District Policy

Washington County School District Policy Approved and Sanctioned by the Board of Education.

0004 - Board Resolution for PLCs

MAIL SAVE PRINT

Washington County School District
121 West Tabernacle Street
Saint George, Utah

Board Resolution
Professional Learning Communities

WHEREAS, the Washington County School District Board of Education believes that a
Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a dynamic organization of Educators (defined herein
as all professional, administrative, or certified employees) committed to working collaboratively
in ongoing processes of structured collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results
for the students that they serve and Professional Learning Communities are characterized by:

• a shared mission, vision, values, and goals;
• collaborative teams focused on learning;
• data driven collective inquiry;
• action orientation and experimentation;
• commitment to continuous improvement, and
• a results orientation.

WHEREAS, the Washington County School District Board of Education believes that as a
Professional Learning Community the fundamental purpose of our work in schools is to ensure
high levels of learning for all students and this belief about learning translates into four critical
questions that drive the daily work of the staff in our schools:

1. What do we want students to learn? This question requires a complete understanding of what each student should know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course.
2. How will we know if they have learned? This question requires careful and meaningful monitoring of each student’s learning on a timely basis?
3. What will we do if they don’t learn? This question must address the unique issues and concerns necessary to create systematic learning opportunities for students who are experiencing difficulty and thereby provide them with additional time and support.
4. What will we do if they already know it? This question is focused on creating enrichment opportunities, recognition, and celebrations to reward student achievement.

WHEREAS, the Washington County School District Board of Education believes that as a
Professional Learning Community it is essential for us to build and maintain a collaborative
culture throughout our entire school system and this belief about collaborative culture is based on
the understandings that:

• Frequent, meaningful, and measurable collaborative time is embedded as an essential function of an Educator’s daily responsibility, allowing disciplinary teams to work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to their collective mission of learning.
• Schools improve when Educators are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, develop common assessments for learning, analyze evidence of student learning, and use that evidence for continuous improvement in order to “raise the bar” and “close the gap” of student learning and achievement.

WHEREAS, the Washington County School District Board of Education believes that as a
Professional Learning Community we must focus on results and this belief about a focus on
results is based on the understandings that:

• We will measure our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions.
• All programs, policies, and practices will be continually assessed on the basis of their impact on student learning.
• All staff members will receive relevant and timely information on their effectiveness in achieving intended results.

WHEREAS, the Washington County School District Board of Education believes that effective
Educators have a profound impact on student achievement and to be highly effective, Educators
must work to achieve the collective purpose as measured by results established under this
resolution.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington County School District Board
of Education commits to supporting the continuous total system implementation of the concepts
of a Professional Learning Community espoused herein and the creation and annual review of
measurable Professional Learning Community interventions and practices that recursively
reports the progress of our children. Further, the Washington County School District expects
every Educator to effectively and actively participate in a District and/or school assigned
Professional Learning Community activities. Participation is an essential responsibility of every
Educator in the Washington County School District.

Signed and dated this the day of March 8, 2011.

Collectively as the Washington County School District Board of Education