A

1. Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it.

My goal for my capstone project is to establish a peer learning community that fosters sustained inquiry and reflection on instructional practice. This PLC will work on teacher clarity of instruction and assessment through unpacking standards and creating proficiency scales. I used the Cognia Accreditation report. This accreditation included input from the administration, teachers, students, parents, and the community. The accreditation took place over the 2023 and 2024 school year and the report was released to me in November of 2024.

2. Describe your diverse stakeholders and how you selected them, such as colleagues, parents, students, association members, community members, state or local partners, etc. 

The first of my key stakeholders was my school district administration, specifically my superintendent/principal. When beginning TLI she and I met and discussed the direction my project could go and areas of improvement the Cognia Accreditation had identified. She expressed wanting to develop a PLC fostering teacher clarity which aligned with the needs identified by Cognia.

I put out the call for teachers interested in joining this PLC and was looking to get a mix of curricular, grade level, and experience in our group.

Teacher A: 9th-10th grade math, 15+ years teaching, bachelors degree

Teacher B: 10th-12th grade English, 4 years teaching, bachelors degree

Teacher C: 12th grade Government, 12 years teaching, currently in school for masters degree

Teacher D: 10th-12th grade science, 25+ years teaching, masters degree

Myself: 11th-12th grade science, 13 years teaching, masters degree

Administrator: 25+ years teaching CTE courses, 3 years assistant principal, 2 years superintendent/principal

3. Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed?

In 2022 the school established extra time in the schedule for professional development and collaboration among teachers. However, many teachers felt these sessions were a waste of time and under utilized. The teachers who chose to join this PLC acknowledged the need to improve instruction by creating more engaging, collaborative, and learner-centered lessons. Many others feel they lack clear tools and feedback to guide shifts toward student voice and responsibility in learning.

From Cognia:

“While 87% of staff believe they provide lessons that meet student needs, only 34% of parents and 35% of students agree. Similarly, 89% of staff believe lessons prepare students for the future, but 54% of parents and 48% of students concur. "Boring" was among the top four words students used to describe their school experiences, noting that most instructional time is teacher-directed, with students largely engaged in the same activities, mainly taking notes and listening. Although the school shares MAP testing results to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, there is no evidence this information is used with the student to set individual learning goals or monitor progress to meet them.”

4. In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies?

Having more teacher clarity in instruction and assessment promotes equity and inclusion for all students of all backgrounds. I think an unawareness of the foundational competencies leads teachers to design lessons and assessment tools that assume all students learn the way the teacher wants them to, which can be seen in the dissonance between staff and student/parent survey results.  

5. Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift?  Explain.

As shown in the Cognia review, there is a baseline and identified need for growth from staff to support a broader range of students, however there is no formal or established protocol to make this happen. My project was to strengthen the existing vision and make it accessible to all teachers in the district. 

6. Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge?

I will empower a small team of passionate teachers to have further clarity in their instruction and assessment, and then those teachers will help lead a cultural shift in the school.

B

1. On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Why are they relevant? 

Interpersonal relationships and adult learning. My capstone project is all about building relationships and trust within my fellow teachers. The shared community with the teachers will hopefully lead to increased effectiveness which will benefit all students.

2. Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus on in your Capstone Challenge?  Why is it relevant? 

I will focus on Instructional leadership, specifically facilitating collaborative relationships. The main component of my capstone is working in a PLC so this leadership pathway aligns perfectly.

3. With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?

I will work with colleagues outside of my normal circle. My classroom is in a separate building from the main part of the school, this makes it very easy to only interact with the 4 other teachers in my building and no one else. The PLC team that worked together include teachers I haven't had personal relationships with previously. The PLC team also included a wide variety of extra curricular advisors. Teacher A oversees academic olympics, Teacher B runs the drama club, Teacher C is the head football and baseball coach, Teacher D is very academically focused, this lead to a wide variety of perspectives about what is important for students to be successful.

4. Which resources (such as, people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge?   What resources will you need?  How will you obtain them? 

Time is probably the biggest issue in terms of resources. The PLC is meeting at 7:15 on Wednesday mornings. This might impact members of the team when life gets busy with kids, sports seasons, grades, health, etc. Because of this challenge, my administrator has agreed to give those involved 3 of our other PD days off which will hopefully combat the difficulty of giving up precious time in the day.