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Guidelines for Applying as a National Model of a
Professional Learning Community at Work

Thank you for your interest in serving as a national model of a school that is functioning as a professional learning community (PLC). This application is intended to clarify the guidelines that are used in the selection process and to provide you with a fairly open-ended format that allows you to explain the practices, structure, and culture of your school.

To receive this recognition, a school must:

  1. Demonstrate a commitment to PLC concepts
  2. Implement those concepts for at least 3 years
  3. Present clear evidence of improved student learning
  4. Explain the practices, structures, and culture of the school on the Evidence of Effectiveness form and submit it for consideration to the PLC Review Committee at evidence@allthingsplc.info.

The committee that reviews applications will utilize the criteria listed below in assessing each school. Keep these criteria in mind and address them as you complete your application. The criteria can also serve as a useful tool to help schools 1) assess their own progress as professional learning communities, and 2) identify meaningful steps to build the collective capacity of the staff to implement this powerful continuous improvement concept.

Criteria for Selection:

  1. Evidence of a Commitment to Learning for All Students
  • Teachers in our school work in collaborative teams to build shared knowledge regarding state standards, district curriculum guides, the content and format of high-stakes assessments, and the expectations of teachers at the next level to clarify the essential knowledge and skills all students must acquire to advance.
  • Collaborative teams of teachers have clarified the specific proficiency standards students must achieve on each skill and the criteria they will use in assessing each student’s proficiency. They have practiced applying the criteria to ensure consistent, reliable assessment of student learning. They help students understand the criteria and students use the criteria to monitor their own learning.
  • Our school has a process for carefully monitoring each student’s learning on an ongoing basis. This frequent monitoring of student learning includes common assessments created by the collaborative team of teachers responsible for the same group of students.
  • Our school has a process for responding when students experience difficulty in learning (rather than leaving it to the individual classroom teacher to resolve). This coordinated process ensures students receive additional time and support for learning in a way that is timely, directive (rather than invitational), and systematic. Students do not miss new instruction to receive this additional support.
  • Our school has a process for enriching and extending the learning for students who are proficient.
  1. Evidence of a Collaborative Culture
  • Teachers are organized into collaborative teams by course or subject area. Members of teams work interdependently to achieve common goals for which they are mutually accountable.
  • Teachers are provided with time to collaborate during their contractual day.
  • Teachers use their collaborative time to engage in collective inquiry regarding issues directly related to student learning.
  1. Evidence of a Focus on Result
  • Each team has identified SMART goals that are aligned with one or more school goals. The SMART goals focus on student learning and require evidence of improved student learning in order to be accomplished.
  • Teams regard ongoing analysis of results as a critical element in the teaching and learning process. They gather evidence of student learning from a variety of sources to inform and improve their individual and collective practice as part of a process of continuous improvement.
  • Each teacher receives frequent feedback regarding the success of his or her students in achieving a standard using agreed-upon assessments in comparison to the other students attempting to achieve the same standard. Transparency regarding results helps teachers learn from one another.
  • Student achievement in the school is clearly improving across the curriculum. High-performing schools are able to sustain their achievement over time.

See Proof of How Well PLC Are Working Nationwide

Just fill in the search criteria and we’ll locate matching schools and districts that have built successful professional learning communities—as determined by our panel of PLC practitioners. You can then read the data on overall strategies, implementation, and performance, and learn how to contact PLC leaders for further discussion.