process, we shared successes and struggles.  With a formal understanding of the PLC process, our collaborative teams began to intentionally and deeply implement PLC practices.  There was a significant culture shift as well; teachers no longer referred to students as “my students, instead we started to speak about "our" students and we committed to a vision for what learning would look like to ensure learning for all.  We got better at creating common assessments, sharing data and successful instructional practices from the data, and planning for student success by offering just-in-time interventions and extension opportunities.  

In our first year of implementing the PLC process and completing the teaching-assessing cycle we were happy to learn that our hard work had resulted in improved student learning - we moved from yellow to green on the California State dashboard in both ELA and Math.  We celebrated this accomplishment and it fueled us to continue our commitment to this work.  Over the next three years, both our principal and teacher leaders (guiding coalition) continued to attend the California Principal Support Network, learning from PLC experts Dr. Tom Many, Dr. Luis Cruz and Dr. Cindy Pilar.  Our team brought back key learnings to our staff and we stuck to our commitment of continuous improvement for both staff and students.  We continued to utilize our team norms to guide our collaboration, identified and articulated grade level priority standards and learning targets, and created (and adjusted) templates and forms to streamline and institutionalize our PLC practices. We also got better at utilizing our data to identify and meet the learning needs of our students.

In 2019 we felt like we had built a solid foundation of our PLC knowledge.  That spring everything closed due to COVID-19 and we moved into distance learning. At this point our teachers had developed a trusting relationship with each other, where they shared data from common assessments and planned instruction based on others successes. All the work we had done to build a strong collaborative culture was enormously helpful as we transitioned to online learning. 

While the way we did school shifted significantly, we never lost our commitment to being a professional learning community and we built in time for teachers to continue their collaboration by meeting weekly via Google Meet.  The foundational belief of looking at students as all of our students helped us give students what they needed.  In addition to having full group instruction online, our teachers continued to see small groups of students and provide extra support for those who were struggling.  Despite our efforts, upon our return from distance learning, we still had students who were behind academically as well as having great social emotional needs.  When we came back to campus, we built our schedule around common planning times for teachers, grade level intervention times, which allowed for us to fill learning gaps and social emotional needs for our students. We took a closer look at what we wanted all students to know and be able to do, shared effective instructional practices, and focused all our resources on those priorities to provide students what they needed to improve their learning.  

Entering the 2022-2023 school year we were happy to have a "normal" school year.  We adjusted our PLT (Professional Learning Team) templates and reporting out processes in order to better communicate and archive our work so that we can look back year to year.  Creating a true professional learning community is a process not an event and so we continue to learn - our principal and guiding coalition attend the CAPS Network and Solution Tree trainings.  We refer to our school as "Team Hahn'' because we believe that when we work together we can learn from each other and everyone is on every kids team.  PLTs have allowed for our staff to decide "how" they are going to get the students to the next step of their learning.  PLTs have helped teachers feel better about their teaching practices and we've seen an increase in student learning, all of which has solidified our commitment and belief in the PLC process as the most impactful, highest leverage strategy we can take as a school to improve learning for all. In the Spring of 2023, our difference from standard (DFS) CAASSP (State testing) scores increased in both ELA and Math.  Our ELA scores increased 3 points and our Math scores increased 15 points. We celebrated our successes by inviting families to an assembly and giving certificates to every student who was proficient or above and every student who went up a level on the state test.

In the Spring of 2023 we made an even bigger commitment to the PLC process by creating an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will allow for our teams to meet weekly, during contract hours, in PLTs for the 2023-2024 school year.  

We started this school year, by each team filling out the  cultural shifts form.  Individuals and teams ranked where they were from 1 to 5, then teams set a goal for how the adults within their team would continue to shift their own practices.  In addition to each individual team, our principal set a goal for the school.  We recommitted to the belief that ALL students can learn at high levels and updated our RTI pyramid of intervention.  Within the first month of school, teams were meeting weekly, giving CFAs and providing intervnetion for students who were not at grade level on essential standards. 

 

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

In order to create a guaranteed and viable curriculum, our school started by identifying the priority standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.  In order to identify the standards we spent time during a staff meeting learning about priority standards and how to identify them.  We practiced as a staff how to break standards down into learning targets and then into student I can statements (Example).  Once we identified the priority standards, we began to develop curriculum maps.  Teachers have had an hour of common prep and planning time each week.  In addition to that, teachers have been given one hour a month to meet with their professional learning teams and focus on the four questions on either ELA or Math.  This past spring, we passed an MOU which has now given our teachers 30 minutes of PLT time each week, for the 2023-2024 school year.  In addition to those times, we also regularly look at our school-wide data.  We started our 2023-2024 school year by creating curriculum maps for our first trimester of the school year.

Our teachers use common formative assessments to monitor student progress towards grade level standards, and review the results in their professional learning team meetings.  When students don’t learn the first time, students are given more opportunities and are reassessed.  

Our teachers have created common formative assessments for priority standards, and they review student data during professional learning team time.  Since we have been working on common assessments in PLTs for a few years now, our teachers are able to go back and compare how students did previously on assessments vs achievement among their current classrooms.

In addition to looking at data within grade levels, we also look at data as a staff.  Our principal gives us our data in easily accessible sheets (example) so that we can quickly see successes and needs school wide. We look for trends of strengths and weaknesses sitewide and in vertical teams and plan for student learning based on our results.  By having all of our data in one place teams are able to quickly identify which kids go it, which kids didn't and make a plan of action. 

 

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

Over the course of the last few years, we have really adopted the “they're all our kids'' mentality.  Because of this we are able to offer an all hands on deck model when students need more time and support to learn.   We use results from our frequent common formative assessments to respond to students who are experiencing difficulty, or who need extended learning opportunities. Additionally, our PLTs have identified agreed upon proficiency criteria and worked to align our assessments with the high-stakes state tests students are required to take. 

We have built our schedule in order to provide common times that students within grade bands can receive tier 2 and tier 3 support without missing core instruction.  Based on the needs of our current students we are able to make small adjustments to blocks of time that are held for giving students what they need. 

Our TK-2nd grade teachers do a rotation for reading, where all students rotate to different teachers to be taught at their reading level.  We pull in other adults in order to make our groups small, including our school psychologist, special education paras and even a retired teacher. During this time students are given extension activities if they are performing at or above grade level, practice opportunities within a small group, for students who are almost at grade level, and remediation for kids who are far below grade level.  Last year our first graders needed more intervention time, so we did rotation reading 3 times a week for 45 minutes. Based on last years information, our first grade team made adjustments to their tier 1 instruction and are now providing a systematic phonics lesson each day.  This adjustment has resulted in more students being at grade level or above.

Our 3rd-5th grade teachers have identified at least two common times each week that teachers can provide tier 2 and tier 3 instruction for students who are not at grade level on essential standards.  (Example) of a PLT meeting and how we support students in these tiers. Teachers pull small groups within their classroom based on exit tickets and common formative assessments, to ensure each student gets what they need to meet the target.  Teachers have a block of time that students will work on what they need, some students will work independently, and others will work in a small group with the teacher. In some cases, we have students who will leave class to receive tier 3 remediation.  Sometimes this is a special education teacher and other times it is a general education teacher who has a  teaching skill that is a need for another student.  

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

Focusing the entire staff on student learning has been the constant focus of our Principal, and, as a result, the staff is extremely engaged and committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure kids learn. For example, In order to get the most of our limited time together, I communicate our purpose and priorities through a weekly bulletin that goes out to all staff members every Friday by 4pm.  This bulletin has ALL of the nuts and bolts items organized for teachers.  This information normally includes: upcoming dates, schedules, surveys, and information that the district office, PTA, and other groups want shared with our staff (EXAMPLE). By putting this in an email we have a lot more time to talk about student learning in our weekly meetings.  Everything we do revolves around student learning.  Behind our principals desk is a large sign that says "our focus is learning," and we mean it.  We started slow; we looked at what a professional learning community is and what the professional learning team meetings looked like and how they matched our vision statement. Then we had a brave team, who was willing to film a grade level Professional Learning Team (PLT) meeting for the rest of the staff to watch during a meeting.  As a staff we debriefed the video, identifying the roles, responsibilities, challenges and successes demonstrated by the team.  This was really helpful for our staff; it wasn’t perfect, but they were honest, and they were working on the four questions. Staff also saw the interdependence and collective inquiry demonstrated.  They started to buyin and recognize  the potential benefit for working as a collaborative team.  From there, we created grade level PLT norms, which we revisit and update every year.  Then we started working on a form.  Many teachers had "done PLC" (lite) before and HATED them, they talked a lot about how terrible the paperwork was, so we made a form and later modified a form until we had a PLT form that everyone liked. At every staff meeting, for years now, we talk about how PLTs are going.  We spend time in meetings bringing our grade level data and sharing benchmark data.  When grade levels feel stuck, we brainstorm together, when grade levels have big successes, we celebrate.  We don’t judge each other based on how students perform, rather we identify successful teaching practices based on learning results and replicate it.  The staff is deeply committed to the students, our kindergarten teachers care about how the students they started with continue to grow as the go through our school, we share that data and we talk aout each individual student's learning progression.  By having conversations with the entire staff, we are able to hear about data supported strategies that teachers use at various grades, until we are able to find one that works.  Slowly, over time, collaboration has become just how we did things here.  We trust each other, and since the staff has built this process, everyone believes in it and they’re committed to it.  Working as a team is who we are and how we do everything.

 

Achievement Data Files

Additional Achievement Data

Under our local data assessment, you'll see our Easy CBM data, the percentage are our students who were proficent.  Similar to our state assessments, we saw a dip in student scores after COVID, but last year we started to see those scores come back up.

We don't have ELL or SPED data, because we have less than 10 students at each grade level, so the state doesn't report so that individual students can't be identified. 

 

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