Standard 1: Learning Communities

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment.

Learn more about the Learning Communities Standard

Watch a video.
Dr. Frances Miller, co-president of Learning Forward,
discusses the Learning Communities Standard.

Core Elements of this Standard

Engage in continuous improvement,
Develop collective responsibility,
Support alignment of individual, team, school, and school system goals,
Convene regularly and frequently during the workday to engage in collaborative professional learning,
Focus of learning communities on strengthening their practice and increasing student achievement,
Achieve shared goals of school and school system
Work in transparent, authentic settings.

Tools for Understanding

Elaboration of the Standard:
Learning Forward, our parent organization, has taken the time to elaborate or expand this standard on their website. Each core element is explained in detail. To access this, click on this link:
http://www.learningforward.org/standards
/learning-communities

Innovation Configuration (IC) Maps describe in behavioral terms what each standard looks like in practice. These tools facilitate and accelerate implementation of each standard by identifying what actions key education stakeholders take in support of each standard. The IC Maps are available for purchase through the Learning Forward Bookstore at http://www.learningforward.org/standards
/innovation-configurations

The Learning Communities Standard in Practice

Click on the videos below to see some Learning Communities at work.
Thank you to Learning Forward, our parent organization,
for providing these helpful and informative videos.

Educators from Vincent Massey Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario discuss how their membership in the Learning School Alliance has helped them become a more effective learning community. Watch the Learning Communities Standard in action.

Educators at Santa Fe Junior High School in Santa Fe, TX are the winners of the 2013 Shirley Hord Learning Team Award given by Learning Forward. Watch the Learning Community Standard in action at an award winning school.

Reference
Learning Forward. (2013, January 9). Vincent Massey PLC [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RC8aNyRjA0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUva2zi6NysiWeOlTSBIzD6Q

Reference
Learning Forward. (2013, March 1). Santa Fe Jr. High PLC Video [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0smM_AC2u0c