Support File for ELCC Standard 2

A building-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of

every student by sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to
student learning through collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning
environment with high expectations for students; creating and evaluating a
comprehensive, rigorous and coherent curricular and instructional school program;
developing and supervising the instructional and leadership capacity of school staff;
and promoting the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching
and learning within a school environment.

Standard Artifact/Activit
Element y

Reflection

Source
(Course)

2.1, 2.2

Leader in Me
Implementation

Country Oaks
Elementary LiM

2.3

New Teacher
Interviews

Served as a member of the schools

Leader in Me Lighthouse Team and
Curriculum and Collaboration Action
Team.
Served on the interview team to hire a
new 5th grade teacher.

2.1, 2.3
2.3

Moodle Reflection
#2
Mini Presentation #1

2.3, 2.4

PLC Staff Survey

*Artifact 1

2.3

5 Dimensions
Training

2.3

Staff Evaluations

2.3

Interview Questions
*Artifact 2

2.1, 2.2

Professional
Learning Action
Plan
*Artifact 3

2.4

Technology Tool

Examined LiM and how it fosters a

learning and leadership culture.
Worked with a group to identify
relationships between teacher
mentoring, evaluation, and professional
development.
Created a survey with a group designed
to better understand PLCs at Gretchko
Elementary School.
Attended training for the new
evaluation model being adopted for
Huron Valley Schools.
Completed evaluations for secretarial,
media, para-professional, and custodial
staff.
Created a set of interview questions
designed to identify an ideal candidate
for an upper elementary teaching
position
Worked in a team to create a fictional
company that was designed to improve
professional learning and student
achievement
Worked collaboratively to present

Country Oaks
Elementary
Interview Team
EA 746
EA 746

EA 749

Huron Valley
Schools
Country Oaks
Elementary
EA 754

EA 746

EA 740

Presentation

Socrative, a tool educators can use for

timely formative and summative
assessment

*Artifacts are labeled and listed below.

Artifact 1
The purpose of the following survey is to identify historical and baseline data about Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs) at Gretchko Elementary School. The survey will also determine
the level to which PLCs have been implemented at Gretchko. Finally, our team will be using the
survey results to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the two grade level PLCs at Gretchko
Elementary.
The intended participants for the survey are the kindergarten and first grade teachers at Gretchko
Elementary School. There are seven kindergarten teachers and six first grade teachers at
Gretchko.
The survey results will first be summarized by grade level. Next, we will determine the
percentage of responses for each question. From there, we will use the survey responses to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of each individual PLC. Lastly, the survey results will be
analyzed looking for recommendations of next steps for each grade levels PLC.

Professional Learning Community Staf

Survey
This survey was created to collect data for an action research project
regarding the implementation and efectiveness of the PLCs at Gretchko
Elementary School. Your honest feedback is appreciated as our action
research team is looking to identify the link between efective PLCs and
student achievement. Thank you!
* Required
What grade level do you teach? *
o
Kindergarten
o

First Grade

How often does your grade-level PLC meet? *

o
Once per week
o

Twice per month

Once per month

Other:

In minutes, how long does your average grade-level PLC last? *

To what extent has collaboration been implemented in your

grade-level PLC? *
o
A lot
o

Some

Little

To what extent has your grade-level PLC implemented the use

of common assessments? *

A lot

Some

Little

To what extent does your grade-level PLC receive

administrative support to operate effectively? *
o
A lot
o

Some

Little

To what extent does your grade-level PLC implement the

analysis and utilization of data? *
o
A lot
o

Some

Little

To what extent has your grade-level PLC been provided

sufficient time to hold your meetings? *
o
A lot
o

Some

Little

To what extent has your grade-level PLC been creating SMART

goals for intervention? *
o
A lot
o

Some

Little

Please list one or more strengths of your grade-level PLC. *

Please list one or more areas where you would like to see your
grade-level PLC improve. *

Submit

Artifact 2
Greg Ristau
EA 754
September 27, 2015

Interview Questions
Our school is interviewing for an upper elementary teaching position. It is a full time
position that requires the teacher to teach all subjects except for Social Studies. In the upper
elementary classrooms, teachers switch classes for Science and Social Studies, so this position
would require the teacher to teach Science to their class and one other class. Our school is also a
Leader in Me school, and we would be looking for candidates that have knowledge of, and/or
experience with, Coveys 7 Habits.
Topic: Educational Interests
Question one: If you could have or create any position at our school, what would it be?

Rationale: Interested in learning about their passions and interests as they relate to education.
Deeper or Tag Question: Tell us about some of your prior teaching experiences.
Topic: Professional Learning
Question two: When you hear the phrase, Teachers are life-long learners, what does that mean
to you?
Rationale: Interested in understanding their thoughts about professional learning and the role
that it plays in education.
Deeper or Tag Question: Tell us about some of the professional learning opportunities you have
participated in and/or would like to participate in. (This could also lead into a discussion about
their post bachelors degree aspirations.)
Topic: Student Engagement and Classroom Management
Question three: Can you tell us about some of the ways that you motivate your students to
learn?
Rationale: Interested in learning about their student engagement practices and possibly their
teaching style.
Deeper or Tag Question: What do you do when you are teaching a lesson and you notice that
some of your students are not engaged?
Question four: How do you handle behavior issues in your classroom?
Rationale: Interested in learning about their classroom management practices.
Deeper or Tag Question: Tell us how you have handled (or would handle) a student that
frequently makes poor choices or is a disruption in class.
Topic: Assessment and Intervention
Question five: Tell us about the types of assessments you use to drive instruction.
Rationale: Interested in understanding how they use assessments to plan lessons and
differentiate instruction.
Deeper or Tag Question: What are some specific formative assessments you have found to be
successful?
Question six: What are some of the interventions you have used in your classroom?

Rationale: Interested in how the candidates address students that are not demonstrating growth
in the classroom.
Deeper or Tag Question: What can you tell us about the RTI model?
Topic: Curriculum and Teaching Style
Question seven: This position involves teaching Science to your class and another class, while
your students would go to another teacher for Social Studies. Tell us how you teach Science in
your classroom.
Rationale: Interested in how they approach teaching Science, and their reaction to
switching/teaming with another teacher.
Deeper or Tag Question: Describe a specific Science lesson you have planned and taught.
Question eight: What do you believe are best practices for teaching reading and writing?
Rationale: Interested in their teaching style as it pertains to ELA, and if they have any
knowledge of the workshop model.
Deeper or Tag Question: What is your experience with teaching reading and/or writing
workshop?
Topic: Leader in Me
Question nine: Tell us what you know about Coveys 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Rationale: Interested in determining if they have any experience with, and/or knowledge of,
Coveys leadership principles.
Deeper or Tag Question: What can you tell me about Leader in Me Schools?

Topic: Family Engagement

Question ten: How do you build positive relationships with the families of your students?
Rationale: Interested in how they engage families in the learning process.
Deeper or Tag Question: Tell us how you communicate with families and how you keep them
informed about their childs learning.

Artifact 3
Greg Ristau

EA 746
Action Plan Summary

The idea behind New Education World was a result of understanding the demands of the
current educational climate, along with recognizing the supports that schools needed to meet
those demands. Most school districts are working tirelessly to be successful, but struggle with
limited resources. As a result, overworked teachers are focused more on survival and less on

achievement. Symbolically speaking, the souls of the teaching profession have been worn thin.
Our group recognized that changes in professional development would have to take place if this
trend was going to change.
Current educational structures tend to follow a simple hierarchy that operates with
vertical coordination (Bolman and Deal, 2008). Many districts develop and implement a
professional learning plan that does not necessarily meet the needs of individual buildings or its
teaching staff. Limited resources like time and money, force districts to rely on mass coverage
when it comes to professional development. This type of PD falls under the umbrella of what
McGregor refers to as Theory X or external control (Bolman and Deal, 2008). Our goal at
New Education World is to change this practice by helping districts implement professional
learning that focuses entirely on the needs of their individual buildings. Instead of one size fits
all, our approach provides rich professional development that is unique to each grade level and
allows learning to be results oriented as opposed to coverage based (Wiggins and McTighe,
2005). This approach creates a professional learning environment that is job embedded and
allows teachers to focus on the unique aspects of teaching.
New Education World believes in McGregors Theory Y human resources approach
(Bolman and Deal, 2008). Because of this, our company focuses on three areas that will allow
schools to be as effective as they can be to achieve their desired results. Our company has
identified that teachers and administrators need support in the school improvement process. This
includes the collection and interpretation of data to help identify target areas for growth. With all
of the expectations that public schools face in todays educational climate, building staffs are
spread way too thin. It is difficult to utilize a backward design approach when the desired results
seem like a constantly moving target. Our goal at New Education World is to assist your school
with authentic PLC implementation, bringing clarity and focus to the needs of the students and

staffs at your individual schools. But for Theory Y to become a reality, conditions within
buildings and districts must change. If educators do not believe in the process, they are less
likely to be satisfied and will not strive to achieve their goals.
At New Education World we understand that teachers want to be in their classrooms and
buildings as much as possible. We also know that much of the culture surrounding PD is one of
dread and negativity. Making plans for guest teachers is time consuming, especially when you
need to be gone for days at a time. Teachers become anxious wondering who is with their
students and how things are going, which can take their focus away from the learning that is
supposed to be taking place. This is where our first support service comes into play, addressing
the process and context component of PLCs (DuFour and Eaker, 1998). New Education World
brings certified teachers to your building, providing flexibility on site. Our guest teachers are
able to teach in your classrooms, giving PLC teams time to observe, learn, and plan with one
another. Instead of being out of the building all day, teachers would only be out of their
classroom for an hour or two at a time. These times would also adhere to a consistent schedule,
as opposed to PD days that are typically scattered throughout the year. We understand that PLCs
need consistency to be successful, and this model will help to make that a reality.
In addition to guest teachers, New Education World also provides veteran teachers that
are able to work with your building PLC teams, facilitating and modeling the process. This
support would be intended to guide the learning experience, as opposed to someone telling your
teachers what to do. These are not outside experts that have studied PLCs, these are experienced
teachers that have lived the process. One of the seven tenets of the Understanding by Design
framework states that teachers should be thinking purposefully about curricular planning in order
to enhance learning. Having the time to observe your PLC team members and their students in
action, allows for authentic discussion about the teaching and learning process. It gives teachers

the opportunity to learn from one another while providing feedback regarding strengths and areas
that need improvement. This continuous professional learning would serve as the foundation for
a new style of teacher evaluation aimed at professional growth. The days of one or more isolated
observations would be a thing of the past, replaced by peer instructional rounds, discussions, and
written reflection. This evaluation model would also free up administrators by drastically
reducing the amount of time it takes to meet with and observe the staff multiple times throughout
the year. Evaluation meetings would focus on goals and student achievement, while instructional
practice would be left to the members of the PLC.
Knowing the amount of responsibilities that are heaped upon administrators, New
Education World also provides support for administrators in this professional learning process.
Planning and providing successful professional learning for a staff can be a daunting task.
Assisting your staff with their professional growth can be challenging as well. In addition to
providing guest teachers, New Education World includes on site administrative consultation.
This administrator has experience in implementing and maintaining successful PLCs,
understands how to utilize data in the school improvement and teacher evaluation process, and is
also able to help transition building administrators into the new model of teacher evaluation. By
utilizing the UbD stages of backward design, this consultant will work side by side with the
building principal to identify desired results for school improvement, student achievement, and
teacher evaluation. From there, we will help determine acceptable evidence for evaluating the
desired results, and finally look toward a learning plan that is tailored to the individual needs
identified in your building. The goal here is to facilitate a transition from the traditional vertical
coordination, to a more lateral structure that creates a strong collaborative environment.
Another tenet of the UbD framework focuses on continual improvement in the areas of
student achievement and teacher craft. To be able to do this successfully, data is essential. Our

final support service dedicates our resources toward creating an environment that embraces the
use of data in your classrooms and professional learning communities. New Education World
understands how overwhelming data can be and how this typically leads to it being
underutilized. There is so much data to collect and analyze, most teachers do not even know
where to begin. PLC success is dependent on authentic data usage however, and we aim to make
this part of the learning process more manageable. At New Education World, we have data
experts that are not only trained on data collection and analysis, they are also able to meet and
discuss the data with your PLC teams. We know that printing a bunch of reports for your
teachers to read only scratches the surface. Most teachers need help understanding the results, so
they can determine the teams next steps. On site analysis and review with one or more of our
data experts will help your grade level PLCs target areas for student growth, enabling them to
focus their efforts on learning experiences aimed at improving their craft. And this part of the
service can continue even after the PLCs have been implemented with fidelity and the
professional learning culture has completed its transition.
Running public schools effectively and efficiently continues to grow in complexity each
year. If structures continue to be overlooked, districts will end up wasting more time and money.
New Education World wants to help school districts reinvest in their people, with the goal of
creating a new, more collaborative culture where authentic learning can take place for all
stakeholders. Culture forms the super glue that bonds an organization, unites people, and helps
an enterprise accomplish desired ends. (Bolman and Deal, 2008, p. 253) Our goal is to help
implement a new professional learning culture, so schools can create these bonds and improve
student achievement.