PLCs

= Professional Learning Communities = == photo credit: Oliver Ellis

**What is a Professional Learning Community?**
The idea of turning schools into “Professional Learning Communities” (PLCs) has developed over time as educators saw the need to make school improvements whereby all the stakeholders benefit from a “collegial atmosphere” of constant improvement and learning among staff to enhance teaching practices, school culture and ultimately student learning (e.g. Bolam et al., 2005; Dufour, 2004; Morrissey, 2000; Mundry & Stiles, 2009).
 * Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)**

With that said, the use of the term PLC has no universal definition (Bolam et al., 2005) and has become so widespread that it may refer to any group operating in a school setting, losing the original meaning and intention of the term (Dufour, 2004). For the purposes clarity, PLCs will be defined here in this Wiki as follows:

“ Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve.” (Dufour & Dufour, 2008) It is worth noting that PLCs are characterized by:

“the teachers in a school and its administrators continuously seeking and sharing learning, and acting on their learning. The goal of their actions is to enhance their effectiveness as professionals for the students’ benefit…” (Hord, 1997)

So what defines the professional learning community, is that the whole school puts a focus on learning and it is done as a community (Bolam et al., 2005; Stoll et al., 2006). Teachers, administrators, everyone in the school is learning, exploring, and testing ideas to create the best environment to help students to learn (e.g. Bolam et al., 2005; Dufour, 2004; Morrissey, 2000; Mundry & Stiles, 2009 ). This is in contrast to a typical school hierarchy where ideas (to either change, or not change) are dictated from the administration and teachers are often isolated and not given a chance to share ideas and learn with colleagues (Morrissey, 2000).

The function of a PLC is to empower teachers to grow as educators so that they can help students to improve their performance in the educational system (e.g. Bolam et al., 2005; Dufour, 2004; Morrissey, 2000; Mundry & Stiles, 2009).
 * What is the function of a PLC?**

A wide range of PLC’s exist depending on how the community is defined. Most PLC’s seem to be schools, or entire school systems (e.g. Bolam et al., 2005; Mundry & Stiles, 2009; Stoll et al., 2006 ), but can also be groups of teachers operating within a school, e.g. science teachers (Mundry & Stiles, 2009).
 * Types of PLC’s**

The structure of the PLC is that of a community meaning that teachers and administrators participate to create a culture of learning in the school (e.g. Bolam et al., 2005; Dufour, 2004; Morrissey, 2000; Mundry & Stiles, 2009). Interestingly, Bolam et al. (2005) noted that feedback from the students plays a large role in the functioning of a PLC so they are part of the community as well.
 * Who participates in a PLC?**

Establishing a Professional Learning Community in your school
Sources agree that professional learning communities do not develop from a “who” so much as from a “what,” that is, a concern or a problem with student learning, i.e., students are having to relearn basic concepts in later grades, test scores are low, etc. Anyone, teacher or administrator, within an educational setting can initiate a PLC. Assembling the players who will nurture the idea into a powerful source of student support requires the commitment and coordinated effort of a team as mentioned above. (Lunenburg, 2010; Morrissey, 2000; Mundry & Stiles, 2009)

The idea to initiate a PLC may come from an individual teacher, a department, an administrator or even a school board when it becomes evident that student needs are not being met. Some schools or school systems decide to join forces with an external group, such as a university or professional organization, that acts as a “change facilitator” (Morrissey, 2000, p. 40-42) but many opt for the do it yourself approach.

Although one of the major tenets of PLCs is shared leadership, teachers should be aware that one of the most critical players in the initiation and ongoing sustainability of a PLC is a school’s principal (Hord, 1997; Lunenburg, 2010, Morrissey, 2000). Unfortunately, a principal can also be a PLC’s biggest roadblock. In order for a PLC to operate, the principal first must be open to sharing authority, authorship, and the decision-making process, i.e., “collegial leadership” (Hord, 1997). The principal must trust that teachers have the ability to develop guiding principles for student development. A sign of openness can be found in a principal’s words. One who uses “we” in regard to teachers will be more open to teamwork than one who uses a phrase such as “//they// think this is a good idea.” (Hord, 1997) Ultimately, it is the principal who will guard the vision and mission of the PLC by removing obstacles and providing support for teachers. Principals should also supply motivation especially at points when teachers feel defeated (Lunenburg, 2010). Thus, he or she must believe in the ultimate vision even if he or she was not the initiator. Equally as important, teachers must be open to the exchange of ideas as well as to constructive advice from peers (Hord, 1997) in an effort to "advance the vision" (see below, Lunenburg, 2010). Hord (2009) in essence recommends that teachers and administrators practice what they profess to teach and allow professional development to be "learner-centered" rather than teacher-driven.

Lunenburg (2010) gives an overview (condensed in a chart below) of the foundational elements that must be agreed upon by all team members of a PLC. The principal’s role, throughout this process is to create “buy-in," to guide, to model enthusiasm and support for students, and to keep all team members focused on the vision. At first, the team might only include members of a single school meeting to reflect on their mission and vision (see below), but in order to ultimately achieve goals, all stakeholder groups must actively support the vision to create the best environment for learning. (DuFour, 2003; Lunenburg, 2010)

**The shared "foundation" needed to start your PLC**
(these statements are behaviors, not “beliefs”) || 1) school board 2) superintendent 3) principal 4) teachers 5) parents 6) students 7) support staff ||
 * **What you need** || **Definition** || **Team members involved** ||
 * Mission statement || The **//basic purpose//** of the school || Principal and teachers ||
 * Vision || What the school **//wants to become//** || Principal and teachers (in “task forces”) ||
 * Value statements || What each member of the team can do to support and **//advance the//** **//vision//**
 * List of goals || What the school wants to achieve (this is exact and measurable...”a computer in every classroom”).
 * //Value statements//** //**are achieved via goals**//. || Principal with faculty and stakeholders establish and work toward ||

It may seem daunting to involve the superintendent and school board in workings of a single school’s professional learning community. Goals are met, however, via the support of people who can reallocate funds, assign support personnel, approve professional development for facilitators within the PLC, make major changes to school-day schedules, and make sure teachers have the time to meet as a professional learning community. It is essential that these stakeholders be committed to the PLC’s vision. Teachers, once again, should enlist the help of the principal to ensure that these groups understand the PLC’s commitment to improvement in student learning. (Lunenburg, 2010) As the PLC progresses, the vision statement can reinvigorate the process during times of frustration ('this is why we're doing this') and keeps the PLC focused on its mission.

**Day to day running/operation**
 A great organization idea comes from Louisa County High School in Louisa, Virginia where all of its 120 teachers are placed in 21 PLCs each with their own purpose to improve student learning, whether it be creating new learning games or new physical education to promote student health (McGraw-Hill, n.d.). The Annenburg Institute suggests an overlap of disciplines where possible in these PLCs to encourage the social aspect of these groups and to bring in fresh ideas. When the teachers are organized into their PLCs, Miami University of Ohio recommends that a good PLC facilitator be chosen to keep the meetings moving along well. The facilitator should insure that the other teachers feel safe and secure to share their ideas (Cox, n.d.).  Ullman (2010) says "The success of PLCs hinges on collaboration." So, in the PLC meetings everyone in the PLC should feel comfortable and confident sharing. Once the atmosphere of trust has been created, then finding the time and using it wisely take precedence. Ullman goes on to state that the PLC sometimes can become an internet based study group. So, she recommends hiring a consultant who can tutor a teacher from each grade level to facilitate the PLCs. Exchanging of ideas with other teachers, Ullman says, can become heated, but discussing issues together calmly and openly can help all the teachers involved learn from one another.

**Participation (Do I have to go?)**
Attendance is not strictly mandatory, but with only a few meetings a month, missing would not be good for the teacher. These PLCs are supposed to be a community of teachers working together. As Yoo (2006) says: “It is important that all members agree to and attend all meetings as consistent participation by all members is critical to the success of a learning community."

**Professional Development**
How are PLCs different from basic staff development? Yes, the teachers are improving their content knowledge and technique, but the main element is how the PLC can affect change in its school. Du Four (2003) mentions this when describing a PLC:

"First, the people in the organization have a clear sense of the mission they are to accomplish and a shared vision of the conditions they must create to achieve their mission. They work together in collaborative teams that engage in collective inquiry into both best practices for accomplishing their aims and the current reality of the conditions in their organization. Any discrepancy between best practice and the reality of their school spurs them to take action to reduce the discrepancy."

DuFour (2003) goes on to talk about how the PLC should be actively identifying weaknesses in their school and developing strategies to attack those weaknesses. Once you develop those strategies, you must assess their effects in the school.

**Time constraints**
Finding the time to have these PLC meetings can be tough. That's why setting your own meeting schedule as per your school's needs is so important. Yet, a certain frequency must be maintained "Because PLCs encourage building community, meeting two times a month is highly recommended. The frequency of the meetings provides continuity in the learning experience as well as offering participants more opportunities to get to know one another." (Yoo, 2006) Outside of after-school meetings informal meetings during the day are an excellent way to get some extra PLC time with fellow teachers: "After a few months, teachers began leaving their doors open and meeting informally throughout the day. Anne Smith finds additional meeting time by hiring substitutes to come in to cover entire grades." (Ullman, 2010)

Finding financial support is again a difficult process, but there are grants and federal funds available. The Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is one such example of a government fund that is used to help with teachers professional development. (CyberSmart, 2010) Also, putting stipulations in teacher contracts for payed PLC time is an excellent way to encourage PLC participation, " And next year, she's guaranteeing designated time: Her contract will include an additional three hours a week dedicated to PLCs." (Ullman, 2010)

**Implementing and assessing of what comes out of the PLC**
The Annenburg Institute (n.d) makes a note that there has to be a way to assess what teachers get out of the PLC. Implementing the new methods of instruction and the new classroom tactics is essential to the effectiveness of the PLC. Therefore, schools should start their planning with a process to "identify and assess current programs and practices they are using to increase student achievement and to identify the measurable outcomes that they expect to see as a result of implementing them." (Annenburg, n.d.)

"Many groups failed to collect, analyze, and present evidence, beyond selfreported anecdotes, to show that working in these groups was, in fact, leading to changes in instructional practices that resulted in improved student outcomes." (Annenburg, n.d.) Therefore, record keeping of successes is essential to keeping the group focused on student achievement. Rubrics for enactment and frameworks for the group process will help guide teachers as they work through this new process (Cox, n.d.). All of these factors working together help to create and effective PLC. As DuFour (2003) concludes, "Finally, the effectiveness of the organization is assessed on the basis of results, rather than intentions or activities."

**RESOURCES**

 * Literature cited**

Annenburg Institute. (n.d.). Professional Development Strategies That Improve Instruction. In Professional Learning Communities. Retrieved from:[]

Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Stoll, L., Thomas, S., Wallace, M., Greenwood, A.,. . . Ingram, M. (2005). Creating and sustaining effective professional learning communities (Research Report No. RR637). Retrieved from DfES Publications website:  [|http://www.dfespublications.gov.uk]

Cox, M. (n.d.). 30 Components of FLCs. In Website for Developing Faculty and Professional Learning Communities (FLCs): Communities of Practice in Higher Education. Retrieved from [|http://www.units.muohio.edu/flc/30_components/index.php]

CyberSmart. (2010). Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In Federal Funding Opportunities. Retrieved from http://cybersmart.org/workshops/funding

Dufour, R., & Dufour, B. (2008, February 11). What is a PLC?, from WNET.ORG Thirteen website:  []

Dufour, R. (2004, May). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 6-11. Retrieved from  []

DuFour, R. (2003, May). Building a professional learning community: For system leaders, it means allowing automomy within defined parameters. //School Administrator,// 1-8. Retrieved from http: // findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSD/is_5_60/ai_101173944/ //

Hord, S. M. (2009). Professional learning communities: Educators work together toward a shared purpose -- improved student learning. Retrieved from National Staff Development Council, 30(1), 1-4.

Hord, S. M. (1997). Professional learning communities: What are they and why are they important? //Issues...about change, 6//(1), 1-8. Retrieved from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Issues_Vol6_No1_1997.pdf Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Creating a professional learning community. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 27(4), 1-7. Retrieved from []

McGraw-Hill. (n.d.). Professional Learning Communities Hold Promise for Schools. In Teaching Today. Retrieved from []

Morrissey, M. S. (2000). Professional Learning communities: An ongoing exploration. Austin, Texas: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 35-42.

Mundry, S., & Stiles, K.E. (Eds.). (n.d.). Professional learning communities for science learning: Lessons from research and practice (pp. ix-x, 17-31). (Original work published 2009)

Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006, December). Professional Learning Communities: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7(4), 221-258.

Ullman, Ellen. (2010). How to Create a Professional Learning Community. Retrieved from []

Yoo, L., & Wiley, L. (2006). History of FPLCs at HCC. Faculty/Professional Learning Communities (FPLC). Retrieved from  []

A database of case studies with demographics and student achievement data []
 * Case studies**

http://www.sedl.org/ []
 * Other**