‘Learning communities’ added this year
The 2010-2011 school year in the Newton Community School District starts Wednesday, bringing positive changes within the schools at the elementary and middle school levels.
Despite the flack the school district has received on the recent realignment of its schools, Associate Director of Elementary Educational Services Jim Gilbert said there are advantages to restructuring the schools. One major advantage is the addition of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for each grade level at each learning facility.
“For the first time in history of the NCSD, the gifts and talents of all the teachers in the district have been consolidated into powerful grade level teams,” Gilbert said. “These teams will become Professional Learning Communities. What makes the difference now is what you do with them, so our teachers will be analyzing student performance data, consulting with one another on the best instructional practices, sharing teaching strategies, developing and delivering strands of common content skill and assessment.”
These PLCs will have time for collaboration built into their weekly schedules once school starts. Gilbert likened the teachers in the “communities” to doctors and the way they must constantly work together for the greater good.
Teachers within the NCSD have focused on professional development and improving the way they teach, including new strategies and materials, in past years. This year’s focus is directed at students and their capacity to learn the material a teacher presents.
“So, from this point on, it’s not teaching unless learning happens,” Gilbert said. “Teachers are going to be intimately involved with monitoring and having students demonstrating their understanding. Teachers will be expected to show evidence of students learning with projects, etc., but the idea is that if I’m the teacher, I’ve got to make sure everyone’s getting what I’m delivering.”
How children are performing in the NCSD is currently based on results from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and Gilbert noted that “there are several areas where we haven’t met the trajectories,” or goals, set forth by the state in reading and math at specific grade levels. By having PLCs revamp their teaching styles and customize them directly to the students, the end result should be higher achievement for kids.
“The goal, of course, is improved student learning, improved student performance and adaptable and adjustable teaching,” Gilbert said.
Teaching should now be tailored specifically to the students, an undertaking that has taken the summer to complete. Teachers within their PLCs got together periodically when school wasn’t in session during the summer months to talk about ideas and start lining up their plans on how to get through to kids.
New teachers entering Newton’s school system will even be assigned mentors (tenured, more experienced teachers) to create a “rich support system,” Gilbert said. The idea is that, through collaborative efforts of teachers and administration, benefits will come from the wisdom of the group.
“I’m excited for your kids,” Gilbert said of the exciting changes taking place within the lower grade levels. “Your kids will probably have the most powerful scrutiny and attention and a higher level of input than they’ve ever had before. And it’s because we start with quality teachers.”
