Norfolk Public Schools doubles down on professional learning communities; district schedules follow-up PLC training
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Summary
District staff described a multi-day professional development plan to embed professional learning communities (PLCs) across schools, including follow-up sessions in October and December and ongoing PLC implementation support.
Board members and staff described professional learning communities (PLCs) as a district priority and outlined a multi-session approach to PLC professional development this school year.
Jared Oswald, presenting the teaching and learning report, said the district began the year with a PLC keynote for all staff and will continue with focused follow-up dates. "This will not be a 1 and done professional development; we will have two more dates where we are working with experts in the PLC process," Oswald said. He said the follow-up sessions aim to walk teachers through planning a unit, developing common assessments, analyzing data and planning interventions.
Guest presenter Eric Twaddell (identified in the meeting) framed PLCs as a culture rather than simply an activity. "You can't really change a culture that you have become ingrained in and behave as part of without changing the way you behave," Twaddell said, a point the board cited when discussing the district's goals for PLCs. Oswald and others emphasized that PLCs focus on shared accountability and using assessment evidence to drive instruction so "all students can learn as effectively as possible," in Oswald's words.
Oswald outlined the PLC calendar the district has planned: a hands-on session on Oct. 20 that will guide teachers through planning a unit in the PLC framework, and a December follow-up from Twaddell to review implementation and next steps. He described PLC work as emphasizing the cycle of identifying learning targets, developing common assessments, analyzing results and then taking action based on data.
Staff also reported that instructional materials deliveries finished last week and thanked maintenance and operations staff and central office staff who supported the effort. Oswald asked the board and the public to observe PLCs during the year to see how they develop.
Why it matters: Schoolwide PLC implementation affects classroom planning, assessments and intervention systems. The multi-session approach indicates the district intends sustained support rather than a single training day.
