This webinar highlighted what we know to be true in far too many districts across the country — PLCs often function more like administrative meetings than meaningful collaborative professional learning. And while webinar participants reported that PLCs at their home schools and districts were instructionally focused, very few (less than 10% answering our poll) characterized their PLCs as “high impact.” NTC believes PLCs have the potential to offer invaluable professional learning proven to improve instructional coherence, teacher practice, and student achievement. Effective PLCs also contribute to teacher job satisfaction and retention. But this is only possible when dynamic teams of educators are well-supported with dedicated resources and expert facilitation, enabling them to regularly engage in productive cycles of planning, instruction, assessment, and reflection. 

Speakers:

• Susan Brashear, Deputy Superintendent, Whitley County School District (KY) 
• Tori Anders-St. Thomas, Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative
• Shelley Winterberg, Director of Program & Partnerships, NTC
• Lisa Schmitt, Senior Director of Impact, NTC

Background from the federal grant:

Poor implementation and lack of buy-in for PLCs at many partner sites

At the outset of the grant, PLCs either didn’t exist or were poorly implemented in many of our partner sites. Facilitators were not trained, and teachers were unenthusiastic and resistant. PLCs were largely seen as 

• compliance-driven
• administrative
• opportunities to vent or gripe

Starting points for (many) existing PLCs 

• At the outset of the grant, Susan was principal of an intermediate school that did not offer coaching. PLCs functioned, she said, more like administrative meetings. 
• She also shared that teachers at the school struggled to have honest conversations about their data and instruction.

Key evaluation findings

But PLCs offer the potential for powerful professional learning with real impacts on teaching and learning. Findings from SRI International, the external evaluator for NTC’s EIR grant, included the following:

• District partners became more intentional with the use of PLC time
• PLCs were an effective way to scale coaching.
• Significant impacts on student achievement in math and ELA were tied to two key implementation factors. Achievement was greater among students in the treatment sample when students:
  • were at a school with an NTC-trained coach assigned for all 3 years 
  • when their teachers participated in PLC-based coaching for 90 mins/month for 7 months, or 10.5 hours of PLC participation throughout the year
• Stronger implementation occurred at schools where coaching was integrated into existing structures like PLCs and/or instructional frameworks, and initiatives demonstrated stronger teacher engagement and coherence. 
• PLCs were stronger when: 
  • Principals and district champions promoted the work and were actively engaged.
  • Dedicated time and role clarity were in place
  • NTC professional learning and in-field coaching were provided for skilled and enthusiastic program leads or lead coaches, and PLC facilitators. 

Highlights and takeaways from the panelists:

Giving teachers the reins builds trust for big impacts on culture and achievement

Beginning with professional learning for coaches who would become PLC facilitators, NTC and SESC staff supported Susan to reimagine how PLCs could align with her goals and vision. She transitioned from principal-led to teacher-driven PLCs with dramatic results. Teachers started discussing craft in hallways, came to meetings ready to examine data and student work, and relied on each other to solve problems. At the center: discussions about standards and proficiency.

• Her teachers “felt like they were in a trusted space that was non-judgmental, where everybody was going to help each other grow.” The sense of collective efficacy was powerful.
• Results followed. Students whose teachers participated in coached PLCs had significantly higher proficiency rates on state tests than students of non-participating teachers.
• Collaboration expanded beyond grade levels. As teams linked resources in agendas, others requested access: “It really became such a bigger community and wider collective effort.”
• Susan credits the grant partnership: “We’ve transformed our approach to collaboration, shifting toward true PLCs that are focused, purposeful, and centered on improving student learning.”

Scaling and sustainability

Based on this impact — and with Susan’s move to deputy superintendent — Whitley County is now implementing NTC’s PLC model districtwide. The district:

• Offered summer PLC training for all principals/assistant principals
• Implemented district-level supports with coaches assigned to each school
• Trained multiple teachers from each school as coaches
• Established weekly PLCs using district-wide protocols adapted from NTC tools

Building regional capacity through educational cooperatives

NTC trained Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative (SESC) staff to support regional PLC implementation. Starting with one-on-one coaching during the pandemic, they expanded to team-based work, developing a strong understanding of collaborative practice.

Tori Anders St.-Thomas became SESC’s lead PLC coach, now spending most of her time supporting school leaders in developing, implementing, and sustaining effective PLCs regionally.

Addressing common barriers — Leaders are the lever

SESC staff interviewed principals about their PLC vision, then observed PLCs during a “Listen and Learn” phase. Most existing PLCs were “getting their feet wet” but “not really swimming.”

Using NTC’s Criteria and Continuum for Effective PLCs, they guided coaching conversations with principals to identify strengths and growth areas and to create site-specific plans.

Common barriers leaders addressed:

• Time and consistency — Protected time that stays focused on student learning, not logistics. “You can’t be wishy-washy about PLCs.”
• Clarity of purpose — Teams must know why they’re meeting and how collaboration connects to student outcomes.
• Balancing relationships and results — Teachers need a sense of safety to be vulnerable as they move toward evidence-based improvement.
• Leadership turnover — Sustaining PLCs requires continued support and shared vision.

Non-negotiables for high-impact PLCs

From supporting 10 districts, Tori identified key lessons:

• Leadership is the biggest facilitator. When principals understand PLCs as intentional spaces for professional learning—not just meetings—engagement increases. SESC helps principals clarify the why, align with school goals, and actively participate to learn alongside teachers. Ongoing monitoring of PLC effectiveness is also key.
• Structure with focus and purpose matters. NTC’s criteria and continuum help anchor the work and keep conversations focused on student learning. “PLC facilitators need strong agendas. They must learn to coach colleagues. This requires norms. Save a few minutes each meeting for process feedback.”
• Engagement grows when teachers see impact. When collaborative planning connects directly to classroom practice and student growth, true engagement takes root.

Resources:

• Criteria for Effective PLCs 
• Effective Professional Learning Communities (Continuum)
• Unlocking the power of PLCs
• The power of rural networks — Building regional capacity to provide cost-effective professional learning through coaching and PLCs
• The transformative power of PLCs

Key participant questions from the webinar:

What does a PLC cycle look like?
According to SRI’s analysis, one district that demonstrated the highest level of PLC implementation and sustainability developed a formal three-week PLC structure. In the first week (plan), the coach introduced an instructional practice or standard to deconstruct. In the second week (teach), the department lead modeled the practice in their classroom. In the third and final week of the cycle (reflect), the group reflected on using the practice, including looking at student data. Coaches also conducted classroom observations with teachers and leveraged what they learned during observations in the PLCs.

What NTC tools support collaborative teaching and coaching cycles in PLCs?
Learn more about NTC’s Analyzing Student Learning and Planning Conversation Guide protocols.

How can I find out more about NTC coaching, PLC resources, and professional learning, and system-wide PLC support for large districts?
NTC is currently working with several large districts in California and Oregon. For more information, contact our Partnerships team.