What+Ever+It+Takes+Book+Study

=**Whatever It Takes:**= =**Study Guide**Study Guide=


 * This Solution Tree study guide is a companion to the newest Professional**
 * Learning Communities at Work™ book by Richard DuFour, Rebecca**
 * DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Gayle Karhanek:**
 * Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn.**
 * guide provides topics for individual reflection or group discussion. It**
 * includes chapter-specific questions that can be addressed in a concluding**
 * activity once the entire book has been read or upon completion of each**
 * chapter.**

What Ever It Takes: How Professional Learning communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn
An Unprecedented Challenge**
 * Introduction


 * 1. Consider the brief review of the characteristics of a Professional Learning**
 * Community offered in the introduction. Educators who have considered**
 * this description of a PLC never express opposition to these**
 * characteristics; yet they typically struggle when attempting to create**
 * these conditions in their schools. What are the barriers and obstacles that**
 * make it difficult for educators to implement a PLC in their schools?

//Lack of consensus among// //all staff. Loss of motivation on the part of the staff, after trying many forms of intervention that have failed.//

How** **have some schools been able to overcome these barriers and become**
 * PLCs?**


 * //Providing time and processes to meet//
 * //discuss and implement strategies//
 * //Trying new strategies and discussing results.//
 * //Utilizing data to drive action//


 * 2. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future contends**
 * that “communities of learning must no longer be considered utopian; they**
 * must become the building blocks that establish a new foundation for**
 * America’s schools.” Is it possible that schools operating as PLCs could**
 * become the norm rather than the exception?**

//Yes, it is possible. As schools start implementing it, and reaching desired results, it will probably initiate dialogue between other schools, creating a chain reaction//


 * If so, what are promising** **strategies for bringing about this transformation?**

//Dialogue at all levels//

In the introduction, the authors claim that schools should respond to students who experience difficulty in learning with **systematic**, **timely**, and **directive interventions** that ensure students receive additional time and support for learning. Would most educators oppose this proposal? Do you? Why or why not?
 * 3.**

//Some might, but most would not oppose this proposal. Most teachers are willing and ready to help their students in any way necessary, and will try many and all methods to do so//


 * Chapter 1**
 * From “Learning for the Few” to “All Kids Can Learn” to**
 * “All Kids Will Learn—Or Else!”**


 * 1. Do you agree with the assertion in this chapter that “contemporary public**
 * schools in the United States are now being called upon to achieve a**
 * standard that goes far beyond the goals of any previous generation—high**
 * levels of learning for all students?” If this represents a new goal, what**
 * were the goals of schooling in the past?**

//To educate the brightest for top level jobs and train others for non academic fields//.


 * 2. This chapter introduces three critical questions the authors maintain**
 * schools //must// consider if they are to fulfill their stated mission of “high**
 * levels of learning for all.” Do you agree with that assertion? Do you feel**
 * any of the questions are not “critical,” and that a school could help all**
 * students learn at high levels without the collective consideration of that**
 * question? Are there other questions you feel should be added to the list?**

//We feel all questions are critical. No questions need to be added.//


 * 3. This chapter introduces the topic of //formative// versus //summative//**
 * assessments—a topic that will be referenced repeatedly throughout the**
 * book. What is the distinction between the two?**

//Summative is the big test to see if they have accomplished the indicated goals.

Formative is the "physical". It is the day to day check to see if they are progressing.//


 * Chapter 2**
 * How Do We Respond When Kids Don’t Learn?**

1a. Happy Medium school – do something for the students but not going all out. 1b. Blending of the options already given. 1c. Sink or swim – get it or go somewhere else.
 * 1. This chapter describes the different responses of four schools that confront**
 * students who are not learning. Are there other responses you can identify?**

have //all four// of these responses occurring in the same school at the same time. . . . Students in the same school who experience difficulty in learning will be subject to very different responses based upon the beliefs and practices of their teachers”? Cite evidence from your own school to support your answer.** Pyramid of intervention attempts to guide us, but…
 * 2.** **Do you agree with the assertion that “in the real world of schools, we
 * 1) All four responses are active in our school. In fact, individual teachers often utilize more than one – it depends on the student/situation. Some have retests, some do not.

3. The school sets aside time for academic assist in the Professional Learning Communities as opposed to making the teacher “find time” to work extra with individual students. We aren’t sure what the model of a school such as a PLC would look like. How/when do you provide the time? How do you “make” the student show up for help? Academic assist is not effective for every student! What are the alternatives? Freshmen mentoring is not effective for all students, what are the alternatives? When kids fail to do work well, or fail to do work at all, what are the options? Should we assign detentions and make the kids stay with us until they are caught up?
 * 3. The authors contend that PLCs approach time and support for learning**
 * from a very different perspective than that of traditional schools.**
 * Summarize that difference in your own words.**


 * 4. Educators could argue that time and support for learning have always**
 * been variables in school. They could point to retention, summer school,**
 * remedial programs, and schools that design curricula to stretch 1 year of**
 * algebra into a 2-year program as examples of traditional approaches that**
 * give students extra time and support for learning. Why would the authors**
 * reject these strategies as inconsistent with their message?**
 * 1) Retention, summer school and remedial programs are AFTER the fact programs. Current programs are what the authors what to see and are effective. Continuous evaluations are needed and changes are made immediately. Failure should not be an option there should be some sort of alternative.

5. No consistency, since each teacher gave their opinions on what could be done to raise the grade. With PIV, students and parents should be very informed on student progress. E-mail has allowed for easy contact between parents and teachers. Group conferences between parents and teachers fail to do much to influence student behavior. Parents need to push from home to help students do better.
 * 5. The chapter concludes with the scenario of what happens to Johnny Jones**
 * when he is not learning. Do you agree with the idea that “this situation**
 * represents the norm in most schools?” Why or why not?**


 * Chapter 3**
 * A High School’s Collective Response When Kids Don’t Learn:**
 * Adlai Stevenson High School**

Lack of study skills; poor work habits; student apathy; specifically for students with special needs, there is a lack of Resource Rooms offering content area courses; limited Special Ed. staff to meet needs of all identified special needs (and at-risk) students; home environment (lack of support from parents).
 * 1. This chapter reflects on the varying explanations and reasons offered at**
 * Adlai Stevenson High School in the early 1980s as to why students were**
 * not being successful. What explanations are offered at your school?**

Middle School set up proficiency assessments for Reading, Writing, Math, and Foreign Language. These covered what students needed to know in order to enter high school. The scores determined which "track" the students would follow: Honors, College Prep, or Modified classes; Counselor Watch list was provided from the Middle School Principal. Summer School; Counselor Watch; Good Friend Program (teacher/student link); Counselor Check-In (weekly meeting with counselor); Summer school courses for study skills for Freshmen with an 80% attendance rate
 * 2. How did Stevenson High School . . .**
 * a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for**
 * learning?**
 * b. Provide this additional time and support?**


 * 3. Generate a list of the various steps the school created to give students**
 * additional time and support.** Pyramid of Interventions; Mandatory tutoring two times a week...D or F; Guided Study; Mentor Program.
 * a. Which steps could be easily adopted in your school or adapted to meet**
 * the needs of your students?** Counselor Watch; Good Friend Check list; Academic Assist/Tutoring; Mentor Program; Counselor Check In
 * b. Which steps could be adopted or adapted after considerable effort?** More support staff and more physical classroom space would be needed to implement most of these ideas;
 * c. Which steps would be impossible to adopt or adapt in your school?** It would be hard to get 80% of Freshman to take summer school classes


 * Chapter 4**
 * Overcoming Logistical Barriers at Adlai Stevenson**

Obstacles we were/are faced with: (same as Adlai Stevenson): a. time - work within current schedule...mostly overcome this obstacle b. space - not enough class space for every student to earn a way out of study hall c. personnel - lack of full - time tutors in Academic Assist...contracts, inconsistent enforcement by staff d. discipline - based on grades & behavior e. rights vs. privilege f. student apathy
 * 1. This chapter describes how Stevenson staff addressed some of the**
 * barriers they confronted when attempting to provide students with timely,**
 * directive, systematic interventions. List some of the barriers you will**
 * confront in your school.**

1. Re-visit Adlai/conference call...where are they now, feedback/advise...visit other local schools to compare 2. Change student views of rights vs. privileges (building climate) 3. Lack of staff/space to change from academic-based to behavioral/academic Academic Assist (page 74) 4. Make examples out of a few (successful example: holes in jeans) 5. Allow more parent input into Academic Assist...parents request child placed into the program 6. Raise student & parent "discomfort level" of Academic Assist...legal issues?? 7. Raise expectations of student behavior/conduct-clear communication of these to the students 8. This should be easier to do, since we have good kids 9. Higher consequences for upper class infractions...loss of late start/parking, etc. 10. Implement changes with a beginning of the year assembly...set the tone in a positive manner (better climate means better morale means better staff/student performance)
 * 2. Use “Where Do We Go From Here?” Worksheet #1 (at the end of this guide)**
 * to develop a plan for creating a system of interventions in your own school.**


 * Chapter 5**
 * Providing Time and Support for Kids in Middle School:**
 * Freeport Intermediate School**


 * _**


 * 1. Some critics of the middle school concept maintain that the model has**
 * been too focused on the social and emotional development of young**
 * adolescents at the expense of the academic rigor necessary for their**
 * intellectual development. What is your reaction to that criticism?**
 * 2. How did Freeport Intermediate . . .**
 * a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for learning?**
 * b. Provide that additional time and support?**


 * 3. Freeport Intermediate calls upon teachers to give common assessments to**
 * students on a regular basis and to share their results with each other in**
 * order to identify and replicate successful strategies a colleague might be**
 * using. What concerns might teachers have about this process? What steps**
 * could be taken to address some of those concerns in a productive way?**


 * Chapter 6**
 * A School-Wide System of Time and Support for Elementary Students:**
 * Boones Mill Elementary School**


 * _**


 * 1. Boones Mill began its process of creating a school-wide system of time**
 * and support by building shared knowledge of the current reality in the**
 * school in terms of how the school responded when a student was not**
 * learning. Its staff demonstrated the discipline to confront the brutal facts**
 * of that reality. What is your current reality? What happens in your school**
 * when kids don’t learn?**
 * 2. How did Boones Mill Elementary School . . .**
 * a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for**
 * learning?**
 * b. Provide that additional time and support?**


 * 3. Review the steps in the “Team Learning Process” utilized by Boones**
 * Mill. How did this process contribute to the implementation of Project**
 * PASS, the school’s system of time and support for students?**
 * 4. Once Boones Mill was able to create a time each day when students**
 * were available for additional support, staff members were able to**
 * identify a variety of ways to enlist the assistance of others in giving**
 * students personal attention. What additional human resources could you**
 * enlist in the effort to help all students learn at high levels?**


 * Chapter 7**
 * A School-Wide System of Time and Support for Elementary Students:**
 * Los Penasquitos Elementary School**


 * _**


 * 1. How did Los Penasquitos Elementary School . . .**
 * a. Identify students who needed additional time and support for**
 * learning?**
 * b. Provide that additional time and support?**
 * 2. Compare and contrast the Boones Mill plan for intervention with the Los**
 * Penasquitos plan for intervention.**


 * 3. How are the commitments presented in the Los Pen Pledge different**
 * from the belief statements included in most strategic planning and**
 * visioning processes being used by schools?**
 * 4. Contrast the use of the Los Pen Student Success Team with the typical**
 * use of Child Study Teams in traditional schools.**
 * 5. Los Pen operates under the assumption that student achievement data**
 * should be easily accessible to and openly shared among teachers. Is**
 * student achievement data easily accessible and openly shared in your**
 * school? What steps might be taken to make this happen in your school?**


 * Chapter 8**
 * Common Threads**


 * _**


 * 1. This chapter reiterates the characteristics of a PLC presented in the**
 * introduction and provides examples of how the four featured schools**
 * brought these characteristics to life. Use “Where Do We Go From Here”**
 * Worksheets #2 through #6 (at the end of this guide) to assess your school**
 * in each area and to generate plans for moving forward.**

Ideally, the leaders would develop the vision of the PLC (including the goals, direction, and ultimate effectiveness of the collaborative effort). The leaders would have to be willing to lead by example, insist on working together toward meeting established goals, and maintain a proactive (and somewhat preventitive) posture throughout the development and implementation phases of esablishing the Professional Learning Community within the school building. The leaders would select the collaborative teams and designate the immediate (and measurable) goals to be met. Before implementation of a "loose-tight" leadership model can be established, a culture centered around improving student achievement must be fostered throughout the teaching staff, administration, and the student body that encourages responsibility toward a collective effort in attaining such goals.
 * 2. This chapter describes principals who used “simultaneous loose-tight**
 * leadership” in implementing improvement processes in their schools.**
 * What are the things leaders must be “tight” about if they hope to create**
 * PLCs?**
 * 3. Provide examples of how principals empowered their staffs (were**
 * “loose”) by giving them significant authority and autonomy in the**
 * improvement process.**Common planning time has had a profound impact on developing a sense of academic coherence at Lake High School. The professional environment at Lake High School offers teachers autonomy in the classroom, freedom to design (or explore) new approaches that may prove beneficial to student achievement, and continuous improvement strategies for overall positive growth.
 * 4. Consider how you might apply the concept of simultaneous loose-tight**
 * leadership in your school.**


 * Chapter 9**
 * The Philosophical Challenges of Systematic Interventions for Students**


 * _**


 * 1. This chapter explores several challenges that might be raised against the**
 * proposal to build a system of interventions for students when they are not**
 * learning. What other philosophical challenges might be presented?**

//Other challenges include the following://
 * 1) //Do your instructional techniques create self-directed/life-long learners?//
 * 2) //Are parents and businesses/community leaders supportive of the quality and depth of daily instruction occurring in the high school classrooms?//
 * 3) //Are all students given high-level instruction throughout the class period including small group intervention?//


 * 2. Most of the challenges to the system of interventions will focus on**
 * implementation problems rather than on philosophical concerns.**
 * Objections are likely to take the form of “we don’t have enough ‘fill in**
 * the blank’ (time, money, resources, space, consensus, kids who will**
 * comply).” What are some strategies for addressing these concerns?**

//Some strategies include://
 * //creative planning individually and as a team//
 * //involving students in designing lessons//
 * //building community partnerships (this will help secure money, resources, knowledge, and time)//


 * 3. The authors believe that “the benefits of PLC concepts will speak for**
 * themselves if educators demonstrate good faith toward one another as**
 * they honestly assess both best practices for helping all students achieve at**
 * high levels and the current reality of their own schools.” If they are**
 * correct, one of the challenges leaders will face is how to help staff build**
 * shared knowledge regarding best practices and current reality. How**
 * would you propose to meet this challenge?**

//We can meet this challenge through ongoing conversations among staff and community members as well as a commitment to our students and their future.// //This can be accomplished through common planning, staff meetings, professional development, in-service training, after-school training, and community planning sessions.//


 * Chapter 10**
 * Creating a Stretch Culture: A Process, Not a Program**


 * ___**


 * 1. What is the primary message the authors are attempting to convey with**
 * this chapter?**
 * 2. The authors cite research that concludes a climate of “high expectations**
 * for student achievement” is a critical element of effective schools, but**
 * then suggest that the term has been widely misunderstood and**
 * misapplied. Clarify the nature of “high expectations” in a PLC.**
 * 3. If you were called upon to build a system of interventions to assist**
 * students with their learning, what is a short-term win you would plan to**
 * achieve in the first 3 months and how would you celebrate that win?**