Supporting the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities Districtwide

Thessin, Rebecca A.; Starr, Joshua P.

doi:10.1177/003172171109200611

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Most studies conducted on PLCs focus on the fact that it is an opportunity for teacher teams to meet and hold meaningful, intellectual, and collegial discussions regarding student work and assessment data (DuFour, 2007;Hargreaves, 2003;Livesay, Moore, Stankay, Waters, Waff, & Gentile, 2005;Schmoker, 2004;Thessin & Starr, 2011). During these meetings, the teachers can establish expectations of not only their students, but also of themselves.…”

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the PLC develops the content of the course/courses and distinguishes between effective and ineffective teaching practices. As a team, the teachers collaboratively analyze data to increase student capacity and success rates (DuFour, 2007;Hargreaves, 2003;Livesay et al, 2005;Schmoker, 2004;Thessin & Starr, 2011). PLCs are considered one of the most favorable professional development opportunities that a school can undertake because they provide opportunities for educators to work together in a collaborative and student-centered learning environment (Talbert & McLaughlin, 2002).…”

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PLCs are considered one of the most favorable professional development opportunities that a school can undertake because they provide opportunities for educators to work together in a collaborative and student-centered learning environment (Talbert & McLaughlin, 2002). When teachers meet regularly and collaborate, they are able to develop high-functioning teams which, in turn, can lead to high-functioning schools and ultimately highfunctioning school districts (Thessin & Starr, 2011).…”

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2004) and Thessin and Starr (2011) about the need for professional development are important to consider when embarking on the PLC process. Mokhtari, Thoma, andEdwards (2009-2010) illuminated the concept of PLCs as a powerful educational tool to enhance student and teacher learning while leading to continuous school improvement.…”

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The participants also conveyed the ideas of Thessin and Starr (2011) when they discussed that schools need to provide support for a successful turnaround. Teachers cannot be told that they need to work together and then be put in a room and expected to start working.…”

Section: Interpretations and Relevance To Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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An English department transformation : an interpretative phenomenological case study of a high school English department turnaround

Fay¹

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In 2003, North Shore Vocational High School was one of the lowest-performing school systems in Massachusetts based on scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam. After many new initiatives were implemented and programmatic structures were changed, particularly within the English department, North Shore slowly began to make progress and transitioned from being one of the lowest-performing schools to one of the highest-performing vocational schools in the commonwealth.This study employed an interpretive phenomenological case study to examine, through individual in-depth interviews, a focus group interview, a computer-mediated communication interview, and a participant observer reflection the experiences and perceptions of a purposeful sample of participants who taught 10th-grade English and experienced the accountability demands of the MCAS exam throughout the last 13 years. Three individual interview themes, three focus group themes, three department head reflections, one participant observer reflection, and three conclusions suggested that, overall, the improvement was related not only to changes in teachers' instructional practices, but also to the support provided by the school system. The school implemented the necessary professional development for the teachers to enhance their instructional practice by providing specific sessions geared to the needs of both teachers and students. The professional development sessions were literacy specific based on the department's MCAS results. In addition, the school provided professional development on the practice of professional learning communities (PLCs). During this time, the teachers learned how to work together. In conjunction with this, the school was able to schedule PLC time during the school day so that the teachers could meet with each other to share lessons, assessments, and instructional innovations. 3The following recommendations were made for English departments similar to the one at North Shore Vocational High School based on the themes and conclusions of this study: (1) English teachers need to become knowledgeable in literacy-specific pedagogical practices; (2) schools need to provide literacy-specific professional development to their teachers; (3) educational leaders need to organize professional development on how to effectively function in a PLC; (4) schools need to get creative in their master schedule to create PLC time for their teachers to meet; and (5) teachers need to share their expertise, lessons, and student data to ultimately improve the results of the department and the school overall.

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Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Professional Learning Communities and Their Role In School/dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Interpretations and Relevance To Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

An English department transformation : an interpretative phenomenological case study of a high school English department turnaround

Fay¹

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Charting New Waters: Collaborating for School Improvement in U.S. High Schools

2012

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When professional learning communities (PLCs) are developed to promote the academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs), the results can benefit not only ELLs but the whole school. This article examines the ventures of three high schools that implemented PLCs as part of a Title III National Professional Development Project. The authors highlight the research on the effectiveness of PLCs and offer an operational definition for envisioning PLCs. Case studies of the three high school teams illustrate different cycles of inquiry and help readers understand how the emergence and development of professional teams improve the instruction and learning of ELLs. Using principles of effective PLCs as a framework, the authors share the challenges and successes of each team. The article concludes that effective PLCs are focused by a commitment to improve learning, informed by recognized principles, structured by the norms and inquiry processes that team members establish, and guided by school leaders who support teams and help them envision goals worth pursuing.

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Professional learning communities as drivers of educational change: The case of learning rounds

Philpott

Oates

2016

J Educ Change

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Supporting the Growth of Effective Professional Learning Communities Districtwide

Abstract: Teachers do not magically know how to work with colleagues; districts must support and lead that work if PLCs are to live up to their potential.

Cited by 20 publications

References 2 publications

An English department transformation : an interpretative phenomenological case study of a high school English department turnaround

An English department transformation : an interpretative phenomenological case study of a high school English department turnaround

Charting New Waters: Collaborating for School Improvement in U.S. High Schools

Professional learning communities as drivers of educational change: The case of learning rounds

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