Jun 4, 2025
Think back on the last time your PLC met. Was the conversation focused and actionable, or did it get bogged down chasing data and figuring out next steps?
For California educators working toward MTSS goals, literacy milestones, and student growth, PLCs can make a big impact. But only if they’re set up for success.
That’s where data comes in.
When used right, it fuels focused collaboration, helps identify learning gaps, and drives action that supports every student.
Here’s how to make it happen and how to keep your PLCs focused, forward-thinking, and effective.
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Start with a clear focus
PLCs lose steam when no one’s sure what they’re looking at or looking for. Ground your work in what matters most. Are you monitoring literacy growth under the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (CLSD)? Working to implement strategies supported by the Reading Instruction and Intervention Grant or the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Program? Tracking standards across grade levels?
Get clear on your priorities – and get started early. Setting focus areas ahead of time helps you avoid last-minute scrambles and ensures your team starts the year aligned and ready to go.
Quick win: Pick one or two key focus areas for each PLC cycle and align your data sources from the start.
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Use student plans to guide your work
Great PLCs don’t just review the past; they plan for what’s next.
Student-level plans give teams a roadmap for meeting individual needs. These plans typically include current performance levels, intervention strategies, learning goals, and instructional accommodations.
By reviewing and updating student plans regularly, PLCs can:
- Align instruction and supports across classrooms and grade levels
- Ensure interventions are timely, targeted, and tracked
- Identify when students are ready for enrichment, not just remediation
- Foster accountability and shared ownership of each student’s growth
Quick win: Use a shared, digital platform to store and update student plans in real time. This keeps everyone on the same page and reduces time spent tracking down info across tools or folders.
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Track growth over time, not just as checkpoints
Point-in-time scores only show a snapshot. To really understand how students are doing, PLCs need access to progress monitoring data that shows growth trends over time.
Seeing where a student started, how far they’ve come, and where they still need support allows teams to make smarter decisions and celebrate real progress.
Quick win: Swap out spreadsheets for growth visuals. Line graphs, color-coded mastery trackers, and progress dashboards make patterns easy to see (and act on).
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Make data usable for every teacher
If teachers have to dig through endless spreadsheets or wait for data reports, the data won’t get used. Empower them with tools that highlight trends, make grouping students simple, and connect insights to instruction.
When data is easy to access and interpret, teachers feel more confident making real-time adjustments, and that leads to better outcomes.
Quick win: The right tools bring together complex student data from multiple sources and turn it into simple next steps. Look for platforms that make it easy to see who needs help, why, and how to respond.
Go from Quick Wins to Big Wins with Otus
Otus gives California schools a smarter way to power PLCs. Here’s how:
- All-in-one view of student data and plans, including assessments, progress monitoring, and student supports.
- Visuals that make growth clear; track student performance by standard, skill, or goal.
- Built-in collaboration; share student groups, notes, and updates across teams.
- Alignment with MTSS and California frameworks, helping teams stay on track with initiatives such as the Reading Instruction and Intervention Grant or the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Program.
Your PLCs deserve better tools, and your students deserve the success that comes from smart, data-driven collaboration – and we’re here to help.
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