DuFour's Big Ideas for PLCs

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) according to DuFour?

• Individual lesson planning

• Collaborative teamwork

• Isolated teaching

• Competitive grading

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.10

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

Which of the following is a benefit of effective PLCs?

• Increased teacher isolation

• Improved student learning outcomes

• Less communication among staff

• More paperwork for teachers

According to DuFour, which practice is essential for successful collaboration in a PLC?

• Sharing student data and discussing strategies

• Working alone on lesson plans

• Ignoring feedback from colleagues

• Avoiding team meetings

Which statement best summarizes the main focus of a PLC?

• Focusing on what students are learning

• Emphasizing teacher preferences

• Prioritizing administrative tasks

• Reducing classroom activities

How can teachers in a PLC use student assessment data effectively?

• To identify students who need extra help and adjust instruction

• To compare teachers’ performance

• To create more tests

• To ignore differences in student learning

Which of the following is an example of a collaborative practice in a PLC?

• Teachers planning lessons together and sharing resources

• Teachers working independently without sharing ideas

• Teachers only meeting once a year

• Teachers focusing only on their own classes

A PLC team notices that some students are struggling with math concepts. What is a strategic action the team could take?

• Develop a targeted intervention plan and monitor progress

• Ignore the issue and continue as usual

• Assign more homework without discussion

• Wait for the next school year to address it

Imagine your PLC wants to improve reading comprehension for all students. What is a strategic first step your team should take?

• Analyze current student reading data to identify specific needs

• Assign random reading materials

• Skip team meetings

• Focus only on advanced readers

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.10

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

Your PLC has set a goal to increase student engagement in science. Which approach best applies DuFour’s PLC strategies?

• Collaboratively design engaging science lessons and review their effectiveness regularly

• Each teacher creates their own lessons without input

• Only use textbook activities

• Avoid discussing lesson outcomes

A SpED and a GenEd are assigned to co-teach in a third-grade classroom. The GenEd plans the lessons and gives the special educator a copy at the start of each week. Which of the following would be the most effective way to encourage more collaboration between these two teachers?

• Scheduling a common period to discuss and plan lessons that meet the student's needs

• Taking turns each week teaching lessons on the basis of teacher's expertise

• Encouraging the entire faculty to attend staff development workshops related to inclusion

• Agreeing to pull out of the students who receive special education services for a certain amount of time each to work on individual goals