A PLC, or Professional Learning Community, is a group of educators or stakeholders who meet regularly, share expertise, and work collaboratively to improve student outcomes. PLCs can include teachers, school leadership teams, support staff, and even building custodians, cafeteria workers, and security personnel. The goal of a PLC is to improve student achievement through continuous job-embedded learning for educators.

PLCs are an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. They are designed to monitor the pulse of the campus and the impact of the ever-changing educational landscape. PLCs allow teachers to share best practices, brainstorm innovative ways to improve learning, and reflect on instructional practices and student outcomes.

PLCs require the utilization of data from assessments and an examination of professional practice as teachers and administrators systematically monitor and adjust curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure the goal of graduating all students are college and/or career ready. The PLC process provides a framework for teachers to discuss next steps needed to implement interventions for students with specific and immediate feedback about their learning.

In summary, PLCs are a collaborative approach to improving student outcomes through continuous job-embedded learning for educators. They require the utilization of data from assessments and an examination of professional practice to ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning.