What would it take to move your school or district closer toward a culture that supports and sustains professional learning communities (PLCs)?

This thought-provoking collection of stories detailing seven successful approaches to developing PLCs will inspire you to find answers to this question and others. From one school taking the initiative to create its own collaborative environment to a network of 500 universities and schools, the accounts explain the advantages of PLCs for teachers and their students. The volume editors begin with the argument that in a PLC environment, teachers receive continuous professional development, therefore improving their teaching skills to the benefit of student learning. Later chapters recount the origins of schools as professional learning communities, define the characteristics of professional learning communities, and review research on the subject.

Teachers and school administrators will particularly appreciate the reflection questions at the end of each chapter that encourage you to relate your learning to the chapter’s specific story. An appendix provides even more resources about developing PLCs.

Professional learning communities have value in more than just school contexts, as supported by a growing body of research. In sharing the experiences of educators who have embraced the principles of PLCs and integrated them into schools and district, regional, and state initiatives, the editors hope to inspire new contributions to the transformation of science education.