Professional Learning Communities

The staff at Swift Creek Elementary School utilizes the educational philosophy of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to meet the needs of all students.  PLCs value six common traits:

  1. Shared Mission, Vision, and Values;
  2. Collaborative teams focused on learning;
  3. Collective inquiry into research based best practices and current practices;
  4. Action Orientation/Experimentation by teachers and teams;
  5. Commitment to continuous improvement; and
  6. Results orientation. 

Furthermore, PLCs revolve around the constant discussion, collaboration, and reflection upon four critical questions.  The four questions are vital in meeting the needs of all students at Swift Creek. 

  1. What is it we expect children to learn?  Answer: Essential Learning Outcome
  2. How do we know when the children have learned them?  Answer: Constant formative assessments and data analysis
  3. What do we do when the children do not learn the essential learning outcomes?  Answer:  Real-time remediation
  4. What do we do when the children already know the essential learning outcomes? Answer:   Curriculum Compacting and real-time enrichment activities

Positive Behavior Support

Swift Creek Elementary School implements a behavior iniative called Positive Behavior Support (PBS).  Listed below are the guiding principles and key features of PBS.

Positive Behavior Support:
Guiding Principles

  1. All students are valuable and deserve respect
  2. ­School climate is a shared responsibility among administrators, teachers, staff, parents and students
  3. ­All students can be taught appropriate behavior
  4. ­Regular positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors will help them to occur more frequently
  5. ­School personnel must be willing to examine their own behavior as students are taught to change theirs
  6. ­Cultural differences exist and need to be understood
  7. ­Positive relationships between students and adults are key to student success
  8. ­Punishment is not an effective way to sustain behavior change

Positive Behavior Support:
Key Features

  1. ­Establishes environments that support long term success of effective practices
  2. ­Clearly defined behavioral expectations
  3. ­Implemented consistently by all staff
  4. ­Appropriate student behavior is taught
  5. ­Positive behaviors are publicly acknowledged
  6. ­Problem behaviors have clear consequences
  7. ­Student behavior is monitored and staff receive regular feedback
  8. ­Implemented at school-wide, specific setting, classroom & individual student levels
  9. ­Strategies are designed to meet the needs of all students

Please click on the link below to view the school-wide expectations (ROAR Matrix) that the staff developed.  All expectations are listed in positive terms and are teachable.  As you are in the building, you will notice the expectations are posted school-wide.  Please help our students become a “ROAR”ing success by reinforcing these important skills at home.