Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Wayne Elementary School

First Presenter’s Email Address

mkmaynar@k12.wv.us

First Presenter's Brief Biography

A leader with knowledge and willingness to set high expectations regarding curriculum, instruction, discipline, scheduling and building management, Ms. Maynard has brought a school from priority status to nationally recognized status. Her responsibilities as principal include supporting county expectations by working with teachers to plan highly effective lessons, develop assessments, and analyze student data. She facilitates professional development for teachers based on the county's initiatives, expectations, and school's needs. Ms. Maynard has masterfully and successfully transitioned the school's PLCs from near non-functional to high-yielding. Teachers report that they are better informed and better prepared to assist students as a result of on-going support and implementation of new programs by Ms. Maynard.

Location

Session Nine Breakouts

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Relevance

Vertical Teams and PLC's are all about academics and how we can improve instruction. I will discuss how these two are not competitors, but using them in a collaborative manner will improve instruction and student achievement.

Brief Program Description

Vertical Teams can be established in every school K-12 to collaborate with PLC’s instead of being the competition. I will show you a framework on how to implement both school-wide. I will discuss how Vertical Teams deconstruct standards with the explicit purpose to transition students seamlessly from grade to grade and how PLC’s will look at the standard’s data to develop the curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Summary

PLC’s (Professional Learning Communities) look at various data points, determine which standards need addressed, and develop instructional strategies, interventions, action steps and assessments to reach true student achievement. The development of assessments “for” learning will be created to assess for mastery. PLC’s are grade and/or subject specific. Teachers will develop a curriculum based on the essential standards. Research-based strategies that promote instruction at DOK 3 or 4 will be developed. The goal is to empower students during their learning. Using high DOK, which contributes to the development of Higher Order Thinking skills (HOT) when teaching, will not only empower students, but keep them engaged. Embedding action orientated PLC’s will leave teachers confident and successful.

Essential standards will be determined and taken to a deeper level during Vertical Teams. Vertical Teams will be established in every school K-12. The essential standards will be deconstructed with the explicit purpose to transition students seamlessly from grade to grade to demonstrate growth and attain mastery of critical skills. Mastery for each grade level will be determined in Vertical Teaming. This builds the curriculum for all teachers K-12 to follow. If we are all focusing on the same standards, every school, with every student we will have consistency in working toward mastery and achievement. The work that is accomplished in Vertical Teaming will be taken back to PLC’s. Grade level or content PLC’s will look at data based on the essential standards, develop the curriculum, instruction, action steps and assessment.

PLC’s and Vertical Teams work collaboratively to ensure high yielding instruction, assessing, and true student achievement.

Evidence

I was the Principal of a rural low performing school for five and a half years. In those five years, we restructured our PLC's and Vertical Teams to only discover that looking at data weekly and developing instruction and assessments of high order thinking would lead us to extreme academic growth in a short period of time. When I took the job in December 2014 the school was considered a Priority school by our State Department. We knew we needed a change. I had received training on PLC's provided by our county that I took back to the school for us to develop and make our own. And it worked! In November 2018, just four short years, we were awarded the National Blue Ribbon School award for academic achievement. We had guidance along the way from the Edwards Educational Group where they taught us the importance of data, instruction, curriculum, standards, and assessment, as well as, the importance of doing all of this at a high DOK level.

Learning Objective 1

Develop an effective, high quality PLC form.

Learning Objective 2

Understand the true function of Vertical Teams.

Learning Objective 3

Make and apply the connection between PLC's and Vertical Teams.

Keyword Descriptors

PLC's, Vertical Teams, Deconstructing Standards, High Order Thinking, Essential Standards, Standards of Focus, EQ’s, DOK, and CFA’s.

Presentation Year

2022

Start Date

3-9-2022 11:15 AM

End Date

3-9-2022 12:30 PM

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Mar 9th, 11:15 AM Mar 9th, 12:30 PM

Bridging Vertical Teams and PLC's to Reach Student Achievement

Session Nine Breakouts

Vertical Teams can be established in every school K-12 to collaborate with PLC’s instead of being the competition. I will show you a framework on how to implement both school-wide. I will discuss how Vertical Teams deconstruct standards with the explicit purpose to transition students seamlessly from grade to grade and how PLC’s will look at the standard’s data to develop the curriculum, instruction, and assessment.