Building school-based teacher learning communities : professional strategies to improve student achievement / Milbrey W. McLaughlin, Joan E. Talbert.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McLaughlin, Milbrey Wallin.

Contributor:

Talbert, Joan E.

Series:

Series on school reform

The series on school reform

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Teachers--Training of--United States.

Teachers.

Teachers--Training of.

United States.

Teachers--In-service training--United States.

Teachers--In-service training.

Educational change--United States.

Educational change.

Physical Description:

xii, 147 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Teachers College Press, [2006]

Summary:

Building on extensive evidence that school-based teacher learning communities improve student outcomes, this book lays out an agenda to develop and sustain collaborative professional cultures. McLaughlin and Talbert--foremost scholars of school change and teaching contexts--provide an inside look at the processes, resources, and system strategies that are necessary to build vibrant school-based teacher learning communities.

Contents:

1 Learning to Improve Student Achievement 1

The Essential Role of a School-Based Learning Community for Teachers 3

Evidence That Teacher Learning Communities Benefit Students 8

The Empirical Foundation and Organization of the Book 11

2 Challenges of Re-culturing Schools into Learning Communities 16

How Teacher Learning Communities Differ from Typical School Communities 16

How Do Teacher Learning Communities Improve Student Achievement? 22

Stages of Learning Community Development and Challenges of Transition 30

3 Developing Communities of Practice in Schools 38

Getting Started: Principles for Developing Communities of Practice 39

Developing Communities of Teaching Practice: Case Illustrations 44

School Leadership for Developing Teacher Learning Communities 56

Tensions and Challenges in Changing School Culture 60

4 Professional Development in Support of Teacher Learning Communities 64

Special Contributions of Off-Site Professional Development 65

Quality Professional Development and Its Value to Teacher Learning Communities 68

Implications for Teacher Professional Development Systems 77

5 Teacher Learning Communities and the Broader Context 79

System Administrators 80

Teachers' Organizations 83

Professional Developers 86

Stakeholders: Parents and Community Members 88

6 Everyone a Learner: Challenges and Promising Practices 92

System Administrators 92

Professional Developers 98

Parents 106

Community Members 110

Expanding the Local Learning Agenda 111

7 A Local Learning System to Support Teacher Learning Communities 113

Why Are Teacher Learning Communities Rare? 113

The District as the Unit of Change 116

The District as a Local Learning System 118

Implementing a Local Learning Agenda: Boston Public Schools 122

Outcomes of Boston's Learning System 126

Research for School-Based Learning Communities 129.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-138) and index.

ISBN:

0807746800

0807746797

OCLC:

62342211

Publisher Number:

9780807746806

9780807746790