CAN 
US/Global
DEMOGRAPHICS
Imogene Garner Hook Junior High School is a public school that currently serves 1,000 students in Victorville, California. Carlos Cerna is the principal.
1,000 Students
- 78% free and reduced lunch
- 19% English learners
Imogene Garner Hook Junior High School's CHALLENGE
Principal Carlos Cerna’s initial encounter with the professional learning communities (PLC) process began at the PLC at Work® Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada. Acknowledging the imperative to provide support to both students and staff, Cerna felt compelled to take action. He independently connected with Solution Tree, marking the commencement of Imogene Garner Hook Junior High School’s committed efforts to implement transformative educational practices.
“I knew the why, but I wanted to know how . . . we had to do something so that we could support our students and staff,” Cerna reflected.
IMPLEMENTATION
“Through the PLC process, everyone is all on the same page . . .”
When implementing the PLC process, the school faced initial challenges typical to any educational institution. For teachers, the process required effective communication and demonstration of its efficacy, which meant there would need to be ongoing support, guidance, and consistent engagement across all teams.
To address these challenges, a structured approach was crucial. A certified PLC at Work expert from Solution Tree facilitated organizational alignment by establishing specific teams and a guiding coalition.
“Solution Tree helped us get organized and guided us along, even during distance learning,” said Principal Cerna. Establishing a clear vision statement and identifying essential standards aided in sharpening the objective.
Imogene Garner Hook Junior High strategically designated Wednesdays to facilitate teacher collaboration. With the assistance of their PLC coach, they implemented a celebration dashboard, which Principal Cerna enthusiastically shared during staff meetings. This initiative streamlined both planning processes and progress monitoring of the students.
The introduction of the PLC process offered a solution to the question of how to effectively monitor students and identify areas of improvement, and it’s been instrumental in driving the school’s success thus far.
RESULTS
“Through the PLC process, everyone is all on the same page,” emphasizes Principal Cerna, highlighting the unifying effect it has had on their educational approach.
Cerna says that the PLC process has made it evident that their students and staff are reaping the rewards of this initiative. As the teachers continue to grow professionally, the collaborative culture among staff is flourishing, with teachers wholeheartedly embracing the process. This increased collaboration has created a positive environment conducive to student success. Significantly, the process has empowered teachers to systematically track student progress, resulting in noticeable enhancements in student outcomes.
“My role is to empower teams to collaborate effectively, ensuring they work together to plan and support each other,” says Cerna.
As a result of the collaborative work among staff, Imogene Garner Hook Junior High School successfully exited out of Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) status into Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). This status reflects positive growth in the areas of academic performance, academic engagement, and conditions and climate. Within one year of PLC implementation, English language arts assessment increased by 16.4 points (https://www.caschooldashboard.org).*
The school identified additional areas of growth after comparing students who met or exceeded standards on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) system over the course of one year:
- Students meeting or exceeding CAASPP standards in seventh-grade ELA increased by 37.5%, while the number of eighth-grade students meeting or exceeding the standards increased by 53.9%.
- Students meeting or exceeding CAASPP standards in seventh-grade math increased by 40%.
*Source: CASchoolDashboard.org
Percent of Students Meeting or Exceeding CAASPP Data
Why Priority Schools in a PLC at Work?
As an educator, you are an integral part of students’ lives. Your time with each child will impact their future, no matter what school or district you serve. Schools labeled as low-performing or high-priority struggle with many challenges, but we can help your staff work together to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of student success.
