WCPSS teachers find success in professional learning communities

August 12, 2005 - Principal Matt Wight credits the way teachers worked together at Salem Middle School for the school earning state recognition as a Top 25 Most Improved K-8 School in the ABCs of Public Education.

Principal Matt Wight says professional learning communities - like this meeting of seventh grade teachers - has made a difference at Salem Middle.

Millbrook High principal Dana King, Assistant Superintendent Donna Hargens and teacher Bill Ferriter discuss benefits of professional learning communities.

In the ABCs report, Salem Middle had a composite score of 95.3 and was recognized as an Honor School of Excellence with high growth. Salem Middle opened last year as a new school with more than 700 students in grades six through eight.

Wight credited his students and teachers for the recognition. "The students who came to us were outstanding," said Wight. "I am very proud of our teachers who came from many different places to join together in a professional learning community, working collaboratively to deliver the best instruction to our students."

Professional learning communities involve educators who collectively examine and improve their own professional practices. Typically, individual groups are small and meet regularly over a significant period of time.

Millbrook High principal Dana King says teachers from Millbrook and Knightdale High have launched professional learning communities for teams of teachers from the two schools. King and Knightdale principal Marvin Connelly have scheduled some teacher workdays together to give teachers time to meet and discuss ways to improve instruction.

Donna Hargens, Area Assistant Superintendent for Western Wake, says professional learning communities are data-informed, standards-driven and focused on instruction and results. The goal is to strengthen participant's skills and encourage innovation.

Bill Ferriter, the 2005 Wake County Teacher of the Year, is a teacher at Salem Middle where he participated last year in one of the school's professional learning communities.

Ferriter said establishing the group dynamic was difficult requiring teachers to build trust and establish working relationships as the teachers melded together into teams.

"It is definitely worth it," said Ferriter. "The teachers of our school are more energized and productive than ever before. We are excited about our work and about where we are going as a community. Because of this positive energy, I believe we will have little, if any, teacher turnover in the next few years. We are also going to see our student test scores soar as we collaboratively examine instructional practices in the non-threatening setting of our professional learning teams."

Bill Ferriter: My Most Remarkable Year of Teaching

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