PLC Basics
This is the main goal of a Professional Learning Community: to ensure all students _____ and _____.
What is learn at high levels and achieve success?
WICOR stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and this last letter represents strategies that engage students in reading.
What is R – Reading?
This IB approach asks students to investigate, ask questions, and construct understanding rather than just memorize facts.
What is inquiry-based learning?
Teachers write these statements to clearly describe what students should know and be able to do by the end of a lesson or unit.
What are learning targets?
In a PLC, common assessments are often referred to as this type of assessment, given to all students in a grade or course.
What are common formative assessments (CFAs)?
In a PLC, this type of question focuses on improving teaching practices to impact student learning.
What is a “learning targets” or “essential question about learning”?
This WICOR strategy encourages students to ask deep questions rather than just seeking right answers.
What is Inquiry?
IB students demonstrate understanding and application of knowledge through these types of tasks beyond traditional tests.
What are performance tasks, projects, or assessments?
These types of guiding questions help students and teachers focus on the big ideas and understandings in a unit.
What are essential questions?
In IB, students complete these reflections on performance to demonstrate understanding of learning and improvement over time.
What are self-assessments or reflections?
The PLC process is often described using this four-step cycle: What do we want students to learn? How will we know if they’ve learned it? How will we respond if they haven’t learned it? How will we respond if they already know it?
What is the PLC learning cycle?
Students use this WICOR skill to organize their thinking, summarize learning, and reflect on content through notes, journals, or essays.
What is Writing?
In IB, students consider this when analyzing topics, encouraging them to think beyond their own perspective.
What is global context or international-mindedness?
Teachers use learning targets to create these shared assessments that check if all students are mastering the same skills.
What are common formative assessments (CFAs)?
In AVID WICOR, this type of assessment includes student projects, presentations, or portfolios rather than just tests.
What are performance-based assessments?
This role in a PLC often organizes meetings, tracks data, and ensures accountability for team goals.
Who is the PLC Lead?
Small group work, think-pair-share, and Socratic Seminars all fall under this WICOR category.
What is Collaboration?
This IB component requires students to complete independent research and inquiry.
What is the Internal Assessment (IA)?
A PLC team plans instruction so that all students have access to the same content and skills, ensuring consistency across classes. This is called a what?
What is a guaranteed and viable curriculum?
After analyzing assessment results, teachers often design follow-up lessons or activities to help students revisit and master key concepts. This process is known as what?
What is student re-engagement?
A PLC uses this type of data to determine if students are learning at expected levels.
What is student achievement data or assessment data?
Using checklists, binders, planners, and digital tools to keep track of assignments demonstrates this WICOR skill.
What is Organization?
IB assessments often require students to demonstrate this skill, showing how they analyze, evaluate, and reflect on their learning.
What is critical thinking or reflection?
When teachers analyze CFAs and notice some students haven’t mastered a learning target, they use this process to adjust instruction and support student growth.
What is data-driven instructional adjustment?
By reviewing released CAASPP Smarter Balanced test items, PLC teams can analyze question formats and rigor to align instruction and prepare students for what they’ll see on the assessment. This practice is an example of what?
What is using assessment analysis to align instruction (or instructional alignment through assessment review)?