Miblsi Teams Are Plc's

How does MiBLSi support Professional Learning Communites?

MiBLSi supports the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) by helping educators to learn HOW TO IMPLEMENT the “Big Ideas” of a PLC.

Professional Learning Communities are built around three “Big Ideas”: 

Big Idea #1: Ensuring That Students Learn



Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration



Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results

Big Idea #1: Ensuring That Students Learn Educators work not just to ensure that students are taught but to ensure that they learn. Educators ask…  What do we want each student to learn/accomplish?  How will we know when each student has learned/accomplished it?  How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning/accomplishing? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional

Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration 

Teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice.



Teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement.

Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results 

Professional learning communities judge their effectiveness on the basis of results.



Working together to improve student achievement becomes the routine work of everyone in the school.



Every teacher team participates in an ongoing process of identifying the current level of student achievement, establishing a goal to improve the current level, working together to achieve that goal, and providing periodic evidence of progress.

MiBLSi

provides training, coaching, assessment tools, materials, funding and technical assistance to help educators… 

Build effective grade level and building leadership teams through the ongoing development & refinement of each team’s purpose, process and planning.



To systematically collect and review formative data regarding literacy and behavior



To use this formative data to determine which practices are working and which are not and to identify student and staff needs



To change, refine, develop or adopt best practices and/or secure necessary resources to meet identified needs

The professional learning community’s response to students who experience difficulty is: 

Timely. The school quickly identifies students who need additional time and support.



Based on intervention rather than remediation. The plan provides students with help as soon as they experience difficulty rather than relying on summer school, retention, remedial courses (or simply an increase punitive measures regarding behavior errors).



Directive. Instead of inviting students to seek additional help, the systematic plan requires students to devote extra time and receive additional assistance until they have mastered

MiBLSi supports the Vision and Mission of Portage Public Schools by helping participating staff meet the district’s expectations to….

Ensure a high quality innovative curriculum (for both Behavior & Literacy) MiBLSi helps by providing training, coaching, tools, and technical support to… 

ensure the curriculum in each grade level is based on clearly defined goals, objectives & priorities



ensure each school’s instructional programs and materials…  

 

have documented efficacy are drawn from research based findings and practices, align with state standards and benchmarks support a full range of learners.

Provide research-based instruction (for both Behavior & Literacy) MiBLSi helps by…  providing training, coaching, funding, materials, and technical assistance regarding the use of evidence-based instructional strategies

Offer students opportunities for practice (for both Behavior & Literacy) MiBLSi helps by helping staff to assess and develop or improve a schoolwide plan that: 

Allocates sufficient, prioritized reading time that is protected from interruption

Measure student achievement (for both Behavior & Literacy) MiBLSi helps by evaluating and ensuring that instruments and procedures for assessing reading and social/behavioral achievement are:    

clearly specified measure essential skills provide reliable and valid information about student performance inform instruction in important, meaningful, and maintainable ways

Ensure a safe learning environment that empowers students to be responsible, confident, independent thinkers and able to monitor their own behaviors and performances. Build positive relationships in a professional, ethical manner, by honoring diversity, modeling life skills, and meeting the physical and emotional needs of all students.

MiBLSi helps by… 

providing PBS training, coaching, materials, implementation assessment tools, and examples to school staff in order to implement effective, data-driven school and classroom-wide positive behavior support practices within the building.



helping staff to implement a three-tiered, prevention–based model for helping all students meet their behavioral and