001[Music] Building the PLE's has been a multi-year process. Aligning to the five components of instruction has taken us a couple of years to get to a point where we're ready to launch the entire series. As of this past year, we've developed four professional learning experiences and we're currently developing our fifth which is on formative assessment. This process has taken some time because of the critical aspects that have to be included in each PLE to make the difference that we're seeking. First, that means that we're building knowledge. That's knowledge not just for our staff, but especially for our instructional leaders. That includes assistant superintendent, APIs, our division chairs, as well as teachers who are involved in the build and focus group process. Through that building of knowledge, we're then able to determine what instructional practices in
002adult learning theory we can use to create a product that will not only allow our staff to learn the content from these PLES, but also be able to apply in their own instructional spaces. When we first started the PLES, we started with um cognitive engagement with space practice and early practice and it was almost like building level um work. Um, but as PLE's have grown, it's branched out to be more district-wide. And one of the best parts of the PLE recently is being able to work with department chairs from all three schools. We know in education that there are items that are enduring. And what we've aligned that to is our instructional framework. Our professional learning series with our PLE's is what allows us to sustain the practices that we know make the difference in
003classroom. Those are based not only on what we've seen in successful classrooms, but rooted in instructional practices that are researchbased. So we utilize those to create this very strategic growth pathway for our staff to participate in this professional learning series that differs a little bit from some of the more alleart professional development opportunities that we have for things that are popping up as on demand topics. Our division chairs are truly the drivers of this work. They are the individuals who work and coach our staff throughout the year. They're the ones who are in the classrooms. So, it is definitely imperative that they are seen as the leaders of this professional learning. Where I feel I've I've grown the most is building up a consistent vocabulary that, you know, everybody will use districtwide. Um, it's forced
004me to, you know, read books and and talk teaching with other DCs districtwide. Obviously, anytime you're in test with being a presenter, right, you need to do the research to make yourself uh the expert in the room. It's all rooted in in high lever data practices. And I think taking that and expanding my growth mindset to deliver that content has really improved my ability to lead my division. Um the division chairs are truly the leaders of this work. They are the individuals who work with the teachers on a daily basis. They're working through them with evaluation and formal observations. They're supporting them in their professional learning communities. So, as such, it's really important that they're taking the role of instructional leaders in our district and they have done a phenomenal job at that. They bring
005with them their own unique expertise and they've committed themselves to growing in the areas that we all know we can benefit from. So having that an elevated understanding of those things adds a self-confidence that no, we're doing the right thing and we understand these things and this is why this is the best practice that we should be doing uh and talking about and and why uh it's so important that our teachers across district 230 are actively involved in this process of elevating their understanding of these concepts. We've seen it work. We've seen it work live. We know it works ourselves. I feel I'm an effective leader now because I'm able to lead PLC's in a different way. Um, I'm able to take our areas of focus that we've talked about through all the PLE's going
006from cognitive engagement to high EQ to teacher clarity. I'm able to effectively lead my PLC's. Our division chairs in recent years have really shifted from a more managerial role into an instructional leader role. And that's in part due to the PLE's as well as kind of coming out of CO and really refocusing on what's most important here in schools. we're here to learn. And so they have leaned in on each other as a support system. They have been able to help clarify things for individuals or build another person's own capacity in a different area. And they've been willing to support each other so that they can bring all of those key features into the division, whether it's at their own school or across the district. And I think that's something really exciting to see is
007that we're having more of those cross-d district conversations and we're stronger together, more heads, more voices at the table, mean a stronger product and a stronger opportunity for teachers, students, and our instructional leaders. It's nice when when you see teachers go through the PLE and you're able to go back to your PLC's and and mention what space practice means um or talk innerly practice, every teacher in the room understands it districtwide. I think one of the most exciting things and definitely the thing that we are seeking the most is what is the impact that this professional learning has on our students because sitting in a professional development means nothing if it doesn't lead to improved student learning outcomes. We also know that this is going to be an enduring sustained process. So we're going to
008see that growth over time. With that, I've been really excited to walk into classrooms to talk to teachers and to hear from DC's about how they've been able to utilize the strategies to become the artists in their classroom spaces to know when and how to employ the different skills that we're learning. In our district, we're really focused on created a concerted effort to move instruction forward across all aspects of our teachers lives. So whether looking at our professional learning communities, whether looking at our professional development opportunities or in what we're observing through evaluations, all of these are moving through the frame of the instructional framework. We know that these are the items that we have focus on. And it allows our teams and our teachers to really use the same language and have the same
009focus to not feel divided between what they're doing in a professional development compared to what they're actually implementing in their classrooms or instructional spaces.