PLCs provide a structure and school leaders create a culture to enhance professional learning.
Imagine a school where teachers are not just colleagues but a team of educators, each amplifying the other’s impact. This is the essence of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), defined by Sawyer and Stukey as “an organizational structure by design that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students.”
PLCs are the secret sauce behind what John Hattie’s research reveals as one of the most powerful influences in education: collective teacher efficacy. Collective teacher efficacy is the shared belief among teachers in their combined ability to impact student learning positively.
Even in schools with singleton teachers – those teaching the only section of their subject or grade – PLCs are still impactful. The PLC model can provide the structure for meaningful collaboration in schools of all sizes.
NOT MERELY ANOTHER MEETING
PLCs are not just meetings; they are job-embedded, sustained professional learning for teachers. This aligns with Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning, which emphasize that high-quality professional learning should be “ongoing, sustained and job-embedded” to have the most significant impact on teacher practice and student outcomes.
Tips for School Leaders: Distinguish and elevate PLCs from other meeting by making them a high priority. Meeting consistently and avoiding cancelation or rescheduling demonstrates the importance of PLCs, helping make them a fabric of your faculty culture.
FORMING TEAMS
Form teams with teachers of the same subject across different grade levels to ensure curriculum coherence and skill progression. This is a necessary structure for smaller school and an opportunity for larger schools. These teams can collaborate to identify and develop prioritized content area standards that build upon each other throughout the grades, creating a clear learning progression.
Tips for School Leaders: Be present and attend the PLC meetings, rotating among the teams over the course of the school year. Observe, listen, and empower the teachers to own their team meetings. You will maintain a pulse of your teachers’ needs to provide support and coaching as needed.
FOCUSED GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Our teachers have a wide variety of responsibilities, all competing for their time and attention. Narrow the focus and keep it simple. Two high leverage suggestions are: (1) Share and refine instructional strategies that are effective across subjects and grade levels, such as formative assessment techniques or differentiation strategies. (2) Collectively examine student work and assessment data to identify trends, share successful interventions, and develop targeted support strategies.
Tips for School Leaders: Provide a meeting agenda and notes template to keep your teams on task and efficient. The agenda should be free of administrative announcement (put that information in an email).
Effective professional learning results from a culture continuous improvement and an organizational structure that empowers teachers to share their expertise in a collaborative team approach. As planning for the 2025-26 school year continues, the ADAC team is here to support school leaders, and their teachers fully leverage their professional learning.
WANT TO LEARN ABOUT MAXIMIZING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING?
Join ADAC Answers Live: Collaborative Conversations for School Leaders on February 19, 2025 at 4pm EST (1pm PST). Dr. Cantillon will provide additional insights and answer your questions.
About the Author:
An experienced Catholic school teacher and leader, Dr. Julie Cantillon has served as an associate superintendent in the Diocese of San Diego and as the academic dean of the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Julie’s broad experience and training include completing professional learning at the Learning Forward Academy at which her multi-year problem-of-practice focus was on elevating at the diocesan level teacher leadership. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Anselm College, a master’s degree from Simmons University, and a doctoral degree from the University of San Diego.
References:
Sawyer, I., & Stukey, M. R. (2019). Professional learning redefined: An evidence-based guide. Corwin.
Learning Forward. (2022). Standards for professional learning. https://standards.learningforward.org/standards-for-professional-learning/
