CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Professional Learning Community

Professional Learning in the community college has been studied as a field of inquiry for more than 30 years (Centra, 2006; Hammons, 2007; Lindquist, 2008; Cryer, 2007; Hansen & Rhodes, 2007). There are over a dozen national and international organizations that have as a major focus professional Learning in community colleges.

After an examination of 13 recent lists of characteristics of "effective Professional Learning evaluation process," researchers conclude that they vary widely and that the research that supports them is inconsistent and often contradictory. Nonetheless, he argues, we need to seek agreement on criteria for effectiveness, along with clear descriptions of contextual factors. Do we know what makes Professional Learning evaluation process effective? Have researchers and practitioners reached consensus about what factors contribute to a successful Professional Learning evaluation process experience? Do we even agree on what criteria should be used to judge Professional Learning evaluation process's effectiveness? A review of newly developed lists of the characteristics of effective Professional Learning evaluation process indicates that the answer to each of these questions is "Maybe not." (Hammons, J.O., & Keller, L. 2007)Recently researchers analyzed 13 different lists of the characteristics of effective Professional Learning evaluation process, all published within the last decade. These lists were drawn from publications of the American Federation of Teachers, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Learning, Education Learning Center, Professional Research Service, Professional Testing Service, Eisenhower Professional Learning evaluation process Program, National Governors' Association, National Institute for Science Education, National Partnership for Excellence and Accountability in Teaching, National Staff Learning Council, and U.S. Department of Education. My goal was to find out the extent to which these various lists agreed. What researchers discovered is that they were derived in very different ways, used different criteria to determine "effectiveness," and varied widely in the characteristics they identified. They also found that the research evidence regarding most of the identified characteristics is inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. (Sydow, D. 2007)

In considering their Learning, they concluded that most of the lists could be described as "research-based." But that research rarely includes rigorous investigations of the relationship between the noted characteristics and improvements in instructional practice or administrative leader learning outcomes. Instead, it typically involves surveys of the opinions of researchers and educators. In other words, researchers and practitioners generally favor these characteristics and believe they are important, despite the lack of verifying evidence. Only a National Institute for Science Education (NISE) analysis and an Professional Testing Service (PTS) study show a direct link between their identified characteristics and specific measures of administrative leader achievement. (Shults, C. 2007)Of the 21 characteristics distinguished in the lists, the most frequently cited was enhancement of teachers' content and pedagogical knowledge.

Helping teachers to understand more deeply the content they teach and the ways administrative leaders learn that content appears to be a vital dimension of effective Professional Learning evaluation process. At present, however, nearly all of the studies relating this characteristic to improvements in administrative leader learning focus on achievement in ...