Reviewing PLCs
Two instruments, the Professional Learning Community Assessment—Revised (PLCA—R) and Professional Learning Community Development Rubric (PLCDR), can help schools to ascertain the stage of development their respective PLCs are in and provide indicators on how to develop further. Schools may engage the AST PLC team to discuss how to move forward after they have administered two tools, namely the PLCA—R and PLCDR.
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The Professional Learning Community Assessment—Revised (PLCA—R) is a 'diagnostic tool for identifying . . . practices that support intentional professional learning' (Hipp and Huffman, 2010). With a 4-point Likert scale, the PLCA—R, captures staff's perceptions relating to the school’s state of PLC based on the 5 factors or dimensions: Shared and Supportive Leadership, Shared Values and Vision, Collective Learning and Application, Shared Personal Practice and Supportive Conditions—Structures and Relationships.
School leaders and School Staff Developers may use this instrument to gather staff’s perceptions on PLC to inform them of the areas to further develop the PLC. In order to get a more holistic understanding of the state of their PLC, however, school leaders and School Staff Developers should follow up with more conversations with PLT leaders and members.
Click hereto download the Guide to PLCA—R (OPAL2.0 login required). -
The Professional Learning Community Development Rubric (PLCDR) enables schools to identify and delineate effective practices across the 5 dimensions. By indicating at which stage of development the PLC is based on each dimension, the school is able to identify the next phase of development. The dialogue that follows may help staff and the school to reflect on which practices to keep, improve on or stop (Hipp and Huffman, 2010). The PLCDR should ideally, be completed by key personnel and drivers of the school as a PLC.
Click here to download the Guide to PLCDR and the PLCDR (OPAL2.0 login required).