Professional Learning Community
White River School District staff members have been working to change the way we look at teaching and learning. Our goal is to shape the White River School District into one of the top performing and functioning districts in the state and nation. We believe one of the best ways to accomplish this is by focusing on student learning in staff teams called Professional Learning Communities. National data and research strongly supports this strategy. The model for our PLC process is based on the work of Dufour, Dufour and Eaker. In most schools across the state and nation, teachers work in isolation, behind closed doors, without the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. We are changing that culture through this process.
Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, we implemented a one-hour late-start time every Monday. During this common time, our teachers meet in grade level or department teams. Their work during this time is strictly dedicated to examining student work, developing common assessments and collaborating on instructional strategies. Using student data, they also work to design additional time and support for students who need it, and enrichment for students who already 'get it'. In White River we made a commitment to our school board, staff, students and community that this time would be used to improve student learning, and our state test scores have reflected that commitment.
We typically open our buildings several mornings each year, for other educators.
Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, we implemented a one-hour late-start time every Monday. During this common time, our teachers meet in grade level or department teams. Their work during this time is strictly dedicated to examining student work, developing common assessments and collaborating on instructional strategies. Using student data, they also work to design additional time and support for students who need it, and enrichment for students who already 'get it'. In White River we made a commitment to our school board, staff, students and community that this time would be used to improve student learning, and our state test scores have reflected that commitment.
We typically open our buildings several mornings each year, for other educators.
October 2023-Full
February 2024-Full
Dates and registration for the 2024-2025 school year will be posted in July.
Every Teacher
Every teacher in the White River School District is a member of a professional learning community. As a member of a professional learning community, teachers focus on the critical questions of learning, work as a member of a collaborative team and have a passionate focus on results. All of which is aimed at improving student learning throughout the school district.
Every teacher in the White River School District is a member of a professional learning community. As a member of a professional learning community, teachers focus on the critical questions of learning, work as a member of a collaborative team and have a passionate focus on results. All of which is aimed at improving student learning throughout the school district.
Critical Questions of Learning
1. What do we expect students to learn?
2. How will we know if they learn it?
3. How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
4. How do we respond when students do learn?
2. How will we know if they learn it?
3. How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
4. How do we respond when students do learn?
Response to Intervention
How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a process we use to answer question 3 of the critical questions of a professional learning community. Response to Intervention is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom. Struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning.
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
How do we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) is a tool we use to answer question 3 of the critical questions of a professional learning community.
Improving student academic and behavior outcomes is about ensuring all students have access to the most effective and accurately implemented instructional and behavioral practices and interventions possible. PBIS provides an operational framework for achieving these outcomes. More importantly, PBIS is NOT a curriculum, intervention, or practice, but IS a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students.
In general, PBIS emphasizes four integrated elements: (a) data for decision making, (b) measurable outcomes supported and evaluated by data, (c) practices with evidence that these outcomes are achievable, and (d) systems that efficiently and effectively support the implementation of these practices.
from OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
Building Rigor into Every Classroom
Rigor is evidenced by all learners engaged in meaningful and relevant learning experiences that require critical thinking strategies to collaboratively develop and apply deep understanding.
Rigor is evidenced by all learners engaged in meaningful and relevant learning experiences that require critical thinking strategies to collaboratively develop and apply deep understanding.
Seven Myths of Rigor
Myth One: If you have rigorous standards, you have a rigorous course.
Rigor isn't as much about the standards as it is about how you ask students to reach the standards. There are times when students are asked to achieve highly rigorous standards in un-rigorous ways. And other times, teachers are able to take mediocre standards and help students achieve highly rigorous learning by designing rigorous learning experiences that correspond with those standards.
Myth One: If you have rigorous standards, you have a rigorous course.
Rigor isn't as much about the standards as it is about how you ask students to reach the standards. There are times when students are asked to achieve highly rigorous standards in un-rigorous ways. And other times, teachers are able to take mediocre standards and help students achieve highly rigorous learning by designing rigorous learning experiences that correspond with those standards.
Myth Two: Rigor means more work.
While rigorous instruction may require that students put forth more effort, it is not based on the volume of work students complete. Rigor is about the quality of the work students are asked to do, not the quantity. More assignments or more reading does not guarantee more rigor. In fact, rigorous classrooms often have fewer assignments and homework.
While rigorous instruction may require that students put forth more effort, it is not based on the volume of work students complete. Rigor is about the quality of the work students are asked to do, not the quantity. More assignments or more reading does not guarantee more rigor. In fact, rigorous classrooms often have fewer assignments and homework.
Myth Three: Rigor means harder.
Rigorous classrooms do present more challenge to students but there is a difference between challenging and difficult. Challenging work asks students to stretch and reach for new understanding. Work can be difficult however for a variety of reasons including unclear instructions, a lack of necessary resources, a lack of adequate support, demands that are too great for the time allotted, etc.
Rigorous classrooms do present more challenge to students but there is a difference between challenging and difficult. Challenging work asks students to stretch and reach for new understanding. Work can be difficult however for a variety of reasons including unclear instructions, a lack of necessary resources, a lack of adequate support, demands that are too great for the time allotted, etc.
Myth Four: Rigor is a matter of content.
Just because you select highly rigorous content does not guarantee a highly rigorous learning experience for students. How you ask students to engage in the content also determines the level of rigor for your course.
Just because you select highly rigorous content does not guarantee a highly rigorous learning experience for students. How you ask students to engage in the content also determines the level of rigor for your course.
Myth Five: Younger students cannot engage in rigorous instruction.
Even young children can think and interact with the material in highly rigorous ways. In fact, left to their own devices, children naturally take what they are learning to solve unpredictable problems and deal with uncertainty. Doing so is at the very nature of learning. The key is to make sure that your rigorous instruction is developmentally appropriate.
Even young children can think and interact with the material in highly rigorous ways. In fact, left to their own devices, children naturally take what they are learning to solve unpredictable problems and deal with uncertainty. Doing so is at the very nature of learning. The key is to make sure that your rigorous instruction is developmentally appropriate.
Myth Six: In order to engage in rigor, students must first master the basics.
Rigorous thinking is involved in learning even the most basic material. Students can learn the basics in highly rigorous ways. They can learn how to build adequate representations, organize those facts in some way, analyze and construct relationships among those facts, and make inferences beyond what is explicitly presented while they are mastering the basics.
Rigorous thinking is involved in learning even the most basic material. Students can learn the basics in highly rigorous ways. They can learn how to build adequate representations, organize those facts in some way, analyze and construct relationships among those facts, and make inferences beyond what is explicitly presented while they are mastering the basics.
Myth Seven: Rigor is for the elite.
All students can and should have access to rigorous instruction and learning. To reserve rigorous learning opportunities for an elite group of students while relegating others to lives or memorizing disconnected facts and blindly participating in meaningless activities is to leave them unprepared to meet the demands of a 21st century and beyond.
All students can and should have access to rigorous instruction and learning. To reserve rigorous learning opportunities for an elite group of students while relegating others to lives or memorizing disconnected facts and blindly participating in meaningless activities is to leave them unprepared to meet the demands of a 21st century and beyond.
-excerpted from a presentation by Peter Noonan, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools
Resources
- Bloom-Costa Comparison
- Deeply Embedded Fully Committed
- All Things PLC
- National Center on Response to Intervention
- OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
Testimonials
Below are some comments from previous year's visitors:
Below are some comments from previous year's visitors:
"I wanted to touch base with you and thank you all for your hospitality during our visit. The principals all agreed that the visit to White River was the highlight of the trip. The knowledge they gained there far outweighed the NAESP conference!" Falcon Zone Schools, CO, Curriculum Director
"Thanks so much! I appreciated your time! Our visit was so impactful that we want to approach our admin about your model right away." Ellensburg School District, teacher
"WE are feeling the need to thank YOU for the opportunity to visit your schools and discuss authentic PLC process." Tacoma Public Schools, teacher
"The teachers were extremely helpful and I learned a lot from my time with them. Thanks for the wonderful opportunity!" Selah School District, teacher