Lemoore Elementary School District's Liberty Middle School honored for raising student achievement

The local middle school isn’t new to awards and honors. Just two years ago, the local Lemoore Union Elementary School District accepted recognition as a “School to Watch” by the California Department of Education and was even honored at a Washington D.C. event.

Solution Tree is a company that, since 1998, has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achievement through professional learning events and videos and online courses.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are schools and districts in which educators recognize the key to improved learning for students is on-going, job-embedded learning for the adults who serve those students. The three big ideas of a PLC call upon educators to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and create a results orientation.

“We are thrilled to have Liberty Middle School honored for their commitment to focusing on these three essential principles which dramatically affect student outcomes,” said the district’s superintendent, Cheryl Hunt.

Schools are recognized 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.

According to the Champions of PLC at Work™, educators in the schools and districts selected for this recognition have shown “a sustained commitment to helping all of their students achieve at high levels. They have been willing to alter the structure and culture of the organization to reflect their commitment. We applaud them and congratulate them for achieving this very significant milestone on the never-ending PLC journey.”

Recognized model PLC schools are listed on allthingsplc.info, where they share implementation strategies, structures, and performance with other educators interested in improving their schools. Tools for team collaboration, articles, and research about PLCs, blog posts, and other related resources are also available on the site. The site was developed and is maintained by Solution Tree, a leading provider of educational strategies and tools that improve staff and student performance. For more than 20 years, Solution Tree resources have helped K–12 teachers and administrators create schools where all children succeed.

Liberty Middle School will be celebrating this recognition on March 13, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. in the Liberty Middle School Gymnasium.