COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

COMMUNITIES:
ESTABLISHING A
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
COMMUNITY
Trista Houdyshell and Cristen Simone
Grand Canyon University
Developing Professional Capacity: EAD-523
June 30, 2021
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
COMMUNITY?
• Professional Learning Community is commonly called a PLC

• The professional learning community (PLC) is considered to be an effective

school improvement strategy centered on student achievement and providing change within

the classroom (MOULAKDI, A., ET AL., 2020).

• This is a time for teachers to meet to share best practices and strategies.
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
COMMUNITY?
• PLCs focus on data, setting goals, and reflection on teaching practices

• Teachers are provided with a coach to support them and create action plans for practices

• Connect to other professionals in the same school or district

• Offer opportunities for collaboration and information sharing

• PLCs cater to students by ensuring they are having their needs met. 
Our professional learning
community’s (PLC) purpose is
to support teachers and faculty
MISSION
in sustaining a highly effective STATEM
professional and educational ENT
learning environment.
 GOALS OF OUR PLC
• Create a supportive and individualized learning environment for each student

• Build positive relationships with students and families

• Encourage collaboration and information sharing between colleagues

• Increase student success

• Increase understanding of student learning and growth (Osceola School District PLC Coach,

2010)
PLC OUTCOMES
1.Improve Teaching practices
2.Enhance student data
3.Help teachers reflect on instructional practices
4.Build relationships within the school community
 PLC STRUCTURE
1. Establish Teams
     -Decide how many teams will be formed and the individuals who will make up the
teams (see more on slide 9)
2. Set Goals
     -Coaches will create goals for teachers (strategies to implement with students, things
teachers should be working on)
3. Collect Data
     -Using the goal set teams will decide what data is to be collected and collect the data
necessary to evaluate the goal (Lee & Lim, n.d.)
4. Analyze data
     -Teachers and coaches will analyze student data (Grades, Assessments, Teacher notes
on  student performance)
 PLC STRUCTURE
3. Collaboration 
     -Teachers will work together with other teachers and coaches, share best practices

4. Implementation​
      -Teachers will start implementing things into their
instructional practice/classrooms to reach their goals​

5.Assess​
       -Teachers will meet with coach again to assess data and see if improvement
was made in their data or see if goals are met
PLC STRUCTURE-TEAMS
Grade-
Level
Teams

Similar
Responsibi Specialists
lity Teams

District
Mentors or
Level
Leadership
Teams
PLC TIMELINE

 Implementat Establish Develop Extend (Oct- Sustain

Continue
ion Begins (Aug-Sept) (Sept-Oct) June) (June-Aug)
 PLC EVALUATION
• Many districts assign an adviser, coach, or administrator to attend the PLCS.
• They support the teachers by giving them ideas and documenting what is working
and what is not.

• Action plans are provided for teachers during PLCS and can count as data toward an
evaluation
REFERENCES
Lee, J. and Lim, C. (n.d.). Teaching E-Portfolios and the Development of Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs) in Higher Education Institutions. Retrieved on June 24, 2021 from
file:///C:/Users/thoudyshell/OneDrive%20- %20ESD%20113/Documents/Staff%20Files/Trista
%20Houdyshell%2011-16- 2020/EAD-523/Lim_C_P_and_Lee_J_C_2014_Teaching_e_port.pdf  
  
Moulakdi, A., & Bouchamma, Y. (2020). Elementary Schools Working as Professional Learning
Communities: Effects on Student Learning. International Education Studies, 13(6), 1–13.  
  
Osceola School District PLC Coach (2010). The PLC Guidebook: Leading       Your Collaborative
Team to Success. Retrieved on June 27,
2021 from https://guide.swiftschools.org/sites/default/files/documents/THEPLCGUIDEBOOK.pdf