Blog
Entries by Richard DuFour
Are Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs) Synonymous with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)?
Education thrives on acronyms: IEP, UBD, RTI, ESL, SES, LD, NCLB, AYP, API. Sometimes this abbreviated attempt to communicate can create confusion. Recently, we received a query from a high school . . . Read more
Who Should Decide the Agenda for Collaborative Team Meetings?
Our school district is using the book Whatever It Takes as our guide to establishing PLCs. Should administrators tell PLC groupings what to discuss at their weekly meetings, or should the needs of . . . Read more
Team SMART Goals vs. Smart Students
There are two assumptions we can make about teaching and learning. One is that students will learn according to their effort and ability and that their teachers and their school have no impact on their learning. The other is that… Read more
What’s the Difference Between a PLC, a Collaborative Team, and a Task Force?
We recently received an email from a high school math teacher who attended a three hour PLC overview session we provided for all of the staff members of his K-12 school district. Prior to hearing . . . Read more
Common Formative Assessments and the Question of Pacing
We received a blog query from someone who expressed concern that the way common formative assessments were being implemented in his district required teachers to have identical pacing -- same page . . . Read more
The Role of an Elective Teacher in a PLC
A frequent question that surfaces when schools attempt to implement the PLC concept is, "What about the electives. Where do they fit?" If an elective teacher is the only person in the school who… Read more
The Case for Common Formative Assessments
We received a question from a principal of a high-performing middle school who wrote: "Although we have made significant growth in many of the core components of a professional learning community we continue to struggle with the perception of teacher autonomy as a result of… Read more
We’re Already a “Good” School; Why Do We Need to Improve?
I recently engaged in a spirited discussion with a high school faculty that was balking at the idea of the implementing PLC concepts. Two of their concerns were: 1) “It is an affront to our . . . Read more
Common Formative Assessments
I had a conversation recently with a high school faculty that expressed several concerns regarding the idea that teachers teaching the same course or grade level should have common formative . . . Read more
What Might Be: Open the Door to a Better Future
Those called upon to forecast future trends in professional development are well advised to remember the biblical observation, “There is nothing new under the sun.” In fact, a case . . . Read more
The Professional Teacher
I received an interesting response from a teacher to a blog entry I made in support of giving teachers time to collaborate. In that entry (posted January 29, 2007) I attempted to make the point . . . Read more
How Do Leaders Communicate Priorities? Attention Is All There Is!
Superintendents often ask how they can promote PLC concepts in their schools. An article from the April 2003 Harvard Business Review entitled "Tipping Point Leadership" by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne offers some… Read more
Should a Districtwide PLC Initiative Impact the Recruitment and Selection of Future Teachers?
Our bias on the recruitment & selection of new teachers follows: The district should recruit & screen applicants on the basis of whether or not this candidate "appears" to . . . Read more
Assessing Principal Performance In a Professional Learning Community
We are frequently asked questions regarding the best ways to assess the performance of principals in a PLC. While recognizing that each district is unique, here are a few principal evaluation . . . Read more
Why Educators Should Be Given Time to Collaborate
A Board of Education had asked the educators in its district to justify why they should be provided with time during their contractual day to collaborate rather than simply expecting them to do so . . . Read more