A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is defined as an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLC’s operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators. Since learning is accepted as the fundamental purpose of the school, all staff are willing to examine educational and therapeutic practices in light of their impact on student achievement. There is a strong commitment to working collaboratively to achieve the collective purpose. A collaborative culture is cultivated through the development of high-performing teams in which staff work interdependently to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve individual and collective results. - DuFour, DuFour & Eaker (2002).
Professional Learning at Wildwood School
We adhere to the Standards of Professional Learning and understand the relationship between professional learning and student results. The foundation for our Professional Learning Plan is PLC's.
Staff within each program level and department are expected to work collaboratively to:
Clarify 10 essential common outcomes (skills, concepts and dispositions)
Develop Common Formative Assessments based on essential outcomes
Establish benchmarks for each assessment derived from the outcomes
Collect data for each student from the formative assessments
Analyze results with entire team and include discussion to inform instruction
Identify and implement improvement strategies where needed
Identify further resources and training needed to implement teaching strategies
Effectiveness is assessed on the basis of results rather than intentions. Individuals and teams work collaboratively to seek relevant data, gather evidence of student learning, analyze the evidence and identify the most powerful and effective means for promoting continuous improvement.
