PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design

by Doug B. Fisher, Nancy Frey, John T. Almarode

What makes a powerful and results-driven Professional Learning Community (PLC)? The answer is collaborative work that expands the emphasis on student learning and leverages individual teacher efficacy into collective teacher efficacy.  Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design calls for strong and effective PLCs plus—and that plus is YOU. Until now, the PLC movement has been focused almost exclusively on students and what they were or were not learning.  But keeping student learning at the forefront requires that we also recognize the vital role that you play in the equation of teaching and learning. This means that PLCs must take on two additional maximizing your individual expertise, while harnessing the power of the collaborative expertise you can develop with your peers.  PLC+ is grounded in four cross-cutting themes—a focus on equity of access and opportunity, high expectations for all students, a commitment to building individual self-efficacy and the collective efficacy of the professional learning community and effective team activation and facilitation to move from discussion to action. The PLC+ framework supports educators in considering five essential questions as they work together to improve student    Where are we going? Where are we now? How do we move learning forward? What did we learn today? Who benefited and who did not benefit? The PLC+ framework leads educators to question practices as well as outcomes. It broadens the focus on student learning to encompass educational equity and teaching efficacy, and, in doing so, it leads educators to plan and implement learning communities that maximize individual expertise while harnessing the power of collaborative efficacy.

Genres: Education, Professional Development

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2019

Reviews

[Kristine Milburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This does expand the author's previous books on PLCs, and offers valuable information regarding how to take PLCs to the next level. I was disappointed, however, to see barely over a paragraph devoted to supporting students who demonstrate mastery at the start of lessons. If we want to support ALL students in growing one year, then we need to support teachers in supporting ALL students, even those who already know.

[Mads Doss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this model was really helpful, but I wished it contained more information on how to collect data, not just analyze it. Additionally, some of the suggestions were wildly impractical for the class sizes I have (~28-36 students). The best advice in here is on equitable practice and being honest in reflecting on your teaching practice.

[Sarah Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate because it’s really only helpful for teachers who can meet with people who teach the same thing (eg Algebra I teachers; 2nd grade teachers). I’m the only one in my school who teaches 8th grade Social Studies - it wouldn’t make sense for me to meet with other 8th grade teachers (who teach the other subjects) and use these strategies/practices.

[Tresa Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice

I am taking on a new role as team lead next year and wanted to make sure I knew what a good PLC liked like. this book has been extremely helpful in guiding me to what our PLCs should be focusing on!

[Jo-elle Perkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely no new information about PLC. Packaged differently with new jargon, but same old same old.

[Natalie Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas! You don't have to read the book in order. Browse based off needs.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has good ideas, but finding time to implement it would not be feasible in most schools.

[Frank Dahlman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really nothing that I haven't read in other PLC books. Some good templates and team sheets, but pretty much a rehash of what we have ready learned over the last 10 years.

[Jordan Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing in theory.

[Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I’ve read on how to support PLC teams.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about the PLC+ model. I found it most interesting starting at chapter 4. If you already know about learning intentions and basic data analysis, you can skim through the first three chapters.

This would be good to do as a team/school book study, along with the workbook exercises. It definitely has a strong foundation that would take a great deal of time and commitment to do to fidelity.

Alternatively, you can have no plan for rolling it out and just say PLC+ a lot and hope for the best.