Teachers describe district PLC work, unit plans and data trackers aimed at tighter alignment and shared assessments

McPherson USD 418 teachers and PLC leads used the April board meeting to show how the district is aligning curriculum and assessments across grade levels to produce more consistent instruction and quicker feedback for teachers.

Presenters described reorganized shared drives (separate elementary, middle and high-school PLC drives), common unit-plan templates for ELA and math, and an accountability form that centralizes artifacts and completion status. "It allows each group to organize things independently in the way that works best for them while still storing all the data and documents in a central location," a PLC lead said.

The elementary team demonstrated a data tracker that aggregates common formative-assessment results across four elementary schools, color-coding results by mastery levels to reveal where teams should revisit instruction. PLC leads described a standard-setting process in which grade teams identified 8–12 essential standards, "unpacked" those standards into what students must know and be able to do, and met vertically with the grade below and above to smooth transitions.

Middle- and high-school presenters explained how proficiency maps and NGSS-linked calendars translate into daily lesson plans and formative checks for learning. Board members praised the PLC structure and noted the district's use of KISSA review and accreditation processes as evidence the PLC work is producing measurable systems for continuous improvement.

Presenters said the PLC materials and trackers will continue to be refined and that summer work will focus on data tools and implementation supports for teachers.