US/Global 
CAN
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Evidence of Excellence
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Evidence of Excellence
Harrison Trimble High School
Moncton, New Brunswick
DEMOGRAPHICS
Harrison Trimble High School, located in New Brunswick, Canada, serves students in grades 9–12 with diverse national, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Their school mission is to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment where competency-based learning targets are set, personalized learning opportunities are provided, and emotional growth is nurtured among all staff and students.
- 1,435 students
- 53 countries represented, including Canada
Harrison Trimble High School's CHALLENGE
At Harrison Trimble High School, Principal Gary Wilson and his administrators and teachers have always prioritized student learning, a culture of collaboration, and a focus on results—elements found in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work®. The journey to Model PLC recognition started with Principal Wilson, who had prior experience with the PLC at Work process.
Wilson identified a trend where some teachers were moving away from simply delivering content. The teachers who did move away from traditional teaching practices focused on equipping students with valuable skills and fostering a sense of responsibility in students for their own learning. However, this shift in practice was not universal, leading to inconsistencies in classroom instruction.
In addition, Harrison Trimble was used to seeing new administrations come and go. Each time, teachers would learn to implement processes from one leadership team, only to have it change with the next. This led to a variety of different methods to achieve student learning. Maintaining a consistent schoolwide focus on student learning was often derailed because of inconsistencies that existed between grade levels, content areas, and teachers. One of Principal Wilson’s main goals was to ensure all teachers were on the same page about student learning, grading scales, and assessments.
The school's significant number of underperforming students presented big challenges to address. Wilson wanted to turn the tide of the number of students seeking to transfer out, which was much higher than the number of students transferring in to the school.
IMPLEMENTATION
The first step Principal Wilson and staff took was to establish teams with his three vice principals leading the teams. From there, a school improvement plan was created.
This document ensured a focus on continuous improvement, a schoolwide focus on specific initiatives, staff engagement, and ongoing monitoring of progress toward their identified goals. Once teams were established, Harrison Trimble received assistance from Solution Tree associate Tom Schimmer, who provided professional development and guidance on building a solid schoolwide achievement scale.
Within the first year of implementing the PLC at Work process, roughly 75% of their school administration, leadership team, and teachers collaborated to develop competency-based learning targets. In partnership with students, they achieved standards that were assessed, evaluated, and reported using the schoolwide achievement scale. Their collaborative teams met regularly, planning assessments, both formative and summative, that allowed students to show their understanding of each supporting idea.
Further, the team invited teachers to collaborate in highly focused teams throughout the year to actively support all aspects of the PLC at Work process. These groups dove into areas such as feedback, self-assessment, and goal setting by conducting research on best practices, gathering feedback from fellow teachers on their current practice, and reaching out to students regarding their needs as learners. Information is collected, analyzed, synthesized, and shared with staff.
Since teachers began monitoring student progress and grading on the same achievement scale, Harrison Trimble’s Tier 2 intervention process improved as well. They provided interventions when needed and created block times, like their lunchtime academic support and Saturday school, so students could focus on their studies while receiving staff-directed support.
“The high achievement we’ve seen goes hand-in-hand with the positive school culture shift. Our students produce quality work and see it valued, so their behavior naturally improves. Likewise, our teachers feel empowered and celebrated and know their work is respected and supported. Our focus isn’t just on social-emotional learning, it’s on building a well-rounded environment where everyone thrives—students, teachers, and the entire school community.”
RESULTS
Harrison Trimble High School’s commitment to the PLC at Work process has resulted in significant improvement in student learning and collaboration among staff. The school may have started with many parents opting to enroll their children elsewhere due to low performance, but their collaborative and data-driven approach and commitment to their students transformed the school within three years.
Now, parents actively seek enrollment for their children, drawn to the school’s thriving academic program. Students also enjoy learning at Harrison Trimble. Student surveys originally reported that 76.4% felt there was enough support in place.
Now, three years later, scores report that 94.6% of students feel they are supported in learning. Survey results were attributed to several key factors Principal Wilson and his team implemented. Their focus on developing competency-based learning targets, combined with a schoolwide achievement scale, ensured everyone was on the same page about what students needed to master. This consistency in expectations and assessment led to more targeted instruction and improved student understanding. These combined efforts yielded impressive results.
From Year 1 to Year 2, Harrison Trimble’s reading scores started around 74.2%. This upward trend continued in their third year, with scores reaching 81.3%. Graduation rates also saw improvement, rising from 92.1% to 94.7%. These results speak volumes about the positive impact of the PLC at Work process on Harrison Trimble High School.
Reading Assessment Scores
Graduation rate
WHY PLC AT WORK®?
Professional learning communities (PLCs) 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.
