Elementary Professional Learning Communities

Every school has the expectation to follow the Required Elements in Learning By Doing,
(Dufour et. al, p. 14)

1. Educators work collaboratively rather than in isolation, take collective responsibility for
student learning, and clarify the commitments they make to each other about how they
will work together.
○ Professional Learning Communities will be the driving force for Instructional
Support Time per grade level. By September, collaborative teams will have an
identified meeting time one time a week and notify principal. Building teams can
be creative in providing collaborative time. Here are some Ideas for creating
flexible meeting time outside of lunch and common planning time:
i. Whole school assemblies- PBIS lessons, enrichment
1. Principal, ancillary and specials are staff that can support this
structure and would need to be coordinated in the building.
ii. Buddy classrooms:
1. Ex: grades 1 and 4 buddy- rotation schedule to allow for common
planning with grade level.
2. Buddy classrooms are voluntary and additional pay will not be
provided
iii. Use of building subs
1. Block out days in calendar for coverage of teachers to give
common planning time.
2. The fundamental structure of the school becomes the collaborative team in which
members work interdependently to achieve common goals for which all members are
mutually vested. .The (District) team establishes a guaranteed and viable curriculum,
unit by unit, so all students have access to the same knowledge and skills regardless of
the teacher to whom they are assigned. Teams will review power standards and district
curriculum/pacing guides on Atlas to plan for the year.
3. The (District) team develops common formative assessments to frequently gather
evidence of student learning.
4. IST/WIN will ensure students who struggle receive additional time and support for
learning in a way that is timely, directive, diagnostic, and systematic, and students who
demonstrate proficiency can extend their learning.
● Grade Level Professional Learning Communities will be the decision
making team in determining their Instructional Support Time. Individual
PLCs will determine:
○ Flexible groupings of students
○ Time/Days
■ Individual grades will determine their days/times to best fit their
schedule
■ IST does NOT need to be on a school wide block schedule
 ○ Instructional focus: literacy
○ The team uses evidence of student learning to inform and improve the
individual and collective practice of its members.
● PLC grade level plans due October 26, 2018
○ Share with MTSS team & Principal
○ Place in IST Google folder
● Grade level plans will fit within the following structure:
○ Literacy focus
○ 3-5 days/week for tier 2 instructional support
○ Block occurs in addition to Tier 1 literacy instruction/small group reading
instruction
■ Sample schedule
○ The block is designed for intervention and extension opportunities

● Grades 1-5:
○ Instructional Support Time begins week of October 29, 2018, ends no
later May 31, 2019- schools determine end date based on testing
schedule.
○ A minimum of 30 minutes in length
● K
○ IST begins no later than December 3, 2018, ends no later than May 31,
2019
○ 15-30 minutes in length
Data Digs: Data Dig days will be provided during half days that coincide with the
assessment and problem solving calendar. October 19, 2018 and February 15, 2019
Throughout 2018-19: PD opportunities will be provided for Reading Intervention and
Extension
● Further information will be provided on the PD calendar in June
6. The teams use evidence of student learning to inform and improve the individual and
collective practice of its members.