Fostering a culture of inquiry through professional learning communities: one district's journey

This case study of a school district change initiative, the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs), is a narrative reflection from the perspective of a district leader in the role of Learning Communities Coordinator. The district's goal was to build teacher capacity to improve student achievement by establishing a PLC framework and a culture of inquiry to support teachers' professional learning. Sources of data include the researcher's personal narrative with input from the district Superintendent and Director of Instruction. The author describes the steps, missteps, and leadership learning gained from the first two years of a five year initiative. Fullan's (2007) stages of innovation and recommended components for district-wide reform as well as Kaser and Halbert's (2009) leadership mindsets contribute to the analysis of the narrative. New understandings generated from this study may inform other school district leaders as they embark upon similar initiatives. --Leaf ii.