BY

DR. HENRY A. JACKSON

Transforming School Culture: Teachers’ Perspectives of Professional Learning Communities as a Reform Initiative to

Close the Achievement Gap

Overview

• Context of Problem• Rationale for Study• Purpose Statement• Research Questions• Significance of Study • Literature Review• Methodology• Research Findings• Conclusions

Context of Problem

• Egregious achievement gap between poor students, students of color and their more privileged peers (Kober, 2001).

• African American and Hispanic students’ test scores are significantly lower, on average, than White and Asian students (Kober, 2001).

• Greater accountability for closing the achievement gap has been the primary goal of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

• “Standardization agenda” (Hargreaves, 2004, p. 1) has merit, standards-based reform may only be part of the solution.

Rationale for Study

• With the cost of school reform being high, both financially and emotionally, and often hindered by the lack of collaborative school cultures, sustainability has become the current focus of educational reform.

• Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been suggested as a promising professional development reform initiative (Fullan, 1991)

• The idea is that teachers, who communicate with one another about teaching and learning, will be more effective with improving student learning outcomes (Thompson, 2004).

• Most empirical research has only focused on teachers perceptions of their school as a PLC and ignored the impact of PLCs on student achievement (Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2007; Meehan & Cowley, 2003).

Purpose Statement

• To assess the level of development of Hord’s five dimensions of a professional learning community as perceived by English and mathematics teachers in the six participating Program Improvement high schools. The five dimensions are Shared and Supportive Leadership, Shared Values and Vision, Collective Learning and Application, Shared Teaching Practices, and Supportive Conditions.

• The Equitable Teaching Practice Survey (ETPS) was developed by the researcher to measure the existence of equitable teaching practices employed as a result of teacher participation in the PLC. The areas associated with educational equity were, Access, Instruction, Materials, Attitudes, Interactions, Language, & Assessments (emphasis added) (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), 2001; Bitters, 1994).

Purpose Statement continued:

• Additionally, the study examined the relationship between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community. Subgroup student achievement was measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the California Standards Test (CST) in English-Language Arts and mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced (i.e. meeting or exceeding the state standards) for the 2006-2009 testing periods.

Research Questions

Research Question OneWhat are teacher’s perceptions of their department as a professional leaning community in relation to Hord’s (2004) five dimensions of a professional learning community?

1. Was there supportive and shared leadership? 2. Did they have shared values and vision that supported the achievement of all students? 3. Did they have collective learning and application of that learning?4. Were there shared teaching practices that contributed to individual and organizational capacity?5. Did they have supportive conditions?

Research Question TwoHow did the perceived levels of PLC development in Dimension 2 Shared Values and Vision and Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application correlate with the teaching practices associated with educational equity?

Research Questions continued:

Research Question Three

How did teachers’ perceive school administrators participation in sharing power and decision making in Dimension 1, Supportive and Shared Leadership?

Research Question Four

What is the relationship between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community, when student achievement is measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the CST in English-Language Arts and Mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced (i.e. meeting or exceeding the state standards) for the 2006-07, 2007-08, or 2008-2009 testing periods?

Significance of Study

• Much of the research on PLCs has focused on teachers’ perceptions of their school as a PLC (Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2007; Meehan & Cowley, 2003).

• Little empirical research has been done to differentiate between teachers’ perceptions of their department as a PLC and student achievement outcomes (Vescio, et al. 2007; Meehan & Cowley, 2003).

• To provide principals with the information they need to develop collaborative school cultures and teacher development.

• Inform district wide system capacity building so that all schools are establishing school cultures that are supportive of improved student achievement.

Literature Review

• Achievement gap and NCLB’s emphasis on school accountability

• Professional learning

• School improvement

• Teacher Professional Development as a Strategy for School Improvement

Achievement gap and NCLB’s emphasis on school accountability

• Although NCLB establishes an assortment of accountability requirements for states, hiring highly qualified teachers, using research based instructional programs, and making Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) are amongst the most critical.

• These three accountability measures are directly associated with a school’s ability to improve student achievement.

Emphasized accountability measures

Highly Qualified Teachers• The focus on these qualifications under stems from

research that identifies teacher quality as a key component to improving student achievement (Heck, 2007).

Culturally responsive teaching• This type of teaching offers teachers the opportunity to

empower often marginalized groups (Gay, 2000).

Research Based Instruction• According to the U.S. Department of Education, scientific

research establishes best practices for teachers and introduces programs that can be used in a variety of classrooms.

Professional Learning

Organizational Learning• Organizational learning provides its faculty and staff a venue to

conduct collective problem solving and build amongst administrators and teachers a culture that enables change within the organization (Tschannen-Moran et al., 2000).

School Improvement• School improvement is defined as “a systematic, sustained effort

aimed at change in learning conditions and other related internal conditions in one or more schools with the ultimate aim of accomplishing educational goals more effectively” (Miles, Louis, Rosenblum, Ciploone and Farrar, 1988, p. 3).

Teacher Professional Development as a Strategy for School Improvement

• Researchers suggest that professional development, which involves both teachers as learners and as teachers, is needed in order to have gains in student achievement (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995).

METHODOLOGY

• Rationale for Employing a Quantitative Research Approach

• Research Design• Population and Sample• Instrumentation• Data Management • Data Analysis• Limitations

Rationale for Employing a Quantitative Research Approach

• Research effort was concerned with determining the relationship between two variables.

• Study is based on some form of rational positivism

• Research sought out an explanation for causes of changes in measured social facts

Research Design

• The study employed a correlational research design. The correlational research design is concerned with determining the relationship between one variable and another. The researcher chose a correlational research design because the study is trying to establish the statistical association between two or more variables.

• To address research questions one, two, and three, the School Professional Staff as Learning Community (SPSaLC) survey (Hord, 1996), including the Equitable Teaching Practice Survey (ETPS), which focused on teaching practices associated with educational equity was administered.

• To address research questions four a joint distribution will be set up to pair the mean scores on the School Professional Staff as Learning Community (SPSaLC) survey (Hord, 1996) with student achievement outcomes.

Sample

School criteria

• Six schools located in Southern California Unified School District.

• Comprehensive High School;

• Identified as in Program Improvement for at least two years; and

• Implemented a Professional Learning Community for at least two years

Sample continued:

Teacher participant criteria

• Teachers from Southern California Unified School District.

• teach high school English and Mathematics;

• are certified in the subject matter they are assigned to teach (English or Mathematics);

• have at least two years of experience at the sample school;

• participated for at least two years in a professional learning community;

• and are willing to participate in the study.

Materials

• The screening questionnaire was administered to determine demographic variables for each participant.

• The SPSaLC survey (Hord, 1996) was used to determine the extent of the development of each department as a professional learning community.

• The Equitable Teaching Practice Survey (ETPS) was developed by the researcher based on research literature concerned with culturally responsive teaching and teaching practices associated with educational equity.

• The student achievement data used in this study was obtained from the California Department of Education’s Standardized Testing and Reporting program (STAR) website.

Data Collection

• First phase: the administration of the SPSaLC developed by Hord (1996), including the Equitable Teaching Practice Survey, which focused on teaching practices associated with educational equity.

• Second phase: student achievement data obtained from the California Department of Education’s DataQuest website. School reports for subgroup student academic achievement on the California Standards Test (CST) in English-Language Arts and Mathematics for the 2006-2009 testing periods were collected.

Data Analysis

Question one asked: What are teacher’s perceptions of their department as a professional leaning community (in relation to Hord’s (2004) five dimensions of a professional learning community?

Research question one was answered through the use of a means analysis.

Question two asked: How did the perceived levels of PLC development in Dimension 2 Shared Values and Vision and Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application correlate with the teaching practices associated with educational equity?

Research question two was answered through the use of correlation analysis.

Data Analysis continued:

Question three asked: How did teachers’ perceive school administrators participation in sharing power and decision making in Dimension 1, Supportive and Shared Leadership?

Research question three was answered through the use of a means analysis.

Question four asked: What is the relationship between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community, when student achievement is measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the CST in English-Language Arts and Mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced (i.e. meeting or exceeding the state standards) for 2006-2009 testing periods?

Research question four was answered through the use of correlation analysis.

Limitations

o There was only one large urban school district in Southern California used in the study.

o The study includes a survey methodology that relies on teachers’ self-reporting of their perceptions, which could be influenced by a variety of variables. For example, some participants may have been sensitized to the research questions due to previous research conducted in the district assessing the departments’ development as a professional learning community.

o The researcher was relying on percentages of academic achievement calculated by the school district and not determined by him.

o The resulting sample size was small.

Limitations continued:

o Participants were only contacted by email which may have limited the willingness of volunteers to participate.

o The district was in the process of restructuring some of its high schools, and some of the professional learning communities were dismantled, reducing the number of potentially qualified high schools. This may have led to a lack of motivation to participate in the study due to morale issues.

o The time span for completion of the questionnaire extended two months into the summer requiring participants to respond during their off-duty time, which might have resulted in a reduced response rate and/or external events affecting their choices.

Delimitations

o The population for this study was delimited to comprehensive high schools having grade configurations of Grade 9 to Grade 12. Schools containing kindergarten to Grade 6 were excluded.

o The study sought to understand all the variables that might influence teachers’ perceptions.

o The study focused on the five dimensions of a professional learning community presented by Hord (1997): (1) supportive and shared leadership, (2) shared values and vision, (3) collective learning and application, (4) shared teaching practices that contribute to individual and organizational capacity, and (5) supportive conditions.

Delimitations continued:

o The study was further delimited to the high school level, ones that have implemented a PLC, and have been in Program Improvement Status for at least 2 years.

o Only teachers in the subjects of English and Mathematics were examined.

o Finally, only English and Mathematics teachers with two or more years of participation in the school’s PLC were invited to participate in the survey

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Q1. What are teacher’s perceptions of their department as a professional leaning community in relation to Hord’s (2004) five dimensions of a professional learning community?

This study revealed that in the English and mathematic departments in the six schools where the research was conducted, the teachers perceived that four of the dimensions of their departments’ PLCs were moderately developed. The four dimensions were Supportive and Shared Leadership, Shared Values and Vision, Collective Learning and Application, and Supportive Conditions. Dimension 4, Shared Teaching Practices was perceived as progressing towards moderate development by the English and mathematic departments in the six schools. The level of development of the five dimensions varied between English and mathematics departments across the six schools. In general, the range of the level of development extended from progressing towards moderate development to progressing towards full development.

School D had the highest mean results across all dimensions for both English and mathematics department teachers. Teacher perceptions of the level of development of their PLC in the five dimensions ranged from the high end of moderately developed to progressing towards fully developed.

School B had the lowest mean results across all dimensions. Teacher perceptions of the level of development as a PLC in the five dimensions ranged from progressing towards moderately developed as a PLC to moderate development as a PLC.

Mean Scores of the Six Schools’ English and Mathematics Department Teachers’ Perception of the

Five Dimensions

M Scores by School and Dimension

nSupportive and Shared Leadership

M

Shared Values and

VisionM

Collective Learning

and Application

M

Shared Teaching Practices

M

Supportive Conditions

M

(Items = 2) (Items = 3) (Items = 5) (Items = 2) (Items = 5)A

EnglishMath

33

3.003.00

3.444.11

3.793.73

2.832.16

3.133.73

BEnglishMath

41

2.504.00

2.753.66

2.852.40

2.002.00

2.952.20

CEnglish

Math 40

2.75 3.50 3.45 3.12 3.50

DEnglishMath

22

3.753.75

4.503.33

3.703.80

3.251.75

3.503.50

EEnglishMath

14

2.503.37

2.003.50

1.203.40

2.002.87

2.203.50

FEnglishMath

25

3.502.20

4.003.33

3.003.36

4.002.60

3.902.84

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Q2. How did the perceived levels of PLC development for Dimension 2, Shared Values and Vision and Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application correlate with the teaching practices associated with educational equity?

The correlation coefficient between Dimension 2, Shared Values and Vision and the ETPS items that focused on seven categories associated with educational equity were all positive and some correlations were significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) and the 0.05 level (2-tailed). The correlation coefficients ranged from a weak positive to a strong positive correlation.

The correlation coefficient between Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application and the ETPS items that focused on seven categories associated with educational equity were all positive and all correlations were significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Correlations between Dimension 2, Shared Values and Vision (SVV) and Seven Categories Associated with Equitable Teaching

Practices

Scale SVV Access Instruction

Materials

Attitudes Interactions

Language

Assessment

SVV 1 .448* .568**

.431* .587**

.501**

.481**

.580**

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Correlations between Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Applications (CLL) and Seven Categories Associated with

Equitable Education

Scale CLL Access Instruction

Materials

Attitudes

Interactions

Language

Assessment

CLL 1 .761**

.751** .524** .626**

.544** .589** .662**

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Q3. How did teachers’ perceive school administrators participation in sharing power and decision making in Dimension 1, Supportive and Shared Leadership?

The means analysis for sub-item 1a of Dimension 1, Supportive and Shared Leadership (how much information and decision making were shared) revealed that the English department teachers in School D and F had the highest means. Schools D and F mean scores indicate that English department teachers perceived that school administrators consistently involve the staff in discussing and making decisions. The English department teachers in School B had the lowest mean score, indicating they perceive school administrators rarely share information or provide opportunities for staff to be involved in decision making. The mathematics department teachers in School D had the highest mean. The mean score for School D indicates that mathematics teachers perceived that school administrators consistently involve the staff in discussing and making decisions. The mathematics department teachers in School A had the lowest mean. The mean score indicates that mathematics department teachers perceived that school administrators are progressing towards inviting advice and counsel from staff, but are still making decisions themselves.

Descriptive Statistics for the Dimension 1, Supportive and Shared Leadership Sub-item 1a: Degree to which Administrators Involve Staff

in Discussing and Making Decisions about School Issues.

SSLDimension(Item = 1a)

School n M SD

AEnglishMath

33

3.002.67

.000

.577B

EnglishMath

41

2.253.00

.957

CEnglish 4 2.75 .500

DEnglishMath

22

4.004.50

.000

.707E

EnglishMath

14

2.003.75

1.50

FEnglishMath

25

4.003.00

1.411.41

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Q4. What is the relationship between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community, when student achievement is measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the CST in English-Language Arts and Mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced (i.e. meeting or exceeding the state standards) for the 2006-2009 testing periods?

The correlation coefficients between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community, when student achievement is measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the CST in English-Language Arts and Mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced revealed weak negative correlations to high positive correlations. Some English and mathematics departments lacked a sufficient number of participants, therefore correlation coefficients were unattainable. Overall the correlation coefficients did not reveal statistically significant correlations that allowed the researcher to feel confident relationships existed between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the evidence in this study suggests that if schools need to improve subgroup academic achievement in English Language Arts and Mathematics, the level of development in the five dimensions of a PLC alone will not improve subgroup achievement. However, the level of development in Dimension 2, Shared Values and Vision and Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application does have a positive correlation on teaching practices associated with educational equity.

The relationship between subgroup student academic achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their departments as a professional learning community, when student achievement is measured by the percent of students, by subgroup, on the CST in English-Language Arts and Mathematics at the performance levels of Proficient or Advanced was perhaps too difficult to measure because of changes over a three-year span. Also, student populations and examination questions tend to change from year to year.

Recommendations for Practice

o School administrators should pay attention to English and mathematics department teachers’ level of development in Dimension 2, Shared Values and Vision and Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application. In this study when there was a shared vision that was developed from the staff’s unswerving commitment to students’ learning and it was consistently articulated and referenced, teaching practices associated with educational equity seemed to be positively influenced as seen in correlation coefficients between Dimension 2 and the seven categories of educational equity. In this study when there was learning that was done collectively by English and mathematics department teachers to create solutions that addressed students’ needs, teaching practices associated with educational equity seemed to be positively influenced as seen in correlation coefficients between Dimension 3 and the seven categories of educational equity.

o Building and district leaders should assure that English and mathematics department teachers meet to discuss and share information about student centered issues. It appears that when teachers meet to discuss and share information about student centered issues, their intellectual learning correlates positively with teaching practices that provide students the equal opportunity to take part in all facets of the educational process.

o Dimension 3, Collective Learning and Application should not be optional. Meeting regularly and frequently on substantive student-centered issues should be required by all departments if the presentation of materials and the promoting of images are going to be positive and diverse.

Recommendations for Future Research

o The results of this study have led to the following recommendations regarding research that may add to this and other empirical research on professional learning communities:

o Conduct a study that examines the implementation of a PLC in Science and History-Social Science departments, and the influence on academic achievement in Science and History-Social Science on the California Standards Test.

o Repeat this study using a larger sample to increase the ability to generalize.

o Expand the study and include school administrators’ perceptions as well as teachers’ perceptions using a quantitative and qualitative approach.

o Expand the study using a mixed methods design, which will provide a more comprehensive view of teachers’ perceptions.

Discussion

Q & A