Professional Learning Studies

20124 Words81 Pages
Running head: USING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Using Professional Learning Communities to Increase Student Achievement at SCHOOL XXXXXXXXXXXXX UNIVERSITY Doctoral Research Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) from UNIVERSITY Advisor: XXXXXXXXX Winter 2011 USING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Table of Contents I. Abstract II. Introduction III. Research Questions IV. Theoretical Frameworks a. Organizational Change b. Socio-Cultural Learning Theory V. Literature Review a. National English Language Arts Deficiencies b. Common Planning, Common Lesson Planning, Common Assessments c. Professional Learning Communities d. Issues and Challenges that Administrators Face…show more content…
The research design will then be introduced taking into account the theoretical frameworks and the review of the pertinent research. In this presentation, the qualitative study proposed is to learn the impact of educator perception on the impact of professional learning communities on student performance will be outlined. This will be followed with a discussion concerning the limitations of this study as well as precautions taken to protect those involved with the study. Theoretical Framework Organizational change and socio-cultural learning theories inform this study because they contextualize the problems with universal curriculum frameworks. It is through these theories that we will gain more insight into the issues associated with school system-wide leadership (Knapp, et al, 2008, p. 35). This study will use these learning theories to illuminate the reasoning for educational reform, and inform the research obtained from the focus groups and interviews. These theories are vital to the study, because they are the basis for change and adaptability of people within professional environments. Organizational change refers to the learning of a collective, and how students…show more content…
The literature will examine how the nationwide objective of these Common Core Standards was set in place to minimize repetition, gaps, and disruptions for students. Educators will have the same curriculum to be able to share resources and reduce costs in the process of enhancing student learning and achievement. The transition was designed to cultivate an environment of autonomy for educators by allotting time to communicate, assess and grow as a community. This approach will assist teachers and students in achieving successes. The need for collaborative planning resulted from the myopic efforts to improve school systems over the last twenty years lacked the infrastructural support necessary to instill a culture and framework for gains in educator performance and student academic success. The reasons for the lack of success in these improvement initiatives primarily included a lack of interaction with USING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES 23 colleagues in order to gain insights and levels of understanding necessary to stimulate
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