Creating Professional Learning Communities

The Richard J. Murphy School in Boston has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Distinguished Title I School, by Mass Insight Education as a Vanguard School, by the Massachusetts Department of Education as an exemplary "Compass School," and by the Boston Public School system as an Effective Practice school. On the state-mandated MCAS exam, the Murphy's average five-year gain in all subject areas-reading, writing, and mathematics-has routinely surpassed state and federal targets.

What is the secret of this success? Murphy teachers attribute much of their success to the collaboration that is built into their daily work. Thanks to an innovative schedule and efficient planning, teachers spend from one to five hours per week learning together, searching for ways to refine and improve their instruction. Their professional development system has an extensive reach, from schoolwide concerns to a narrow focus on an individual student in a particular classroom.

At the Murphy:

• Teachers are inspired. Collaboration inspires teachers by exposing them to new ideas and leaving room for personal goal-setting and growth.
• Teachers feel supported. Professional learning communities make teaching less isolating and enable adults to model collaboration and continuous learning for their students.
• Instruction is aligned. Teachers understand what they are responsible for teaching how their work connects across grade levels.
• Improvement goals are clear. Teachers can identify and address specific areas of need in both student learning and their own teaching.

About this book
In the fall of 2003, The Project for School Innovation began a year-long process of working with the Murphy to better understand this impressive school. Seven Murphy faculty members outlined the specific practices and systems that give teachers access to the resources they need to improve teaching and learning, a voice in their own professional development, and the motivation to critically examine and improve their teaching in the spirit of continual learning. This book documents lessons that came out of this process.

Major Topics Covered
Teacher Collaboration
Data Driven Instruction
Professional Development

Table of Contents for Creating Professional Learning Communities

Introduction - The Power of Collaboration
Why collaborative development matters: An introduction to the Richard J. Murphy School, and outline of this how-to guidebook, and five underlying goals achieved through professional learning communities.

1. Supporting Collaboration: The Role of the Principal
Three key elements that help a principal build, sustain, and nurture a collaborative school culture.

Structures
Staffing
Supervision

2. Structuring Collaboration
Three ways to make sure that your school's professional development is respectful, useful, and inclusive.

How to Establish Group Norms
How to Run an Agenda-Driven Meeting
How to Bring Skeptics into the Fold

3. The Conversations of Collaboration
Three ways to delve into examining and improving teaching and learning.

I. Looking at Quantitative Data

How to Make Data Presentable
How to Discuss Data as a Group
A Data Analysis Story

II. Looking at Student Work

How to Look at Student Work
A Student Work Story

III. Looking at Peers' Teaching

How to Set Up Peer Observations
How to Conduct Peer Observations
A Peer Observation Story

Appendix
Sample documents and materials from the Murphy School.

Action Plan Guide
A planning tool to help your school team adopt and adapt collaborative professional development practices.

PSI Can Help You Implement These Strategies:

School Visits
We can coordinate a visit to  the Richard J. Murphy School, so you can see their achievements first hand.

Planning Tools
PSI can help you create a personalized step-by-step strategy for improving student achievement through teacher collaboration.