04/20/23

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

Constant Findings in the

Research Literature

04/20/23 M. Corley 4

Staff

Development

Knowledge & Understanding

Ability to Use New Skill

Transfer to Classroom

Theory 90% 25% 5%

Demonstration 90% 50% 5%

Practice and Feedback

90% 90-95% 5%

Peer Coaching or Collegial Support

95-100% 95-100% 90%

Joyce and Showers (1987-1988)

04/20/23 M. Corley

Staff Development

Knowledge

(thorough)

Skill

(strong)

Transfer

(implementation)

Theory 10% 5% 0%

Demonstrations 30% 20% 0%

Practice &

Feedback

60% 60% 5%

Peer Coaching or Collegial Support

95% 95% 95%

Joyce and Showers (2002)

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

Principles of EffectiveProfessional Development

04/20/23

FROMFROM TOTOAdd-on, free, Add-on, free, educational step-educational step-child child

PD as essential PD as essential work work

Before, after, and Before, after, and outside of workoutside of work

EmbeddedEmbedded in daily work in daily work

Lone-ranger learners; Lone-ranger learners; Individualized Individualized learning, growth, and learning, growth, and changechange

Collegial Collegial interdependence; interdependence; Collaborative learning; Collaborative learning; Focus on collective Focus on collective expertise and practice expertise and practice

Top-down, externally Top-down, externally controlledcontrolled

Educators in charge of Educators in charge of their own learningtheir own learning

Episodic, fragmentedEpisodic, fragmented Continuous learning Continuous learning opportunitiesopportunities

Emphasis on outside Emphasis on outside ideas and expertiseideas and expertise

Internal capacity for Internal capacity for improvementimprovement

Centered on Centered on individualsindividuals

Centered in a learning Centered in a learning communitycommunity

Mary Ann Corley

The Professional Learning Community

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

The Concept of Learning Communities

• Arose from Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline (1990)•Promoted the idea of a work environment in which employees •Engage as teams•Develop a shared vision to guide their work•Operate collaboratively to produce a better product•Evaluate their output.

•The creation and implementation of a LC is crucial to the future success of organizations facing change

(Fullan, 1993; Senge, 2000)

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

Susan Rosenholtz (1989) described a workplace for teachers • That encouraged collaboration• In which teachers shared ideas and solutions to problems• In which teachers shared learning about educational practice.

At about the Same Time. . .

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23

…Teachers who felt supported in their own learning were more committed and effective;

…As teachers learned from each other and improved their practice, benefits to students increased.

Rosenholtz (1989) findings

Mary Ann Corley

A purposeful gathering of individuals who share common interests and goals for learning improvement, or professional development. Individuals within the learning community are committed to supporting one another’s and their group’s development. (NSDC, 2001)

A way to transform personal knowledge into a collectively built, widely shared, and cohesive professional knowledge base

(Wikipedia)

So—What is a Professional Learning Community?

04/20/23

1

2

Mary Ann Corley

1. Shared mission, vision, and values (Isaacson & Bamburg, 1992)

2. Collective inquiry and creativity (Boyd, 1992; Louis & Kruse, 1995)

3. Collaborative teams engaging in problem-solving

(Louis & Kruse, 1995)

4. Supportive and shared leadership (Prestine, 1993)

5. Supportive conditions for meeting and appropriate human capacities (Boyd, 1992; Louis & Kruse, 1995)

6. Action orientation and experimentation

7. A results orientation

Characteristics of a PLC

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23 M. Corley

1. Shared decision-making among staff and administrators

2. A shared vision developed from a commitment to continuous improvement and students’ learning gains

3. Collective learning among participants and application of the learning to practice

4. Peer review and feedback

5. Physical conditions and human capabilities that support such an operation.

Hord, 1997

Requirements for Effective PLCs

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23

QuotabQuotable le

QuoteQuote

Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23

QuotabQuotable le

QuoteQuote

Mary Ann Corley

04/20/23 Mary Ann Corley