The power of professional learning communities as engines for school improvement is acknowledged across the literature on school reform. PLCs have been almost universally embraced by K-12 schools, but understanding and implementation of PLCs are often superficial and inconsistent. 

The School Leadership Development Division of the New Teacher Center, in collaboration with ACSA, has announced a new workshop designed to help K-12 educators refine their understanding and implementation of PLCs. The workshop will be offered by ACSA for the first time on Nov. 21 at the ACSA Burlingame office. 

This one-day workshop leads participants through a review of the literature on effective learning communities, and through an examination of the quality of learning communities in their own job contexts.

The workshop is grounded in real-world case studies of schools and districts that have made significant progress in the utilization of PLCs as the foundation of improvement initiatives. Participants will leave the session having outlined action steps to strengthen their own learning communities.

The workshop is designed for K-12 participants, including teachers, teacher leaders, and site and district leadership. Teams are encouraged to attend. The workshop can be customized to suit local needs.

During the Nov. 21 workshop, participants will:

• engage in dialogue regarding the theory and research that are the foundation of the PLC movement;

• understand six core characteristics of effective PLCs;

• analyze a variety of video and document-based case studies of district and school PLC implementation in relation to the six characteristics;

• reflect on the status of PLCs in their own practice relative to six core characteristics and case studies; and

• plan action steps using a change-theory-based template to strengthen the implementation of PLCs in their own professional practices.

For more information and to register for the workshop, visit ACSA’s Web site at www.acsa.org. Click on the “Professional Development” button on the ACSA home page. Click on “Training Calendar,” and you will find all of ACSA’s workshops currently scheduled in chronological order. Scroll down to the Nov. 21 Professional Learning Communities workshop and click on the blue print. Click on the registration form for this workshop. Print the reg form and mail or fax to ACSA as directed on the form.