2.+Professional+Learning+Community


 * What is a Professional Learning Community (PLC) ?**



Professional Learning Community


**The term //professional learning community// describes a collegial group of administrators and school staff who are united in their commitment to student learning. They share a vision, work and learn collaboratively, visit and review other classrooms, and participate in decision making (Hord, 1997b). The benefits to the staff and students include a reduced isolation of teachers, better informed and committed teachers, and academic gains for students. Hord (1997b) notes, "As an organizational arrangement, the professional learning community is seen as a powerful staff-development approach and a potent strategy for school change and improvement."**
 * For additional information on professional learning communities, refer to the following sources:**

**References**
 * [|**Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement**] **(Hord, 1997a)**
 * [|**Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?**] **(Hord, 1997b)**
 * [|**Creating a Professional Learning Community: Cottonwood Creek School**] **(Hord, 1998)**

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