PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design

What makes a powerful and results-driven Professional Learning Community (PLC)? The answer is collaborative work that expands the emphasis on student learning and leverages individual teacher efficacy into collective teacher efficacy.  PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design calls for strong and effective PLCs plus—and that plus is YOU. Until now, the PLC movement has been focused almost exclusively on students and what they were or were not learning.  But keeping student learning at the forefront requires that we also recognize the vital role that you play in the equation of teaching and learning. This means that PLCs must take on two additional challenges: maximizing your individual expertise, while harnessing the power of the collaborative expertise you can develop with your peers.  PLC+ is grounded in four cross-cutting themes—a focus on equity of access and opportunity, high expectations for all students, a commitment to building individual self-efficacy and the collective efficacy of the professional learning community and effective team activation and facilitation to move from discussion to action. The PLC+ framework supports educators in considering five essential questions as they work together to improve student learning:   Where are we going? Where are we now? How do we move learning forward? What did we learn today? Who benefited and who did not benefit? The PLC+ framework leads educators to question practices as well as outcomes. It broadens the focus on student learning to encompass educational equity and teaching efficacy, and, in doing so, it leads educators to plan and implement learning communities that maximize individual expertise while harnessing the power of collaborative efficacy.

Table of Contents:
List of Videos About the Authors Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION So What Is a PLC? The Story Behind PLCs Adding the Examination of Teaching Practice to the PLC Story The Five Key Questions What You Will Find in This Book 1. PLC+: The Plus Is YOU Teacher Credibility and Efficacy: The Foundation of the Strong PLC+ Facilitating Collaboration: Making the Plus Count Building Collective Efficacy The Hope for the PLC+ Conclusion 2. Question 1: Where Are We Going? The Story Behind the Question A PLC+ Team in Action Analyzing the Standard(s)/Curriculum Expectations The Role of Teacher Clarity in “Where Are We Going?” Developing Learning Intentions and Success Criteria It’s Not Just High School English Moving Beyond a Single Day Autonomy in Teaching The Professional Learning of a PLC+ Conclusion 3. Question 2: Where Are We Now? The Story Behind the Question A PLC+ Team in Action Deficit Thinking Initial Assessments Analyzing for Equity Gaps Data Collection Data Analysis Protocols Addressing Bias in Data Collection and Analysis Identifying the Common Challenge Conclusion 4. Question 3: How Do We Move Learning Forward? The Story Behind the Question A PLC+ Team in Action Evidence-Based Instructional Practices Assignment Analysis Compensatory and Adaptive Approaches Moving Teacher Learning Forward Learning Walks Using Microteaching to Improve Teaching and Learning Conclusion 5. Question 4: What Did We Learn Today? The Story Behind the Question A PLC+ Team in Action Reflection Expert Noticing Common Assessments as Triggers for Reflection Determining Impact of Instruction Progress Versus Achievement Conclusion 6. Question 5: Who Benefited and Who Did Not Benefit? The Story Behind the Question A PLC+ Team in Action Equity Audit Response to Intervention Universal Screening and Ongoing Assessment High-Quality Tier 1 Instruction Supplemental and Intensive Interventions Meeting the Needs of All Learners The Professional Learning of PLC+ Conclusion 7. The Next Question in the PLC+ Framework After the Fifth Question Beyond a Single PLC+ References Index

About the Author :
Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator.  He is a credentialed teacher and leader in California.  In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as Welcome to Teaching, PLC+, Teaching Students to Drive their Learning, and Student Assessment: Better Evidence, Better Decisions, Better Learning. Nancy Frey is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Nancy was a teacher, academic coach, and central office resource coordinator in Florida.  She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California.  She is a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel. She has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as The Artificial Intelligences Playbook, How Scaffolding Works, How Teams Work, and The Vocabulary Playbook. Dr. John Almarode is a bestselling author and an Associate Professor of Education at James Madison University. He was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship in 2015 and received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia in 2021. Before his academic career, John started as a mathematics and science teacher in Augusta County, Virginia. As an author, John has written multiple educational books focusing on science and mathematics, and he has co-created a new framework for developing, implementing, and sustaining professional learning communities called PLC+. Dr. Almarode′s work has been presented to the US Congress, the Virginia Senate, and the US Department of Education. One of his recent projects includes developing the Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Continuing his collaborative work with colleagues on what works best in teaching and learning, How Tutoring Works, Visible Learning in Early Childhood, and How Learning Works, all with Corwin Press, were released in 2021. Karen Flories was the Executive Director of Educational Services for 5 years and Director of Literacy and Social Studies for 2 years with Valley View School District in Illinois, after serving as the English Department Chair for Romeoville High School. Karen’s classroom experience includes high school English, special education, and alternative education. Karen holds credentials in general education, special education, and educational leadership. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from Concordia University. During her time at the district level, Karen led the implementation of Visible Learning+, specifically focusing on teacher clarity, classroom assessment, and feedback. Karen is the co-author of The PLC+ Activator’s Guide, PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design, and The PLC+ Playbook, Grades K-12. She is currently a full-time professional learning consultant for Corwin. Dave Nagel has been a professional developer and educational consultant both nationally and internationally since 2003 and has done so as his primary job in education since 2008. Prior was a middle and high school science teacher and administrator in a large district in Indianapolis. As a school leader at Ben Davis High School (enrollment 3000 students) Dave was instrumental in developing a focused plan for differentiated goals for students based on specific proficiency measures which supported the school in improving its graduation rate 14% in just over 4 years.                                           Dave’s primary areas of expertise are in the areas of effective teacher and leader collaboration, assessment and feedback, and specifically effective grading actions both at the school and classroom level. He has been working specifically with Professor John Hattie’s Visible Learning research since 2011 that is a driving force for all of his work with teachers, coaches, and administrators. He has authored 5 books previous to this one, including four within the PLC+ series of publications (Corwin).                                          Published multiple times in various publications such as Principal Leadership and Educational Leadership, Dave has also presented at various national conferences. Dave has a strong moral aspect, strives to be very relatable and practical when working with people, and has a savvy sense of humor that supports him in his life and work.   Dave stays very busy with his beautiful and supportive wife, Kristen, and three boys (ages 20, 15, and 13). He acknowledges every day that the Lord guides his actions and is the driving force in his life. Dave is an independent consultant for Corwin Press and is the owner of NZJ Learning LLC (named after his three boys) and the Founder of The Center for Collaborative Expertise.