The document discusses Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) which aim to ensure high quality education for all students through collaboration among teachers, students, administrators, parents and the community. A PLC works to establish common goals and assessments to monitor student growth and provide additional support to struggling students. Key aspects of successful PLCs include regular collaboration among educators, a focus on continuous learning, and consistency in implementing common practices and curricula. Research shows PLCs can boost student achievement and staff morale when all members work as a team toward the shared goal of student success.

1. PLCs
Professional Learning
Community
By: Emily Lehmann

2. What is a PLC?
 PLC stands for Professional Learning Community
 Goal is to ensure that all students are provided a higher
level of education
 Strive for students to become “committed lifelong
learners”

3. What is a PLC?
 Professional Learning Communities can occur in any
school with the commitment and ambition by all parties
involved.
 Collaboration is used by the entire district to ensure that
students are receiving the BEST education.

4. How Does a PLC work?
Teachers, Students, Administration, parents,
and the entire community come together to
work toward creating a successful learning
community.

5. How Does a PLC work?
 The members of a PLC work together and independently
to reach one common goal.
 The goal is set with the high expectations that students
will receive a higher level of education, collaboration
among educators and administrators will occur , along
with positive support and assistance from the community
and parents.

6. How Does a PLC work?
 Teachers create common assessments to form common data
that can be used at a later time to determine the successfulness
of specific concepts.
 Goal is for students to become proficient/highly proficient in all
common core state standards.
 Those students who are not proficient in certain areas are then
provided further instruction, more practice, and one-on-one
tutoring to guide them to proficiently.
 Student learning is monitored regularly to monitor student
growth.

7. Who is Involved
 Everyone is involved in making a successful PLC.
 Parents
 Students
 Teachers
 Administrators
 Community
 Each member/group has a specific role

8. How to Start a PLC
 A professional learning community can be started in any
school.
 The support from staff assists in the achievement of a
PLC.
 Determine one common goal that is attainable and
accessible.

9. How to Start a PLC
 It has been found that schools should “Work with the
willing” when starting a PLC.
 It is important to focus on those who are interested,
willing, excited, and most importantly dedicated to the
idea.
 Once the PLC is started others will pick up the practices
and jump on board.

10. How to Make a PLC Successful
 A PLC is successful when all members are working
together to create a positive learning environment.
 Educators must also continue learning to ensure that the
students are provided the most current information and
new techniques are used to engage students.

11. How to Make a PLC Successful
 It is essential that department teams within a school work
together and collaborate to design common instructional
material and assessments.
 The data collected from common assessments can then be
examined and used to determine if practices were
successful.
 The teams use data to better then education of the
students. Collaboration is successful when teaching
techniques are being discussed and changes occur for the
better.

12. How to Make a PLC Successful
 Consistency throughout the school is key in a professional
learning community.
 Teachers should work together and meet regularly to discuss
teaching practices, ways of engaging students, and plans of
meet the common goal.

13. Professional Learning Community
Main Ideas
 Teamwork
 Collaboration
 Revision
 Goals
 Standards
 Common

14. Research
 Research has found many benefits that a PLC can bring to
a school district
 The students success is no longer left on one teacher.
Teachers are working together with one common goal of
student success. They work together to create the most
engaging activities that will promote a higher level of
thinking.
 Teachers and staff are brought together for the common
good of the students. Staff moral increases and teachers feel
a greater satisfaction with the work being done.

15. Research
 It has been found that schools that have implemented the
PLC ideas have seen incredible changes are are “full
functioning PLCs in 2.5 years” (Learning Point 2009)
 Students have also been greatly impacted by the changes
of a PLC.
 Proficiency levels have increased greatly
 Students become accountable and responsible for their
learning.

16. Research
 Case studies of three elementary schools showed that
during a five-year period, students from minority and
low-income families improved their scores on state
achievement tests from less than 50 percent proficient
to 75 percent proficient. (Learning Point 2009)

17. Resources
 http://www.allthingsplc.info/
 http://www.centerforcsri.org/plc/
 http://www.solution-tree.com/plc-at-work
 http://piic.pacoaching.org/index.php/piic-coaching/mentor-
blog/299-what-makes-a-successful-plc
 http://www.roseburg.k12.or.us/depts/educate/proflearning.htm
l
 http://www.wauwatosa.k12.wi.us/fi_staff_development.cfm

18. The End