One of the strategies cited by school leaders as being an effective way to meet the needs of students is developing and utilizing partnerships with community agencies, higher education, and other organizations.... read more →
Becky DuFour used the analogy of her brother Russ, the builder, in emphasizing the importance of laying a solid foundation. Becky shared that her brother has built beautiful homes for many... read more →
You’re feeling good – you have created demand for modeling your school as a PLC and have structures in place to answer the key questions. You are making progress along... read more →
The first of the four critical questions of a Professional Learning Community process is, what is it we want our students to learn? This question underscores the need for teacher teams to... read more →
Great Falls Elementary School is a Title I school in rural Chester County in South Carolina, situated approximately halfway between Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. The percentage of students at... read more →
In Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work™, the authors comment on common mistakes made in attempting to build consensus around a new vision of learning: “It is a mistake to move forward... read more →
You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. You’re always right!” (Not sure who originated that saying, but mothers... read more →
Moving instructional practices forward at a school site can be a daunting task. Ask any principal, team leader, or department chair how easy it is to motivate colleagues to row... read more →
Greetings from Hope, Arkansas—home of President Bill Clinton, former Governor and Fox Contributor Mike Huckabee, the World’s Largest Watermelon and home to the state’s largest K-4 school (1042 and counting)! Scheduling... read more →
In 2008, our low income(free/reduced lunch) population was frequently the same list as our "at risk" students. Many times I found myself trying to track these students down to try... read more →