RSA 1: Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning?

Online Resource:

http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ775771 

Summary:

We have focused our studies on the professional learning community concept and underlying principles.  According to DuFour (2007), professional learning communities must focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement.  Many schools claim to be a professional learning community.  However, to see its true effectiveness and determine the impact on learning of both students and teachers, a school first needs to determine if PLC practices are actually put into place. 

The article, “Learning Communities in 6-8 Middle Schools: Natural Complements or Another Bandwagon in the Parade” (Patterson & contributors, 2006), interviewed and surveyed teachers that consider themselves to be in professional learning communities.  They found that teachers saw little potential benefit in the PLC concept, and in turn, may view them as a fad and jumping the bandwagon.  However, they found that there was little evidence of these schools actually engaging in PLC practices (Patterson & contributors, 2006).  Researchers who have studied schools where educators actually engage in PLC practices have consistently cited those practices as our best hope for sustained, substantive school improvement (DuFour, 2007). 

DuFour (2007) states that a common trend in education is that improvement initiatives are launched with great enthusiasm, but then followed by confusion and criticism, and then abandonment to find the quick fix solution.  Consequently, it is important to understand that the professional learning community does not offer a short cut to school improvement.  “The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept in any school will depend not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school- the collective capacity, commitment, and persistence of the educators within it” (p.5).

References

DuFour, R. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: A Bandwagon, an Idea Worth Considering, or Our Best Hope for High Levels of Learning? Middle School Journal, 39(1), 4-8.

Patterson, J.A., & 16 co-contributors. (2006). Learning Communities in Middle Schools: Natural Complements or Another Bandwagon in the Parade? Middle School Journal, 37(5), 21-30.