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DEMOGRAPHICS
Amarillo High School is a public school that currently serves 2,170 students in Amarillo, Texas. Andrea Pfeifer serves as the principal.
2,170 students
- 28% free and reduced lunch
- 1.8% English learners
THE CHALLENGE
Before assuming principalship of Amarillo High School, Andrea Pfiefer had extensive experience and training with the professional learning communities (PLC) process through the Bellevue School District in Washington State. She was able to bring a deep understanding of PLC principles and practices to Amarillo. However, she found implementing the PLC process at her new school uniquely challenging. At Amarillo, PLC time was misused, and team meetings resembled more of a second conference period than a collaborative learning community.
“I knew that we needed to do work here. … My team and I had to ask questions like ‘What do we need to do?’ or ‘Where do we need to look?’” said Andrea.
So, recognizing the need for widespread improvement, Andrea recommended Solution Tree for professional development and helped facilitate training for all high schools in the district. However, the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 halted progress and disrupted PLC at Work® efforts. When in-person school resumed in 2021–2022, she was determined to revitalize PLC at Work processes at Amarillo High School, setting the stage for significant changes and improvements.
“To see these kinds of results for kids is amazing, and we’ve tapped into something that works . . . and we want to keep our momentum . . . as we work on our data and culture.”
IMPLEMENTATION
To address the challenges, the school embraced a comprehensive approach, leveraging embedded coaching as a key component. Embedded coaching involves having a Solution Tree coach work closely with teachers, providing personalized guidance and support. At Amarillo, these coaching sessions were tailored to the specific needs of each subject area. For example, algebra 1 was an area that needed improvement, so the PLC coach specifically dedicated time to work closely with the mathematics team, providing targeted support and resources to enhance instructional practices and student learning outcomes.
“We really started to see a shift occur when we implemented embedded coaching about once a month . . . and just having a third party here and another set of eyes on what we’re doing is really profound,” stated Andrea.
The instructional team met regularly to plan coaching visits, assess areas of improvement or “hotspots,” and tailor support accordingly in algebra 1, English, US history, and biology. This collaborative approach ensured that coaching efforts were aligned with the school’s overarching goals and tailored to meet the unique needs of each subject area. Through embedded coaching, teachers received ongoing support and guidance, fostering continuous growth and improvement through the PLC at Work process.
RESULTS
After consistent implementation of embedded coaching, Amarillo High School’s mathematics growth score went from 34 in 2022 to 60 in 2023, and the school’s English language arts/reading score went from 70 in 2022 to 80 in 2023. Amarillo High School celebrated this growth and credits the results to hard work as well as the embedded coaching and structured PLC at Work processes adopted by the school.
The results at Amarillo High School highlight the importance of structured professional development and collaborative practices in driving meaningful change and improving student achievement across subjects. According to principal Pfiefer, adherence to the four critical questions of a PLC was essential to the school’s growth. In addition, by providing teachers with the necessary tools, training, and support through dedicated sessions with Solution Tree and embedded coaching, Amarillo High School empowered educators to implement effective instructional strategies and interventions.
1. Texas Education Agency. (2022). Texas Education Agency 2022 School Report Card AMARILLO H S (188901001) - AMARILLO ISD - POTTER COUNTY. Retrieved from https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/cgi/sas/broker?_service=marykay&_program=perfrept.perfmast.sas&_debug=0&ccyy=2022&lev=C&id=188901001&prgopt=reports%2Fsrc%2Fsrc.sas
2. Texas Education Agency. (2023). Texas Education Agency 2023 School Report Card AMARILLO H S (188901001) - AMARILLO ISD - POTTER COUNTY. Retrieved from https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/cgi/sas/broker?_service=marykay&_program=perfrept.perfmast.sas&_debug=0&frc=yes&ccyy=2023&lev=C&id=188901001&prgopt=reports%2Ffrc%2Ffrc.sas
Texas Education Agency
Academic Growth Outcomes
WHY PLC AT WORK®?
Professional learning communities are schools that empower educators to work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.
