US/Global 
CANFoundational PLC at Work® Model Agenda
Mike Mattos
Are We a Group or a Team?
Collaborative teacher teams are the engine that drives a professional learning community. When these teams are highly engaged in the right work, student learning accelerates … and when they are not, learning sputters and stalls. Because teachers have traditionally been required to attend grade-level or departmental team meetings, schools often mistakenly assume that merely renaming these gatherings “PLC time” represents teacher collaboration. The act of meeting together does not make a team, but instead, merely a group.
Mike Mattos
The Urgency of the Moment
As educators, we face one of the most historically challenging times in our nation’s history. The years-long impact of the global pandemic has exacerbated inequities in academic achievement while creating unprecedented needs in student social-emotional health. And while more students face significant gaps in their learning, the academic rigor that all students must master for future success have never been greater. How we respond to this moment in time—this convergence of need and necessity—will have a generational impact on our students and our collective prosperity.
Anthony Muhammad
The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education
The impact of COVID-19 will have long-lasting effects on every facet of our society. Very few institutions were more disrupted than schools. The pandemic affected staffing, funding, morale, and the continuity of student learning. Anthony Muhammad explores the history of the field of education and examines why the tenets of the PLC at Work process were important before the global pandemic and why they will be even more important after the pandemic. This is not the time to back away from PLCs; this is the time to reinforce the foundation of the PLC at Work process.
Maria Nielsen
Common Assessments: The Key to Uncommon Results for Student and Teacher Learning
The secret is out: Common formative assessments are the key to improving student learning! Formative assessments are powerful when teams of teachers create assessments in common, then share and discuss the results. This collaborative process leads to a dramatic increase in student learning and improved teaching practices. Maria Nielsen provides proven tools to use common assessments across grade levels and departments and illustrates practical strategies for implementing and using assessments to substantially improve student and adult learning.
Regina Stephens Owens
The Why Effect: Intentional Systems Drive Inspirational Cultures
Organizational purpose, collective beliefs, and commitments affect building systems at all levels. How can we ensure that all practices and procedures are intentional and personify organizational beliefs? It all begins with the why. Regina Stephens Owens shares strategies to move cultures from an attitude of compliance, coercion, and fear to one that is respectful, responsive, and reflective.
Jeanne Spiller
The Critical Role of PLC Question One: How to Choose and Develop Collective Understanding of Essential Standards
Learn why getting clear about what students should know and be able to do by grade, by subject, or by course is critical for collaborative teams. Participants review the vital role of question one, discover how to determine essentials, and learn how to develop collective understanding of the essentials in preparation for teaching, assessing, and most importantly student learning. This session is specifically for those who have not developed essential standards or would like a refresher.
Jeanne Spiller
Yes We Can: Collaboration by All, for All!
When teams commit to collaborating in the PLC process dedicated to high levels of learning for all students, a key critical step is to examine their personal and systemic beliefs about students, themselves, and learning. Then, ensure that all systems align, bringing this vision to life. Participants in this session are provided with strategies and protocols to examine mindsets and collaborative processes to drive action planning that ensure higher levels of learning for all students. This session is designed for both general and special educators.
