Wednesday, September 23, 2020

On Wednesday, September 23, Big Sandy Elementary School received a visit from Solution Tree, a national organization focused on improving learning for students and professional growth for teachers. Solution Tree presented Big Sandy with a flag, recognizing the school’s distinction as a Model Professional Learning Community at Work. Big Sandy is the first school in Alabama, and one of only about 200 schools in the United States and Canada, to earn this title.

BSE was chosen for the honor based on its sustained success in raising student achievement, through the school’s successful implementation of the Professional Learning Communities at Work process. Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, are schools and districts in which educators work to improve student learning through ongoing, job-embedded learning for the adults who serve those students. The use of Professional Learning Communities is a strategy TCSS implements throughout the entire district. 

“Our entire faculty and staff have worked the past three years to become a Professional Learning Community in an effort to do what is best for all of our students,” Big Sandy Elementary principal Mrs. Glynis Rhodes said.

Schools are selected as a Model Professional Learning Community at Work based on strict criteria, including demonstration of a commitment to PLC concepts, implementation of these concepts for at least three years, and clear evidence of improved student learning over that period. Once measurable results can be seen, the school must explain its practices, structures, and culture, and submit its application for consideration by the PLC Review Committee.

Model PLC Schools have the opportunity to share implementation strategies, structures, and performance with educators across the country, interested in improving their schools.

Congratulations to everyone at Big Sandy Elementary who has worked so hard to accomplish this goal, and ultimately, to support students!