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Book Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work

Download or read book Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work written by Richard DuFour and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2009-11-01 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 10th-anniversary sequel to the authors’ best-selling book Professional Learning Communities at WorkTM: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement merges research, practice, and passion. The most extensive, practical, and authoritative PLC resource to date, it goes further than ever before into best practices for deep implementation, explores the commitment/consensus issue, and celebrates successes of educators who are making the journey.

Book Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities written by Louise Stoll and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2007-03-16 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “All who are interested and concerned about educational reform and the improvement of schools will find this book a must read. It stimulates, it challenges, and it informs, such that the reader is most surely enriched by its plenitude.” Dr Shirley Hord, Scholar Emerita “At last we have a book of international cases to add to the literature on networks! Policymakers and practitioners alike will find the reasons why networks are fast becoming the reform organizations of choice. The book elevates network understanding to a new level.” Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundationfor the Advancement of Teaching What is a professional learning community? What are the key challenges facing these communities and how might they be resolved? Is it time to extend our thinking about professional learning communities? There is great interest internationally in the potential of professional learning communities for enhancing educational reform efforts and sustaining improvement. This international collection expands perceptions and understanding of professional learning communities, as well as highlighting frequently neglected complexities and challenges. Drawing on research, each chapter offers a deeper understanding of topics such as distributed leadership, dialogue, organisational memory, trust, self-assessment and inquiry, and purpose linked to learning. The last section of the book focuses upon three of the most challenging dilemmas that face developing professional learning communities - developing professional learning communities in secondary school, building social capital, and sustaining professional learning communities. The authors provide pointers on why these challenges exist, offering rays of hope for ways forward. Professional Learning Communities is key international reading for education professionals, school practitioners, policymakers, academics and research students. It is a must-read for anyone interested in building capacity for sustainable learning and the ability to harness your community as a resource for change.

Book Real World Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Real World Professional Learning Communities written by Daisy Arredondo Rucinski and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-12-08 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a professional learning community (PLC), teachers are organized into teams, committed to meeting on a regular basis to study their teaching strategies and the effects of those strategies on the students in their classrooms. The teacher teams can be of varied form and composition. Whatever the organizational structure, the teams have one goal – that is to improve teaching so that student learning is improved. Policy developers, legislators, and educational leaders have encouraged the adoption of collaborative professional learning teams as a school reform model for improving schools. In this book we describe the results of studies of professional learning communities in real schools and the effects of the teams on student learning. Much of the time school innovations are not examined in depth. Instead authors and developers simply advocate that they be used. In this book, school principals and administrators describe how their teachers used the PLC teams to improve student learning in their schools. In other words, this book presents actual research on the effects of the use of PLCs rather than testimonials.

Book An Investigation Of Teacher Efficacy  Understandings  Practices  And The Impact Of Professional Development As Perceived By Elementary School Teachers

Download or read book An Investigation Of Teacher Efficacy Understandings Practices And The Impact Of Professional Development As Perceived By Elementary School Teachers written by Arnold Jeffrey White and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Professional Learning Community (PLC) has increasingly gained worldwide acceptance as a research- based approach to professional development for educators. Benefits of the PLC are touted by many researchers who also identify the challenges to authentic implementation of the PLC model. This action research explored teachers' perceptions of the Professional Learning Community. Data sources for this research included an anonymous online survey, in-depth one-on-one interviews and a focus group. Study participants were elementary school teachers of grades five through eight who participated in horizontal professional learning communities for at least one year. Research questions providing the framework for this study were (1) To what extent do teachers think professional learning communities have impacted classroom instruction? (2) What do teachers perceive to be the greatest challenges to effective implementation of professional learning communities? and (3) What do teachers perceive to be the greatest benefits of professional learning communities? Data from these multiple sources indicate that teachers believe that the professional learning community is a viable method of professional development that produces sustainable and positive results for teachers and students. Teachers participating in this study identified numerous benefits of the professional learning community, the most significant being collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Participants believe that the work they do in professional learning communities has impacted classroom instruction and the culture of the school. Challenges to implementation of professional learning communities stem from scheduling issues and time conflicts. Other key themes emerged from the data. For example, teachers believe that they have improved as teachers and consequently, student achievement has improved as a result of PLCs. Teachers working in PLCs share a collective responsibility for pupil learning. Teachers also believe that a school should implement and maintain both vertical and horizontal PLCs. Teachers reported that PLCs fostered better relationships between teachers and administrators and that leadership at the building level impacts the fidelity of a PLC. One other important theme is that relationship building and trust are essential components of a highly functional professional learning community.

Book Leading Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Leading Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hord is the originator of the triple-headed concept of professional learning communities. Sommers is an experienced administrator and past president of the National Staff Development Council. With the authors′ extensive backgrounds in educational evaluation and the implementation of school change and development, they are uniquely equipped to delineate and defend a particular vision of professional learning communities that has educational depth, professional richness, and moral integrity." —From the Foreword by Andy Hargreaves "The most important volume available to help principals undertake the challenging yet exhilarating work of building true communities of professional learning." —Joseph Murphy, Professor Vanderbilt University "The book does not gloss over the challenges that leaders will encounter. The authors draw upon rich research evidence and personal experiences and offer many practical, proven change strategies. This is a valuable resource for any educational leader who wishes to become a ′head learner.′" —Arthur L. Costa, Professor Emeritus California State University, Sacramento "Hord and Sommers create a powerful bridge between the research base on PLCs and practitioner knowledge and action. The book′s dual focus on principles and ′rocks in the road′ provide a grounded basis for school leaders. A dog-eared copy should be in every principal′s office and in every professional developer′s tool kit." —Karen Seashore Louis, Rodney S. Wallace Professor University of Minnesota, Minneapolis "The authors′ rationale and suggestions will resonate because they come from experience and great insight. The bottom line remains steadfast for these two distinguished educators: you implement a PLC so that teachers learn and students achieve. This text will help educators reach toward that compelling vision." —Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director National Staff Development Council Imagine all professionals in all schools engaged in continuous professional learning! Current research shows a strong positive relationship between successful professional learning communities and increased student achievement. In this practical and reader-friendly guide, education experts Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers explore the school-based learning opportunities offered to school professionals and the principal′s critical role in the development of an effective professional learning community (PLC). This book provides school leaders with readily accessible information to guide them in developing a PLC that supports teachers and students. The authors cover building a vision for a PLC, implementing structures, creating policies and procedures, and developing the leadership skills required for initiating and sustaining a learning community. Each chapter includes meaningful quotes from the field, "rocks in the road" and ways to overcome them, examples from real PLCs, and learning activities to reinforce chapter content. The text illustrates how this research-based school improvement model can help educators: Increase leadership capacity Embed professional development into daily work Create a positive school culture Develop accountability Boost student achievement Discover how you can grow a vital community of professionals who work together to increase their effectiveness and strengthen the relationship between professional learning and student learning.

Book Professional Learning Communities at Work

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities at Work written by Richard DuFour and published by Solution Tree. This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides specific information on how to transform schools into results-oriented professional learning communities, describing the best practices that have been used by schools nationwide.

Book The Influence of Teacher Participation in Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book The Influence of Teacher Participation in Professional Learning Communities written by Dannette Faye Bryson and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teachers perceived teacher participation in a professional learning community (PLC) influenced their collaboration, instructional practices, student learning, and student performance on state assessments in an elementary school in California. The overarching research question and secondary research questions directly reflected this purpose. The population was a purposive sample of 10 teachers. The theoretical foundations included teacher collaboration, learning organizations, PLCs, social constructivist learning, and adult learning theory. Open-ended, one-on-one interviews, direct observations, artifacts, and archival records of state assessment data comprised the data collection. Thematic and content analysis with descriptive statistics were used. Results from this study identified themes on how teachers enabled the establishment of a PLC that led to effective teacher collaboration and instructional practices that increased student learning and appear to have positively influenced student performance on state assessments. The implications for this study was the insight for educators on the influence of effective collaborative practices derived from teacher participation in PLCs in terms of influencing teachers' instructional practices, student learning, and student performance on state assessments.

Book Teachers Perceptions Of The Professional Learning Community As A Model Of Professional Development

Download or read book Teachers Perceptions Of The Professional Learning Community As A Model Of Professional Development written by Chanie A. Peterson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Professional Learning Community (PLC) has increasingly gained worldwide acceptance as a research- based approach to professional development for educators. Benefits of the PLC are touted by many researchers who also identify the challenges to authentic implementation of the PLC model. This action research explored teachers' perceptions of the Professional Learning Community. Data sources for this research included an anonymous online survey, in-depth one-on-one interviews and a focus group. Study participants were elementary school teachers of grades five through eight who participated in horizontal professional learning communities for at least one year. Research questions providing the framework for this study were (1) To what extent do teachers think professional learning communities have impacted classroom instruction? (2) What do teachers perceive to be the greatest challenges to effective implementation of professional learning communities? and (3) What do teachers perceive to be the greatest benefits of professional learning communities? Data from these multiple sources indicate that teachers believe that the professional learning community is a viable method of professional development that produces sustainable and positive results for teachers and students. Teachers participating in this study identified numerous benefits of the professional learning community, the most significant being collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Participants believe that the work they do in professional learning communities has impacted classroom instruction and the culture of the school. Challenges to implementation of professional learning communities stem from scheduling issues and time conflicts. Other key themes emerged from the data. For example, teachers believe that they have improved as teachers and consequently, student achievement has improved as a result of PLCs. Teachers working in PLCs share a collective responsibility for pupil learning. Teachers also believe that a school should implement and maintain both vertical and horizontal PLCs. Teachers reported that PLCs fostered better relationships between teachers and administrators and that leadership at the building level impacts the fidelity of a PLC. One other important theme is that relationship building and trust are essential components of a highly functional professional learning community.

Book Teacher Perceptions of a Professional Learning Community

Download or read book Teacher Perceptions of a Professional Learning Community written by Bo Hannaford and published by LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many studies provide evidence that professional learning communities are a valid means for school reform in public education. These studies may be even more important since schools are facing more pressure than ever to meet high academic performance benchmarks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to discover teacher perceptions toward a professional learning community and teacher perceptions of instructional practice in a middle school in a southern U.S. state. The results of this study indicated that teachers have a positive perception of learning communities, instructional practice, effective communication, collaboration, shared leadership practices, and the use of common assessments. Teachers, principals, and superintendents may use the results of this study to promote the creation of professional learning communities. The results of this study can lead to positive social change by providing an alternative school culture encouraging a positive perception among teachers that leads to improved instructional practice which can impact student learning

Book Schools as Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Schools as Professional Learning Communities written by Sylvia M. Roberts and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Build a community in your school and improve learning outcomes with this one-stop sourcebook that features the latest educational issues, new research-based strategies and activities, and more!

Book The Perceived Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Collective Teacher Efficacy in Two Rural Western North Carolina School Districts

Download or read book The Perceived Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Collective Teacher Efficacy in Two Rural Western North Carolina School Districts written by Katie Thompson Bailey and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Demystifying Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Demystifying Professional Learning Communities written by Kristine Kiefer Hipp and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2010-02-16 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to clearly define an approach to school improvement that uses professional learning community (PLC) practices to achieve school improvement and success for every student. This book offers information, examples and case studies to clarify the concept of a PLC, to respond to critical issues in schools, and to support educational leaders in addressing the important mandates of accountability and school improvement. As school leaders proactively lead efforts to create learning communities, their schools, districts, and staff will incorporate knowledge, skills, and practices that focus on teaching and learning for all. The authors' findings will assist leaders, change agents, policy makers, and university faculty in guiding schools toward creating and maintaining PLCs as they sustain school improvement for student learning.

Book PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES  IMPACT ON TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS

Download or read book PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES IMPACT ON TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS written by Linda Kostenko and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teachers acknowledge their profound influence on their students' education, and they desire to grow in their profession. Traditional methods of professional development are changing due to legislature that requires educators to grow and work collaboratively within professional learning communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact professional learning communities has on teacher efficacy and classroom practices. The findings obtained from a survey, focus group and interview discussions indicate professional development activities within the framework of professional learning communities impact teaching practices. Teachers need to move from isolated learning and planning to collegial learning and planning in order to share leadership, responsibility, and decision-making. Teachers need support from school leaders to connect professional development to their practices.

Book Educators  Perceptions of the Impact of Professional Learning Communities on 21st Century Teaching and Learning

Download or read book Educators Perceptions of the Impact of Professional Learning Communities on 21st Century Teaching and Learning written by Richard S. Hornberger and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the impact professional learning communities had on secondary teachers' use of 21st century teaching strategies in the classroom. The study identified the teaching strategies that educators felt were important for students' future success. These strategies supported by research included but were not limited to collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and digital literacy. Research questions investigated the 21st century teaching strategies that teachers were incorporating in their instruction as a result of participating in professional learning communities and the aspects of a professional learning community (PLC) that influenced educators' willingness to utilize 21st century strategies. The 40 participants of this study were certified teachers who were members of a PLC in a central Pennsylvania school district. Results were collected using an anonymous survey that included Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Interested teachers also participated in a face-to-face or telephone interviews. The research findings indicated that teachers were utilizing 21st century teaching strategies as a result of participating in their PLCs. Also, results illustrated that PLCs influenced educators' willingness to try new strategies when their PLCs had a strong support system, encouraged the sharing of effective strategies, and had members that highlighted evidence of success.

Book Leading Professional Learning Communities

Download or read book Leading Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin. This book was released on 2007-12-15 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine all professionals in all schools engaged in continuous professional learning! Education experts Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers explore the school-based learning opportunities offered to school professionals and the principal's critical role in the creation, development, and support of an effective professional learning community (PLC). This book provides school leaders with readily accessible information to guide them in initiating and developing a PLC that supports teachers and students. Using field-tested examples, the text illustrates how this research-based school improvement model can help educators: Increase leadership capacity Embed professional development into daily work Create a positive school culture Develop accountability Boost student achievement

Book Teachers  Perceptions of how Professional Learning Communities Impact Their Professional Practices

Download or read book Teachers Perceptions of how Professional Learning Communities Impact Their Professional Practices written by Angela Maria Mitchell and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "With an increased focus on school accountability for students' test scores and achievement, professional learning communities are a viable solution to improving learning outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to examine high school teachers' perceptions of the influence of professional learning communities on teachers' instructional practices, their learning through professional development, and student achievement"--Leaf iii.