US/Global 
CANFree Reproducibles
Learning by Doing
A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work®
Written specifically for Canadian educators, this comprehensive action guide includes new strategies, tools, and tips for transforming schools into high-performing PLCs. Increase academic achievement among students and gain key employee retention strategies from educators with firsthand experience in the classroom.
Benefits
- Learn how to improve student achievement across Canada’s unique and widely diverse provinces and territories, including indigenous and remote regions.
- Build a shared knowledge of critical vocabulary and the concepts underlying key PLC terms.
- Explore scenarios, examples, and research aligned to the needs of Canadian educators and schools in Canada.
- Make honest assessments of your school by examining conventional practices from a fresh, critical perspective.
- Take immediate and specific steps to close the knowing-doing gap.
- Follow the step-by-step format outlined in each chapter to advance your own school’s PLC journey.
- Move beyond planning, and start doing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface: Learning by Doing for the Canadian Context
Introduction to the Third Edition
Chapter 1: A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work
Chapter 2: Defining a Clear and Compelling Purpose
Chapter 3: Building the Collaborative Culture of a Professional Learning Community
Chapter 4: Creating a Results Orientation in a Professional Learning Community
Chapter 5: Establishing a Focus on Learning
Chapter 6: Creating Team-Developed Common Formative Assessments
Chapter 7: Responding When Some Students Don’t Learn
Chapter 8: Hiring, Orienting, and Retaining New Staff
Chapter 9: Addressing Conflict and Celebrating in a Professional Learning Community
Chapter 10: Implementing the PLC Process Districtwide
Conclusion: The Fierce Urgency of Now
STUDY GUIDE
PRINTABLE REPRODUCIBLES
Chapter 1
- Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Communicating Effectively
Chapter 2
- A Data Picture of Our School
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Laying the Foundation
- Why Should We Articulate Collective Commitments?
- Why Should We Clarify Our Mission?
- Why Should We Describe the School or District We Are Trying to Create?
Chapter 3
- Critical Issues for Team Consideration
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Building a Collaborative Culture Through High-Performing Teams
- Why Should We Collaborate?
- Why Should We Create Norms?
- Why Should We Use Teams as Our Basic Structure?
Chapter 4
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Using School Improvement Goals to Drive Team Goals
- SMART Goal Worksheet
- SMART Goal Worksheet: Canadian Government
- SMART Goal Worksheet: Eighth-Grade Mathematics
- SMART Goal Worksheet: Third-Grade Team
- Why Do We Need SMART Goals?
Chapter 5
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Clarifying What Students Must Learn
- Why Should We Ensure Students Have Access to a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum?
Chapter 6
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Monitoring Each Student’s Learning
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Turning Data Into Information
- Why Should We Use Common Assessments?
- Why Should We Use Formative Assessments?
Chapter 7
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Providing Students With Systematic Interventions and Extensions
- Why Should We Implement Systematic Interventions?
Chapter 8
- Is This Candidate a Good Fit for Our PLC?
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Selecting and Retaining New Instructional Staff Members
- Retaining Experienced Teachers
Chapter 9
- Addressing Conflict as a Leader
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Responding to Conflict
- Why Should Celebration Be a Part of Our Culture?
Chapter 10
- Part Six: Questions to Guide the Work of Your Professional Learning Community
- The Professional Learning Communities at Work® Continuum: Implementing the PLC Process Districtwide
- Why Is Principal Leadership So Important?
Conclusion
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
BOOKS
- Bailey, K., & Jakicic, C. (2012). Common Formative Assessment: A Toolkit for Professional Learning Communities at Work. 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. (2018). Taking Action: A Handbook for RTI at Work. 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., & O’Neill, J. (2014). Handbook for SMART School Teams: Revitalizing Best Practices for Collaboration. 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., Eaker, R., & Karhanek, G. (2010). Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap: Whatever It Takes. 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., Eaker, R., & DuFour, R. (Eds.). (2005). On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities. 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.
- 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., & Sales, D. (2016). A New Way: Introducing Higher Education to Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Erkens, C., Schimmer, T., & Vagle, N. D. (2019). Growing Tomorrow’s Citizens in Today’s Classrooms: Assessing Seven Critical Competencies. 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.
- Kanold, T. D. (2011). The Five Disciplines of PLC Leaders. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Kramer, S. V. (2015). How to Leverage PLCs for School Improvement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Marzano, R. J., Warrick, P. B., & 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., & Hollie, S. (2012). The Will to Lead, the Skill to Teach: Transforming Schools at Every Level. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Reeves, D. (Ed.). (2007). Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Reeves, D. (2015). Inspiring Creativity and Innovation in K–12. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Smith, W. R. (2015). How to Launch PLCs in Your District. 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.
- Vagle, N. D. (2015). Design in Five: Essential Phases to Create Engaging Assessment Practice. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- White, K. (2017). Softening the Edges: Assessment Practices That Honor K–12 Teachers and Learners. 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.
WEBSITES
Introduction
Chapter 5
- Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96, “What Students Learn in District 96”
- Marzano Resources, “The Critical Concepts”
Chapter 6
- Canadian Assessment for Learning Network
- Canadians for 21st Century Learning and Innovation
- Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
- OECD Programme for International Student Assessment
- Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, “Ensuring Every Student Succeeds”
- Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Chapter 7
- AllThingsPLC, “Highland Elementary School Master Schedule”
- AllThingsPLC, “Middle and High School Intervention Examples”
- AllThingsPLC, “See the Evidence” database
- Marzano Resources, “The Critical Concepts”
Chapter 8
