Professional Learning Community (PLC)

A professional learning community (PLC) is an extended learning opportunity involving a group of colleagues in a particular field or workplace. The group members meet regularly to collaborate (work with one another), share their expertise, learn from experts, and raise the skill and knowledge levels of the whole group.

The focus of a PLC is on learning rather than teaching, with a strong emphasis on developing each member as a professional so that each individual is positioned to contribute to the overall success of the organization. Although PLCs can be found in a variety of settings, such as corporations and professional/trade organizations, they originated and often are found in academics (schools).

Overview

In the 1980s, educators began gathering in groups for learning purposes, either by bringing in outside professionals to teach them something or by engaging in reciprocal teaching practices, which are learning exercises in which two or more individuals teach each other. These educators were driven by the desire to improve their teaching skills so they could better serve their students.

Over time, these groups began to produce networks of teachers who understood how to cooperate with one another to help ensure that student needs could be met. Many of these groups began including school administrators and support staff as members of their learning community, thereby solidifying and furthering the reach of the group.

Since that time, PLCs have become quite common in schools. They are also popular in other settings, such as corporations and professional organizations. A considerable amount of research has been done on the purpose and characteristics that help determine the success rates of these communities.

Purpose

The purpose of a professional learning community is, first and foremost, to promote learning. PLCs foster collaborative learning, or situations in which two or more people attempt to learn something together. PLCs also promote professional development, or the advancement of professional skills, of all group members. In school settings, PLCs focus on enhancing the skills of teachers and support staff so that students can become more successful learners. Such PLCs may work together over the course of several years to implement improvements throughout the school.

Characteristics

Research suggests that PLCs are only as effective as the organizations in which they are established. Organizations with successful PLCs tend to have the following characteristics:

• Shared vision, values, and goals
• Willingness to collaborate
• Willingness to share experiences
• Focus on outcomes or results
• Supportive leadership structure

Shared Vision, Values, and Goals

To create a successful professional learning community, a company or organization must have a shared vision of itself as a learning-focused entity that is committed to the improvement of staff. The organization must be clear about what it is and where it is headed. Its vision must be understood and shared by the individuals who work there.

Part of a shared vision is the expression of the organization's values, or the underlying principles for which the organization stands. The organization must clearly express its goals, or what it is working to achieve. Although high-level goals may be stated in abstract terms, these goals also will be translated into achievable, measurable objectives that support work standards and expectations.

In school settings, teachers and administrators focus on student learning. They share a commitment to improving instructional practices and conditions that promote student comprehension of learning materials.

Willingness to Collaborate

Organizations with successful PLCs believe in the principle of collaboration. They agree that individuals can achieve more together than they can alone.

In the PLC itself, the group as a whole benefits from the contributions of each individual participant. A division of labor in which each staff member has a personal interest in their role is most effective. Collaboration, during which participants talk about their work experiences and receive feedback from their peers, allows participants to share responsibility for common learning. It gives the group members a way to work together toward their common goal. Collaboration may take place either face to face or through the use of virtual communication tools.

Willingness to Share Experiences

Along with a willingness to collaborate, participants of a PLC must be willing to share their own experiences with the group. For educators, this willingness to share experiences may mean open, honest discussions about teaching practices, or it may involve participants observing one another at work. The goal is to help participants evaluate their own effectiveness and to expose others to new ideas for meeting the needs, interests, and skills of students.

Focus on Outcomes or Results

PLCs focus on outcomes, or end results. For teachers, this means a continual improvement in instructional practices and more successful experiences for students. Research conducted in the early 2000s found empirical evidence for the effectiveness of schools' PLCs based on student achievement.

For other types of workers, a results focus may consider different aspects of worker performance, decision-making ability, or overall organizational results.

Supportive Leadership Structure

To be successful, a professional learning community requires a supportive leadership structure. For educators, this means school administrators that are committed to shared decision making and are willing to provide opportunities for teachers to act in leadership roles. Additionally, the organizational leadership must support a culture of learning. The school leadership must be willing to allow participants to utilize their collective strengths and talents to improve conditions for teachers and students.

In other types of organizations, a supportive leadership encourages participation in learning experiences and allows employees to apply what they have learned in the workplace.

Bibliography

Eaker, R., R. DuFour, and R. Burnette. Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities. Bloomington, IN: National Education Service, 2002. PDF file.

Hord, Shirley. Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1997. PDF file.

"Professional Learning Communities." The Center for Comprehensive School Improvement and Reform. Learning Point Associates. U.S. Department of Education, 2009. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. http://www.centerforcsri.org/plc

"Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?" Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). Issues About Change 6.1 (1997). Print.

Provini, Celine. "Best Practices for Professional Learning Communities." Education World, 2012, www.educationworld.com/a‗admin/best-practices-for-professional-learning-communities.shtml. Accessed 31 Oct. 2016.

Vescio, Vicki, Dorene Ross, and Alyson Adams. "A Review of Research on the Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Teaching Practice and Student Learning." Teaching and Teacher Education 24.(2008): 80–91. ScienceDirect, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S0742051X07000066&site=eds-live. Accessed 31 Oct. 2016.