Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
Professional Learning Communities are an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators.
--DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010
Professional Learning Communities have three guiding principles:
1. Ensuring that Students Learn
2. A Culture of Collaboration
3. A Focus on Results
In the Junction City School District, PLCs occur each Wednesday during Early Release. Teachers and specialists meet in grade level, curricular content, and specialists teams to focus on these guiding principles. During this time teams examine student work, analyze data, develop common assessments, and collaborate on instructional strategies.