PLT-  A group of educators who share a common course, grade or student learning goal working interdependently and collaboratively using data, common formative assessments, CCSS or state standards and research-based strategies to achieve a specific SMART student learning goal which addresses a student performance deficiency.  Usually, this is a periodic 1-1.5 hour meeting regarding a student performance deficiency, considering student learning data and resulting in a brief but practical action plan which will be completed during remaining allocated PLT and/or planning time. This meeting is always recorded for future reflection/tracking of efforts for improvement.  The focus of PLts is school improvement through teamwork as opposed to individual class improvement.  Activities associated with PLTs include aligning grade level or content area curriculum to CCSS, vertical and horizontal alignment, assessment item and strand analysis, strategizing for increased use of best practices, organizing interventions and professional development geared toward solving a specific student performance deficiency.

Planning Time/ Team Time- This is time allocated in a teacher’s daily schedule for tasks such as determining responsibilities during an assembly or field trip, meeting with a teacher to discuss shared lesson plans or scope and sequence, PBS planning, consulting with staff about a student behavior issue and calling a parent.

Prep- This is time allocated for preparing to teach. This may happen on or off campus and includes developing lessons, studying content, correcting tests or gathering materials.

“In most situations, praise and criticism [including A, B, C, F] may refer to routine, almost mechanized, pronouncements of ‘Good’ or ‘No, you’re wrong.” this kind of feedback [for the purposes of instructional improvement] is not informative to the student; consequently, it may not have an impact on the child beyond the realization that he or she got the answer right or wrong.” – Harris & Rosenthal, 1985

• The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction, Marzano (2007).
• Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading, Marzano (2010).
• What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing Research-Based Programs, Allington (2001).
• Common Formative Assessments: How to Connect Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment, Ainsworth & Viegut (2006).
• Transformative Assessment, Popham (2008).
• Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap: Whatever It Takes, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Karhanek (2010)