What if schools could improve student performance and make teacher coordination easier?
Well, a strong Professional Learning Community (PLC) is often the best solution to this problem.
Usually, PLCs allow teachers to work together, share ideas, and solve problems they face as teachers all the time.
Research from the Learning Policy Institute shows that over 3 years, student performance increases by 21% in schools that use effective PLCs.
In fact, PLCs have many benefits besides helping students do well. Teachers make it a habit to keep learning, promote teamwork, and help teachers improve their teaching.
For example, Highlands Elementary School in Texas adopted a PLC approach that focused on working together based on data. Within a year, reading proficiency went up by 15%.
Through this method, teachers shared best practices, studied data about their students, and changed how they taught.
Here, we'll let you know about what is a professional learning community in detail. Plus, you will know what steps you need to take to make a PLC work, from setting clear goals to maintaining energy.
Also, we will highlight the benefits of professional learning communities, different models, and how PCLs are assessed.
So, let’s roll on!
What is a Professional Learning Community (PLC)
Indeed, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) refer to a group of educators working interdependently to improve their practice for professional development and to improve student achievement as well.
These teams work together to reach common goals, keep improving, and take responsibility for all of their students' success.
In fact, teachers can think about their work, share strategies, and look at student success data when they get together regularly. Working together builds a culture of support, which helps both teachers and kids do well.
Basically, in the 1990s, teachers realized that working together could make their teaching more effective. Thus it led to the creation of professional learning communities.
At first, they were just loose groups of teachers getting together to share ideas.
Over time, studies have shown that structured collaboration is suitable for schools. To know more about what is a professional learning community in education, keep reading!
Why PLCs are Good: 6 Core Benefits!
Today, PLCs are used worldwide as an excellent way to help teachers grow and help students learn.
Even, they are suitable for both teachers and students because they encourage everyone to work together. Teachers learn new things and get comments and ideas from their coworkers.
Also, students gain from better teachers as they get better at their work.
However, schools with good PLCs often say that their students are more engaged and do better in school. A 2019 study found that schools that used PLCs saw a 10% rise in student success over three years.
Here are the benefits of a professional learning community:
1. Shared Goal of Improving Students' Learning
In PLCs, everyone works together to improve students' learning.
In this way, all efforts are focused on improving student results. As a result, each teacher's contribution becomes more powerful.
2. Educator-staff collaboration
Teachers can share tools, ideas, and strategies in PLCs, which helps them work together better.
This technique of working together helps teachers deal with problems in the classroom and use the best methods. As a result, students will benefit from better lessons.
3. Changes to Teaching Based on Data
PLCs look at data on student success to decide how to improve their teaching methods. Teachers can ensure they are meeting their students' needs.
Also, improving their learning by keeping track of their progress and analyzing data.
4. Continuous Improvement and Reflection
PLCs encourage teachers to reflect on their teaching and learning, essential for continuous improvement.
Teachers are always looking for ways to succeed, which leads to personal and professional growth. Other teachers provide feedback and evaluate themselves.
5. Shared Obligation for Student Success
Every teacher in a PLC thinks every student's success is their obligation. It makes the classroom helpful and focused by encouraging teamwork and a desire to see all students succeed.
6. Focus on Professional Growth
Teachers can improve their skills as a result of PLCs. The best teachers always learn, get feedback, and work together to improve their skills.
As a result, students learn more, and teachers become better at their jobs.
Different PLC Models: An Overview
Teachers can choose to meet their wants and problems in a professional learning community. Depending on their goals and the circumstances of the lesson, schools and teachers can adapt PLC models.
These are some of the most popular PLC model types:
1. Grade-Level PLCs
In this type of PLC, teachers from the same grade level get together regularly to share resources, talk about student work, and find out which students in their group need more help learning.
By working together, these teachers want to improve learning for all students in that grade level.
For instance, teachers in the second grade might discuss reading interventions that will ensure all children get the same amount of help.
2. Topic-Area PLCs
This type of group brings together teachers who teach similar courses, such as history, math, or science. Their main goal is to make shared curricula, develop tests, and implement plans to help students do better in their field.
This method ensures that teaching is always the same and helps teachers find the best ways to teach their subjects.
For example, chemistry teachers in high school might come up with a standard lab project that all of their students can do.
3. PLCs for Special Programs
Special education teachers or teachers of ELL students may find this a helpful plan. Teachers share suitable teaching methods and meet the specific needs of their students with each other.
One example is when special education teachers gather to make their students' best-individualized education plans (IEPs).
4. School Improvement PLCs
The main goal of these PLCs is to move big, school-wide goals forward. Teachers in these groups can try to improve student achievement, improve school culture, involve parents more, or use new technologies in the classroom.
As an example,
PLCs might discuss ways to get parents more involved in their children's reading development at home to raise reading scores.
Usually, different PLC types can solve different problems or accomplish different goals.
It is up to teachers to choose the PLC structure that works best for their
Roles
Needs
Goals
No matter how they teach and how well their students perform, PLCs that work use their members' knowledge and experience to improve how they teach.
6 Essential Components of a Professional Learning Community (PLC)
A Professional Learning Community in education (PLC) isn't just any group of educators. It has specific characteristics that make it effective.
Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker highlighted 6 essential components that define a PLC in their works. Let's look at them in simpler terms:
Having Common Values, Missions, and Goals
A PLC begins with a common mission. All members work toward the same purpose, establishing a shared idea of success.
They agree on values and set collective goals. If someone struggles, the group offers support. Sharing a common goal helps everyone move in the same direction, making their goals easier.
Collaboration
In a PLC, everyone needs to work together. Teachers often share tools, ideas, and insights. They work to help students do better by sharing what they know.
When they work together, they can solve problems more quickly and effectively, and it helps everyone keep learning.
Collective Inquiry
Inquiry by the whole Members of a PLC get together to talk about the best ways to teach. They look into and think about the ways they teach now. By comparing their methods to the newest ways of teaching, they find places where they can do better.
This collective research ensures that everyone can use the shared information.
Action-Oriented Approach
Usually, PLCs are based on actions. They don't just talk about making changes; they do something about what they find.
They make changes for the better in teaching and learning by using facts and their own experiences. Moving forward and putting ideas into action that help students do better are always the main goals.
Focus on Continuous Improvement
Learning is always possible in a PLC. Members are dedicated to consistently enhancing their teaching methods and results.
The goal is for them to keep changing and improving their teaching. The group always tries to reach higher goals because they believe in continuous growth.
An Outcome-oriented Framework
An emphasis on results is what a PLC is all about. Teachers judge how well they're doing by how well their kids do. They use data to see how far they've come towards their goals.
If the results differed from what they wanted, they changed how they do things to ensure all their students succeed.
Even, in this results-oriented setting, accountability is very significant. These elements will make a PLC work if they encourage people to collaborate, take action, and keep improving.
7 Steps to Establish Effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
Generally, a good Professional Learning Community (PLC) can make a big difference in teacher performance and student achievement. Keeping things better all the time is the focus of professional learning communities.
Here are 7 important steps that will help you make and keep your PLC running well.
Step 1: Establish a Clear Purpose
Setting clear purpose and detailed, attainable goals is the first step in building a strong Professional Learning Community (PLC).
If the group doesn't have a clear goal, they might not know where to go and find it difficult to make real progress.
Before any talks begin, it is important to understand what the PLC wants to achieve. Hence, this will establish the group's focus, structure, and goals.
First, ask important questions like
What are the most challenging things about being a teacher in this school or district?
Are there specific ways of teaching that need to be improved?
How can we help students by raising literacy rates or closing achievement gaps?
Do we need to add to the program or develop new ways to test students?
As soon as the PLC identifies its primary goal, it can focus on a specific improvement that works for both teachers and students.
After that, assess your needs.
Usually, a needs survey is an essential part of this process. It helps the group determine where they need more help or where their work is lacking.
You can do this by:
Get information about how well students do (test results, classroom evaluations, etc.).
Asking teachers through polls or conversations what they think needs to be fixed and how to do it.
Going over district-level priorities and school-wide goals to see the bigger picture.
This assessment gives the PLC clear proof of the areas that need work and helps them decide how to focus their efforts.
Step 2: Set Specific, Measurable Goals
Once the needs have been identified, the PLC should establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
For example, the specific objective is set as ‘Enhance student reading skills in grades three to five.’
Measurable: ‘Raise the number of students achieving the proficient level on the reading assessments by ten percent.’
Achievable: Make sure the aims set are achievable considering the physical and temporal resources available.
Relevant: The objective must focus on a pivotal aspect that complements the mission of the school or the school district.
Time-bound: Target time of attaining the goal is also indicated, for example: ‘within this academic year’. Explicit objectives enable the group to be fixed and more easily assess progress over the period.
But, Align with Broader School Objectives or District Objectives
A PLC should not operate in silence. Connecting its goals with those of the school or district ensures that the group contributes to a larger vision.
This alignment:
Helps secure administrative support for the PLC's efforts.
Ensures that the PLC's work complements broader school improvement plans.
Shows the connection between PLC efforts and long-term school or district success.
As an example, a school could adjust the PLC's goal to focus on refining math instruction techniques if it is trying to improve math scores across all grades.
It could also focus on developing interventions for struggling students.
Step 3: Distribute Roles and Responsibilities
Each member of the PLC plays a vital role in reaching the group's goals. To avoid overloading, each person should have clear responsibilities.
This way, everyone in the group can feel responsible for its success.
The following are some typical roles:
Data Collection and Analysis:
This person gets relevant data (like metrics for student success, teacher feedback, etc.) and tells the group what they found. Their job is to make sure that choices are based on data.
Researcher:
Responsible for finding relevant articles, studies, or resources related to the group's focus. The member brings new instructional strategies, evidence-based practices, or educational trends.
Recorder and note-taker:
Important things from each meeting are written down by this person, such as the following steps, decisions made, and jobs to be done after the meeting.
They track how things are going and ensure consistency from meeting to meeting.
Timekeepers:
Timekeepers ensure talks stay on track and don't get off track. Each session can be more productive by doing this job.
The more people know their specific responsibilities, the more likely they are to contribute. As a result of the process, everyone is held accountable for how they contribute to the PLC's growth.
Step 4: Set Rules for Working Together
For a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to be productive and polite, it's important to set clear rules for how people can work together.
These rules guide how people connect and ensure everyone's voice is heard and valued.
Also, set rules for respectful communication. Establish clear communication standards from the beginning.
In fact, members should practice active hearing, which means thinking about what other people are saying before they answer. It's important to encourage constructive feedback rather than complaining.
Establishing these rules will help build trust so members can share their thoughts without worrying about judgment.
Step 5: Organize Meetings Consistently
A regular meeting plan is one of the most important things that keeps a PLC working well. Regular structured talks help the group stay on track and progress toward its goals.
Make a regular plan
Choose a time and number of meetings that will work for all members. Such meetings can take place once a week, twice a week, or once a month.
A regular schedule of such meetings would help the group members stay on course and gain momentum. Every participant must participate in order to accomplish the objectives. Everyone must benefit from the plan.
Meetings should include professional growth.
Every meeting should be a chance to get better at your job.
Set aside time to discuss new studies, share new teaching methods, or review student data. This process is not only focused on progress, but it also keeps the group's growth and learning goals on track.
Step 6: Develop a Culture of Trust and Open Communication
Trust is the backbone of any successful PLC, allowing members to share their thoughts and challenges without fear. When trust is built, meaningful conversations can occur, resulting in real improvements.
So, tell members to be honest about their good and bad times to build trust. When members feel safe enough to be honest and open, they are more likely to share helpful information.
Through open communication, people can better understand and benefit from each other's experiences.
Also, it encourages people to make decisions together.
People in a PLC should work together to make decisions. When included in the decision-making process, everyone feels more ownership of the group's goals and outcomes. This encourages commitment and allows the team to make the most of its knowledge and skills.
Step 7: Follow up Progress Regularly
Regularly monitoring progress is essential to ensure the PLC is meeting its goals. Having no evaluation will make it hard to determine if the group is heading in the right direction.
Regular follow-up is essential to finding out how well a PLC is working.
Here's how to keep track of growth and think about it well:
Track student data to see how PLC programs have changed things for students.
Ask teachers about their experiences and observations about how healthy methods are working.
Observe the classroom to see how PLC-driven practices are being used.
Set clear, measurable goals for reviewing progress, like checking in every month or every three months.
Make intelligent choices using the information you've gathered. If necessary, change the PLC's focus and tactics to stay on track with its goals.
At the end of each meeting, think about what went well and what could be done better. This helps the PLC improve its method and align with its goals.
By following up regularly, the PLC can continue to improve and succeed for a long time.
What are the Best Ways to Evaluate the Performance of PLCs?
Well, PLCs can only be successful when teachers and students work together well.
By testing regularly, instructors can determine where they can improve, track their success, and maintain a focus on their goals.
Here are Some important ways to accurately measure their progress:
Impact of PLC on Education
Actually, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) affect schools in a variety of ways. In fact, they are a big part of education. Because they help teachers work together and keep getting better.
When PLCs are used correctly, they can greatly improve
How teachers do their jobs
Help students do better in school
Make the school culture more positive and collaborative
Here are 6 essential ways that PLCs change education:
Way 1: Better Ways of Teaching
PLCs give teachers an organized place to_
work together, share their experiences
Think about how they teach.
Teachers solve problems together and share best practices to improve student lessons.
Also, they can do peer studies, data analysis, and action research to help them improve their teaching.
Even, teachers can use this collaborative learning plan to keep up with changes in the field, learn new methods, and improve.
For example, teachers in a PLC might look for new ways to vary their lessons, make lessons fit the needs of different students, or use better ways to test students.
It makes training more flexible, individualized, and aligned with students' needs.
Way 2: Promoting Teamwork in Schools
Having a PLC in a school helps develop a trust and collaboration culture. They don't work alone. Rather than fighting against similar problems, they celebrate successes and strive for common goals.
This setting for working together breaks down silos within schools, encouraging staff to work together.
In fact, a strong PLC culture pushes teachers to talk to each other openly and share both their successes and problems. As a result, teachers may feel better about their jobs and have higher morale, which can improve the school environment.
Way 3: Better Results for Students
One main goal of PLCs is to help students do better in school.
With research-based decisions, teachers can determine which curriculum areas students may struggle with and devise specific strategies to help them.
However, teachers can directly connect their work in PLCs to student achievement through
Formative assessments
Student growth tracking
Lesson planning.
If teachers work together to ensure all of their lessons are consistent and high quality, every student benefits.
PLCs encourage everyone to take responsibility for each student's learning. As a result, all teachers' methods are synchronized, and all students get the help they need.
Way 4: Ongoing Training for Professionals
As part of PLCs, teachers have regular opportunities to learn and grow.
A PLC differs from traditional workshops or conferences because it offers ongoing, job-based learning.
This continuous learning cycle helps teachers remain interested in their careers over the long term.
Moreover, PLC members meet regularly to discuss new studies, teaching methods, and technologies to improve their work. As well as benefiting the teachers, this ongoing professional development helps the school set a higher standard.
Way 5: More Responsibility and Self-reflection
Through PLCs, teachers are required to reflect on their progress regularly and make changes based on their findings.
Teachers do reflective practices individually and with their groups to determine how well they're teaching and how that affects their students.
PLCs also encourage teachers to be responsible by sharing their results with their colleagues. By sharing responsibilities, everyone helps the group achieve its goals and participates in supporting them.
Way 6: Commit to Long-Term Improvement
A good PLC isn't something that happens just once.
It's a long-term commitment to improving teaching methods and student outcomes. All members must be committed to keeping this work going.
After the first set of goals has been met, return to them and look for new tasks or places to grow even more. It's essential to stay updated with the latest trends in education and keep learning new things.
Also, Celebrate your wins and go over your goals again.
Occasionally, celebrate the group's wins to keep people interested. Members stay motivated by being told about their growth and successes.
Regularly review the group's goals and make changes to stay current and meet the group's changing educational needs.
These seven actions can help a PLC build a strong foundation, encourage trust and teamwork, and improve teaching methods and student outcomes.
Top 3 Learning Platforms for Professional Growth of Educators
Now, let’s go through three online learning platforms that can help you build a professional learning community.
1. Edutopia
Edutopia established by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is an essential platform for educators seeking to transform their teaching practices. This platform provides a wealth of resources, including Research-backed strategies, Expert guidance, and Real-world examples.
Educators can actively engage in discussions, share ideas, and find inspiration to enhance classroom teaching.
Top Features:
Research-based teaching strategies
Practical teaching tips and real-world examples
Expert advice on innovative practices
Active community for sharing ideas and ongoing discussions
Resources focused on emotional, social, and academic learning
2. EzyCourse
EzyCourse is an all-in-one platform designed to help educators create courses, communities, and so on. So, both teachers and students can engage in meaningful learning communities using this community app platform.
It comes with a drag-and-drop builder that allows you to create any type of website easily. You can create a Facebook-like community feed instantly from the builder. Plus, you can create private or group chats, post interactive content, and run polls.
Also, it supports various content formats, from text to videos, so everyone can learn in their preferred style. Notifications keep users updated, and the mobile app makes learning easy on the go.
Notably, EzyCourse only takes $35 per month. It lets schools and institutions create attractive courses and learning environments.
Top Features:
All-in-one platform to create courses, communities, memberships, coaching, etc
Build and organize professional learning communities.
Create unlimited free and premium communities.
Multiple channels in the community.
Engage in direct communication with a group or private chats.
Share polls and send real-time updates.
Share text, video, and photos in posts.
Go live from your community feed.
Control visibility of community content.
Make the community private, public, hidden, or restricted.
Access via mobile for on-the-go interaction.
Easily share documents and media.
Monitor member progress with analytics.
Plan and manage events and appointments on the platform.
3. TES Connect
TES Connect is a global network of over 8 million education professionals. Educators can share resources and lesson plans and participate in a comprehensive forum.
The platform fosters collaboration, offering educators opportunities to exchange teaching strategies, seek advice, and discuss the latest education policies and trends.
Top Features:
A global network of 8 million+ educators
Lesson plans and teaching resources
Creating a forum for best practice exchanges
Advice on education policies and trends
Collaboration opportunities across different subjects and regions
Also read: Top 10 Community Management Software Platforms
Using PLCs in the Real World: 3 Examples
Around the world, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have proven their worth.
Here are some examples from real life that show how PLCs have made a big difference in how we teach and learn:
Example 1: Lennox School District, California
Lennox School District, California implemented PLCs to improve student achievement and instructional practices.
Implementation: Teachers across the district engaged in regular PLC meetings focused on analyzing student data, sharing best practices, and collaboratively designing lesson plans.
Results: Within three years, the district saw a notable improvement in student test scores, particularly in math and reading. Also, student engagement and achievement improved with research-based instruction. Read the article on Community Engagement Strategy in 2024.
According to the California Department of Education, the district’s API (Academic Performance Index) scores grew by 45 points over a three-year period.
Example 2: Rock Hill School District, South Carolina
Students in Rock Hill School District have been using PLCs to tackle achievement gaps.
Implementation: As part of addressing specific educational challenges, the district established PLCs for data analysis, peer observations, and problem-solving.
Results: The PLCs led to better lessons and consistent results for all students across the county. Besides, educators working together created a mindset of always getting better and being responsible.
Over two years, reading and maths skills improved by 12% and 10%, respectively, across the whole district.
Example 3: Highlands Elementary School, Texas
Highlands Elementary School used PLCs to deal with problems with how students behaved and did well in school.
Implementation: The school set up PLCs for behavior management and helping students learn. Teachers worked together to develop and use new ways to handle the classroom and teach different levels of students.
Results: There were fewer behavior problems at school, and students did better in school. Teachers said they felt more confident in their ability to deal with problems in the classroom. They also felt more able to work together with their coworkers.
In fact, the number of behavior problems at the school decreased by 30%. Students did better on state tests in reading and maths by 15% and 12%, respectively.
Related: How Do You Build A Community From Scratch: Tips And Tricks
End Note
To define what is a professional learning community, the key concept here is to combine people working together, making lessons better, and improving learning experiences.
Students and teachers both grow when you promote open conversation and teamwork.
Remember that for a PLC to work, everyone needs to be committed, have the same goals, and be ready to learn from each other. This process is made easy by sites like EzyCourse, which gives you the tools to engage and motivate your community.
So, no matter what stage you're at or how long you've been on your PLC journey, it always starts with that first step.
Enjoy your town's growth, meet new people, and make the most of the opportunity. You can do it!
Let's start building your learning community now and see how it will transform education!
