Procedures & Timeline

The PLC Team forms and reviews data to inform plans to engage in professional learning for the academic year.

AUGUST

• Principal selects Inservice Facilitator (IF) and completes IF Update Form.
• IF registers in LAB for IF Orientation.
• Principal, PD Administrator, Inservice Facilitator (IF) and PLC Facilitators review workflow and procedures for PLCs in LAB.
• Form PLC Teams of 4 to 12 teachers who have a common focus.
• Select PLC Facilitators.
• Schedule PLC Facilitation professional development for facilitators, if necessary.
• Develop a team meeting schedule for the year.
• Develop team Norms and review Protocols.
• Discuss traits of successful team members.
• Gather current teacher and student data to identify trends, patterns and root causes to develop a focus for the team.

SEPTEMBER

• Teams create PLC measurable SMART goal to improve student achievement.
• Complete PLC Activity Proposals.
• Review Roles and Responsibilities of PLC members.
• Document the team's PLC Minutes.

OCTOBER

• Teachers register for a PLC in LAB.
• Engage in team building activities.
• Rotate roles of the PLC team members.
• Deconstruct the standard(s) that relate(s) to the SMART goal.
• Develop specific Action Steps, including assignment and a timeline, for the work of the PLC.
• Submit Registration Confirmation Form.

Using the CARE Cycle, team members collaborate to research and implement classroom-centered interventions aligned with team, teacher, and student learning goals. Teachers identify or develop common formative assessments (CFAs), and use them to track teacher and student progress.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

• Research classroom-centered interventions for student learning that align with team, teacher and student learning goals
• Team members develop and apply Common Lessons and Common Formative Assessments.
• Access external subject matter experts within and outside the school to support the attainment of new knowledge and pedagogy. Contact your PDSS Specialist for recommendations.
• Support colleagues’ involvement in additional professional learning opportunities to support the PLC’s focus. For BCPS catalog of offerings, see LAB.
• Regularly provide constructive, timely feedback on instruction to teammates during PLC sessions, using protocols.
• Continue to document the team's PLC Minutes.

JANUARY

• Use formative data to reflect and analyze changes in teacher practices and student learning that relate to the focus of the PLC.
• Rotate responsibilities among team members.
• Observe colleagues using relevant teaching strategies.
• IFs and PLC Facilitators continue to participate in monthly webinars.

FEBRUARY

• Share team accomplishments school-wide.
• Revisit and continue activities in previous months, as appropriate.

MARCH

• Continue the work of the PLC using previous months’ activities.
• Engage in team-building activities.

Use summative data to evaluate the PLC’s impact on changes in teacher practice and student learning, and to inform future work.

APRIL/MAY

• PLC teams reflect and analyze the work of the PLC using appropriate protocol.
• Measure and evaluate impact of the PLC using summative assessment (or equivalent) identified in the team’s SMART Goal.
• All PLC participants complete PLC Feedback Survey in LAB.
• PLC Facilitators reconcile sign-in sheets and confirm attendance of PLC team participants who should/should not receive inservice.
• IFs register for end-of-year Closeout Sessions. During session, IFs archive/close PLCs to award inservice points to successful PLC completers.
• All PLCs end May 15th.

JUNE

• PLC Teams select summer reading.