Presented by Teresa Schutt
Michelle Saylor
March 25, 2010
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Reflect on your own beliefs and philosophies
about education and learning as a leader.
Develop an understanding of a professional
learning community.
Make a commitment to continue your journey
of leading a professional learning community
and learning with them.
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All answers are acceptable in the Where I Stand
exercise.
The first thing that comes to your mind is probably
the most accurate indication of how you feel.
You are free at any time during the exercise to
change where you stand, your vision, and your
opinion.
Assume that where you stand is independent of
your school. It is feasible and doable; you have no
limitations.
Trust the process.
Cultural Shift
Self Pre-Assessment
Activity:
Traditional Schools versus
Professional Learning
Communities
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Professional
members of a profession
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Learning
cognitive process of
acquiring knowledge or a
skill
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Community
members of common
interest; common
ownership
“…A Professional Learning Community is a
complex organization where all participants
are actively engaged in learning through
various venues and experiences.
(Fullan, 1993; Pouravoud, 1997; Riel & Fulton, 2001; DuFour, Eaker, and
Many, 2006)
“…A Professional Learning Community is a
collaboration of teachers, administrators,
parents, and students, who work together to
seek out best practices, test them in the
classroom, continuously improve processes,
and focus on results.”
 Rick DuFour, 2002
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We can make a difference: Our schools can be
more effective.
Improving our people is the key to improving
our school.
Significant school improvement will impact
teaching and learning.
PLCs operate under the assumption that the
key to improved learning for students is
continuous, job-embedded learning for
educators.
-DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, (2006)
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Professional development should be intensive,
ongoing, and connected to practice.
Professional development should build strong
working relationships among educators.
Sustained and intensive professional
development for educators is related to student
achievement gains.
Collaborative approaches to professional learning
can promote school change that extends beyond
individual classrooms.
 Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status
Report on Teacher Development in the U.S. and Abroad
(NSDC)
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The Center on Organization and
Restructuring of Schools
WestEd
National Staff Development Council
National Commission on Teaching and
America’s Future
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Dedicate & Share Resources
Acquire, Analyze, and Utilize Data
Take Risks
Continuous Support
Meaningful Communication and Reflection
Cultivate Leadership
“One should never impose one’s views on a problem; one
should rather study it, and in time a solution will reveal
itself.” – Albert Einstein
…in a Professional Learning
Community, “learning” rather
than “teaching” is the
fundamental purpose of your
school/organization.
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Focus on Learning
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Collaboration
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Focus on Results
◦ We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our
organization and therefore are willing to examine all
practices in light of their impact on learning.
◦ We are committed to working together to achieve our
collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture
through development of high-performing teams.
◦ We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results
rather than intentions. Individuals, teams, and schools
seek relevant data and information and use that
information to provide continuous improvement.
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What are the essential outcomes that we
expect students to learn?
What assessment will we use to determine if
the students have learned?
How will we intervene when students do not
learn or learn more than anticipated?
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Shared Mission, Vision, Values, Goals
Collaborative Culture
Collective Inquiry
Action Orientation / Experimentation
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Results Orientation
Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
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What distinguishes a learning community
from an ordinary school/organization is its
collective commitment to guiding principles
that articulate what the staff of the school
believes and that govern their actions and
behaviors.
 Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
…is the district/school/organization’s core
ideology.
“The core ideology clarifies what doesn’t
change for an organization in an environment
of rapid and unpredictable change.”
Built to Last (1997)
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Educational Excellence
today for tomorrow by:
◦ Accentuating Rigor
◦ Building Relationships
◦ Creating Relevance
◦ The ABCs of the 3 R’s
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We strive to:
◦ Create a fiscally attentive, collaborative, enriching, and
respectful learning environment where students are
challenged in a rigorous standards-based curriculum
utilizing technology and data-driven instruction.
 Collaboration in order to share expertise and improve upon
our educational portfolio
 Data-driven in order to understand our strengths and adjust
our weaknesses
 Standards-based in order to guarantee that our curriculum is
aligned to national, state, and local standards of
achievement
 Rigorous in our approach to teaching and learning in order
to insure success for all learners.
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Improve upon and expand Wilson’s portfolio to
advance student success
Increase organizational agility and capacity for all
students and employees
Grow Wilson regionally and nationally as a result
of staff and student success
Artfully develop and use infrastructure for all
stakeholders
Create a flatter organizational structure for
stakeholder collaboration and relationship
building
Control for fiscal accountability throughout the
District
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Professionals in a learning community work in
teams that share a common purpose. They
learn from each other and create the
momentum that drives improvement. They
build with the organization the structure and
vehicles that make collaborative work and
learning effective and productive.
 Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
Collaborative teams are the engine of a
Professional Learning Community.
Professionals in a learning community work
on interdependent teams that share a
common purpose. They learn from each other
and create the momentum that drives
improvement.
A systematic process in which we work
together, interdependently, to analyze and
impact professional practice in order to
improve our individual and collective results.
 DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker (2002)
Collaboration Activity:
Temperament Survey
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People in a learning community relentlessly
question the status quo, seek new methods of
teaching and learning, test the methods, and
then reflect on the results.
 They reflect publicly on their beliefs and challenge each
other’s beliefs.
 They share insights and hammer out common meanings.
 They work jointly to plan and test actions and initiatives.
 They coordinate their actions, so that the work of each
individual contributes to the common effort.
 Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
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Members of professional learning
communities constantly turn their learning
and insights into action. They recognize the
importance of engagement and experience in
learning and in testing new ideas.
 Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
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Members of a learning organization are not
content with the status quo and continually
seek ways to bring present reality closer to
future ideal. They constantly ask themselves
and each other:
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What is our purpose?
What do we hope to achieve?
What are our strategies for improving?
How will we assess our efforts?
 Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998),
Professional Learning Communities at Work
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Members of a learning organization are not
content with the status quo and continually
seek ways to bring present reality closer to
future ideal. They constantly ask themselves
and each other:
 What is our purpose?
(Take a few minutes to discuss in
your groups and begin to
collect ideas to this first
question.)
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Professionals in a learning organization
recognize that no matter how wellintentioned the efforts, the only valid
judgment of improvement is observable and
measurable results. Assessment and reevaluation are the key to continued
improvement.
◦ Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker
(1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work
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Divide into groups by going to the number on
the wall that aligns to your assigned number
Choose a leader, a recorder, and a facilitator
Read the assigned article independently
Discuss in group the key concepts from
article
List on chart paper
Whole group share out – begin with a brief
summary of the article
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Be Committed
Be Engaged
Be Trusting
Be Open
Take Risks
Think Outside the Box!
Genuine
communications!
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Staff/Teachers
Be Committed
Be Engaged
Be Trusting
Be Open
Take Risks
Think Outside the Box!
Genuine
communications!
EMPOWER the staff!
Provide Support! TIME!
Administrators and
Supervisors
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Involve teacher leaders
Consider leading and participating in a book
study
Make your work relevant and purposeful.
Relate it to existing data.
Pay attention to the pitfalls
◦ Lack of understanding
◦ Lack of confidence
◦ Lack of time
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www.allthingsplc.info
Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become
Professional Learning Communities, Robert
Eaker, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour
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Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best
Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement,
Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker
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on common ground: The Power of Professional
Learning Communities, DuFour and others
Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, NSDC
Finding Time for Professional Learning, NSDC
“Coming together is a
beginning;
keeping together is
progress; and working
together is success.”
Henry Ford