The document describes the professional learning community (PLC) model used at Speedway High School. It summarizes that a PLC involves educators meeting regularly to improve teaching and student learning. Speedway High School focused their PLC on reducing failures, increasing test scores, and improving classroom instruction. Through collaborating in PLCs, the school was able to improve student achievement outcomes like test scores and graduation rates over several years and develop a culture of excellence.

1. Professional Learning
Communities
The Speedway High
School Model

2. Tim McRoberts
Associate Executive Director
Indiana Association of School Principals
tmcroberts@iasp.org
Twitter: @tmac602
Blog: http://edleader101.blogspot.com/

3. “A PLC is a group of educators that meets
regularly, shares expertise, and works
collaboratively to improve teaching skills and
the academic performance of students.”—
edglossary.org

4. According to Rick DuFour, A PLC:
1. Ensures That Students Learn
2. Creates a Culture of Collaboration
3. Has a Focus on Results

5. “Focus on the process, not the
results”

6. 3 Key Questions:
1. What’s the Challenge?
2. How do we strategically plan for it?
3. How to we know we’re winning?

7. What’s the Challenge?
Issue Data
English Language Learners 8%
Special Education Students 12%
Minority 44%
Free and Reduced Lunch 53%

8. Areas of immediate concern:
• Too many failures each grading period (+10%)
• Low ECA test scores
• Poor AP test performance
• New School Accountability System looming

9. Challenge: Too easy to focus on results!
• NCLB/ESEA/ESSA
• PL 221 (State School Improvement Plan)
• RISE teacher evaluation
• School letter grades (A-F)
• Graduation rates
• AP scores (College Readiness)
New Style of Leadership Needed

11. Once Challenge Identified: We strategically plan for it.
K.I.S.S.
1. Increase Student Achievement
2. Increase collaboration among faculty.
Priorities
1. Reduce Failures
2. Increase ECA test scores
3. Increase AP qualifying scores
4. Focus on classroom instruction
5. Connect with our mobile population in community

12. Ground Rules
• “NO Gripe” Zone!! Offer a suggestion with a
complaint.
• Not teacher prep period. This is a WORK session.
• Focused on Students (“What happens in Vegas…)
and/or Teaching.
• It’s okay to have fun while you work!

13. Outcomes of PLC
 Racing to Excellence
 Intramural program
 ELL planning sessions
 School wide writing assessments
 Cross curricular projects (Indy 500)
 Tutoring by students and adults
 Leadership from within faculty
 FNO intervention checklists
 Grade level teams
 PD “experts”
 Department planning
 Focus on AP/DC curriculum
 After School Department study tables
“Cervantes said the journey’s better than the end. Practices, to me, were the journey”-
Wooden

14. Measure 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Eng 10
ECA
-- -- 70% 70% 71% 72% # 80%
Alg 1 ECA -- 31% 42% 72% $ 81% 75% 71%
Grad
Rate
86.3% 96.6% 100% 96.3% 98.1% 99.1% 98.2%
% AP
Pass Rate
No Data No Data 26.9%
(21)
57.9%
(120)
34.7%
(215)^
52.4%
(190)
53.6%
(265)
IDOE
Grade
D D D A B* A A
#- Star Reading Assessment, $-Agile Minds, ^AP TipIN, *-One student

15. Other Data:
• Failure rates: +10% > 3.55%-4.90% last 4 years
• HYIS: documented increase via 4 minute walkthrough
• 2013-2014 US News & World Report: Silver Medal,
America’s Best High Schools

16. Culture of Excellence
• Friday v. Monday
• Teachers love spending time with each other.
• Teachers love learning about their craft.
• Teachers love hearing from their peers.
• Teachers love starting the week with their peers.
• Teachers care about their students.
“Perfection is impossible but striving for perfection is
not. Do the best you can. That is what counts.”-John
Wooden

17. Evaluation and Evolution
 Teacher survey at conclusion of each semester
 Time build AROUND Faculty needs
 Faculty “PLC Advisory Committee”
 ALWAYS filter through vision, mission and school
improvement goals.
 Quick Quiz

18. Results?
• Day by day, week by week, month by month, year
by year…We established a CULTURE of Excellence.
• Culture of FOCUS.
• Culture of PROCESS.
• Culture of COLLABORATION.
• Culture of SUCCESS.

19. Remember:
Focus on the PROCESS, not the RESULTS

20. Tim McRoberts
Associate Executive Director
Indiana Association of School Principals
tmcroberts@iasp.org
Twitter: @tmac602
Blog: http://edleader101.blogspot.com/