“…The most promising strategy for substantive school improvement is developing the capacity for school personnel to function as a Professional Learning Community (PLC).” --DuFour, DuF                      our, and Eaker

CESA #4’s PLC team is dedicated in helping school districts begin and continue their journey in building PLCs in their district. We will help each school change their focus from what is being taught to what students are learning. The PLC framework is characterized by shared mission, vision, values,
and goals; collaborative teams focus on learning; collective inquiry into “best practice” and “current reality;” action orientation and experimentation; commitment to continuous improvement and a focus on results. (Professional Learning Communities at Work 1998).

Level 1 - Basic Service - Building Professional Learning Communities in Our Schools
All Professional Learning Community workshops will be based on Dr. Richard DuFour’s research and development disseminated through Solution Tree.

• CESA #4 will provide five full-day Leadership Camps throughout the school year. These camps will support the implementation process of building a Professional Learning Community in your school/district. At the conclusion of each camp, participants will have an action plan to take back and implement.
• One site-based visit will be customized to the school/district’s needs.
• Each participant will receive Learning by Doing 2nd Edition and for each building, they will receive "Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year" --Graham and Ferrier.
• Intended Audience: Leadership teams consisting of six to eight people that include at least one administrator and a diverse cross section of the school/district staff.

Level 2 – Customized Service - Administrative Leadership Teams only: Building and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities
As stated above, CESA #4 staff is dedicated to help school districts begin and move forward in establishing and sustaining the PLC framework. It has been our experience that having an administrative strand of this training is not only beneficial to the administrative team, but also the district as a whole. It is with this training and support from the CESA #4 staff that the Administrative team takes an active role in leading their district in this journey.

• CESA #4 will provide five half-day onsite Administrative PLC trainings throughout the school year. These trainings will allow administrators to build their knowledge and understanding of the PLC framework prior to working with their staff.
• Trainings will be based on DuFour’s: "Leadership in Professional Learning Communities at Work™": Learning by Doing, and "Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year" --Graham and Ferrier
• Trainings will be customized to fit the needs of the Administrative Team

Level 3 – District Based Leadership Service
In the District Based Leadership Service, CESA #4 PLC staff provides customized district-level Professional Learning Community support. This support will be offered at the district site or at CESA #4 to better implement the PLC process as it was built in Levels 1 and 2 above. These additional days will be spent on site or at CESA #4 with District Leadership teams to better utilize the PLC framework.

Examples include:

• Using CESA #4 directors as PLC process observers
• CESA #4 directors can work with leadership team to plan agendas for PLC teams
• CESA #4 directors can do a PLC Audit for a district or school to identify where to begin their journey
• CESA #4 directors can customize professional development in order to best fit district or school needs

For more information, contact:

Sally Weber
Program Assistant
(608) 786-4831; Toll Free (800) 514-3075
FAX (608) 786-4801
E-mail: sweber@cesa4.k12.wi.us