Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Building Capacity for Success

This workshop equips K–12 educators with the knowledge, tools, and collaborative strategies to build and sustain effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Participants learn the definition and core components of PLCs—such as collective inquiry, shared vision, collaboration, action, and continuous improvement—and how these principles translate into daily practice. The session emphasizes setting clear norms, selecting meaningful focus areas, applying best practices in communication and decision-making, and using data to inform instruction. Through interactive activities, educators experience models like the Connected Action Roadmap (CAR), the ORID conversation framework, and consensus decision-making to strengthen their PLCs for greater student success.

• Lack of clarity around the purpose, structure, and best practices for PLCs.
  
  
• Ineffective communication, goal-setting, and decision-making within teacher teams.
  
  
• Limited or inconsistent use of data to drive instructional decisions and address student needs.

1. Establishing Effective PLC Structures
   Participants will learn how to define roles, set group norms, choose focus areas, and align PLC work to shared values and vision for improved student learning.
   
   
2. Enhancing Collaboration and Decision-Making
   Educators will practice communication strategies like the ORID model and the consensus process to ensure all voices are heard and decisions are data-driven and collectively supported.
   
   
3. Using Data to Inform Instruction and Drive Improvement
   Teachers will develop skills to gather, analyze, and share data meaningfully, create targeted instructional plans, and monitor progress through cycles of inquiry to improve student outcomes.