Five summers ago, my professional life was permanently changed when I attended my first PLC conference. I frankly went with an attitude of “here we go again . . . ,” having been disenchanted with most of my previous professional development. But within just a few minutes of the first keynote, I knew I was hearing something very different and very exciting. Since then I have been fortunate to receive training from both Solution Tree and Marzano Research Laboratory, and my belief in the big ideas of PLC (focus on learning, not teaching; collaboration; etc.) has only grown. They are, in my view, the most powerful insights into education to be found anywhere, and I believe they represent the best chance to improve academic outcomes for all students.

It is, therefore, with great enthusiasm that I share news of a PLC-inspired program that my school has spent the last year developing. Called the Life Skills Academy, this program is designed to raise the performance of selected students by placing them on student-led collaborative teams to set goals, develop strategies for success, measure results, and celebrate victories.

This program is based on two main premises:

1. Many students who struggle do so for reasons other than academic ability. Motivation, organization, personal and social well-being, and other factors are at least as important as ability, and even otherwise capable students can be undone by these factors.

2. Given proper training and support, students can serve as powerful sources of guidance, leadership, and motivation for one another in capacities far beyond traditional tutoring.

Among the highlights of the program:

• Twenty incoming sophomores who struggled as freshmen have been paired with a peer mentor, and seven freshmen who show early signs of struggle will be added within the first few weeks of school and similarly paired. Each pair will join two other pairs on six-person teams.
• The teams will meet every Monday in a homeroom class and then up to three additional times per week during flex periods we call tutorials. The Monday meetings will be used for instruction on such vital life skills such as motivation, organization, goal setting, and perseverance. Some of the curriculum has been developed internally and is drawn from the latest brain-based research into mindsets, habit formation, and other attributes. We are also fortunate to have been selected by the Hawn Foundation as a pilot program for a high school version of its MindUP curriculum, which will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our efforts.
• The even more important work will be done by the student collaborative teams. They will begin the year by setting individual and team goals for grades, attendance, and missing work, and will use these goals as the focus of their work. Each time they meet, the teams will examine all classes to mark due dates, set priorities, and organize the time and other resources necessary to complete assignments. Any time available after those tasks are completed will be used for studying and tutoring. Individuals who are on track to meet their goals will be acknowledged weekly, and the teams will participate in friendly competitions that will be awarded at the end of each grading period.

As excited as we are about the curriculum, it is the bonds between the students that we believe will drive its success. We believe that within a caring and forward-looking environment, the students will develop not only trust in one another, but a sense of connectedness that will energize and motivate them. We are trying to capture at least a little of the camaraderie of sports, in which everyone from star players to those on the bench are valued for their dedication and applauded for growth.

Because the PLC process teaches us to be data-driven, we will track student performance closely. Grades, attendance, and missing work will be examined weekly, and we will produce reports at the end of each six-week grading period to evaluate progress. I will share our data in this blog and eagerly receive questions, comments, and suggestions from fellow PLC devotees. I look forward to sharing!