PLC Power Talk Webinars

Wednesday, November 15th

We are proud to present our newest white paper, “School Improvement Built on a Foundation of What Works”. Join us in this virtual event for an in-depth look at how our process, purposefully designed for results, has helped hundreds of schools exit school improvement status.

Our PLC School Improvement experts will share evidence- and research-based strategies and processes based on decades of experience and results.

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SEPT 27 - NOV 2

This district leadership series is your opportunity to learn from leaders who are pulling together the elements of successful schooling - from developing talent, transforming instructional practice, and shifting culture. Unlock the potential of every adult working with students. 

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Thursday, September 28

The beginning of every school year creates an outstanding opportunity to lay the groundwork for a successful year. We will be examining some of the dynamic messages that will energize staff and provide momentum for embracing the year with enthusiasm and focus. The leader’s role is so important in setting the stage. Our session will cover the concept of co-accountability for results, ownership of the work, school-wide commitments, focus on outcomes and building the collective efficacy of school staff. Everyone has a “contribution margin” to the success of their respective school. Join us to learn more about setting up for a banner year.

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Thursday, October 5

Not all classroom strategies are created equal. Let’s consider – what teaching and learning strategies, especially at the beginning of each year, will contribute to the highly engaged classroom where students are active participants? We will review some of these high-impact strategies from the perspective of leadership coaching. That is, honing in on “what impacts” and providing coaching feedback. This can give each school a positive surge of energy in ways that allows students to be highly engaged, connected as learners and taking on true ownership of their own learning. Starting strong is always an ideal. We will discuss ways to really “fire up” what happens in our classrooms and then go a step further, in creating habits of practice.

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Thursday, October 12

Now that we are a month and half to two months into the start of the academic year, it’s time to operationalize our status checks. This creates an opportunity for full staff to examine student performance in the early stages of the academic year and measure progress as we build our capacity and strengthen our teaching and learning strategies. As well, we will discuss ways in which a “whole school monitoring” of the school-based plan can be put into motion. The timing is right, early on, for these discussions. Not only will this establish the foundation for “how we operate” in our school, but it will also serve as a framework for checking in throughout the year.

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Tuesday, May 23rd

The right data – in order for schools to improve and systematically measure progress year over year, we need a data set that does just that. Join Betsy Smith, an expert in strategic and school based planning as she discusses why five key areas: leadership structures and practices, curriculum, teaching and learning, student supports and family connection are critical areas for us to have precise data points which document where we are making progress, where challenges exist and how close we are to hitting our target goals. It is always better to know. Don’t miss this foundational component which measures the integrity of a school’s structures, practices and systems. We will share a great tool that will  give our school leaders a powerful model for establishing a baseline and systematically, benefiting from longitudinal data. For our NYS client schools, this tool aligns exactly to the DTSDE model supported by the NYS. And, we will share our format for engaging your staff in a powerful data workshop.

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Wednesday, May 17th

Schools are in an important time now, especially as we look forward and create those solid plans that will continue to move us forward into our upcoming year. Join highly acclaimed educator, former ASI and accomplished school leader, Betsy Conners, as she shares the “how to strategies” for designing plans that make a difference. Betsy will discuss: how to include the “right drivers”, building a sustaining culture, including the instructional strategies that are “must haves” and increasing the capacity of the school staff to stay focused and on point with mission critical. Not all plans are created equal – implementation of a weak plan yields nothing. Implementing a results-based plan will catapult your school into great success.

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Wednesday, May 10th

The five areas where we must have ready strategies, let’s dive deep – student ownership of learning and agency, classroom based engagement strategies, checking for understanding with targeted student feedback, complex, rigorous questions and differentiate instruction and practice. As we build our school based plans, pedagogy matters- we must have ready strategies. Join the widely celebrated instructional expert, Christina Lesh, in describing ways to include these in your professional development plans, all parts of the school improvement plan. Christina will highlight specific elements which create the “domino effect” in schools. That is, as we implement these strategies, it is only a matter of time before they travel school-wide. Why does that happen? The reality is they work- and work quickly. Join us as we discuss these classroom-based strategies which, frankly, are a game-changer for students.

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Wednesday, September 28th

“When the principal sneezes, the whole school catches a cold.  This is neither good nor bad; it is just the truth.”  (Whitaker, 2003).

Culture is based on the personality of the group.  It is the way we do business.  Our messages to and relationships with staff, students, and parents determine if the organization will move ahead or become stagnant. To build a successful culture, leaders need to have demonstrated past supportive relationships and have a plan for how to grow and sustain as a community. This includes understanding and providing clarity for how current practices, beliefs, and behaviors align with the goals and purposes of initiatives and expectations. Schools and districts that are successful have developed a safe, and collaborative culture to support ALL students.

Join Betsy Conners for some quick, easy to implement ideas to build a positive culture in your building or district.

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.

Thursday, October 6th

Do you have a comprehensive data plan that drives strategy development and creates impact? Are you sure?

Join Penny Ciaburri, of PLC Associates, as she describes powerful metrics that support schools in establishing baseline – Where are we now?, setting goals, and measuring impact.

Are you getting the intended results from the metrics we use? Penny will review two of the several survey tools and metrics that have helped client schools perform better and get results.

• The Data Triangle and SEDH/DEI Climate Surveys include staff, student and families, which allows us to crosswalk the data sets.
• Prior to any professional learning, The Professional Reflection Leaning Tool is a must – it tells us exactly, our point of entry for planning. Teachers appreciate this, as professional learning becomes highly relevant to what staff want/need.

PLC Associates is successfully using these tools with vast numbers of their client schools, posting great results. And for our NYS Schools, these tools are aligned with the DTSDE process.

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.

Wednesday, October 12th

Districts saw a significant increase in chronic absenteeism during the pandemic, and levels still remain high. We know that chronic absenteeism in early childhood will result in students who cannot read on grade level by the end of third grade. We know that irregular attendance has a direct impact on whether or not a student will graduate from high school. In an recent national survey, school district leaders reported three urgent issues: climate and culture, staff retention, and learning loss. Student absenteeism attributes to each of these.

How do we begin to collectively develop structures and systems to address gaps in attendance? How do we track chronic absenteeism and design supports to counter-act? Do you have a toolkit of strategies for how to talk about why attendance is vital with students and parents?

Join Besty Conners as she answers and provide options for how you can immediately begin to address absenteeism and put in place proactive supports and structures.

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.

Tuesday, October 18th

Exactly what is a guiding coalition?

Join Penny Ciaburri of PLC Associates as she describes explicit strategies for building the critical mass support in each of our schools that we need to pursue our shared goals. We will discuss the seven levels of transformation, a model created by PLC Associates, in terms of what leaders must do and be prepared for at every level of a change effort. It is critically important that we are proactive in our planning and prepared for targeted implementation so that we are able to fully integrate new strategies within our schools. Whether it is the introduction of a new curriculum, MTSS, professional learning, integration of instructional technology… leaders who successfully manage implementation are able to quickly move their schools to successful results.

Collective efficacy is essential and- the stronger the coalition, the greater our opportunity to get to results. Put yourself in a great position, join us as we offer high-impact leadership strategies to get our schools moving!

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.

Thursday, October 27th

Think back to this past summer when you set goals and wrote action plans as a school and/or district. Where are you now with those plans? Are you implementing with integrity? Having a plan is one thing, putting it into action and monitoring takes next level commitment.

We know as leaders “what gets measured gets done” (Schmoker).

Ask yourself:

• Have you and your team described what your plan will look like when it’s on schedule? Does your staff know this?
• Do you know if you are on schedule to meet your plan’s goals?
• How are you evaluating success as well as identifying needs and course corrections?

To be laser focused means consistently messaging and monitoring – involving a combination of methods and periodic review of data. Leaders and their teams must be in sync to ensure school and district plans uphold integrity and consistency, resulting in the practices and reaching the goals you intended.

Join Besty Conners for a conversation on how to plan for and execute effective methods to measure your implementation and know if you are on schedule throughout the school year.

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.

Wednesday, November 2nd

Building a strong MTSS system that supports all learners is now more important than ever. We need to be able to move all students from their present level of performance to a new elevated level of performance and achievement. We will discuss the 3 Tiers, recognize the academic, behavioral and social emotional weave, explore successful ways to implement complex change, and learn how to lead systems-thinking at the building and district level.

Schools across the nation are vigorously implementing MTSS structures. As we are on the fast track, let’s make sure we have the fundamentals right so we can be proactive for our students. Join Betsy Conners for a review of the critical components and walk away with an outline of your first steps.

Another advantage, this session will provide our Power Tool to each registrant.