A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work®

THIRD EDITION

L EA R N IN G BY DOING
Learning
“A brilliant book that systematically takes all the THIRD EDITION

Learning
excuses off the table. The third edition has more
depth, more immediacy, more attention to common

by Doing
mistakes, more tools, and more focus on impact.
A must-read for those new to PLCs and for those
already involved in the transformation process.”
—Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus,
A Handbook for Professional Ontario Institute for Studies in

by Doing
Education, University of Toronto
Learning Communities at Work®

“This third edition of Learning by Doing expands the influence of the PLC process well beyond its original borders
and provides a conceptual model for how the PLC process might stand as the centerpiece of systemwide reform.”
—Robert J. Marzano, Cofounder and CEO of Marzano Research

Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning The third edition follows a practical seven-part format.

A Handbook for Professional

Communities at Work® is the best-selling guide for action 1. The Case Study: Learn about the issues and
that helps educators close the knowing-doing gap as challenges schools and districts face during

Learning Communities at Work®

they transform their schools into professional learning PLC implementation.
communities (PLCs). This third edition responds to the 2. Here’s How: Discover how educators bring PLC
authors’ enduring work with teachers, principals, and elements to life.
central office staff to address and expand on the PLC 3. Here’s Why: Review the research and rationale
implementation process. The third edition offers the supporting PLCs.
following additions and revisions. 4. Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey: Assess
• Two new chapters that address common formative your school’s current practices.

Edition
assessments and the keys to hiring, orienting, and

Third
5. Tips for Moving Forward: Learn crucial strategies.
retaining staff members
6. Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional
• A stronger focus on effectively implementing a Learning Community: Develop the collective
districtwide PLC capacity to function as a PLC.
• New insight into clarifying the essential standards 7. Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts:
necessary for a guaranteed and viable curriculum Examine counterproductive methods used to

Eaker • Many • Mattos

• Helpful suggestions for incorporating deeper bypass important PLC steps.
knowledge into curricula and assessments
Richard DuFour
DuFour • DuFour
Packed with real-world solutions and strategies, the
• A more thorough examination of systematic third edition of Learning by Doing will become a

Rebecca DuFour
interventions
treasured resource for individual educators and teacher
• Explicit tools and templates from real high- teams at every level of your PLC.
performing PLC districts

• An updated research base, including more than

one hundred new references
Robert Eaker
Thomas W. Many
• An emphasis on vital steps to take immediately in
the implementation process

Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to
Mike Mattos
SolutionTree.com
download the free reproducibles in this book.
Copyright © 2006, 2010, 2016 by Solution Tree Press

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only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
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 For Becky, to whom I dedicate this book, my life’s work, and every
day for the rest of my life.
—Rick DuFour

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For Rick, my husband and soul mate. Thank you for inspiring me to

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grow and learn by doing in every aspect of our amazing life together.

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—Becky DuFour

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To the memory of my parents for their constant support and
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unconditional love.
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—Bob Eaker
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To Rick: Both personally and professionally and in so many ways,

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you have been my mentor, coach, advocate, and friend. Thank you
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for the privilege of being a fellow traveler on this incredible journey!

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—Tom Many
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To a visionary leader and true friend, Jeff Jones. I cannot thank you
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enough for your efforts in promoting the PLC process and for your
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support of my work.
—Mike Mattos
 Table of Contents

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About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Introduction to the Third Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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What’s New in This Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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A Move From Interest to Commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A Companion Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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A Journey Worth Taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Chapter 1
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A Guide to Action for Professional Learning
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Communities at Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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What Are Professional Learning Communities? . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Three Big Ideas That Drive the Work of a PLC . . . . . . . . . . 11

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The PLC Process Requires a Culture That Is

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Simultaneously Loose and Tight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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The Importance of Effective Communication . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Why Don’t We Apply What We Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Chapter 2
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Defining a Clear and Compelling Purpose . . . . . . . . 25

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Part One: The Case Study—Clarifying Our Purpose . . . . . . . 25

Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . 46
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Building the
Foundation of a PLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional
Learning Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . 55

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viii LEARNING BY DOING

Chapter 3
Building the Collaborative Culture of a Professional Learning Community . . 57
Part One: The Case Study—Are We Engaged in Collaboration or “Co-blaboration”? . . .57
Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Building a Collaborative Culture Through

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High-Performing Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . . 84

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Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

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Chapter 4
Creating a Results Orientation in a Professional Learning Community . . . . 87

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Part One: The Case Study—Creating a Results Orientation at the School,

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Team, and Teacher Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

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Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
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Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
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Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
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Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Using Goals to Focus on Results . . . . . . . . . 107
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Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 109
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Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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Chapter 5
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Establishing a Focus on Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

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Part One: The Case Study—What Do We Want Our Students to Learn? . . . . . . . . 111
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Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
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Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

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Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Clarifying and Monitoring Essential Learning . . . 127
Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 130
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Chapter 6
Creating Team-Developed Common Formative Assessments . . . . . . . . . 133
Part One: The Case Study—How Do We Know if They Have Learned It? . . . . . . . . 133
Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
 Table of Contents ix

Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Using Common Formative Assessments . . . . . 150
Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 158
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Chapter 7

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Responding When Some Students Don’t Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Part One: The Case Study—Systematic Interventions Versus an Educational Lottery . . 161

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Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

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Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Creating Systematic Interventions and

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Extensions to Ensure Students Receive Additional Time and Support for Learning . . . 178

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Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 183

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Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
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Chapter 8
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Hiring, Orienting, and Retaining New Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

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Part One: The Case Study—The Disruption of Adding New Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
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Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

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Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

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Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Selecting and Retaining Staff . . . . . . . . . . . 208
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Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 209
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Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

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Chapter 9
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Addressing Conflict and Celebrating in a Professional

Learning Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Part One: The Case Study—Responding to Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Addressing Conflict and Celebrating . . . . . . . 229
Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 230
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
x LEARNING BY DOING

C h a p t e r 10
Implementing the Professional Learning Community Process Districtwide . . 233
Part One: The Case Study—The High Cost of Failing to Speak With One Voice . . . . . 233
Part Two: Here’s How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Part Three: Here’s Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward—Implementing a Districtwide PLC Process . . . . . 248

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Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community . . . 253
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

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Conclusion

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The Fierce Urgency of Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
When We Know Better We Have an Obligation to Do Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

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References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

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Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
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Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks to download the

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free reproducibles in this book.

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 About the Authors

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Richard DuFour, EdD, was a public school educator for
thirty-four years, serving as a teacher, principal, and superin-
tendent. During his nineteen-year tenure as a leader at Adlai

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E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Stevenson
was one of only three U.S. schools to win the United States

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Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award on four occa-
sions and the first comprehensive high school to be desig-
nated a New America High School as a model of successful

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school reform. He received his state’s highest award as both a

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principal and superintendent.

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A prolific author and sought-after consultant, Dr. DuFour is recognized as one of
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the leading authorities on helping school practitioners implement the Professional
Learning Communities at Work® process in their schools and districts.
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Dr. DuFour was presented the Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award from the
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University of Illinois and was the 2004 recipient of the National Staff Development
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Council’s Distinguished Service Award.

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To learn more about Dr. DuFour’s work, visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info).

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Rebecca DuFour has served as a teacher, school administrator,

and central office coordinator. As a former elementary princi-
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pal, she helped her school earn state and national recognition
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as a model PLC. She is coauthor of numerous books, articles,

and a video series on the topic of PLCs.
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Serving as a consultant for more than fifteen years, Becky

brings more than thirty-five years of professional experience
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to her work with educators around the world who are imple-
menting the PLC process in their own organizations.

Becky is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award of Lynchburg College.

To learn more about Becky’s work, visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info).

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xii LEARNING BY DOING

Robert Eaker, EdD, is professor emeritus at Middle Tennessee

State University, where he also served as dean of the College
of Education and as the university interim vice president and
provost. Dr. Eaker is a former fellow with the National Center
for Effective Schools Research and Development. He has writ-
ten widely on the issues of effective teaching, effective schools,
and schools and school districts functioning as professional
learning communities.

Dr. Eaker is a frequent speaker at national, regional, and

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state meetings and regularly consults with school districts throughout North America.

To learn more about Dr. Eaker’s work, visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info).

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Thomas W. Many, EdD, works with teachers, administrators,
school boards, parents, and other education stakeholders on
organizational leadership, implementation and change, and
PLC at Work® strategies and concepts.

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Dr. Many’s long and distinguished career includes twenty

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years of experience as a superintendent. He has also served
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as a classroom teacher, learning center director, curriculum
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supervisor, principal, and assistant superintendent.
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As former superintendent of Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School

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District 96 in Illinois, Dr. Many used the tenets of the PLC at Work process to ensure
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high levels of learning for all students. He played a key role in preparing elementary and
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middle-grade students to enter Adlai E. Stevenson High School, a nationally recognized

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PLC. Under Dr. Many’s leadership, student achievement in District 96 improved every
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year for twelve consecutive years. More than 95 percent of all students now meet or
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exceed state standards. The district has been especially effective in helping students
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with special needs improve their academic performance. It has become recognized as
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one of the premier elementary school districts in the United States. A dedicated PLC
practitioner, he is a compelling and sought-after speaker.
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Dr. Many has written numerous articles and has coauthored books.
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To learn more about Dr. Many’s work, visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info)

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and follow him on Twitter @tmany96.

Mike Mattos is an internationally recognized author, presenter,

and practitioner who specializes in uniting teachers, adminis-
trators, and support staff to transform schools by implementing
the response to intervention (RTI) and PLC processes. Mike
co-created the RTI at Work™ model, which builds on the foun-
dation of the PLC at Work process by using team structures and
a focus on learning, collaboration, and results to drive successful
outcomes to successfully create systematic, multitiered systems
of support to ensure high levels of learning for all students.
About the Authors xiii

He is former principal of Marjorie Veeh Elementary School and Pioneer Middle

School in California. At both schools, Mike helped create powerful PLCs, improving
learning for all students. In 2004, Marjorie Veeh, an elementary school with a large
population of youth at risk, won the California Distinguished School and National
Title I Achieving School awards.

A National Blue Ribbon School, Pioneer is among only thirteen schools in the
United States selected by the GE Foundation as a Best-Practice Partner and is one of
eight schools chosen by Richard DuFour to be featured in the video series The Power
of Professional Learning Communities at Work: Bringing the Big Ideas to Life. Based on

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standardized test scores, Pioneer ranks among the top 1 percent of California secondary
schools and, in 2009 and 2011, was named Orange County’s top middle school. For
his leadership, Mike was named the Orange County Middle School Administrator of

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the Year by the Association of California School Administrators.

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To learn more about Mike’s work, visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info) and
follow him on Twitter @mikemattos65.

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To book Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Thomas W. Many, or

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Mike Mattos for professional development, contact [email protected].

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 Introduction to the
Third Edition

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The first edition of this book began with a simple sentence: “We learn best by doing.”

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This axiom certainly applies to our own work. Since the publication of the first edition

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of Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work® in
2006, we have made presentations to more than one hundred thousand educators,
served on dozens of panels, worked with several districts on a long-term basis to assist
with their implementation of the Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC)

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process, and participated in ongoing dialogue with educators on AllThingsPLC (www

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.allthingsplc.info). This continuing work with teachers, principals, and central office
We learn best
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staff from schools and districts throughout North America and beyond has given us

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a deeper understanding of the challenges they face as they attempt to implement the by doing.
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PLC process in their organizations.
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In 2010, we shared our deeper understanding in the second edition of Learning

by Doing. That edition addressed such key concepts as reciprocal accountability, dis-
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trictwide implementation of the PLC process, the dangerous detours and seductive
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shortcuts that undermine effective implementation, and a detailed five-point con-

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tinuum of each element of the PLC process to help educators assess their progress on
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the PLC journey.

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What’s New in This Edition

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We remain proud of the second edition of Learning by Doing, but since it was
published, we have learned a lot, individually and collectively, and we have written
extensively about the PLC process. As we reflected on our learning, we soon recognized
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several areas of the second edition that needed updating and a few significant issues
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that we had not adequately addressed. In this third edition, we address those issues
and expand on others. New additions and expanded topics to this revised edition
include the following.

§§ We have added two new chapters: One new chapter focuses on the impor-
tance of team-developed common formative assessments. In our work with
schools and educators, we have come to recognize that developing assess-
ments is a fork in the road for many schools on their PLC journey. The
path that educators take determines in large part whether their schools will
become high-performing PLCs or settle for “PLC lite.” The new material on

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2 LEARNING BY DOING

creating common formative assessments in this edition will help you travel
the right path.

We have also added a chapter on staffing issues in PLCs. We have heard

educators express their frustration with the disruption of the collaborative
team process that occurs when colleagues leave the team and they must
bring new members on board. In this edition, we address keys to hiring staff
members who will be a good fit for the PLC process, how to provide effec-
tive orientation for them, and how to do a better job of retaining educators.

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§§ We include more information about successful implementation and
common mistakes: We now have a deeper understanding both of how
to implement the PLC process successfully districtwide and the common

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mistakes districts make when implementation has little impact on student
achievement. In this edition, we compare and contrast the strategies that

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high-impact and low-impact districts use.

§§ We address proficiency: We have come to recognize that clarifying essen-

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tial standards demands developing an agreed-on understanding of what

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proficient work looks like. Too often we have seen teams leave the issue of

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proficiency unaddressed. We provide examples of the kind of clarity regard-
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ing proficiency that is a prerequisite to a guaranteed and viable curriculum.
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§§ We offer suggestions for integrating deeper knowledge into the curricu-
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lum and teacher-made assessments: The Common Core State Standards

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Initiative has called attention to the fact that state assessments have typically
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relied on low-level questions that primarily focus on recall of information

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rather than probing for deeper knowledge. Whether or not a state adopts
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the Common Core, educators must focus on requiring deeper learning on

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the part of their students and on creating assessments that will allow stu-
dents to demonstrate that deeper knowledge.
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§§ We comprehensively address the issue of systematic intervention: We

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are thrilled that Mike Mattos, one of the leading experts on intervention,
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has become an integral part of our team. Although we addressed the issue
of systematic intervention in previous editions, Mike addresses the issue of
systematic intervention more fully in this edition.
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§§ We provide even more tools for your work: It has become evident to us
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that educators benefit from having explicit protocols and tools to guide
their work as they move through the various steps on the PLC journey.
Throughout this edition, we include proven protocols, tools, and sample
products from high-performing PLCs and districts.

§§ We provide a broader research base: In this edition, we have updated the

research base that supports the PLC process with more than one hundred
new references.

§§ We focus on immediate steps: In previous editions, we attempted to pres-

ent a compelling rationale for why schools should operate as PLCs. The
Introduction to the Third Edition 3

PLC process has become so widely accepted as the best strategy for improv-
ing schools that in this edition, we place a much greater emphasis on taking
immediate steps to begin implementation of the process itself.

A Move From Interest to Commitment

It has been gratifying to witness the growing interest in the PLC at Work process
since Rick and Bob published their groundbreaking book on PLCs in 1998, Professional
Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement. It

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has been frustrating, however, that more educators have not moved from interest to
commitment. As Art Turock, the author of several books on self-motivation, observes,
“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested

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in something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed to
something, you accept no excuses, only results” (A. Turock, personal communication,

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September 30, 2015).

Our colleagues Ken Williams and Tom Hierck (2015) frame the issue another way.

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To paraphrase their approach, they observe that many educators are “flirting” with

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PLCs, observing the process from afar but not taking positive steps to move forward.

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Other educators are “dating” PLCs. They are dabbling in the work and curious about
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its potential, but they leave their options open so that they can break up when the
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next hot thing comes along. Still other educators are “engaged” to the PLC process
because they have made a commitment to engage fully in the work and are striving to
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get better at it. As Williams and Hierck (2015) put it, these educators have “put a ring
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on it” (p. 96). Finally, we would extend their analogy to say that some educators are
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“married” to the PLC process. This is the way of life they have chosen, and they would
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never return to their old way of doing things. Their schools continue to flourish even
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if key leaders leave because the PLC process is so deeply embedded in the culture of
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their school it has become “the way we do things around here.”

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It is time for educators to move from an interest in the PLC process to a commitment It is time for
to the process where there are no excuses for failing to move forward. It is time to educators to
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progress from flirting with PLCs to marrying the process. It is time to move from move from an
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thinking about PLCs and talking about PLCs to doing what PLCs actually do and interest in the
getting better at it. The moral imperative for engaging fully in this process has never PLC process to
been stronger, and we do not apologize for presenting this book as what it is intended a commitment
A

to be: a demand for action from educators at all levels.

to the process
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The first edition supported schools and teams engaged in the PLC process by where there are
providing helpful tools and templates in two formats—within the pages of the book no excuses for
and on a compact disc that was included with the book. In the second edition, we failing to move
moved many of the tools and templates online so that we could revise, update, and forward.
add to them on an ongoing basis. This edition features the most up-to-date online
resources along with some new tools and templates. Please visit go.SolutionTree
.com/PLCbooks to download the free reproducibles and access materials related to
this book. We also invite educators to visit AllThingsPLC (www.allthingsplc.info) to
access research, case studies, strategies, and tools and to share materials they have
created to help them in their work.
4 LEARNING BY DOING

The Format
We continue with the format that we introduced in the second edition. Starting in
chapter 2, each chapter of this handbook includes seven parts.

§§ Part One: The Case Study

§§ Part Two: Here’s How

§§ Part Three: Here’s Why

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§§ Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the PLC Journey

§§ Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward

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§§ Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning

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Community

§§ Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive Shortcuts

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s
Part One: The Case Study

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Each chapter opens with a case study describing some of the issues and challenges

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that have arisen in a school or district that is attempting to implement the PLC process.
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The names of schools and people described in the case studies are fictional, but the
re
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situations presented are neither fictional nor hypothetical. They represent the very real
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issues educators must grapple with and resolve if they are to bring the PLC process
n

to life in their schools and districts. Readers may be tempted to skip the case studies
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and move quickly to solutions; we urge you to resist that temptation. A critical step
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in assessing alternative solutions to any problem is to come to an understanding and

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appreciation of the problem itself. We hope you will take the time to consider each
case study carefully, reflect on the issues it presents, and generate possible strategies
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for addressing those issues prior to studying the rest of the chapter. Engaging in this
reflective process with your colleagues will further strengthen your learning.
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Part Two: Here’s How

In our work with schools, we have found that how questions come in at least two
A

varieties. One type represents a sincere and genuine solicitation of guidance from
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inquirers who are willing to act, and the other typically comes in waves as a series of
“Yeah, but . . .” questions. For example, after listening to an explanation of the PLC
process, a teacher or administrator responds:

§§ “Yeah, but . . . how are we supposed to find time to collaborate?”

§§ “Yeah, but . . . how can we give students extra time and support for learning
when our schedule will not allow it?”

§§ “Yeah, but . . . how can this work in a school this big (or small, or poor, or
urban, or rural, or suburban, or low achieving and, therefore, too despon-
dent, or high achieving and, therefore, too complacent)?”
Introduction to the Third Edition 5

§§ “Yeah, but . . . how can we make this happen with our ineffective principal
(or unsupportive central office, or adversarial teacher union)?”

These questions are less of a search for answers on how to implement the PLC pro-
cess successfully and more of a search for a reason to avoid implementation. As Peter
Block (2003) says, “Asking ‘How?’ is a favorite defense against taking action” (p. 11).
Block (2003) goes on to say, “We act like we are confused, like we don’t understand.
The reality is that we do understand—we get it, but we don’t like it” (pp. 47–48).
Our own work with schools has confirmed that a group that is determined not to act
can always find a justification for inaction. Questions about how can have a positive

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impact only if those asking are willing to act on the answers. We challenge you as you
read this book to begin with the attitude that you are seeking a solution for every
obstacle instead of looking for an obstacle in every solution.

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Therefore, the Here’s How sections in this book are written for those who seek ideas,

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insights, and information regarding how the PLC process comes alive in the real world
of schools. Part Two of each chapter describes how educators bring a particular PLC
element to life in their school. It presents exemplars for schools to use as a model as

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they work through the challenges of moving from concept to action.

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We fully recognize that there is no precise recipe for school improvement (blending Even the most
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two parts collaboration with one part formative assessment does not work). We also promising
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understand that even the most promising strategies must be customized for the strategies must
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specific context of each district and each school. The most effective improvement be customized
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models are those that staff have adapted to fit the situation in their schools and
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for the specific

communities. In these schools and districts “leaders use an array of strategies and context of each
n
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tactics to accommodate the contextual realities in which they operate” (Mourshed,

district and each
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Chijioke, & Barber, 2010, p. 62). Therefore, the Here’s How sections do not presume
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school.
to present the answer to problems posed in the case study, because it is the dialogue
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about and the struggle with those problems at the school and district levels that result
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in the deepest learning and greatest commitment for teachers and administrators.
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Our hope is that this book can serve as a tool that educators can use to initiate the
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dialogue and to engage in the struggle.

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Part Three: Here’s Why

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Informing others about how something can be done does not ensure they will be
persuaded to do it. In fact, we are convinced that one of the most common mistakes
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school administrators make in the implementation of improvement initiatives is to

focus exclusively on how while being inattentive to why. Leaders at all levels must
be prepared to anticipate and respond to the inevitable questions and concerns that
arise when educators are called on to engage in new practices. We have included Part
Three in each chapter to offer useful tools—research, reasoning, and rationale—to
help clarify why the initiative should be undertaken.

Throughout the book we have provided a concise summary of research to assist in

the consideration of the why question for a specific recommended action. Our review
of research draws on, but is not limited to, the research base on education. We examine
findings from studies in organizational development, change processes, leadership,
6 LEARNING BY DOING

effective communication, and psychology because the challenges facing contemporary

leaders demand that they look outside the narrow scope of their professional field for
answers. We recommend that staff members be encouraged to review the summaries
of research and to identify any research that refutes or contradicts it. In every case, the
weight of the evidence should be apparent to all who consider it.

Part Four: Assessing Your Place on the

PLC Journey

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In each chapter of this handbook, we’ll ask you to reflect on the current conditions in
your school or district and assess the alignment of those conditions with the principles
and practices of a PLC.

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The assessment will present a five-point continuum.

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1. Pre-initiating stage: The school has not yet begun to address this PLC
principle or practice.

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2. Initiating stage: The school has made an effort to address this principle or

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practice, but the effort has not yet begun to impact a critical mass of staff

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members.
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3. Implementing stage: A critical mass of staff members is participating in
implementing the principle or practice, but many approach the task with
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a sense of compliance rather than commitment. There is some uncertainty

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regarding what needs to be done and why it should be done.

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4. Developing stage: Structures are being altered to support the changes, and
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resources are being devoted to moving them forward. Members are becom-
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ing more receptive to the principle, practice, or process because they have
experienced some of its benefits. The focus has shifted from “Why are we
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doing this?” to “How can we do this more effectively?”

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5. Sustaining stage: The principle or practice is deeply embedded in the cul-

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ture of the school. It is a driving force in the daily work of staff. It is deeply
internalized, and staff would resist attempts to abandon the principle or
practice.
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The continuum in each chapter is based on the premise that it is easier to get from
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point A to point B if you know where point B is and can recognize it when you
get there. The sustaining stage of the continuum explains point B in vivid terms.
It describes the better future your school is moving toward on its PLC journey. A
journey from A to B, however, also requires some clarity regarding the starting point.
The continuum is also a tool to help educators assess the current position of their
school or team so that they can move forward purposefully rather than fitfully.

This continuum can be administered across a district, school, or team. Many dis-
tricts have converted it to an electronic format and used simple survey tools, such as
SurveyMonkey, to gather information on staff perceptions. Whatever format you use,
we recommend that the process begins by asking each individual to make anonymous,
Introduction to the Third Edition 7

independent, and candid assessments and to offer evidence and anecdotes to support
his or her conclusions on each characteristic presented.

Once members complete their individual assessments, the results should be compiled
and shared with all participants. Staff members can then analyze the results and use
them to begin dialogue to clarify the current reality of their team, school, or district.
Participants should be particularly attentive to discrepancies in responses and explore
reasons for the differences. Groups have a tendency to gloss over disagreements. One
person contends the school is in the pre-initiating stage while another contends it
is developing, and to avoid discussion, they merely compromise and settle for the

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initiating stage. Avoid that temptation. Delve into one another’s thinking to see if you
can clarify discrepancies and establish common ground.

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Part Five: Tips for Moving Forward

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Each chapter includes specific suggestions and strategies to assist with the imple-
mentation of particular PLC processes. The primary purpose of this handbook is to
encourage people to act, to learn by doing. Random actions, however, do nothing to

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enhance the capacity of a staff to function as a PLC. The challenge facing leaders is

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to identify purposeful and focused actions that contribute to the goal of improved
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Pr
learning for students and staff alike. Part Five offers insight regarding which actions
M
to take and which to avoid. It identifies tactics that offer the greatest leverage for
implementing PLC processes and presents research-based and practitioner-proven
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tips for pursuing those tactics effectively.

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Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your

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Professional Learning Community

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PLC team members engage in collective inquiry: they learn how to learn together.
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But only when they focus this collective inquiry on the right questions do they develop
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their capacity to improve student and adult learning.

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It has been said that the leader of the past knew how to tell. The leader of the future,
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however, will have to know how to ask. Those who lead the PLC process should
not be expected to have all the answers and tell others what they must do. Leaders
should instead be prepared to ask the right questions, facilitate the dialogue, and help
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build shared knowledge. Part Six offers some of the right questions educators should
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consider as they work to drive the PLC process deeper into the culture of their schools
and districts.

It is the process
Part Seven: Dangerous Detours and Seductive
of learning
Shortcuts together that
It is the process of learning together that helps educators build their capacity to create helps educators
a powerful PLC. One of the most common mistakes that they make on the journey is build their
to seek ways to circumvent that process. This section alerts readers to some of the most capacity to
common ways educators have attempted to avoid actually doing the work of a PLC so create a powerful
they won’t fall victim to those mistakes. PLC.
8 LEARNING BY DOING

A Companion Book
This third edition of Learning by Doing is intended to offer a comprehensive rationale
for implementing the PLC process, the research that supports the various elements of
the process, common mistakes people make in implementation, and specific strategies
and tools for overcoming those mistakes. The key word in this description is comprehen-
sive. We recognize that there may be readers who get stuck on a specific problem who
are looking for a quick answer to help them move forward. Therefore, we have created
a companion book to this third edition, Concise Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
About Professional Learning Communities at Work (Mattos, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, &

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Many, 2016), in an effort to meet their needs as well. This guide on the side is arranged
in a question-and-answer format by topic for easy reference. For example, if you are

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looking for what the research indicates is the best way to organize teams, or how a
school counselor could contribute to the PLC’s collaborative process, or countless other

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specific questions, this book is the place to find what you need to know.

A Journey Worth Taking

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s
We do not argue

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Despite the popularity of the term professional learning community, the practices of a

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that the PLC PLC continue to represent the road less traveled in public education. Many teachers
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journey is an and administrators prefer the familiarity of their current path, even when it becomes
M
easy one, but apparent that it will not take them to their desired destination. We recognize it is
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we know with difficult to pursue an uncharted path, particularly when it is certain to include inevitable
SA
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certainty that bumps and potholes along the way. We do not argue that the PLC journey is an easy
one, but we know with certainty that it is a journey worth taking. We have seen the
n

it is a journey
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evidence of improved learning and heard the testimonials of teachers and principals
worth taking.
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who have been renewed by establishing common ground, clear purpose, effective
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monitoring, and collaborative processes that lead to better results. They describe a
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heightened sense of professionalism and a resurgence of energy and enthusiasm that

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committed people have generated while working together to accomplish what could
not be done alone. As Robert Evans (1996) writes:
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Anyone part of such a process, or anyone who has seen first-rate

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teachers engage in reflective practice together, knows its power

and excitement. Opportunities to collaborate and to build knowl-
A

edge can enhance job satisfaction and performance. At their best,

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they help schools create a self-reflective, self-renewing capacity

as learning organizations. (p. 232)

The following chapters will not eliminate the bumps and potholes of the PLC
journey, but they will offer some guidance as to how educators can maneuver their
way around and through the rough spots on the road. It has been said that the journey
of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For those of you who are new to the
PLC process, we urge you to take that step. And for those already on the journey, we
hope the content in this new edition will assist your next steps. Let us begin together.
 CHAPTER 1

A Guide to Action for Professional

Learning Communities at Work

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PA
We learn best by doing. We have known this to be true for quite some time. More than
2,500 years ago Confucius observed, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do
and I understand.” Most educators acknowledge that our deepest insights and under-

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standings come from action, followed by reflection and the search for improvement.

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After all, most educators have spent four or five years preparing to enter the profes-

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sion—taking courses on content and pedagogy, observing students and teachers in

Pr
classrooms, completing student teaching under the tutelage of a veteran teacher, and
M
so on. Yet almost without exception, they admit that they learned more in their first
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semester of teaching than they did in the four or five years they spent preparing to enter
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the profession. This is not an indictment of higher education; it is merely evidence of

n

the power of learning that is embedded in the work.

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Our profession also attests to the importance and power of learning by doing when
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it comes to educating our students. We want students to be actively engaged in hands-on

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authentic exercises that promote experiential learning. How odd, then, that a profession
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that pays such homage to the importance of learning by doing is so reluctant to apply
©

that principle when it comes to developing its collective capacity to meet students’ needs.
A

Why do institutions created for and devoted to learning not call on the professionals
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within them to become more proficient in improving the effectiveness of schools by

actually doing the work of school improvement? Why have we been so reluctant to
learn by doing?
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What Are Professional Learning

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Communities?
Since 1998, we have published many books and videos with the same two goals
in mind: (1) to persuade educators that the most promising strategy for meeting the
challenge of helping all students learn at high levels is to develop their capacity to
function as a professional learning community and (2) to offer specific strategies and
structures to help them transform their own schools and districts into PLCs.

It has been interesting to observe the growing popularity of the term professional
learning community. In fact, the term has become so commonplace and has been used

9
10 LEARNING BY DOING

so ambiguously to describe virtually any loose coupling of individuals who share a

common interest in education that it is in danger of losing all meaning. This lack of
precision is an obstacle to implementing PLC processes because, as Mike Schmoker
(2004) observes, “clarity precedes competence” (p. 85). Thus, we begin this handbook
with an attempt to clarify our meaning of the term. To those familiar with our past
work, this step may seem redundant, but we are convinced that redundancy can be
a powerful tool in effective communication, and we prefer redundancy to ambiguity.

We have seen many instances in which educators assume that a PLC is a program.
For example, one faculty told us that each year they implemented a new program in

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their school. In the previous year it had been PLC, the year prior to that it had been
Understanding by Design, and the current year it was differentiated instruction. They
had converted the names of the various programs into verbs, and the joke on the

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faculty was that they had been “PLCed, UBDed, and DIed.”

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The PLC process is not a program. It cannot be purchased, nor can it be imple-
mented by anyone other than the staff itself. Most importantly, it is ongoing—
a continuous, never-ending process of conducting schooling that has a profound

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impact on the structure and culture of the school and the assumptions and practices

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of the professionals within it.

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We have seen other instances in which educators assume that a PLC is a meeting—
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an occasional event when they meet with colleagues to complete a task. It is not
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uncommon for us to hear, “My PLC meets Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00
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a.m.” This perception of a PLC is wrong on two counts. First, the PLC is the larger
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organization and not the individual teams that comprise it. While collaborative teams
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are an essential part of the PLC process, the sum is greater than the individual parts.
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Much of the work of a PLC cannot be done by a team but instead requires a schoolwide
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or districtwide effort. So we believe it is helpful to think of the school or district as the

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PLC and the various collaborative teams as the building blocks of the PLC. Second,
It is helpful to
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once again, the PLC process has a pervasive and ongoing impact on the structure and
©

think of the culture of the school. If educators meet with peers on a regular basis only to return
A

school or district to business as usual, they are not functioning as a PLC. So the PLC process is much
as the PLC and
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more than a meeting.

the various
collaborative Other educators have claimed they are members of a PLC because they engage in
dialogue based on common readings. The entire staff reads the same book or article,
A

teams as the
and then members meet to share their individual impressions of what they have read.
building blocks
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But a PLC is more than a book club. Although collective study and dialogue are
of the PLC.
crucial elements of the PLC process, the process requires people to act on the new
information.

So, what is a PLC? We argue that it is an ongoing process in which educators work
collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve
better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key
to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.
The following section examines the elements of the PLC process more closely.
A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work 11

Three Big Ideas That Drive the Work

of a PLC
There are three big ideas that drive the work of the PLC process. The progress a
district or school experiences on the PLC journey will be largely dependent on the
extent to which these ideas are considered, understood, and ultimately embraced by
its members.

A Focus on Learning

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The first (and the biggest) of the big ideas is based on the premise that the funda- The fundamental
mental purpose of the school is to ensure that all students learn at high levels (grade level purpose of the

G
or higher). This focus on and commitment to the learning of each student are the very school is to

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essence of a learning community. ensure that all
students learn at
When a school or district functions as a PLC, educators within the organization
embrace high levels of learning for all students as both the reason the organization
high levels.

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exists and the fundamental responsibility of those who work within it. In order to

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achieve this purpose, the members of a PLC create and are guided by a clear and

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compelling vision of what the organization must become in order to help all students
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learn. They make collective commitments clarifying what each member will do to
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create such an organization, and they use results-oriented goals to mark their progress.
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Members work together to clarify exactly what each student must learn, monitor
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each student’s learning on a timely basis, provide systematic interventions that ensure
students receive additional time and support for learning when they struggle, and
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extend their learning when students have already mastered the intended outcomes.
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A corollary assumption is that if the organization is to become more effective in

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helping all students learn, the adults in the organization must also be continually
learning. Therefore, structures are created to ensure staff members engage in job-
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embedded learning as part of their routine work practices.

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There is no ambiguity or hedging regarding this commitment to learning. Whereas

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many schools operate as if their primary purpose is to ensure that students are taught
or are merely provided with an opportunity to learn, PLCs are dedicated to the idea
that their organization exists to ensure that all students actually acquire the essential
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knowledge, skills, and dispositions of each unit, course, and grade level. Every
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potential organizational practice, policy, and procedure is assessed on the basis of

this question: Will this ensure higher levels of learning for our students? All the other
characteristics of a PLC flow directly from this epic shift in assumptions about the
purpose of the school.

A Collaborative Culture and Collective

Responsibility
The second big idea driving the PLC process is that in order to ensure all students
learn at high levels, educators must work collaboratively and take collective responsibility
for the success of each student. Working collaboratively is not optional, but instead is an
12 LEARNING BY DOING

In order to expectation and requirement of employment. Subsequently, the fundamental structure

ensure all of a PLC is the collaborative teams of educators whose members work interdependently
students learn to achieve common goals for which members are mutually accountable. These common
at high levels, goals are directly linked to the purpose of learning for all. The team is the engine that
educators drives the PLC effort and the primary building block of the organization.
must work It is difficult to overstate the importance of collaborative teams in the improvement
collaboratively process. It is even more important, however, to emphasize that collaboration does not
and take lead to improved results unless people are focused on the right work. Collaboration
collective is a means to an end, not the end itself. In many schools, staff members are willing

ES
responsibility for to collaborate on a variety of topics—as long as the focus of the conversation stops at
the success of their classroom door. In a PLC, collaboration represents a systematic process in which
each student. teachers work together interdependently in order to impact their classroom practice

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in ways that will lead to better results for their students, for their team, and for their

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school.

Working together to build shared knowledge on the best way to achieve goals and
meet the needs of those they serve is exactly what professionals in any field are expected

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to do, whether it is curing the patient, winning the lawsuit, or helping all students

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learn. Members of a professional learning community are expected to work and learn
together.
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A Results Orientation
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Educators in a The third big idea that drives the work of PLCs is the need for a results orientation.
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PLC focus on To assess their effectiveness in helping all students learn, educators in a PLC focus on
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results—evidence results—evidence of student learning. They then use that evidence of learning to inform
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of student and improve their professional practice and respond to individual students who need
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learning. intervention or enrichment. Members of a PLC recognize that all of their efforts must
ultimately be assessed on the basis of results rather than intentions. Unless their initiatives
TI
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are subjected to ongoing assessment on the basis of tangible results, they represent
random groping in the dark rather than purposeful improvement. As Peter Senge and
A

colleagues (Senge, Ross, Smith, Roberts, & Kleiner, 1994) conclude, “The rationale for
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any strategy for building a learning organization revolves around the premise that such
organizations will produce dramatically improved results” (p. 44).
A

This constant search for a better way to improve results by helping more students
learn at higher levels leads to a cyclical process in which educators in a PLC:
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§§ Gather evidence of current levels of student learning

§§ Develop strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses in

that learning

§§ Implement those strategies and ideas

§§ Analyze the impact of the changes to discover what was effective and what
was not

§§ Apply new knowledge in the next cycle of continuous improvement

A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work 13

The intent of this cyclical process is not simply to learn a new strategy, but instead
to create conditions for perpetual learning—an environment in which innovation and
experimentation are viewed not as tasks to be accomplished or projects to be completed
but as ways of conducting day-to-day business, forever. Furthermore, participation in
this process is not reserved for those designated as leaders; rather, it is a responsibility
of every member of the organization.

This focus on results leads each team to develop and pursue measurable improvement
goals for learning that align with school and district goals. It also drives teams to create
a series of common formative assessments that are administered to students multiple

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times throughout the year to gather ongoing evidence of student learning. Team
members review the results from these assessments in an effort to identify and address
program concerns (areas of learning where many students are experiencing difficulty).

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They also examine the results to discover strengths and weaknesses in their individual

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teaching in order to learn from one another. Very importantly, the assessments are
used to identify students who need additional time and support for learning. We will
make the case that frequent common formative assessments represent one of the most
powerful tools in the PLC arsenal.

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The PLC Process Requires a Culture
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That Is Simultaneously Loose
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and Tight
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The PLC process empowers educators to make important decisions and encourages
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their creativity and innovation in the pursuit of improving student and adult learning.
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As you read through this text you will discover that when a school functions as a PLC,
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teachers collectively make many of the important decisions including:

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§§ What to teach
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§§ The sequencing and pacing of content

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§§ The assessments used to monitor student learning

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§§ The criteria they will use in assessing the quality of student work
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§§ The norms for their team

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§§ The goals for their team

Teachers working in teams have primary responsibility for analyzing evidence of

student learning and developing strategies for improvement. Each teacher is free to
use the instructional strategies that he or she feels will be most effective in helping
students learn. Teachers have the authority to make all of these important decisions
because these aspects of the PLC process are said to be “loose.”

At the same time, however, there are elements of the PLC process that are “tight,”
that is, they are nondiscretionary and everyone in the school is required to adhere to
those elements. The tight elements of the PLC process are listed in the feature box on
page 14.
14 LEARNING BY DOING

Tight Elements in a PLC

1. Educators work collaboratively rather than in isolation, take
collective responsibility for student learning, and clarify the
commitments they make to each other about how they will
work together.
2. The fundamental structure of the school becomes the collabora-
tive team in which members work interdependently to achieve
common goals for which all members are mutually accountable.

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3. The team establishes a guaranteed and viable curriculum, unit
by unit, so all students have access to the same knowledge

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and skills regardless of the teacher to whom they are assigned.

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4. The team develops common formative assessments to frequently
gather evidence of student learning.
5. The school has created a system of interventions and extensions
to ensure students who struggle receive additional time and

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support for learning in a way that is timely, directive, diagnostic,

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and systematic, and students who demonstrate proficiency can
extend their learning.
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6. The team uses evidence of student learning to inform and
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improve the individual and collective practice of its members.
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The debate that has raged about whether or not school improvement should be
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top-down and driven by administrative mandates or bottom-up and left to the

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discretion of individuals or groups of teachers has been resolved. Neither top-down

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nor bottom-up works. Top-down fails to generate either the deep understanding of or
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commitment to the improvement initiative that is necessary to sustain it. The laissez-
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faire bottom-up approach eliminates the press for change and is actually associated
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with a decrease in student achievement (Marzano & Waters, 2009). High-performing

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PLCs avoid the too-tight/too-loose trap by engaging educators in an improvement

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process that empowers them to make decisions at the same time that they demand
adherence to core elements of the process (DuFour & Fullan, 2013). We will reference
this simultaneously loose and tight culture throughout this book.
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The Importance of Effective

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Communication
The keys to creating a PLC culture that is simultaneously loose and tight are first,
getting tight about the right things (as listed in the feature box), and then commu-
nicating what is tight clearly, consistently, and unequivocally. Marcus Buckingham
(2005) contends that the “one thing” leaders of any organization must know to be
effective is the importance of clarity. Powerful communication is simple and succinct,
driven by a few key ideas, and is repeated at every opportunity (Collins, 2001; Pfeffer
& Sutton, 2000). Leaders must realize, however, that the most important element in
A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work 15

communicating is congruency between their actions and their words. It is not essential
that leaders are eloquent or clever; it is imperative, however, that they demonstrate
consistency between what they say and what they do (Collins & Porras, 1994; Covey,
2006; Erkens & Twadell, 2012; Fullan, 2011; Kanold, 2011; Kouzes & Posner, 1987).
When leaders’ actions are inconsistent with what they contend are their priorities,
those actions overwhelm all other forms of communication (Kotter, 1996).

One of the most effective ways leaders communicate priorities is by what they pay
attention to (Kouzes & Posner, 2003; Peters & Austin, 1985). Subsequent chapters
provide specific examples of leaders communicating what is valued by creating systems

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and structures to promote priorities, monitoring what is essential, reallocating time,
asking the right questions, responding to conflict in strategic ways, and celebrating
evidence of collective commitments moving the school closer to its vision.

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It is important to help your staff build shared knowledge regarding your school’s

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current status for effective communication. Addressing this critical component of a
PLC helps in establishing a solid foundation. The need for clear communication is
so vital to the PLC process that we present a continuum of effective communication

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for your consideration. “The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Contin-

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uum: Communicating Effectively” is on pages 16–17 and online at go.SolutionTree

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.com/PLCbooks as a free reproducible. Once your staff have established greater clar-

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ity regarding the current status of your communication practices, we urge you to turn
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your attention to the “Where Do We Go From Here?” worksheet that accompanies
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the continuum (on page 18 and also available for free to download at go.SolutionTree
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.com/PLCbooks). It will prompt you to take the action necessary to close the knowing-
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Why Don’t We Apply What We Know?

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As we have shared our work in support of PLCs with educators from around the
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world, we have become accustomed to hearing the same response: “This just makes
sense.” It just makes sense that a school committed to helping all students learn at
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high levels would focus on learning rather than teaching, would have educators work
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collaboratively, would ensure students had access to the same curriculum, would assess
each student’s learning on a timely basis using consistent standards for proficiency,
and would create systematic interventions and extensions that provide students with
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additional time and support for learning. It just makes sense that we accomplish more
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working collaboratively than we do working in isolation. It just makes sense that we

would assess our effectiveness in helping all students learn on the basis of results—
tangible evidence that they have actually learned. It just makes sense! In fact, we have
found little overt opposition to the characteristics of a PLC.

So why don’t schools do what they already know makes sense? In The Knowing-Doing
Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert
Sutton (2000) explore what they regard as one of the great mysteries of organizational
management: the disconnect between knowledge and action. They ask, “Why does
knowledge of what needs to be done so frequently fail to result in action or behavior
that is consistent with that knowledge?” (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000, p. 4).
 16
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The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum:

Communicating Effectively
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DIRECTIONS: Individually, silently, and honestly assess the current reality of your school’s implementation of each indicator listed in
the left column. Consider what evidence or anecdotes support your assessment. This form may also be used to assess district or team
implementation.
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We understand the purpose and priorities of our school because they have been communicated consistently and effectively.
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Indicator Pre-Initiating Initiating Implementing Developing Sustaining
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The school has There is no sense of ©
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Key leaders may have There is general Structures and There is almost
established a purpose or priorities. reached agreement
N understanding of processes have universal
clear purpose and People throughout on general purpose
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priorities that have the school feel and priorities, but priorities of the with the purpose the purpose and
been effectively swamped by what people throughout school, but many and priorities. priorities of the
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communicated. they regard as a the organization staff members Staff members school. All policies,
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Systems are in never-ending series remain unclear. io have not embraced are beginning procedures, and
place to ensure of fragmented, Furthermore, if n them. Specific steps
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action steps aligned disjointed, and short- asked to explain are being taken from the initiative purposefully aligned
REPRODUCIBLE

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to advance the
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and priorities are initiatives. Changes in the school or the priorities, but some ways to become fulfill the purpose
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monitored. result in changes in those priorities, participating only
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difficulty articulating view the initiative as to gauge progress.
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specifics. Staff interfering with their
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Learning by Doing © 2006, 2010, 2016 Solution Tree Press • SolutionTree.com

answers if pressed to G information is used
explain the priorities to make adjustments
of the school. designed to build the
collective capacity
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page 1 of 3
 Indicator Pre-Initiating Initiating Implementing Developing Sustaining

The leaders in the There is no sense Leaders can The school has People throughout The purpose and
school communicate of purpose and articulate the begun to alter the the school are priorities of the
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purpose and priorities. Different purpose and structures, resources, changing their school are evident
priorities through people in the priorities of the and rewards to behavior to align by the everyday
modeling, allocation
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school seem to school with a better align with with the priorities. behavior of people
of resources, what have different pet consistent voice, the stated priorities. They are seeking throughout the
they celebrate, and projects, and there but their behavior is Staff members who new strategies for school. Time, money,
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what they are willing is considerable in- not congruent with openly oppose the using resources materials, people,
to confront. fighting to acquire their words. The
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the resources to structures, resources, confronted, but those support the initiative, been strategically
support those and rewards of the confronting them are and are willing to allocated to
different projects. school have not likely to explain they reallocate time, reflect priorities.
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priorities. N example, a principal to move forward. and celebrate
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17
 18
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Where Do We Go From Here? Worksheet

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What steps or Who will be
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to create this or sustaining for each step assess the
condition in these steps or or phase of the effectiveness of
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Indicator of a PLC at Work your school? activities? activity? your initiative?
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The school has established a clear purpose and priorities that
have been effectively communicated. Systems are in place to
ensure action steps aligned with the purpose and priorities
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through modeling, allocation of resources, what they
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page 3 of 3
A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work 19

Learning by Doing is intended to help educators close the knowing-doing gap by Learning
transforming their schools into PLCs. It reveals purposeful, realistic, actionable steps by Doing is
educators can take to develop their capacity to function as a PLC. It is designed to intended to help
accomplish the following objectives. educators close
the knowing-
1. To help educators develop a common vocabulary and a consistent under-
doing gap by
standing of key PLC processes
transforming
2. To present a compelling argument that American educators have a moral their schools into
imperative to improve their individual and collective practice PLCs.

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3. To help educators assess the current reality in their own schools and districts

4. To offer tools, templates, protocols, and sample products to help educators

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on their journey

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5. To eliminate excuses for inaction and convince educators that the best way to
become more effective in the PLC process is to begin doing what PLCs do

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To Help Educators Develop a Common

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Vocabulary and a Consistent Understanding of
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Key PLC Processes
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Michael Fullan (2005) observes that “terms travel easily . . . but the meaning of the
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underlying concepts does not” (p. 67). Terms such as professional learning community,
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collaborative teams, goals, formative assessments, and scores of others have indeed traveled
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widely in educational circles. They are prevalent in the lexicon of contemporary

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“educationese.” If pressed for a specific definition, however, many educators would

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be stumped. It is difficult enough to bring these concepts to life in a school or district

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when there is a shared understanding of their meaning. It is impossible when there

is no common understanding and the terms mean very different things to different
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people within the same organization.

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Developmental psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey (2001) contend
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that the transformation of both individuals and organizations requires new language.
They write, “The places where we work and live are, among other things, places where
certain forms of speech are promoted and encouraged, and places where other ways
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of talking are discouraged or made impossible” (Kegan & Lahey, 2001, p. 7). As
EV

educators make the cultural shift from traditional schools and districts to PLCs, a
new language emerges. Therefore, we have highlighted and defined key terms used in We have included an
implementing PLC processes to assist in building shared knowledge of both critical online glossary at
vocabulary and the concepts underlying the terms. We have also included an online go.SolutionTree.com
glossary at go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks that readers can freely download and /PLCbooks that
distribute. We hope it will add to the precision and clarity of the emerging language readers can freely
that accompanies the transformation of traditional schools and districts into high- download and
performing PLCs. distribute.
20 LEARNING BY DOING

To Present a Compelling Argument That

American Educators Have a Moral Imperative to
Improve Their Individual and Collective Practice
Americans have always been critical of their public schools. But since the passage
of No Child Left Behind in 2001, the media and politicians seemed to be waging
an increasingly aggressive war not just on the public school system but also on the
educators within it. The alleged “failure” of American schools has become a cliché. In
a single month (January 2012) the term failing schools was used 544 times in different

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newspapers, magazines, and wire stories. Twenty years earlier, the phrase appeared
only thirteen times (Farhi, 2012).

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We reject both the notion that American schools are failing and that educators are
the cause of that failure. In fact, we contend that the current generation of educators

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has achieved some of the best results in our history. Consider the following.

§§ We now have the highest high school graduation rates in American history,
and the rates have improved for every subgroup of students.

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§§ More high school students are succeeding in rigorous college-level work

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than ever before in our history.
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§§ The scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have
improved steadily since that test was first administered in the 1970s
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(Ravitch, 2014).
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§§ American students score in the top ten in the world and considerably
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above the international mean on the Trends in International Mathematics

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and Science Study (TIMSS) exams (Martin, Mullis, Foy, & Stanco, 2012;
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Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012).

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§§ Since 2009, parent satisfaction with their local schools has been among the
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highest ever recorded in the more than four decades since Phi Delta Kappan
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and the Gallup Poll began conducting the survey (Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup
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Poll Archive, 2014).

§§ One in five American schools has more than 75 percent of their students
Contemporary
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living in poverty. When American schools with low poverty are compared
American to the highest performing countries in the world with similar poverty rates,
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educators have American students outperform their international peers (Shyamalan, 2013).
accomplished
more, with a §§ American students consistently rate their teachers among the highest in the
more diverse world on such qualities as fairness and willingness to provide them extra
support (DuFour, 2015).
student
population, than Contemporary American educators have accomplished more, with a more diverse
any previous student population, than any previous generation. They warrant respect rather than
generation. condemnation. But they also must recognize that the need to help every student
A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work 21

succeed in school has never been greater because the consequences of failure in the
K–12 system have never been more dire.

Throughout most of the 20th century, a student could withdraw from high school
and still have access to the middle class. In 1970, 74 percent of the middle class
was composed of high school graduates and dropouts. By 2007, the middle class was
composed of 31 percent high school graduates and only 8 percent dropouts (Carnevale,
Smith, & Strohl, 2010).

Furthermore, many high school graduates seem unprepared for the rigors of higher

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education. More than one-third of students entering college require remedial courses
(Strong American Schools, 2008), and 34 percent drop out of college by the end of
their first year (ACT, 2013). Only 36 percent of students who enter a public college

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have earned a degree within five years (ACT, 2013).

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These statistics are alarming because men and women who are not prepared to
continue learning beyond high school will be increasingly left behind in the American
economy (Carnevale et al., 2010). Consider the implications for students who are

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unsuccessful in the K–12 system.

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§§ Students who fail school are three times more likely to be unemployed
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(Breslow, 2012).
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§§ These students are more likely to live in poverty, earning an annual salary of
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§§ High school dropouts in the United States earn thirty-five cents for every
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dollar a college graduate earns and sixty cents for every dollar a high school
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graduate earns. The United States has one of the largest income discrepan-
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cies between college graduates and high school dropouts of all the major
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economies in the world (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

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Development, 2014).
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§§ Female dropouts will live an average of ten and a half fewer years than
females who graduate from college. Male dropouts will live an average of
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thirteen fewer years than males who graduate from college. The gap for both
sexes is widening (Tavernise, 2012).
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§§ High school dropouts are sixty-three times more likely to be incarcerated

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(Breslow, 2012).

§§ On average, each high school dropout costs taxpayers $292,000 over his or
her lifetime (Breslow, 2012).

So while we reject the idea that American schools are terrible and getting worse, we
also acknowledge the moral imperative for improving schools so that all students are
prepared for postsecondary learning. American educators must view every student as
if he or she were their own child and provide the same education they would want for
their own (DuFour, 2015).