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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Chapter 1: A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work
Chapter 2: Defining a Clear and Compelling Purpose
Chapter 3: Building a Collaborative Culture
Chapter 4: Coaching Collaborative Teams
Chapter 5: Creating a Results Orientation
Chapter 6: Establishing a Focus on Learning
Chapter 7: Creating Team-Developed Common Formative Assessments
Chapter 8: Responding When Some Students Don’t Learn
Chapter 9: Hiring, Orienting, and Retaining New Staff
Chapter 10: Addressing Conflict and Celebrating
Chapter 11: Implementing the PLC Process Districtwide
Epilogue: Touching the Emotions: Creating a Culture of Caring

REPRODUCIBLES

Introduction

• Why Should We Implement the Professional Learning Communities at Work® Process?

Chapter 1

• Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Communicating Effectively
• Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts

Chapter 2

• A Data Picture of Our School
• Why Should We Clarify Our Mission?
• Why Should We Describe the School or District We Are Trying to Create?
• Why Should We Articulate Collective Commitments?
• The Foundation of Anywhere High School
• Boones Mill Elementary School: Hand in Hand We All Learn
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Laying the Foundation
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Solid Foundation for a PLC)

Chapter 3

• Critical Issues for Team Consideration
• Why Should We Use Teams as Our Basic Structure?
• Why Should We Collaborate?
• Why Should We Create Norms?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Building a Collaborative Culture Through High-Performing Teams
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Collaborative Culture)

Chapter 4

• Why Should We Coach Collaborative Teams?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Coaching Collaborative Teams
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Coaching to Improve PLC Practice)

Chapter 5

• SMART Goal Worksheet: Third-Grade Team
• SMART Goal Worksheet: Eighth-Grade Mathematics
• SMART Goal Worksheet: American Government
• SMART Goal Worksheet
• Why Do We Need SMART Goals?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Using School Improvement Goals to Drive Team Goals
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Commitment to a Results Orientation)

Chapter 6

• Why Should We Ensure Students Have Access to a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Clarifying What Students Must Learn
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Clarify Essential Learning)

Chapter 7

• Why Should We Use Formative Assessments?
• Why Should We Use Common Assessments?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Turning Data Into Information
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Clarify the Importance of Creating Common Formative Assessments)

Chapter 8

• Why Should We Implement Systematic Interventions?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Providing Students With Systematic Interventions and Extensions
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Develop Systematic Interventions)

Chapter 9

• Is This Candidate a Good Fit for Our PLC?
• Why Should We Address the Quality of Teachers?
• Why Is a Focus on Hiring and Retaining Practices Important?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Selecting and Retaining New Instructional Staff Members
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Selecting, Orienting, and Retaining Staff)

Chapter 10

• Why Should Celebration Be Part of Our Culture?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Responding to Conflict
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Assess How Your School Addresses Conflict)

Chapter 11

• Why Does Implementation Matter?
• The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Implementing the PLC Process Districtwide
• Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community (Implement the PLC at Work Process Districtwide)

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Books

• Bailey, K., & Jakicic, C. (2012). Common formative assessment: A toolkit for Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Bailey, K., & Jakicic, C. (2019). Make it happen: Coaching with the four critical questions of PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Bailey, K., & Jakicic, C. (2023). Common formative assessment: A toolkit for Professional Learning Communities at Work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Brown, T., & Ferriter, W. M. (2021). You can learn! Building student ownership, motivation, and efficacy with the PLC at Work process. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Buffum, A., & Mattos, M. (Eds.). (2015). It’s about time: Planning interventions and extensions in elementary school. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Buffum, A., Mattos, M., Malone, J., Cruz, L. F., Dimich, N., & Schuhl, S. (in press). Taking action: A handbook for RTI at Work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Buffum, A., Mattos, M., & Weber, C. (2009). Pyramid response to intervention: RTI, professional learning communities, and how to respond when kids don’t learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Buffum, A., Mattos, M., & Weber, C. (2012). Simplifying response to intervention: Four essential guiding principles. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Buffum, A., Mattos, M., Weber, C., & Hierck, T. (2015). Uniting academic and behavior interventions: Solving the skill or will dilemma. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Conzemius, A. E., & O’Neill, J. (2014). The handbook for SMART school teams: Revitalizing best practices for collaboration (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Custable, W., & Farmer, P. C. (2020). Collaboration for career and technical education: Teamwork beyond the core content areas in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Daniels, B. L. (2020). PLC at Work and your small school: Building, deepening, and sustaining a culture of collaboration for singletons. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Dimich, N. (2015). Design in five: Essential phases to create engaging assessment practice. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Dimich, N. (2024). Design in five: Essential phases to create engaging assessment practice (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Dougherty, C., & Reason, C. (2019). Inside PLCs at Work: Your guided tour through one district’s successes, challenges, and celebrations. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R. (2003). Through new eyes: Examining the culture of your school [Video]. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R. (2015). In praise of American educators: And how they can become even better. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., & DuFour, R. (2012). The school leader’s guide to Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Brown, T., & Mattos, M. (2016). Creating and protecting the shared foundation of a Professional Learning Community at Work [Video and facilitator’s guide]. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Karhanek, G. (2010). Raising the bar and closing the gap: Whatever it takes. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. W. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., & Mattos, M. (2016). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (3rd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Mattos, M., & Muhammad, A. (2021). Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work: Proven insights for sustained, substantive school improvement (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., & Fullan, M. (2013). Cultures built to last: Systemic PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., & Marzano, R. J. (2011). Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• DuFour, R., & Reason, C. (2016). Professional Learning Communities at Work and virtual collaboration: On the tipping point of transformation. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Eaker, R., Hagadone, M., Keating, J., & Rhoades, M. (2021). Leading PLCs at Work districtwide: From boardroom to classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Eaker, R., & Keating, J. (2012). Every school, every team, every classroom: District leadership for growing Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Eaker, R., & Keating, J. (2015). Kid by kid, skill by skill: Teaching in a Professional Learning Community at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Eaker, R., & Sells, D. (2016). A new way: Introducing higher education to Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Erkens, C. (2016). Collaborative common assessments: Teamwork. Instruction. Results. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Erkens, C., & Twadell, E. (2012). Leading by design: An action framework for PLC at Work leaders. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Farmer, P. C., & King, D. (2022). Virtual PLCs at Work: A guide to effectively implementing online and hybrid teaching and learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Ferriter, W. M. (2020). The big book of tools for collaborative teams in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Francis, E. M. (2022). Deconstructing depth of knowledge: A method and model for deeper teaching and learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Friziellie, H., Schmidt, J. A., & Spiller, J. (2016). Yes we can! General and special educators collaborating in a professional learning community. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Gobble, T., Onuscheck, M., Reibel, A. R., & Twadell, E. (2016). Proficiency-based assessment: Process, not product. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Hall, B. (2022). Powerful guiding coalitions: How to build and sustain the leadership team in your PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Hannigan, J., Hannigan, J. D., Mattos, M., & Buffum, A. (2021). Behavior solutions: Teaching academic and social skills through RTI at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Hansen, A. (2015). How to develop PLCs for singletons and small schools. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Kanold, T. D. (2011). The five disciplines of PLC leaders. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Kanold, T. D., Toncheff, M., Larson, M. R., Barnes, B., Kanold-McIntyre, J., & Schuhl, S. (2018). Mathematics coaching and collaboration in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Kerr, D., Hulen, T. A., Heller, J., & Butler, B. K. (2021). What about us? The PLC at Work process for grades preK–2 teams. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Kramer, S. V. (2015). How to leverage PLCs for school improvement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Kullar, J. K., & Cunningham, S. A. (2020). Building your building: How to hire and keep great teachers. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Leane, B., & Yost, J. (2022). Singletons in a PLC at Work: Navigating on-ramps to meaningful collaboration. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Lezotte, L. W. (2005). More effective schools: Professional learning communities in action. In R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & R. DuFour (Eds.), On common ground: The power of professional learning communities (pp. 177–191). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Lezotte, L. W., & Snyder, K. M. (2011). What effective schools do: Re-envisioning the correlates. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Maeker, P., & Heller, J. (2023). Literacy in a PLC at Work: Guiding teams to get going and get better in grades K–6 reading. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Many, T. W., Maffoni, M. J., Sparks, S. K., & Thomas, T. F. (2018). Amplify your impact: Coaching collaborative teams in PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Many, T. W., Maffoni, M. J., Sparks, S. K., & Thomas, T. F. (2020). How schools thrive: Building a coaching culture for collaborative teams in PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Many, T. W., Maffoni, M. J., Sparks, S. K., & Thomas, T. F. (2022). Energize your teams: Powerful tools for coaching collaborative teams in PLCs at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Marzano, R. J., Heflebower, T., Hoegh, J. K., Warrick, P., & Grift, G. (2016). Collaborative teams that transform schools: The next step in PLCs. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Resources.
• Marzano, R. J., Warrick, P., & Simms, J. A. (2014). A handbook for High Reliability Schools: The next step in school reform. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Resources.
• Marzano, R. J., & Waters, T. (2009). District leadership that works: Striking the right balance. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Mattos, M., & Buffum, A. (Eds.). (2015). It’s about time: Planning interventions and extensions in secondary school. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Mattos, M., DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. W. (2016). Concise answers to frequently asked questions about Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Muhammad, A. (2009). Transforming school culture: How to overcome staff division. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Muhammad, A. (2018). Transforming school culture: How to overcome staff division (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Muhammad, A., & Cruz, L. F. (2019). Time for change: Four essential skills for transformational school and district leaders. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Muhammad, A., & Hollie, S. (2012). The will to lead, the skill to teach: Transforming schools at every level. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• O’Neill, J., & Conzemius, A. E. (2006). The power of SMART goals: Using goals to improve student learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Palmer, K. (2022). Parentships in a PLC at Work: Forming and sustaining school-home relationships with families. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Provencio, N. (2021). Community connections and your PLC at Work: A guide to engaging families. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Reeves, D. (2005). Putting it all together: Standards, assessment, and accountability in successful professional learning communities. In R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & R. DuFour (Eds.), On common ground: The power of professional learning communities (pp. 45–63). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Reeves, D. (2015). Inspiring creativity and innovation in K–12. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Reeves, D. (2021). Deep change leadership: A model for renewing and strengthening schools and districts. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Reeves, D., & Eaker, R. (2019). 100-day leaders: Turning short-term wins into long-term success in schools. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Roberts, M. (2019). Enriching the learning: Meaningful extensions for proficient students in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Schuhl, S., Kanold, T. D., Toncheff, M., Barnes, B., Kanold-McIntyre, J., Larson, M. R., & Rivera, G. (2024). Mathematics assessment and intervention in a PLC at Work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Smith, W. R. (2015). How to launch PLCs in your district. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Sonju, B., Powers, M., & Miller, S. (2024). Simplifying the journey: Six steps to schoolwide collaboration, consistency, and clarity in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Spiller, J., & Power, K. (2019). Leading with intention: Eight areas for reflection and planning in your PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Spiller, J., & Power, K. (2022). Leading beyond intention: Six areas to deepen reflection and planning in your PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Stiggins, R. (2005). Assessment FOR learning: Building a culture of confident learners. In R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & R. DuFour (Eds.), On common ground: The power of professional learning communities (pp. 65–83). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Vander Els, J. G., & Stack, B. M. (2022). Unpacking the competency-based classroom: Equitable, individualized learning in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Weichel, M., McCann, B., & Williams, T. (2018). When they already know it: How to extend and personalize student learning in a PLC at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Wiliam, D. (2007). Content then process: Teacher learning communities in the service of formative assessment. In D. Reeves (Ed.), Ahead of the curve: The power of assessment to transform teaching and learning (pp. 183–204). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Wiliam, D. (2018). Embedded formative assessment (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
• Williams, K. C., & Hierck, T. (2015). Starting a movement: Building culture from the inside out in professional learning communities. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Books

• AllThingsPLC
• Model PLC schools and districts
• Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts
• National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing
• New Meridian
• Smarter Balanced
• National Center for Education Statistics
• OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment
• Critical Concepts proficiency scales
• Learning Standards in District 96