Download or read book Utilizing Professional Learning Communities as a Vehicle for Equity written by Adriana Lepe-Ramirez and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Numerous studies have found that students of color are often subject to teacher biases or negative preconceptions. These biases often result in barriers and limitations that negatively impact students' academic achievement and social and emotional development. Studies have also documented the impact of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in transforming school culture and implementing school-wide change. However, few studies have looked at how bias and issues of equity are addressed via PLCs. Using qualitative methods, this study examined district and site level administrators' roles and perceptions of the use of PLCs as a vehicle for achieving school-wide goals of equity. Interview data gathered from 17 site and district level administrators in one district were analyzed for this study. This study used Transformative Adult Learning (TAL) as a lens to examine administrator perceptions of how PLCs facilitated a change in the narrative from one that focuses on blaming students for underachievement to one that focuses on teacher practices and pedagogy that supports all students. All administrators in this study reported that moving a staff and shifting teacher belief systems was challenging. This was especially the case when staff did not fully understand the purpose of the work of the PLCs, how to effectively lead or engage in a PLC, and/or lacked trust and positive working relationships. At the same time, each site administrator was able to identify PLCs within their schools that were making steady progress toward achieving the goals of equity. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
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.
Download or read book Using Professional Learning Communities as a Model for School Change to Achieve Integration Goals written by Sharon Peters Harden and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Today many of our public schools remain largely segregated by race, class, and language. School districts continue to struggle with the complexities of diversity and equity within public education. Across the country, districts participate in voluntary and involuntary programs designed to decrease school segregation. This project examines an integration school district's efforts to achieve the goals outlined in its Collaborative Integration and Equity Plan by reviewing the responses and findings of a needs assessment that was conducted throughout the collaborative integration school district. The findings of the needs assessment identified several areas of improvement and opportunities to provide leadership for school improvement. This project concludes that the establishment of inclusive professional learning communities may assist school leadership in initiating culturally relevant and equitable activities and programs that lead to attainment of its integration goals and improved student performance."--leaf 2.
Download or read book Collaborative Action Research for Professional Learning Communities written by Richard Sagor and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Constant, high-quality collaborative inquiry sustains PLCs. Become disciplined and deliberative with data as you design and implement program improvements to enhance student learning. This book delves into the five habits of inquiry that contribute to professional learning. Get to know them and the action research process they represent. Detailed steps show you how to accomplish collaborative action research that drives continuous improvement.
Download or read book Equity From the Boardroom to the Classroom written by Patrick Rice and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-02-15 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Equity, from the Boardroom to the Classroom discusses the need for districts to become Professional Learning Organizations (PLOs) which links the board’s role to Professional Learning Communities. In order to promote equity, it is vital that school boards build a culture in which all stakeholders contribute individually and collectively to accomplish district objectives. To foster a collaborative culture, boards must display “thermostat leadership” as opposed to “thermometer leadership.” “Thermostat leadership” is practiced when the board is actively involved in setting, maintaining, or adjusting district culture in order to ensure alignment with district priorities which PLOs promote. Comparatively, “thermometer leadership” is used when a board governs by a laissez-faire approach and seeks to mandate a specificculture without becomingly actively involved. The latter approach enable boards to be misinformed about its strategic initiatives. Research is clear: No school reform aimed at improving student learning will be successful without strong leadership and support from the school board. PLOs are a must for districts that desire to build a positive culture and seek to increase student achievement by way of a systemic process grounded in collaboration. Without leadership, support, and collaboration led by the school board, it is doubtful that any school reform will be successful regardless of how effective the reform may appear to be.
Download or read book Collective Equity written by Sonja Hollins-Alexander and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2021-10-13 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It’s time for a new beginning As we transition through very uncertain and challenging times, we have a chance to start again—and do better as a Collective. With newfound acknowledgment of the damage done by structural inequities, systemic racism, and implicit bias, we are ready to create communities that value and support everyone. In education, that means challenging and dismantling systems that have harmed historically marginalized children and families for generations. Here you’ll find a powerful model for using relational trust, cultural humility, and appreciation of diverse perspectives to build learning communities that collectively uplift all students and all members of the learning community. Features include An original Collective Equity Framework for creating transformative equitable learning environments Protocols for enacting cultural humility, vulnerability, and mutuality dispositions leveraged to create culturally sustaining learning communities Strategies and tools for organizational analyses to guide conversations that support the implementation of culturally fortifying practices at organizational, curricular, programmatic, and instructional levels A behavioral-outcome measurement tool for charting the progress of the members of the Collective towards developing culturally conscious actions and equity focused outcomes. Vignettes and case studies from district and school leaders reflecting examples of how the collective members of their organizations work towards creating transformative equitable learning environments Positive outcomes always take work. When we build relational trust, value and validate the dimensions of identities for all members in the learning community as a Collective, we are able to create Equity Pathways and Equity Pavers to chart a new course where we can ALL Breathe and achieve our shared objective: educational equity for all.
Download or read book Professional Learning Networks written by Leyton Schnellert and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-26 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book illustrates key attributes of professional learning networks that build educators’ ownership, practice, and expertise and highlights the potential of PLNs to address questions of equity, both for educators working in rural communities who have limited access to professional development and diverse learners and equity-seeking communities.
Download or read book Collective Equity written by Sonja Hollins-Alexander and published by Corwin Publishers. This book was released on 2021-11-02 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's time for a new beginning As we transition through very uncertain and challenging times, we have a chance to start again--and do better as a Collective. With newfound acknowledgment of the damage done by structural inequities, systemic racism, and implicit bias, we are ready to create communities that value and support everyone. In education, that means challenging and dismantling systems that have harmed historically marginalized children and families for generations. Here you'll find a powerful model for using relational trust, cultural humility, and appreciation of diverse perspectives to build learning communities that collectively uplift all students and all members of the learning community. Features include An original Collective Equity Framework for creating transformative equitable learning environments Protocols for enacting cultural humility, vulnerability, and mutuality dispositions leveraged to create culturally sustaining learning communities Strategies and tools for organizational analyses to guide conversations that support the implementation of culturally fortifying practices at organizational, curricular, programmatic, and instructional levels A behavioral-outcome measurement tool for charting the progress of the members of the Collective towards developing culturally conscious actions and equity focused outcomes. Vignettes and case studies from district and school leaders reflecting examples of how the collective members of their organizations work towards creating transformative equitable learning environments Positive outcomes always take work. When we build relational trust, value and validate the dimensions of identities for all members in the learning community as a Collective, we are able to create Equity Pathways and Equity Pavers to chart a new course where we can ALL Breathe and achieve our shared objective: educational equity for all.
Download or read book Reculturing Schools as Professional Learning Communities written by Jane Bumpers Huffman and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2003-10-22 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This important work documents and examines evidence of efforts taking place in rural, urban, and suburban Pre-K-12 schools that are actively engaged in creating professional learning communities (PLCs). Literature is reviewed that defines and identifies the distinguishing dimensions of PLCs. A five-year, federally funded research study is explained including the methodology and demographics of the six study schools and a synthesis of the 64 interviews. A PLC organizer (PLCO) is introduced, which realigns with Shirley Hord's original 1997 research. The organizer provides the framework to explain the five PLC dimensions and related critical attributes. The PLCO also merges Fullan's model, Phases of Change (1985), which includes initiation, implementation, and institutionalization. The authors provide extensive evidence of the progressive development of a PLC from initiation to implementation using exemplars and non-exemplars from interviews that either hinder or facilitate creating and sustaining PLCs. A new assessment tool, the Professional Learning Community Assessment (PLCA), is also presented and can be used for diagnosis and evaluation of schools as they work toward school reform efforts. Readers are also presented with information that connects professional learning community work to a new approach to school improvement. Five case studies are included that can be used in schools and university classrooms for the purpose of engaging educators in reflection, open dialogue, problem finding, and problem solving. This first-hand documented information provides readers with unique issues as they wrestle with the challenges of transforming schools into organizations that meet diverse students needs. Lessons learned from this problem-based learning can easily transfer to the readers' own experiences and schools. The authors conclude by highlighting significant findings, reviewing the most recent related research that addresses sustaining such efforts, and offering suggestions for school leaders to
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!
Download or read book Reviving Professional Learning Communities written by Perry P. Wiseman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2013 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Professional Learning Community is undeniably one of the most effective processes out there for improving student achievement, as well a school's overarching culture and climate. With such widespread notoriety, though, there has been a dilution of the true essence of the term. Understanding of what a Professional Learning Community is varies from one district to another, from one school to another, even from one educator to another. It's about time for a resurrection. Reviving Professional Learning Communities does exactly that through the lens of a simple framework called, the 4S Approach. This new development helps practitioners build thriving learning communities through: (1) recognition and validation of each staff member's unique points of view, (2) natural conflict that accompanies the assorted viewpoints, (3) healthy teamwork, and (4) effective systems. Sprinkled throughout the book are also 32 practical, high-leverage strategies that are easy to understand and simple to put into practice right away. This book will most certainly help answer the perennial question: How do we achieve a genuine Professional Learning Community?
Download or read book Culturally Proficient Learning Communities written by Delores B. Lindsey and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2009-08-03 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Close the achievement gap with equity-focused professional learning communities! Integrating the four Tools of Cultural Proficiency with the PLC framework, this relevant guide offers school leaders, district administrators, and staff developers a collaborative approach to address bias and inequity. The authors discuss the impact of our history on cultural understanding and provide a wealth of practical strategies and tools for building equity-focused PLCs, including: Templates, protocols, activities, and rubrics for deconstructing inequity in student achievement Stories, tools, and thinking prompts to guide an inside-out transformation toward cultural proficiency An extended example of one school district’s journey
Download or read book Schools as Professional Learning Communities written by Sylvia M. Roberts and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2008-09-26 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Roberts and Pruitt offer practical advice to educators who seek to address one of the greatest obstacles to creating effective schools: how to get school staff to collaborate and learn from each other. Their insights and suggestions are smart, useful, and demonstrate a genuine understanding of how schools work." —Pedro A. Noguera, Executive Director Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University Your one-stop sourcebook for building a professional learning community in your school! More and more educational leaders are turning to the collaborative learning community model to create school change and improvement. This practical resource offers research-based activities and strategies for providing professional learning opportunities that lead to the building of community in schools as well as improved learning outcomes for both teachers and students. Ideal for school leaders and staff developers, this updated bestseller examines the knowledge and skills needed to become a successful leader of learners and provides helpful tips, real-life classroom vignettes, and insights into effective teamwork. The authors help administrators lead staff in: Learning through study groups, shared leadership, and professional portfolios Performing collaborative student assessments and classroom observation Reexamining their beliefs and assumptions through reflective activities With the latest information on e-portfolios, coaching, emotional intelligence, and more, this proven professional development approach gives leaders the tools they need to implement a culture of collaboration that can transform entire schools!
Download or read book Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency written by Jaime E. Welborn and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2021-12-21 with total page 533 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pathway to uncovering and dismantling inequities Educational leaders who work in the district, site, or classroom level know that opportunity gaps have long been a focus of education policy in the United States. Leadership can be a critical lever for advancing policies that oppose racism and confront systemic inequities. In meeting this challenge, educators have found that acknowledging beliefs and behaviors is critical. Still, deficit-based thinking, especially due to privilege, remains a barrier to equity. Among the most damaging blind spots is the continuation of practices that are grounded in the values of entitled groups. Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency tells the story of a school community in the midwest United States that contended with its approach to teaching and valuing students of diverse backgrounds. Featuring the research-based Cultural Proficiency Framework and Tools, the book provides a clear road map to advancing equity across schools and districts. Designed to support leaders and school communities in developing policies and practices that respond to the needs of all students, this book Guides school leaders in a journey of learning the theory and strategies that improved student achievement and improved the working conditions in this district Features a real-life case study of a school community using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency and the Framework Provides vignettes and data, based on work conducted across an actual school district, that resulted in improvements in school climate, achievement, mindset, and equitable educational practices Includes powerful reflection, dialogic, and action activities for use in a variety of community learning modalities Is grounded in assets-based assumptions with respect to students, families, and the school community With a focus on engagement, leadership, implementation frameworks, and collaborative learning, the authors demonstrate how to uncover and remedy inequities. Designed for education leaders at all levels of the education system, this is the ideal foundational text for implementing Cultural Proficiency in your setting as you open doors for all students to thrive.
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.
Download or read book Guiding Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research-based sequel to Leading Professional Learning Communities focuses on the practical process of implementing, improving, and sustaining PLCs. Appropriate for groups at all stages of PLC development, this field book helps educators improve PLC operations by facilitating individual and group development and growth. The authors provide learning opportunities that generate conversations about adult learning and contribute to supportive conditions that strengthen teacher quality and raise student outcomes.
Download or read book Transforming School Culture written by Anthony Muhammad and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2009-11-01 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Busy administrators will appreciate this quick read packed with immediate, accessible strategies. This book provides the framework for understanding dynamic relationships within a school culture and ensuring a positive environment that supports the changes necessary to improve learning for all students. The author explores many aspects of human behavior, social conditions, and history to reveal best practices for building healthy school cultures.
