DLC's @ WHS Learning and Growing Together
Department Learning Communities (DLC) at Waldwick High School are the primary vehicle for collaboration and improvement. Teachers meet by content areas to establish vertical and horizontal alignment, work toward common goals, and support one another in the pursuit of excellence for all students
DLCs at WHS will:
Focus on issues related to student achievement.
Make data-driven, evidence-based decisions about teaching and learning.
Collaborate to ensure quality curriculum that will lead to effective instruction for all students.
Emphasize actionable planning.
Shift to "Learning" as our Priority
3 points of Clarity for DLC’s
Focus on Collaboration
- No school can help all students achieve at high levels if teachers work in isolation.
- Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, develop common assessments for learning, analyze evidence of student learning, and use that evidence to learn from one another.
Focus on Results
- DLCs measure their effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions.
- All programs, policies, and practices are continually assessed on the basis of their impact on student learning.
- All staff members receive relevant and timely information on their effectiveness in achieving intended results.
Focus on Learning (4 Critical Questions)
- What do we want students to learn? (Essential Standards) What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course?
- How will we know if they have learned? (Team-Developed Common Assessments) Are we monitoring each student’s learning on a timely basis? What is the common assessment, survey, project we will use?
- What will we do if they don’t learn? (Systematic Interventions) What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty? What do we need to discuss with our department, shared grade and level partners, colleagues, and administrators?
- What will we do if they already know it? (Extended Learning) How do we extend and enrich learning to challenge students beyond the standards?
Our we CRYSTAL CLEAR from ... Level to Level, Year to Year on what should be Covered, Accomplished and Mastered
Teaching without learning isn't teaching at all, its just presenting
How WE do the work
Show up willing to participate. As a group, establish your norms and shared responsibilities. Make a commitment to hold student learning as the top priority.
Work toward common goals. As a group work collaboratively to determine SMART goals or a list of desired outcomes with actionable steps to move toward the goal.
Goals may reflect in PDP’s
Utilize available data from common formative and summative assessment, as appropriate. You may also look at progress toward shared goals, such as developing reading fluency, increasing critical thinking skills, etc.
Document the group’s progress. Create a shared Folder/Doc for the group.
Bringing it all together
Implementation Plan
Working Wednesday's - Use the next five months to work on real issues that will help us grow as a staff and help us model these 21st century skills for our students.
- January 23 Topic - Communication
- January 28 (Minimum Day Professional Development)
- February 6
- March 13
- April 10
- May 22
DLC Facilitators
- One per Department
- Are teacher-leaders selected by the group to facilitate meetings
- Work with the Admin team to ensures all members of the team have the opportunity to participate and contribute
- Keeps the meeting on topic and focused on student learning
- Maintain artifacts of the group’s work
- Communicates the group’s goals and progress to others
- Brings concerns of the group to Principal/Instructional Supervisor/Director of Curriculum and Instruction
- DLC Member Roles/ Responsibilities