The power of professional learning communities (PLCs) as engines for school improvement is acknowledged across the literature on school reform. PLC’s have been almost universally embraced by K-12 schools. Unfortunately, our understanding and implementation of PLC’s are often superficial and inconsistent.  The challenge for our schools is to ensure that the PLCs that we establish are a cultural habit as opposed to a program.

This one-day workshop leads participants through a review of the literature on effective learning communities, and through an examination of the quality of learning communities in their own job contexts. The workshop is grounded in real world, video and artifact based case studies of schools and districts that have made
significant progress in the utilization of PLC’s as the foundation of improvement initiatives. Participants will leave the session with new tools for PLC implementation, and having outlined action steps to strengthen their own learning communities.

As you reflect on your own schools's trajectory in the six core characteristics of a vibrant PLC, where would it fall?  The six characteristics being:

• Commitment to Student Learning
• Human Capacity and Necessary Supports
• Collective Learning
• Shared Personal Practice
• Shared Leadership
• Systems Alignment and Coherence

The New Teacher Center in partnership with ACSA is offering three professional development opportunities intended for teacher leaders, site and district leadership, and team of educators who wish to implement or strengthen their own PLC as a culture not a program.  Participants of this workshop will:

• Understand the six Core Characteristics of PLC
• Analyze a variety of video and document-based case studies of district and school PLCs at work
• Reflect on the studies of their own PLC as related to the six core characteristics and case studies
• Plan action steps to strengthen support of collaborative professional practices
• Acquire tools, strategies, and documents to assist in development of collaborative professional practices focused on improved instruction and student learning
• Engage in dialogue regarding the theory and research that are the foundation of the PLC movement

Number of Hours: 7 Hours

Cost of Program: For the following event dates listed below, cost of registration for an ACSA member is $275, for non-acsa member the cost is $375.

This workshop can also be sponsored by districts, regions, or county offices.  Please contact the New Teacher Center directly at the number below for further information on how to bring the Professional Learning Communities workshop to your area.

For more infomation about bringing this workshop to your district, you may contact Michael Bossi, 800-608-ACSA(2272) or direct line, 916-508-8583, or by email, mbossi@acsa.org.

For registration information please contact:  Jessaca Downing, 800-608-2272 or  direct line, 916-329-3843, or by email, jdowning@acsa.org.