CAPITOL HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, INC.

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Tel No: 931-6804 • 952-4962

Professional Learning Communities

(PLC)

Description

Typically, PLC meetings include the following activities: 1) Reviewing student data, 2) setting
learning goals, 3) reflecting on teaching practice, 4) exploring resources to learn about new
practices, and 5) planning how to apply new learning.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a collaborative approach to professional

development in which small groups of educators meet regularly to explore new concepts, share
expertise and insights from their teaching experiences, and engage in collective problem
solving. Unlike traditional PDs, inquiry and reflection are at the heart of effective PLCs.
Participants frequently ask questions like -- How did this strategy impact students’ learning?
What gaps in understanding are still present? What should I/we do differently next time? This
structure promotes continued professional learning as teachers discuss ways they applied new
practices, review student data, and offer each other feedback. Without intentional effort,
however, PLCs won’t necessarily lead to improved instructional practices and student outcomes.
Here are some suggestions for helping teachers get the most out their PLC time:

1. Set clear objectives that are focused on student learning

The PLC model is grounded in the assumption that building teachers’ competencies will lead to
improved academic, behavioral, or social outcomes for students. Consequently, student learning
is both the foundation and evidence of an effective PLC. When initiating a new PLC cycle,
encourage teachers to begin by asking, “What’s going on for our students?” Through teacher
observations, conversations with students, and data analysis, teachers gain a better sense of
what is happening for all learners. Based on this information, teachers can create an overarching
PLC goal that is aligned to school or district goals. For example, a team of sixth grade teachers
notice that students frequently get into arguments while working on collaborative projects.
Several students have expressed frustration with group work because they feel like their ideas
are not listened to or that the work isn't shared equally. Given that a school-wide focus for the
year is building supportive learning environments, the team decides that their PLC objective will
be to help students learn to collaborate with others and build communication skills.

PLCs are knowledge-building cycles. At each meeting teachers review what they have learned,
evaluate the impact of strategies they have implemented, and determine what new learning is
necessary to promote valued student outcomes. Individual meetings may have a specific objective
that is tied to the overarching PLC goal. The sixth-grade teachers described in the previous
example might decide during their first PLC meeting to explore approaches for teaching students
to use “I-Messages” (e.g.,” I feel __ when ___. I would like ___.”) when they feel as if they are
not being treated fairly in their group. At the next meeting, teachers share observational data
related to the impact of this approach and determine whether further instruction is needed in this
area or if they should revise their objective and focus on another strategy.
2. Provide structure and guidance for PLC time

Like students, teachers often need support when developing new habits of practice. While there
are few cut-and-dried rules for PLCs, it is beneficial to provide guidance to help teachers best
utilize their time together. Typically, PLC meetings include the following activities: 1) Reviewing
student data, 2) setting learning goals, 3) reflecting on teaching practice, 4) exploring resources
to learn about new practices, and 5) planning how to apply new learning. A PLC Facilitator’s
Guide (like this one from Actively Learn) can equip teachers and coaches to lead PLC meetings.

The reflection and inquiry embedded within the PLC model encourages teachers to identify not
only student learning needs, but also gaps in their own pedagogical and content knowledge.
However, in the absence of an instructional coach or expert in the selected focus area, PLC
members are then faced with the challenging task of determining what to learn and how to learn
it. To mitigate this challenge, once a group has determined its PLC goal, point members toward
relevant resources or knowledgeable staff members who can help them focus their learning.

For example, after reviewing recent test scores, a high-school biology team might discover that
most of their ELLs struggled with a particular concept. Upon reflection, the teachers realize that
most of the instruction in this unit involved reading research papers and supplemental texts. This
data analysis and reflection leads the teachers to ask: How can we better support our ELLs in
reading and understanding academic content? The principal, who knows that the history
department chair recently completed a training on ELL strategies, encourages this teacher to share
resources and expertise with the biology team. This approach not only allows the biology team to
guide their own learning, but also increases collaboration across departments.

3. Foster a culture of collaboration

Successful PLCs promote distributed expertise and teachers recognize that their individual and
collective goals are best met by working together. Building this kind of learning community isn’t
easy. Many teachers are used to working in isolation, which can make them reluctant to share
their challenges and receive feedback from others.

One way to promote collaboration within PLCs is by providing opportunities for teachers to
observe each other's classrooms and teach lessons together. Teachers sharing their
understandings and instructional approaches with one another supports the learning of all
members in the community. Every PLC meeting should include time for teachers to critically
reflect on how specific teaching practices are impacting student learning outcomes.

Some teams also find it beneficial to develop specific norms and expectations regarding the roles,
responsibilities, and relationships of group members to ensure that all members are active
participants the PLC process. This may mean that the role of facilitator rotates among group
members or that members agree to prepare certain materials (e.g., data analysis, instructional
resources, etc.) for each session. Like most teams, PLCs are more likely to be successful when all
members demonstrate their commitment to working toward a shared purpose.

4. Focus on results

Most teachers have had the experience of “bombing” a lesson. When this happens, teachers are
faced with determining how to modify their instruction in order to achieve the desired learning
outcomes. This process of trying out an instructional approach, evaluating its effectiveness, and
 determining next steps to further promote student learning is the core of the PLC process.
Student results should guide all of a team’s activities, and these results should be used by PLC
members to judge their group’s effectiveness.

PLCs should focus their efforts on addressing questions related to student learning and create
products that reflect this focus, such as lists of desired student outcomes, types of assessment
tools, analyses of student achievement, and instructional strategies. PLC members should also
consider how they will know if students have adequately met the goals they have set and create
criteria for assessing outcomes.

Throughout the PLC process, teachers are constantly returning to the question: “What’s going on
for our students?” At each meeting, members evaluate relevant data to determine whether their
practices are promoting student learning. Based on this information, the focus of a team’s goals
shifts as teachers explore different ways to meet student needs. This cycle leads to ongoing
teacher learning that is tied to what truly matters: addressing student challenges and promoting
academic achievement for all students.

Creating Effective Professional Learning

Communities
A learning team constantly engages in a cycle of learning: analyzing data, setting goals, and
learning individually and collaboratively, as well as implementing and adjusting practices to meet
the needs of all learners. This process allows teachers to try new teaching practices and discover
what’s working and what isn’t.

DETERMINING COMMON LEARNING AND ASSESSMENTS

MAKING SPACE FOR INNOVATION

ENSURING THAT TEAMS WORK EFFECTIVELY

Teachers work in collaborative planning teams to examine critically and discuss standards-based
learning expectations for students.
These teams select evidence-based instructional strategies for meeting the standards.
Teams develop a common lesson plan incorporating the selected strategies and identify the type
of student work each teacher will use to demonstrate learning.
Teachers implement the planned lesson, record successes and challenges, and gather evidence
of student learning.
Teams review student work and discuss student understanding of the standards.
Teams reflect on the implications of the analysis of student work and discuss potential
modifications to instructional strategies.

Consider the following best practices—PLCs work best when schools have:

1. A culture that supports collaboration;

A Collaboration-Friendly Culture
 Collaboration cannot be forced. Instead, school leaders should help all members of the
school community feel attached and committed to the work. Some ways to do this
including articulating a clear, specific and compelling vision; matching tasks and roles to
staff members who are personally invested in them; expanding leadership roles; and
making coordination easy.

Consider facilitating coordination through online tools such as Basecamp (a project-

coordination platform) and Blackboard (an online learning platform).

2. The ability to take an objective/macro view of school efforts; and

An Objective View of School Efforts

An external facilitator’s work with a school PLC involves getting familiar with staff and
assessing their way of operating as it relates to school improvement goals. Facilitators also
can help bring a school’s fragmented efforts into alignment, especially at the beginning of
the process.

Change facilitators are able to take a “balcony” or macro-centric view of the situations and
contexts facing school staff. Recognizing the leadership qualities of the principal and the
extent to which leadership is dispersed in the school, facilitators can provide appropriate
support to staff in meeting their goals.

3. Shared beliefs and behaviors.

Shared Beliefs and Behaviors

Staff-wide beliefs and behaviors that support successful PLCs include:

Failure, mistakes and uncertainty in work are openly shared and discussed;
Colleagues agree on broad educational values, but accept disagreements that foster new
dialogue;
Teachers receive respect and consideration as people; and
Administrators support “dispersed leadership,” where teachers develop the confidence to
select and adapt strategies that drive improvement.
Additional key beliefs and practices include:

A relentless commitment to improvement;

A view of improvement as a team effort for which everyone is responsible;
An acknowledgement that teacher behavior is key to enhancing student learning;
A belief that knowledge is constructed from day-to-day experiences, along with the ability
to share those experiences; and
A value placed on ongoing learning (continuous inquiry).