RSA # 3 Barriers to School Reform into PLC

Summary

There are many barriers to implementation of a professional learning community. These barriers are what must be overcome before a community can begin to reap the benefits of a well put together PLC. The first step to hurdling them is to understand what they are and where, as a community or school, that you are in terms of defeating them.
The article I have chosen begins with the idea that barriers can occur at the school, district, or regional level and to try and implement a PLC at only one level would greatly defeat its success (Williams, Brien, Sprague, & Sullivan, 2008). Presented in the reading is a research study that involves the creation of a reflection tool that will provide a school with information about where they fall on a spectrum. The spectrum ranges from completely bureaucratic to a level that indicates readiness for reform such as a PLC.
The readiness tool that was created will allow schools to determine specific barriers to successful reform toward a learning community. Information from the tool is broken down into four major categories that correspond to certain issues preventing reform of a school. With a tool such as this, schools can begin to refine their culture with a clear focus of where to begin.

Excerpt

The successful transformation of schools into professional learning communities is impacted by two clusters of internal characteristics: a) organizational characteristics such as culture, leadership, and capacity-building, and b) operational characteristics such as professional development, data collection, and systemic trust.

Reference

Williams, R., Brien, K., Sprague, C., & Sullivan, G. (2008). Professional learning communities: Developing a school-level readiness instrument. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (74), 1-17. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.