What is a Professional Learning Community?
...And How PHMS Is Using PLCs to Raise Student Achievement
Powerpoint Presentation to PHR6 Board of Education
Narrative of Presentation to PHR6 Board of Education
Link to Missouri PLC Project Site
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education defines a professional learning community as a K-12 school improvement model that increases student achievement by building the capacity of school personnel to create and sustain the conditions that promote high levels of learning.
Pleasant Hope Middle School has begun the three year process of Professional Learning Communities. Working together as a team to develop our common goals that are based on student achievement is part of this process. This will enable us to become a better educational institution, and make decisions on what is best for kids.
In A Professional Learning Community:
-Administrators involve the entire staff. Leadership is shared.
-The school mission, vision, and collective commitments target high quality learning experiences for all students.
-The staff continuously reflects on practices, the impact of their teaching, and implements plans that address effective teaching and increased student learning.
-The staff provides feedback to each other about teaching and learning based on classroom observations.
-Caring, collaboration, and productive relationships is the culture of the school.
PLC Benefits to the Staff
• Reduction of isolation of teachers
• Increased commitment to mission, vision, and collective commitments
• Shared responsibility for student success and high expectations
• Powerful learning that defines good teaching and classroom practice
• Enhanced meaning and understanding of the curriculum and essential standards
• Higher likelihood that teachers will be well-informed, professionally renewed, and inspired to motivate students
• More satisfaction, higher morale, and lower rate of absenteeism, retention of teachers
• Commitment to making significant and lasting changes and higher likelihood of undertaking fundamental systemic change
Teacher Collaboration
Teacher collaboration time is guaranteed time in the schedule specifically set aside for teachers to work together. During this time teachers discuss instructional strategies, learn from other teachers who have specialized areas of expertise, and take collective responsibility for increasing student achievement within the school.
During teacher collaboration time, teachers work together to:
Share responsibility for school mission, vision and collective commitments
Plan instruction and design learning experiences for students
Share teaching strategies and study new instructional techniques
Revise curriculum
Formulate curriculum maps
Discuss state standards and grade level expectations
Develop common assessments
Conduct action research
Improve communication connections with student, staff, and families to enhance achievement
Benefits of Teacher Collaboration
The entire school community including staff, students and stakeholders are all moving toward fulfillment of mission, vision, collective commitments, and establishing goals.
Staff effectiveness is improved so all student learn successfully with focus on high standards.
High expectations, high learning, and quality teaching is the norm.
Students benefit in many ways including higher achievement for all.
Extra support is provided to students through a pyramid of interventions and additional student support.
Teachers experience higher levels of job satisfaction through their own learning and empowerment. Happier teachers equal satisfied and happier students.
How Do Teachers Find the Time to Collaborate?
Scheduled early release days
Building collaboration time into schedule
Utilizing plan time for collaboration
Building professional development days into the school calendar
Hiring substitute teachers or utilizing existing staff
