Guiding Professional Learning Communities

Shirley M. Hord - Learning Forward
James L. Roussin - Executive Director, Generative Human Systems
William A. Sommers - Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

Foreword by Roland S. Barth

Other Titles in:
Professional Learning Communities | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring | Teacher Leadership

November 2009 | 240 pages | Corwin

"To improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes, someone has to take the reins and lead the effort with intelligence, skill, sensitivity, and a clear sense of purpose. This book offers the 'why' and 'how' to those willing to take on the challenge to accomplish that goal."
—Thomas R. Guskey, Professor of Educational Psychology
University of Kentucky

"This book places 'learning in community' at the forefront of PLC work. The authors provide a treasure trove of cognitively engaging learning opportunities that build a communal knowledge base."
—Diane Zimmerman, Superintendent
Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma, CA

"Too often PLCs are treated as events. The authors of this fine book make clear that an authentic PLC is about embracing a form of leadership and learning in schools that requires fearless examination of teaching practices, faculty interactions, and student learning toward the goal of increased successful student learning. The book is rich with information, resources, and learning activities revealing how this can be accomplished."
—Robert J. Garmston, Cofounder, Institute for Intelligent Behavior
Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento

The how-to guide for developing, implementing, and sustaining a PLC!

Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers' best-selling book Leading Professional Learning Communities introduced educators to the research-based components of an effective professional learning community (PLC). Now this implementation handbook offers more than 30 structured "learning opportunities" to help busy educators put the components into practice.

Ideal as a companion to the original book but also valuable as a standalone resource, this sequel guides educators in developing a new PLC or sustaining an existing one. Members of PLCs can use the engaging learning opportunities to facilitate individual and team development by exploring:

Beliefs, values, and vision
Shared leadership
Structural conditions
Relational conditions
Intentional learning
Sharing personal practice

Guiding Professional Learning Communities is a rich field guide for increasing and enhancing teaching quality through the power of educators learning together.

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781412972710	Paperback	Suggested Retail Price: $39.95	Bookstore Price: $31.96
ISBN: 9781452237015	Electronic Version	Suggested Retail Price: $36.00	Bookstore Price: $28.80

Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email sageheoa@sagepub.com. Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html.

Foreword by Roland S. Barth

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Part I. Introduction: Things You Need to Know Before You Use This Book

Part II. Words to the Wise: Before You Begin

Part III. Learning Opportunities: Tools, Tasks, Deep Thinking, and a Wee Bit of Trivia

Learning Opportunity 0.1: A Crisp Rationale for PLCs

Learning Opportunity 0.2: Benefits to Staff and to Students: A Flamingo Dialogue

Learning Opportunity 0.3: Research-Based Components of a PLC: A Jigsaw

Component 1: Shared Beliefs, Values, and Vision

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 1.1: My Personal Learning Compass

Learning Opportunity 1.2: Creating a Culture of Academic Optimism

Learning Opportunity 1.3: Prioritized Abandonment

Learning Opportunity 1.4: Discovering Our Core Values

Component 2: Shared and Supportive Leadership

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 2.1: Friendly Feedback for the Principal

Learning Opportunity 2.2: A Guide for Making Decisions

Learning Opportunity 2.3: Learning Conversations

Learning Opportunity 2.4: Planting the PLC in a Strong Culture

Learning Opportunity 2.5: Positive Deviance

Learning Opportunity 2.6: Distributed Leadership

Component 3: Structural Conditions

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 3.1: Time and Other Essential Ingredients

Learning Opportunity 3.2: Assessing the Effectiveness of PLC Meetings

Learning Opportunity 3.3: Assessment for PLC Development

Learning Opportunity 3.4: The Learning Community’s WORK

Learning Opportunity 3.5: Identifying a PLC Learning Goal

Learning Opportunity 3.6: Traffic Light Indicator

Component 4: Relational Conditions

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 4.1: The Importance of Trust in the PLC

Learning Opportunity 4.2: Group Development

Learning Opportunity 4.3: Mapping Collaborative Interactions

Learning Opportunity 4.4: Relational Conditions

Learning Opportunity 4.5: Building Consensus

Learning Opportunity 4.6: Defusing Conflict in a PLC

Component 5: Intentional Collective Learning and Its Application

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 5.1: Leadership and the Enemies of Learning

Learning Opportunity 5.2: Twelve Principles for Effective Adult Learning

Learning Opportunity 5.3: The PLC Action Plan

Learning Opportunity 5.4: Listening Together in the PLC

Learning Opportunity 5.5: Using the Stages of Concern to Connect Professional Learning to the Classroom

Learning Opportunity 5.6: Using the Levels of Use (LoU) to Connect Professional Learning to the Classroom

Learning Opportunity 5.7: PLC Growth Development Profile

Component 6: Sharing Personal Practice

Overview and Current Thinking

Learning Opportunity 6.1: “Foursight” for Learning: Four Focus Areas to Consider in Monitoring for Student Learning

Learning Opportunity 6.2: Four Conversations

Learning Opportunity 6.3: Coaching: Transferring Adult Learning to the Classroom or What’s Learned Here Leaves Here

Learning Opportunity 6.4: Reflection Protocols

Learning Opportunity 6.5: Video Sharing Protocol

Part IV. Bringing Closure

Resource A

References

Index

“Although research on the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLCs) can best described as ‘mixed,’ one thing is clear: they accomplish nothing without strong, knowledgeable, and courageous leadership. To improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes, someone has to take the reins and lead the effort with intelligence, skill, sensitivity, and a clear sense of purpose. This book offers the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ to those willing to take on the challenge.”

Thomas R. Guskey, Professor of Educational Psychology

University of Kentucky

"One weekend morning, I sat down with my cup of coffee to read a book, and much to my delight, two hours later, I had not read a book, but rather mapped out a learning plan for an entire year. The best gift of all, everything I will need is right here in this book. When you sit down to read this book, make sure you have a calendar at your side. Get ready to go on a shopping spree of ideas; like all good shoppers choose wisely, for there is no way you can possibly use all of the ideas in this book in one year. I assure you, you will not have buyer’s remorse!"

Diane Zimmerman, Superintendent

Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma, CA

“Too often PLCs are treated as events. The authors of this fine book make clear that an authentic PLC is neither an event nor a name. It is about embracing a form of leadership and learning in schools that requires fearless examination of teaching practices, faculty interactions, and student learning toward the goal of increased successful student learning. The book is so rich with information, resources, and learning activities revealing how this can be accomplished that it could serve as syllabus for a graduate course in school improvement.”

Robert J. Garmston, Cofounder, Institute for Intelligent Behavior

Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento

Comprehensive and met the goals of the course.

Dr Amy Burkman

School Of Education, University of Texas - Permian Basin

September 8, 2011

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Key features

Well respected authorship
Backed by solid research
Provides a "how-to" focus for implementation, improvement, and sustainability of professional learning communities (PLCs)
Presents original "Learning Opportunies"activities designed to teach leaders and participants of PLCs the content, strategies, techniques, and approaches for improving the operation of their PLC
Designed as a "field book' to complement the previous, more descriptive volume by Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers