Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
What are Professional Learning Communities?
A Professional Learning Community is an ongoing process used to establish a schoolwide culture that develops teacher leadership explicitly focused on student learning and a commitment to improvement.
Teachers share experiences, observe each other, discuss teaching, and use collective inquiry to help sustain improvement. In addition, administrators share decision making with teachers, and provide opportunities for teachers to serve as leaders (The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2009).
Professional Learning Communities have the following defining elements:
Focus on Learning- promote a shared vision dedicated to student learning and committed to school improvement (Reichstetter, 2006);
Build a Collaborative Culture- operate on the premise that teamwork allows professionals to achieve more than they can alone (DuFour & Eaker, 1998); and
Focus on Results- encourage teachers to respond to data with collective accountability and adjust classroom practices to improve student learning (White & McIntosh, 2007).
Resources:
A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams
Finding Time for Collaboration
Finding Time for Common Planning and/or Teacher Collaboration
Videos:
Video: Establishing a Core Team
Video: Campus Culture and Climate
Video: What makes great teachers or school leaders?
Video: Opening The Black Box For Quality Implementation
ESC-20 Services:
ADJUST: RtI Tiered Interventions
Join us in Step 6 of the Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle (PTLC): ADJUST. We will reflect on the implications of the analysis of student learning to focus on meeting the needs of the learner. Participants will discuss alternative instructional strategies, interventions, and modifications to the original instructional strategy and/or lesson that may be better suited to promote student learning.
Digitally Connected Learning Communities
Learn how to use technology as a tool for flexible collaboration, and extend the learning environment beyond your current space. Bring your laptop and be ready to actively participate in using technology tools to streamline processes, and increase efficiency and effectiveness in your learning communities. (iPads and tablets do not fully support all tools needed for this session.)
Learning from Common Assessments
In Professional Learning Communities, teachers work together to answer four critical questions: What do we want students to learn? How will we know if they have learned? How will we respond when they don't learn? How will we respond when they do learn? In this session, participants will study common formative assessments as a means to answer these questions. Please bring your laptop to access resources for the session.
PLC Protocols
Protocols allow Professional Learning Communities to collaborate at deeper levels.This session will delve into different protocols that can be used to examine student work, reflect on professional practices, and address campus issues. Participants will have the opportunity to practice using these protocols that will strengthen their PLCs.
PLCs: What are the Possibilities?
Participants will be introduced to foundational pieces necessary for implementing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Participants will gain a common understanding of PLCs and have opportunities to explore the three major components of a PLC. Topics will include mission and vision, core team, culture and climate, and structures as they relate to Professional Learning Communities.
Planning for Productive PLCs
This session will engage teams in defining an effective Professional Learning Community (PLC). Participants will be guided in re-imagining collaborative teaching and learning, assessing current practices, and working toward building more effective PLCs. Topics will include building foundations, analyzing data, organizing teams, setting goals, defining processes, and assessing progress. Time will be allotted for networking and planning for the 2015 - 2016 school year.
In the fall of 2011 Measurement Incorporated (MI) was awarded a five-year contract for the Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center's Professional Learning Center (RSE-TASC PLC) serving the New York State Education Department (SED) Office of Special Education’s RSE-TASC network. MI has a long standing reputation in the education and research fields for delivering high quality, research-based services and has extensive experience in the area of special education. For more information about MI please visit the website: www.measurementinc.com.
The RSE-TASC PLC’s mission is to support the RSE-TASC network in building their capacity and excellence in school reform and special education services. Toward this goal the RSE-TASC PLC provides high quality, research-based professional development and technical assistance guided by a comprehensive needs assessment process. Professional development and technical assistance are content and process-based and differentiated to meet the individual needs of the RSE-TASC network staff. The RSE-TASC PLC offers professional development and technical assistance through a variety of modalities including, 1:1 in-person consultation, small and large group trainings, webinars, research briefs and statewide meetings. We work closely with SED to ensure that the services and support provided are planned and conducted in a collaborative and meaningful way. PLC staff members are seasoned educational experts with strong backgrounds in special education, professional development and school reform. The PLC works to build strong connections with national experts and organizations, statewide and nationally, to stay on the cutting edge of professional knowledge and expertise in the field.
New York State Resource and Computer Training Centers are the largest professional learning communities in New York State with more than 125 Teachers Centers located throughout the state, working with 675 public schools districts and nearly 1000 non-public and charter schools.
Teacher Centers are:
