Moving PLC and RTI Forward

Note: Since I wrote this post, I've thought more about professional learning communities and added new thoughts in this post--please take a look.

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Educators challenge that RTI, if not done well, becomes another way to level.

Others wonder about the effects of PLCs.

RTI and PLC, two new constructs in schools today, have tremendous potential to move teaching and learning forward in new and powerful ways, but both constructs have to be implemented and developed with care and a focus on teaching children well.

PLCs (professional learning communities) have the potential to develop our collaborative and collective approach to teaching children well.  At best, a PLC is a construct where teachers share best practice, develop collective goals, and work together to teach all children well.  To use PLCs effectively, educators will follow these steps:

• create and follow streamlined, effective norms and protocols.
• develop targeted foci and goals.
• strategize, teach, and personalize instruction to reach goals.
• review and assess efforts, and plan next steps with clarity and care.

RTI (response to intervention) at best works to serve all students' learning needs with care and focused attention. RTI, similar to PLCs, also works best with targeted foci that begins with establishing goals, success criteria, and starting strategies.  As specific efforts grow, teachers share successful strategies and troubleshoot together.  Finally, the initiative is assessed, and next steps are established.

Questions you might use to lead these efforts include the following:

PLC Questions:

• What roles, norms and protocols will lead our PLC effort?
• What will the typical routine of a PLC meeting look like?
• What is a reasonable number of goals for a year's time?
• What does our PLC year timeline look like?
• As we look at the PLC year, what collective goal(s) will we target? When choosing goals remember that "less is more" and the goal should matter to all in your PLC.
• Why have we chosen that goal(s)? (rationale)
• How do we define our goal(s)?
• Using backwards design, what is the structure for the goal?
• What is the goal's success criteria? 
• What is the goal's timeline?
• What roles will each educator play in the goal?
• What strategies will we use to achieve the goal(s)?
• When and how will we assess the goal's success criteria?
• After we assess the goal's success criteria, what will be the next steps for this goal?

RTI Questions

• What student learning goals will be the focus of RTI?
• What criteria are we using to assess student development, growth, and success?
• Which children are we serving well with regard to those areas of study, and which children need greater attention?
• How will we target and meet students' needs in the determined areas with current staffing and schedules?
• What is the goal and determined success criteria for the determined RTI initiative?
• What does the RTI schedule look like?
• What will the RTI focus timeline look like?
• What strategies will we use and share as we move along the timeline and bring students from unknowing to knowing in the determined area?
• When and how will we use formative assessments as we move towards the RTI goal?
• When will we assess students' overall growth related to the success criteria, and how will we respond to assessment results?
• How will we tailor RTI so that we meet students' learning needs well, but not limit students' potential, confidence and growth with undue leveling? 

I continue to support RTI and PLC initiatives, and I also support growing these practices in ways that build trust, collaboration, and optimal student service, engagement, and effect.


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