Leveraging Professional Learning Communities to Support Learning Outcomes for All Students
Location
PARB 127 (First Floor)
Proposal Track
Practice Report
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Many conversations in education have recently centered on challenges and opportunities related to teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extant literature revealed concerns including student learning gaps, student well-being, and disparities associated with online learning, yet also noted opportunities that supported quality teaching and learning for all students (Smith-Burton & Barrett, 2021). Thus, although Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are not new (DuFour, 2014; DuFour & Eaker, 2014), the need for K-12 teachers to leverage PLCs to support diverse students’ learning outcomes has intensified. PLCs provide teachers with dedicated time to collaborate about instruction, assessment, and data analysis which can be utilized to inform practice and decision-making. Likewise, PLCs support relevant teacher professional development (Huijboom et al., 2020) which can help to ensure that all students have quality learning experiences through a guaranteed and viable curriculum (DuFour & Marzano, 2011).
This session examines PLC implementation strategies that leverage collaboration to inform instruction and assessment that foster student equity and teacher professional development. Supported by DuFour’s (2014) conceptual framework of PLCs, this session will feature theory-practice connections, PLC implementation strategies, as well as implications and recommendations for teaching and learning in K-12 and teacher education.
Keywords
Professional Learning Community, Instruction, Assessment, Student Learning Outcomes, School Improvement
Professional Bio
Cathy G. Powell, Ed.D., currently serves as a high school teacher with the Bulloch County School System in Statesboro, Georgia. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum Studies from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Powell, Cathy G., "Leveraging Professional Learning Communities to Support Learning Outcomes for All Students" (2022). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 18.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2022/2022/18
Leveraging Professional Learning Communities to Support Learning Outcomes for All Students
PARB 127 (First Floor)
Many conversations in education have recently centered on challenges and opportunities related to teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extant literature revealed concerns including student learning gaps, student well-being, and disparities associated with online learning, yet also noted opportunities that supported quality teaching and learning for all students (Smith-Burton & Barrett, 2021). Thus, although Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are not new (DuFour, 2014; DuFour & Eaker, 2014), the need for K-12 teachers to leverage PLCs to support diverse students’ learning outcomes has intensified. PLCs provide teachers with dedicated time to collaborate about instruction, assessment, and data analysis which can be utilized to inform practice and decision-making. Likewise, PLCs support relevant teacher professional development (Huijboom et al., 2020) which can help to ensure that all students have quality learning experiences through a guaranteed and viable curriculum (DuFour & Marzano, 2011).
This session examines PLC implementation strategies that leverage collaboration to inform instruction and assessment that foster student equity and teacher professional development. Supported by DuFour’s (2014) conceptual framework of PLCs, this session will feature theory-practice connections, PLC implementation strategies, as well as implications and recommendations for teaching and learning in K-12 and teacher education.
