The purpose of this project was to design a tool to identify teachers' perceptions of where they are in their Professional Learning Community (PLC) venture. I employed a quasi-qualitative research approach. I developed a survey tool which was applied in an elementary school setting to assess its usefulness. The survey tool used a Likert-like scale that drew on statements similar to those employed by Hipp and Huffman (2003) to illuminate seven dimensions of a PLC community. These dimensions included: Shared and Supportive Leadership Shared Mission, Vision and Values Collective Inquiry Collaborative Teams Supportive Conditions - Relationships Supportive Conditions - Structure, and Data Based Decision Making. Data from the survey, comments on the survey, and a focus group were used in the analyses and discussion of where teachers in this particular school are in their PLC journey. The results indicated a strong level of agreement to the statements identifying the various components of a PLC. However, the survey also illuminated a number of areas of concern that when addressed by the school administrative team will lead to a more inclusive and sustainable PLC in this school. --P.ii.
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.
