Through New Eyes Facilitator’s Guide

THROUGH

NEW EYES SECOND EDITION Examining the Culture of Your School

Richard DuFour & Eric Twadell

Copyright © 2003, 2024 by Solution Tree Press Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved.

Readers may reproduce only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.

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Printed in the United States of America Solution Tree Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO Edmund M. Ackerman, President Solution Tree Press President and Publisher: Douglas M. Rife Associate Publishers: Todd Brakke and Kendra Slayton Editorial Director: Laurel Hecker Art Director: Rian Anderson Copy Chief: Jessi Finn Proofreader: Sarah Ludwig Text and Cover Designer: Abigail Bowen Acquisitions Editors: Carol Collins and Hilary Goff Assistant Acquisitions Editor: Elijah Oates Content Development Specialist: Amy Rubenstein Associate Editor: Sarah Ludwig Editorial Assistant: Anne Marie Watkins

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In 2001, our visionary superintendent, Dr. Richard (Rick) DuFour, had an idea. I (Eric) vividly recall him engaging a small team of teachers and leaders at Adlai E. Stevenson High School and asking, “What if we create a series of videos that contrasts a student’s experience in a traditional high school with that in Stevenson High School?” This question would lead to the first edition video of Through New Eyes. From there, what started as a fun little project that we intended as an engaging tool for the numerous visitors we had during our school’s monthly site-visit days evolved into an essential component of the Professional Learning Communities at Work® library of resources.

As time has passed, the clothing, technology, and hairstyles featured in the original videos have changed, yet the core message remains the same. To paraphrase Peter Drucker (1991), culture eats structure for breakfast. This second edition of Through New Eyes aims to help a new generation of schools and educators reflect on their culture and evaluate the extent to which learning, not teaching, serves as their foundational purpose.

Fast-forward to 2023, when I found myself asking two of my amazing colleagues a question similar to the one that Rick had asked us: “Hey, would you mind helping me out on a little project?” Without hesitation, Zara Dittman, Spanish teacher and director of the Freshman Mentor Program, said, “Yes, I would love to help!” and proceeded to put on a master class on organization and video production. Similarly, John Dizon, digital designer at Stevenson, did a fantastic job directing and recording the videos.

A school is nothing without the adults who work in it. Thank you to the following faculty and administrative team members who stepped away from their day-to-day roles and responsibilities for a bit to flex their Hollywood muscles: Sarah LaFrancis, Sarah Bowen, LeViis Haney, Jaison Varghese, Darshan Jain, Zara Dittman, Lindsay Jurjovec, Christina Lee, Dave Eddy, Sean Carney, and Pia Fortunato.

Most importantly, we would like to thank the students of Adlai E. Stevenson High School who participated in this project. Spending time with these wonderful students made it clear that they are just as passionate about Stevenson and the culture we have been able to create and sustain over the years as we are. Our sincerest thanks to Justin Katin, Aditee Sakhare, Alex Day, Ellen King, Brianna Michuda, Joseph Chan, Maxwell Linder, Hailey Rockoff, Katherine Arne, Benjamin Eisen, Christina Mo, Kelly Liu, Charles Grabiner, James Angelos, Nicholas Sevcik, and Sarah Sagerman.

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THROUGH NEW EYES, SECOND EDITION

Because the mission of Stevenson is success for every student, all primary author royalties from this resource are being donated directly to the Stevenson High School Foundation’s Stevenson to College (S2C) program (www.stevensonfoundation.org/s2c), which provides funding and mentoring to first-generation college students graduating from Adlai E. Stevenson High School.

Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download the free reproducibles in this book.

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S NOTES TO THE FACILITATOR / 1 Learning Objectives / 2 Materials / 2

FACILITATING THE WORKSHOP / 3 Welcome and Icebreaker Activity (10 Minutes) / 4 Introduction (20 Minutes) / 4 Part 1 Video and Discussion: The Darwin High School Experience (30 Minutes) With Break (10 Minutes) / 4 Part 2 Video and Discussion: The Kranz High School Experience (40 Minutes) / 5 Activity: Examine Your School Through New Eyes (45 Minutes) With Break (10 Minutes) / 5 Activity: Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning (30 Minutes) / 5 Conclusion (10 Minutes) / 6

REPRODUCIBLE HANDOUTS / 7 Introduction to Through New Eyes / 8 Failure Is Not an Option! / 11 Part 1 Focus Questions / 12 Part 2 Focus Questions / 13 Critical Elements of a Culture That Focuses on Learning / 14 Look at Your School Through New Eyes / 15 Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning / 16

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES / 17

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NOTES TO THE FA C I L I TAT O R Schools across North America have embraced the Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® process for school reform and improvement since the late 1990s (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). Research supporting that schools be PLCs is overwhelming, and we see a positive impact on student learning and achievement (AllThingsPLC, n.d.). This success has been possible because the three big ideas—(1) a focus on learning, (2) a collaborative culture and collective responsibility, and (3) a results orientation (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many, & Mattos, 2016)—have helped schools realize the importance of establishing a culture of continuous improvement and adult learning.

While a vast number of schools making the shift to the PLC at Work process have been remarkably successful (AllThingsPLC, n.d.), some schools have struggled to make the transition. If schools are to function as PLCs, educators must engage in a deliberate and sustained effort to communicate new stories that express, amplify, and validate the principles of a learning community. When we work with those struggling schools, it becomes apparent that despite a focus on many of the right structural shifts (implementing a guaranteed and viable curriculum, common assessments, interventions, and so on), they have forgotten that, more than anything, becoming a PLC is a shift in culture more than a shift in structure.

Anthropologist Jennifer James (1996) describes culture as “the stories we tell ourselves.”

These stories explain who we are and what we do. But stories can also be used to shape a new culture. Peter Senge argues that the effort to create any learning organization requires a never-ending process of articulating familiar stories that embody both the purpose and the shared values of the learning organization (Senge, Ross, Smith, Roberts, & Kleiner, 1994).

The first edition of Through New Eyes (DuFour, 2003) was recorded at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in 2001 to help schools understand the importance of culture in the school-improvement process. This updated second edition tells the same story of school culture through the experiences of a student struggling in two different schools— one that hasn’t made the shift toward learning as its fundamental purpose and another that has fully embraced the PLC at Work process. It calls on viewers to relate to this student’s feelings, assess the schools’ practices, and most importantly, examine the reality of their own school from a critical perspective.

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This facilitator’s guide will help you lead a four-hour workshop designed to support teachers and leaders in reflecting on their school’s culture and brainstorming potential changes to focus on learning as their primary purpose. This workshop features a combination of streaming videos and facilitation materials (this facilitator’s guide and its accompanying reproducibles and PowerPoint slides), all of which are designed to help educators examine their school’s culture through the lens of learning as their fundamental purpose. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the workshop content. This guide includes a detailed lesson plan for facilitators, which depends on your understanding of and familiarity with the following learning objectives and supporting materials.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After viewing the videos and participating in the activities for the workshop, participants will be able to:

y Recognize the difference between the structure of a school and the culture of a school y Reflect on how a struggling student might experience a traditional school culture y Reflect on how a struggling student might experience the culture of a school that functions as a PLC

y Consider changes to their own school culture that align with learning as their fundamental purpose

MATERIALS The following materials are required for successful facilitation of the workshop.

y Video program: Through New Eyes, Second Edition y Through New Eyes facilitator’s guide (this booklet) y Seven reproducible handouts a. “Introduction to Through New Eyes” b. “Failure Is Not an Option!” c. “Part 1 Focus Questions” d. “Part 2 Focus Questions” e. “Critical Elements of a Culture That Focuses on Learning” f. “Look at Your School Through New Eyes” g. “Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning”

y Twenty-two Through New Eyes PowerPoint slides y Additional materials: Notepaper, index or note cards, and flip charts or whiteboards with appropriate writing materials

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FA C I L I TAT I N G T H E WORKSHOP The following table offers an overview of the full workshop, including the individual segments that comprise it, the amount of time to allow for each segment, and the PowerPoint slides and reproducible handouts that align with each segment. The sections that follow provide details and guidance for each segment, including discussion prompts and instructions for group activities.

Segment

Time

PowerPoint Slides

Welcome and Icebreaker Activity

10 minutes

Slide 1

Introduction

20 minutes

Slides 2–5

Reproducible Handouts

“Introduction to Through New Eyes” “Failure Is Not an Option!”

Part 1 Video and Discussion: The Darwin High School Experience

30 minutes

Slides 6–9

“Part 1 Focus Questions”

Break

10 minutes

Part 2 Video and Discussion: The Kranz High School Experience

40 minutes

Slides 10–13

“Part 2 Focus Questions”

Activity: Examine Your School Through New Eyes

45 minutes

Slides 14–16

“Critical Elements of a Culture That Focuses on Learning” “Look at Your School Through New Eyes”

Break

10 minutes

Activity: Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning

30 minutes

Slides 17–20

Conclusion

10 minutes

Slides 21–22

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“Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning”

THROUGH NEW EYES, SECOND EDITION

WELCOME AND ICEBREAKER ACTIVITY

[10 MINUTES]

Welcome participants to the workshop, and introduce yourself and anyone else serving as a workshop host, coleader, and so on. Briefly describe the purpose of the workshop, the learning objectives, and the approximate length of the session. When getting started, be aware of the following.

y The workshop will be most effective if participants are in groups of three to five people. y Including a brief icebreaker activity gives participants an opportunity to get comfortable with the members of their group.

INTRODUCTION

[20 MINUTES]

In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek (2009) argues we should always provide a clear, compelling, and convincing rationale for the messages we send and the work we do. The purpose of this introductory activity is to give participants time to explore why examining the culture of their school is so critical to their efforts in becoming a PLC. This segment includes two activities.

y ACTIVITY 1: Have participants read and discuss the “Introduction to Through New Eyes” reproducible (page 8).

y ACTIVITY 2: Have participants read the reproducible “Failure Is Not an Option!” (page 11). Participants should take notes and discuss the question, Do the professional educators in our school genuinely believe they can help all our students achieve at higher levels?

PART 1 VIDEO AND DISCUSSION: THE DARWIN [30 MINUTES / 10 MINUTES] HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE WITH BREAK Show the video “Part 1: The Darwin High School Experience.” This video tells the story of Justin Bowen. Justin is a student who is experiencing academic and social-emotional difficulties at Darwin High School, a school that functions as a traditional school might. You will see Justin experience difficulty, as many students do, and the school do very little to support him in ways that ensure his learning. If we were to walk the proverbial mile in Justin’s shoes, we might experience a school culture of detachment, where it is very simply teachers’ job to teach and students’ job to learn. As participants watch the video, encourage them to focus on what it would be like to be a student in Darwin High School. Have participants take notes on the reproducible “Part 1 Focus Questions” (page 12). Provide time (about ten minutes) for participants to share and discuss their thoughts on the three focus questions.

At the conclusion of this discussion, allow for a ten-minute break.

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THROUGH NEW EYES, SECOND EDITION

PART 2 VIDEO AND DISCUSSION: THE KRANZ HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

[40 MINUTES]

Show the video “Part 2: The Kranz High School Experience.” This video tells a different version of the story of Justin Bowen. Justin is still a student who is experiencing academic and social-emotional difficulties, but the school in part 2 functions and responds the way a high-functioning PLC might. Have participants take notes on the reproducible “Part 2 Focus Questions” (page 13), and provide time (about twenty minutes) for participants to share and discuss their thoughts on the four focus questions.

ACTIVITY: EXAMINE YOUR SCHOOL THROUGH NEW EYES WITH BREAK

[45 MINUTES / 10 MINUTES]

Up to this stage of the workshop, participants have observed and engaged in discussions about Justin’s experiences at Darwin High School and Kranz High School. In the second half of the workshop, shift the focus to have participants evaluate the culture within their school or schools districtwide. While the videos present only brief glimpses into Justin’s experiences, they provide enough context to spark reflection about student experiences in participants’ respective schools. The goal is to assess the extent to which school culture prioritizes student learning as its foremost objective.

During this segment, depending on how much time is available, lead a discussion about one or both of the following options.

y OPTION 1: Read and discuss the reproducible “Critical Elements of a Culture That Focuses on Learning” (page 14).

y OPTION 2: Read and discuss the questions on the reproducible “Look at Your School Through New Eyes” (page 15).

At the conclusion of this activity, allow for a ten-minute break.

ACTIVITY: ALIGN PRACTICES WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF LEARNING

[30 MINUTES]

One of the more interesting aspects of working in schools across North America is witnessing the many outstanding ideas that stakeholders have for improving their schools. There is no shortage of good ideas or research-based initiatives that will help schools improve.

However, schools frequently bring in new ideas every year without taking the time to determine what they might need to stop doing in order to prevent overload or initiative fatigue. In his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t, Jim Collins (2001) suggests that organizations literally take the time to consider and write a stop-doing list, which is a list of activities that are inconsistent with the organization’s purpose. Our staff’s

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THROUGH NEW EYES, SECOND EDITION

experiences at Stevenson and elsewhere show this to be a powerful strategy for Model PLC schools to identify practices and procedures that are inconsistent with schools’ and districts’ fundamental purpose—a focus on learning.

The reproducible “Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning” (page 16) asks participants to initiate a stop-doing list as a starting point for aligning schoolwide or districtwide practice with the fundamental purpose of learning. Participants should work together in groups to critically examine the culture and structure of their school and determine which practices, procedures, and programs are inconsistent with ensuring learning for all students. These are the items educators should stop doing.

CONCLUSION

[10 MINUTES]

Field any remaining questions participants may have, and wrap up the session by reminding them that school improvement is never quick and easy. Even the grandest design eventually involves a lot of hard work, unexpected obstacles, and the ability to adjust. Getting it all right means embracing the big ideas and critical questions of PLC at Work and engaging in cycles of continuous improvement, not just in the short term but from week to week, month to month, and year to year. There are no shortcuts to learning success for all students!

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REPRODUCIBLE HANDOUTS

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Introduction to Through New Eyes Since the 1990s, I’ve had the privilege of working as a teacher and leader at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Stevenson is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work process. Though I have never actually witnessed the birth of a PLC, I have seen amazing colleagues doing wonderful things for students.

As superintendent here at Stevenson since 2007, I’ve also hosted thousands of teachers and leaders as they have visited Stevenson in search of a Model PLC to examine the implications for their schools. Model PLC schools have not just initiated or spent a particular amount of time embracing the PLC process; rather, through the PLC process, they have demonstrated specific and measurable increases in student learning and achievement.

Stevenson is one of only a few public schools in the United States to have received the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Award for Excellence on five occasions. So, people are curious how this school has continuously improved for over twenty-five years.

Well, the answer is quite simple. The people of Stevenson have built a school with a relentless focus on learning, a dedication to focusing on results, and a collaborative culture in which they work together to achieve the school’s mission of success for every student.

Given the demands on their time, educators often seek a quick fix—the one new program or procedure that will enable their school to achieve dramatically better results. However, if our journey as a PLC has taught us one thing, it is that there is no magic bullet that turns a school into a successful PLC overnight. But we know where the successful journeys start: with culture shifts.

Some of the well-intentioned people who lead PLC initiatives hope to identify and adopt a new program or create a new policy to transform their schools. However, that hope is unlikely to be realized if their improvement initiatives focus on structural changes without addressing cultural shifts. Anthropologist Jennifer James (1996) has described culture as “the stories we tell ourselves.” These stories explain who we are and what we do. But stories can also be used to shape a new culture. Peter Senge and colleagues (1994) argue that the effort to create any learning organization requires a never-ending process of articulating familiar stories that embody both the purpose and the shared values of the learning organization. If schools are to function as PLCs, educators must engage in a deliberate and sustained attempt to communicate new stories that express, amplify, and validate the principles of a PLC. Consider that the structure of a school is founded on its policies, procedures, programs, and rules. The culture is based on the assumptions, beliefs, values, expectations, and habits that drive the day-to-day work of the school and shape how its people think, feel, and act.

While one can impact the other, structural changes do not guarantee the more profound cultural changes necessary to develop a staff’s ability to function as a PLC. To help frame your PA G E 1 O F 3 Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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thinking about the purpose of this workshop, reflect on the following observations from some of the leading educational researchers in North America: The debate that has raged about whether or not school improvement should be top-down and driven by administrative mandates or bottom-up and left to the discretion of individuals or groups of teachers has been resolved. Neither top-down nor bottom-up works. Top-down fails to generate either the deep understanding of or commitment to the improvement initiative that is necessary to sustain it. The laissez-faire bottom-up approach eliminates the press for change and is actually associated with a decrease in student achievement (Marzano & Waters, 2009). High-performing PLCs avoid the too-tight/too-loose trap by engaging educators in an improvement process that empowers them to make decisions at the same time that they demand adherence to core elements of the process (DuFour & Fullan, 2013). (DuFour et al., 2016, p. 14) Structural change that is not supported by cultural change will eventually be overwhelmed by the culture, for it is in the culture that any organizations find meaning and stability. (Schlechty, 1997, p. 136) Structural innovation cannot be understood, and should not be undertaken, without considering school culture. (Newmann & Associates, 1996, p. 14) To put it as succinctly as possible, if you want to change and improve the climate and outcomes of schooling, both for students and teachers, there are features of the school culture that have to be changed, and if they are not changed, your well-intentioned efforts will be defeated. (Sarason, 1996, p. 340)

There is an important question the words of these thought leaders and many others task us with answering: How can educators change their school’s culture, particularly when the beliefs and expectations that drive it are rarely examined or questioned?

The culture of an organization has been described by Edgar H. Schein (1992), a professor and leading author on organizational change, as “the assumptions we don’t see” (p. 21), so how can we make conscious that which is typically unconscious? How can we step outside of our everyday routines and explore common practices and conventional wisdom with a critical eye?

As I have watched the different approaches schools have taken in their efforts to adopt the principles of a PLC, I have come to realize that those who make the most progress are not those who adopt new policies and procedures but rather those who are willing to examine their current practices from a fresh, critical perspective. To paraphrase Marcel Proust (1923/1949), the key to success in building a PLC is not discovering new programs but “seeing with new eyes.” Those who hope to develop a PLC in their schools must address this challenge of seeing with new eyes. This resource was designed to help you meet that challenge.

PA G E 2 O F 3 Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Through New Eyes tells a story of school culture through the experiences of a struggling student. It places this same student in two different schools—one that hasn’t made the shift toward learning as its fundamental purpose and another that has fully embraced the PLC at Work process. It calls on you to relate to this student’s feelings, assess the schools’ practices, and most importantly, examine the reality of your own school from a critical perspective.

Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of the students in your school! I sincerely hope this resource serves as a starting point for conversations about how to embrace the process of continuous improvement as you examine the culture of your school. Enjoy!

Eric Twadell

Superintendent, Adlai E. Stevenson High School

References DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., & Mattos, M. (2016). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (3rd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

DuFour, R., & Fullan, M. (2013). Cultures built to last: Systemic PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

James, J. (1996, December). Thinking in the future tense [Keynote address]. Annual conference of the National Staff Development Council, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Marzano, R. J., & Waters, T. (2009). District leadership that works: Striking the right balance. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Newmann, F., & Associates. (1996). Authentic achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Proust, M. (1949). The captive (C. K. S. Moncrieff, Trans.). London: Chatto & Windus. (Original work published 1923) Sarason, S. B. (1996). Revisiting “The culture of the school and the problem of change.” New York: Teachers College Press.

Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Senge, P., Ross, R., Smith, B., Roberts, C., & Kleiner, A. (1994). The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. New York: Doubleday.

PA G E 3 O F 3 Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Failure Is Not an Option!

DIRECTIONS: Despite over fifty years of evidence establishing that what happens in a school affects student learning, and despite chanting, “We believe all students can learn,” until it becomes a cliché, many educators remain unwilling to accept responsibility for student learning. Instead, they believe that the significant influences on learning are outside the school environment and that students learn because of their homes, parents, peer groups, innate abilities, and so forth. They believe that there is little schools can do to overcome those external influences.

A NASA creed made famous by and attributed to flight director Gene Kranz in the movie Apollo 13 states, “Failure is not an option!” Do the professional educators in our school genuinely believe they can help all our students achieve at higher levels? Write your thoughts in the space provided.

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Part 1 Focus Questions DIRECTIONS: Consider what you saw, thought, and felt while watching part 1 of Through New Eyes, and answer the following three focus questions.

1. What is the response of Darwin High School when it becomes apparent that the student is not being successful?

2. Imagine you are the struggling student. What message does the school seem to be sending you?

3. Describe the culture of the school. What are the assumptions, beliefs, values, expectations, and habits that constitute the norm for this school?

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Part 2 Focus Questions DIRECTIONS: Consider what you saw, thought, and felt while watching part 2 of Through New Eyes, and answer the following four focus questions.

1. What is the response of Kranz High School when it becomes apparent that the student is not being successful?

2. Imagine you are the struggling student. What message does the school seem to be sending you?

3. Describe the culture of the school. What are the assumptions, beliefs, values, expectations, and habits that constitute the norm for this school?

4. What is the same about the schools featured in part 1 and part 2? What is different?

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Critical Elements of a Culture That Focuses on Learning DIRECTIONS: The focus on student learning that drives the day-to-day work of Kranz High School requires the following.

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Clarity regarding what each student is to learn in every course

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Processes for frequent and timely monitoring of each student’s learning

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Procedures in place for sharing information regarding a student experiencing difficulty

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A systematic response system that provides students with additional time and support during the school day

Assess your school in each of these areas.

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Look at Your School Through New Eyes DIRECTIONS: Examine your school through new eyes. Consider for a moment your own school’s culture, and answer the following three questions. Provide examples and evidence to support your conclusions.

1. What is your school’s response when it becomes apparent that students are not being successful?

2. Imagine you are a struggling student in your school. What message does your school seem to be sending you?

3. Describe the culture of your school. What are the assumptions, beliefs, values, expectations, and habits that constitute the norm for your school?

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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Align Practices With the Fundamental Purpose of Learning DIRECTIONS: In his seminal research-based work Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t, Jim Collins (2001) writes: Most of us . . . have ever-expanding “to-do” lists, trying to build momentum by doing, doing, doing—and doing more. And it rarely works. Those who built the good-to-great companies, however, made as much use of “stop-doing” lists as “to-do” lists. They displayed a remarkable discipline to [stop doing] all sorts of extraneous junk. (p. 139) Similarly, in successful PLCs, the school staff must commit to ensuring that all students learn the essential knowledge and skills, and they must make a dedicated effort to align all school practices, procedures, and programs with that purpose.

Professionals within a PLC are willing to confront the school’s brutal facts and current reality and assess each practice, procedure, and program based on its impact on learning.

Working within your groups, please identify seven to ten practices, procedures, and programs inconsistent with your fundamental purpose of learning for all.

Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap . . . and others don’t.

New York: HarperCollins.

Through New Eyes © 2003, 2024 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download this free reproducible.

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REFERENCES AND RESOURCES AllThingsPLC. (n.d.). See the evidence. Accessed at www.allthingsplc.info/evidence-of-effectiveness on May 12, 2023.

Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap . . . and others don’t. New York: HarperCollins.

Drucker, P. F. (1991, March 28). Don’t change corporate culture—use it! The Wall Street Journal. Accessed at www.drucker.institute/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Drucker-1991-Dont-Change-Corporate-CultureUse-It.pdf on June 6, 2023.

DuFour, R. (2003). Through new eyes: Examining the culture of your school [Video]. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., & Mattos, M. (2016). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (3rd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

DuFour, R., & Fullan, M. (2013). Cultures built to last: Systemic PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Eaker, R., DuFour, R., & DuFour, R. (2002). Getting started: Reculturing schools to become professional learning communities. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Evans, R. (2012). The savvy school change leader. Educational Leadership, 69(8), 26–31.

Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: Probing the depths of educational reform. London: Falmer Press.

Gardner, H. (2011). Leading minds: An anatomy of leadership. New York: Basic Books.

Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. New York: Teachers College Press.

James, J. (1996, December). Thinking in the future tense [Keynote address]. Annual conference of the National Staff Development Council, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Marzano, R. J., & Waters, T. (2009). District leadership that works: Striking the right balance. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Muhammad, A., & Hollie, S. (2012). The will to lead, the skill to teach: Transforming schools at every level.

Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Newmann, F., & Associates. (1996). Authentic achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Proust, M. (1949). The captive (C. K. S. Moncrieff, Trans.). London: Chatto & Windus. (Original work published 1923) Sarason, S. B. (1996). Revisiting “The culture of the school and the problem of change.” New York: Teachers College Press.

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Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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