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The Effects of Professional Learning Communities on Student Achivement
Erin N. Fyffe
School of Teacher Education, Western Kentucky University
Junior Class Assessment Results
70
90
60
Results
70
Percentages of Students
38
40
Hi
Medium
29
30
20
Low
Percentages of Students
48
50
Table 1: Student Assessment Results
Grade
Level
Grade
Level
Pre-Assessment
Total
M.C.
%
#
#
S.A.
%
Logic
Total
#
%
#
%
Grade
Level
Mid-Assessment
#
M.C.
%
#
S.A.
%
Logic
%
#
42 81% SEN
14 17%
20 23%
44
52%
43
50% SEN
H
20 38%
14 27%
38
73%
85 pre M
11 13%
15 29%
25
29%
15
18% 52 pre M
7 13%
9 17%
6
12%
57 57%
50 59%
16
19%
27
32%
25 48%
29 56%
5
10%
Mastery = 30%
JUN
14%
18 20%
41
45%
31
34% JUN
H
19 30%
9 14%
34
53%
91 pre M
7
8%
16 17%
22
24%
17
19% 64 pre M
10 15%
17 27%
21
33%
71
78%
57 63%
28
31%
43
47%
35 55%
38 59%
9
14%
Mastery = 22%
L
20%
31 33%
51
55%
51
55% SOPH H
36 41%
22 25%
51
59%
83 pre M
10
12%
16 17%
12
13%
15
16% 87 pre M
10 12%
23 26%
31
36%
56
68%
47 50%
30
32%
27
29%
41 47%
42 48%
5
5%
Mastery = 32%
100
pre
%
#
%
#
H
42
58%
32
44%
0% 73 pre M
9
13%
16
22%
22
29%
25
34%
H
53
56%
44
2% 95 pre M
20
21%
22
H
2% 81 pre M
10 19%
48 75% JUN
1
15 23%
5%
17 16%
36
35%
30
29% FROSH H
M
10
10%
23 22%
39
37%
17
L
85
85%
64 62%
29
28%
57
16% 110
pre
55%
Mastery = 15%
M
L
%
#
%
57 78%
62
85%
13 18%
2
3%
4%
9
12%
46%
65 65%
85
89%
24
26%
23 24%
3
3%
23%
27
28%
7%
7
7%
54
67%
38
47%
63 78%
72
89%
12
15%
25
16%
13 16%
2
2%
14
17%
18
6%
6%
7
9%
39
42%
27
29%
72 77%
58
62%
10
11%
21
23%
10 11%
8
9%
44
47%
45
48%
11 12%
27
29%
3
7
2
18 21%
L
5
55
56
50
Hi
Medium
40
Low
30
30
13
13
20
13
10
23
15
14
8
10
0
0
Pre Asessment
Pre Asessment
Mid Assessment
Sophomore Class Assessment Results
Post Assessment
Freshman Class Assessment Results
90
68
Mid Assessment
Post Assessment
85
80
67
74
70
47
41
Hi
40
Medium
Low
30
Percentages of Students
50
60
50
47
42
Hi
Medium
40
Low
30
20
20
15
12
17
19
20
12
11
10
10
10
0
5
7
0
Pre Asessment
Mid Assessment
Post Assessment
Pre Asessment
Mid Assessment
Post Assessment
Discussion
The results of this study indicate that student achievement increased with the
implementation of the professional learning community TAP. The data from the pre, mid,
and post assessments show an increase in student achievement across all secondary
grade levels. The overall percentage of student reaching mastery increased from 24% to
70%. That is an incredible increase of 46% over the span of one school year. The
freshman increased from 15% mastery to 53%, with a total gain of 38%. The
sophomores increased from 32% to 82%, giving them a total increase of 50%. The
junior class started with 22% at mastery and ended with 77% mastery, resulting in a 55%
increase. The senior class started at 30% mastery and ended with 71%, which gave them
a 41% increase.
Mastery = 82%
21 19%
18 16%
44
40%
7%
13 12%
36
33%
81 74%
79 72%
30
27%
8
Mastery = 26%
Pre-Assessment School Wide Mastery:
87 of 359 students or 24%
L
67 77% SOPH
Mastery = 53%
5
L
Logic
Mastery = 77%
17
L
S.A.
#
Mastery = 45%
SOPH H
FROSH H
0
M.C.
Mastery = 71%
13
L
%
Mastery= 51%
H
L
Total
#
H
L
Post-Assessment
60
21
17
60
The main goal of implementing TAP during the 2012/2013 school year
was to improve student achievement. The three types of problems that
were assessed were multiple choice, short answer, and logic. For each
category of question, students were ranked high, medium, or low based
on a numeric scale. Students were also ranked high, medium, or low on
their overall score. At the participating school, the level of mastery is set
at eighty percent. The analyzed assessment data is displayed in Table 1,
which shows student data grouped by class, assessment, and problem
category. Overall mastery scores are given as well.
78
80
58
57
70
L
What effect does The System for Teacher and Student
Advancement have on student achievement?
Senior Class Assessment Results
80
SEN
Research Question
Figure 1(a) shows data from the senior class. The overall percentage of students
ranked high in the senior class improved forty-one percentage points throughout the
year. The percentage of students ranked medium remained constant at thirteen percent
throughout the year. There was a decrease of twenty-eight percentage points for seniors
ranked low.
Figure 1(b) shows assessment data from the junior class. They had an overall
increase in students ranked high of forty-two percentage points, an increase in students
ranked medium of thirteen percentage points, and a decrease in students ranked low of
fifty-five percentage points.
Figure 1(c) shows assessment data from the sophomore class. The sophomores had
an overall increase in students ranked high by forty-seven percentage points, an increase
in students ranked medium by three percentage points, and a decrease in students ranked
low by fifty-one percentage points.
Figure 1(d) shows assessment data from the freshman class. The freshman class
showed an increase of thirty-seven percentage points for high, an increase of one
percentage point for medium, and decrease of thirty-seven percentage points for low.
Percentages of Students
The development of professional learning communities
(PLCs) is an emerging pathway by which we, as educators, can
help to improve student achievement and enhance their overall
educational experience. DuFour and Eaker (2008) looked at best
practices to improve student achievement, insisting “The most
promising strategy sustained, substantive school improvement is
developing the ability of school personnel to function as
professional learning communities” (p. xi). The words in the
phrase ‘professional learning community’ are carefully and
purposefully chosen. A real professional is someone with an
expertise in a specific field that has received training and is
expected to remain current on the evolving knowledge base.
Learning ought to include ongoing action and insatiable curiosity
in the discovery of new ideas. The idea of a “community”
suggests a group comprised of people with shared interests
(DuFour & Eaker, 1998). These three components (recognizing
that teachers are experts in specific fields, receive training, and
remain current) create an environment in which teacher growth is
encouraged and student learning is enhanced.
The participating school in this study works steadily in order
to provide a high quality of education, while taking part in
research-proven practices. This high school has implemented the
professional learning community TAP (The System for teacher
and Student Advancement) in an effort to enhance student
performance. The purpose of this research project is to determine
the effects of TAP on student achievement.
(h, m, l)
Introduction
The data in this study comes from three main sources: student
assessments showing academic data before, during, and after
implementation of TAP, teacher interviews, and teacher surveys. The data
collection took place over a two week period in March of 2014, and the
quantitative assessment data and qualitative survey and interview data
were examined and interpreted in April of 2014. Implementation of TAP
was to be considered effective if student achievement on assessments
increased and if increased academic achievement was observed through
teacher and administrators.
All student from the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades participated in the
TAP assessments. Students were administered the assessments in their
homeroom, which allowed the assessment to be given by the same teacher
each time and in the same classroom environment, producing consistent
and reliable results. The master teacher de-identified the data collected
during the 2012-2013 school year before it was used in the research,
ensuring student confidentiality.
An administrator, the master teacher, a mentor teacher, and three
career teachers were interviewed to gain perspective from the varying
roles in TAP. These interviews took place at Clarksville High School in
the main conference room located in the school’s office. Teachers in the
school district were invited to participate in a survey about professional
learning communities. The survey was given through an electronic
format and sent to teachers through the district email. Teachers could
participate by completing this survey, which may have been done at
school or at home.
(h, m, l)
The System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP) is a
professional learning community that was implemented at the
participating school. The master teacher and leadership team
created a series of assessments to measure student mastery
throughout the implementation of TAP. This data was collected
throughout the 2012-2013 school year. Teacher surveys and
interviews were conducted to learn about TAP and teacher
perceptions of TAP. Results indicated that the implementation of
the professional learning community TAP lead to an increase in
student achievement at the high school level.
Methods and Action Plan
(h, m, l)
Abstract
78 71% FROSH H
5
4% 93 pre M
27 25%
L
Mastery = 53%
Mid-Assessment School Wide Mastery:
131 of 313 students or 42%
Post-Assessment School Wide Mastery:
239 of 342 students or 70%
References
DuFour, R. and Eaker, R. (1998). Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best
Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement. Bloomington, IN: National
Education
Service