December 8, 2008 - During the 2007-2008 school year, the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, the Office High Schools and the Office of Redesign supported the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) on each high school campus in the district.

PLCs were to provide a forum for teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches to work collaboratively to improve the quality of teacher instruction and student learning in classrooms. Overall, the evaluation of the PLC initiative revealed positive results for all high schools. Specifically,  
 

• PLCs were supported through a combination of efforts provided by the central office staff, campus administrators, professional consultants, and teacher leaders.
• Differences were found across campuses in regards to the major factors associated with developing well-functioning PLCs.
• Teachers who were part of strong PLCs enjoyed them, believed they increased academic rigor, and found the professional support of their peers valuable.
• Teachers who were not part of well-functioning PLCs indicated a need for clearer communication, additional training, and improved support in balancing the time and energy demands of competing initiatives within district and campus initiatives.