Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Learning Communities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board workshop outlines plan to expand professional learning communities and set K–2 achievement goals
Summary
At a July 17 Leander ISD workshop, consultant Janelle Keating and district staff presented a framework to implement professional learning communities district‑wide and discussed district-level goals, monthly common-assessment reporting, and a K–2 target of 90 percent proficiency in key reading and math benchmarks.
The Leander ISD Board of Trustees held a district workshop on July 17 focused on implementing professional learning communities (PLCs) across the district and aligning instruction, assessment and leadership to district goals. Consultant and author Janelle Keating led the session; Dr. Chris Clark introduced the training and district staff participated in a full-day session earlier in the day with campus principals and operational leaders.
Keating described PLCs as a system for “aligning learning experiences that we want for all kids across the district,” and she discussed layers of leadership from the board and superintendent through principals and team leaders. She urged consistent protocols, common unit- and standard-level assessments, and regular data review so the board and district can answer the question, “Are the kids learning, and how do we know?”
District staff presented specific targets and reporting rhythms. Scott Curran reported that the district is working toward a K–2 benchmark goal of 90 percent proficiency in key early-reading and early-math skills and said monthly reporting of common-assessment results is provided to the board. Curran cited recent item-level results reported to trustees, including items such as the percentage of kindergarten students who can count to 100 and first- and second-grade readiness measures; he reported that second-grade addition/subtraction proficiency was “nearly at 85 percent” entering third grade in the most recent reporting.
Keating and staff emphasized the district office’s role in setting goals, aligning resources and training principals so building leaders can confidently lead PLC work at their campuses. Recommendations to the board included allocating time (the district’s primary resource), assigning recurring principal and team-leader training, and monitoring a small set of district-aligned indicators monthly rather than trying to review all district data at once.
The workshop used video examples from high-performing teams and offered illustrative district-level graphics for a guaranteed and viable curriculum, common assessment windows, and a tiered system for improving Tier 1 instruction. Keating also advised boards to set concise district goals (examples cited included percentage targets for early literacy and math, on‑track ninth-grade measures, dual-credit attainment and industry certifications) and to use those goals to break down silos across departments.
The session concluded with a request that trustees consider how they will support the work (time allocation, curriculum-adoption scrutiny, and public communication of goals and progress). Keating provided the board with slide materials used during the workshop.
