Fillmore High School has implemented the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model for improving teaching and learning. Collaboration is a vehicle for realizing and understanding student needs, fostering the desire to meet those needs, and places value on teacher expertise. It is highly effective when it is focused on what works for students. FHS staff meets in collaborative teams each Wednesday before students arrive.

To begin the school year, FHS staff broke down the elements of the job that would be immediately valuable for students and teachers. For our teachers that included: Creating a comprehensive syllabus; Attendance procedures; School-wide discipline expectations; Lesson planning and assessment: benchmarks as evidence of student success; Grading and report cards; Communication with parents; Good teaching; Learning environments: effective vs. ineffective; Curriculum: meeting state standards; Facilities: maintenance and repairs; Forms; Textbooks, schedule changes, lockers, etc…State testing and the High School Exit Exam; ASVAB, PSAT, and SAT for juniors and seniors; Accreditation: progress and needs. Having addressed these items as a collaborative group ensured unity among FHS staff and set a positive tone for the school year.

FHS staff members prepared a self-study document as part of the WASC accreditation process, completed in November 2008. This work was our opportunity to examine practices and programs in place, and to determine their relevance and effectiveness for our students. The culminating task of WASC was to develop an Action Plan, in which we outlined major academic goals for the next three years. The emphasis of the Action Plan is on improving student academic achievement in math, reading and writing. FHS staff also identified English Language Learners and Special Education as populations needing more support. Further, as a collaborative team, FHS staff is committed to the continued use of data (from multiple sources) in making decisions.

One final note, in order for the PLC model to reach its full potential at FHS, there needs to be buy-in from all stakeholders. The district office and school board has been very supportive of the work we are doing at FHS. And, under the leadership of Principal Wilber, we expect many positive outcomes in terms of student academic growth and achievement.