The Principal as Professional Learning Community Leader is designed to provide principals with hands-on, practical support as they build professional learning communities (PLCs) in their schools in order to improve student achievement. With an emphasis on creating a collaborative culture for action, this book offers step-by-step plans, along with practical strategies, to use with staff to create the conditions within which PLCs thrive. The book leads principals through the process of building a PLC by defining the key attributes of PLCs; explaining the principalAEs role in leading the process; and then showing how to create a steering team, introduce the concept to staff, develop teacher learning teams, and create mission, vision and goal statements as the foundation of PLCs.
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Building Professional Learning Communities Why Professional Learning Communities? The PLC Edifice: An Analogy Feature: Reflection and Action Template Summary 2. The Role of Principals in Leading Professional Learning Communities Leadership Practices of the PLC Principal Principal/Vice Principal Learning Teams Feature: Reflection and Action Template Summary 3. Planning for Professional Learning Communities Collaborative Leadership: Creating the PLC Steering Team PLC Snapshot Assessment Setting Up a Tracking System Feature: Recording and Planning for Continuous Learning: PLC Learning Grid Summary 4. Introducing Staff to Professional Learning Communities: Foundations Laying the Foundations of a PLC Feature: Professional Development Modules: Introducing Staff to PLCs Guiding Questions Feature: Recording and Planning for Continuous Learning: PLC Learning Grid Summary 5. Supporting Learning Teams: The Pillars Learning Teams for Improving Student Achievement The Four Pillars Feature: Professional Development Module: PLC Learning Teams Guiding Questions Feature: Recording and Planning for Continuous Learning: PLC Learning Grid Summary 6. The Roof: Continuous Learning and Continuous Improvement Reflection and Action Celebration Guiding Questions Feature: Recording and Planning for Continuous Learning: PLC Learning Grid Summary The Principal's Tool Kit Professional Development Modules Case Studies Reproducibles Glossary References Index
"This series of publications addresses some of the most important improvement challenges facing school leaders today. The authors of the series bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges. The series should be required reading for all school leaders." -- Ken Leithwood, Professor "At last, a series of outstanding books by practicing administrators, for practicing principals. Avoiding high-flown theory on the one hand and mere lists of bullet points on the other, these books represent the best that highly expert leaders have to offer-intellectually informed ideas about how to deal with the compelling practical issues of principalship. Getting down from the ivory tower and stepping out of the principal's office, these authors offer some of the most important and useful books about leadership that principals can buy." -- Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education "This series of little volumes offers a plethora of rich ideas ranging from practice and specific methods right down to easy-to-use worksheets. It provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and also for seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." -- Roland S. Barth, Former Teacher and Principal "This is a great series that allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" -- Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus
