Dr. Teresa Ann Hughes, PhD Dissertation Defense, Dissertation Chair, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis

8/14/2019 Dr. Teresa Ann Hughes, PhD Dissertation Defense, Dissertation Chair, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis

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October 25, 2006 1:00 PMTeresa Ann Hughes

Professional Learning Communities 1

The Relationship Between

Professional Learning

Communities and Student

Achievement in High Schools

A Dissertation Defense

byTeresa Ann Hughes

Major Professor: William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

PhD Program in Educational Leadership



Teresa Ann HughesProfessional Learning Communities 2October 25, 2006 1:00 PM

Dissertation Defense Format

I. Theoretical FrameworkII. Purpose of the Study

III. Research Questions

IV. Method

V. Major Findings

VI. Review of LiteratureVII. Recommendations




Theoretical Framework3 Big Ideas

Student

PerformanceCollaborative Culture

Results

Richard and Rebecca DuFour and Robert Eaker

Student Learning




Purpose of the Study

The purpose was two-fold:

1. Identify the degree to which each schoolwas functioning as a professional

learning community as rated by the

principal.




Purpose of the Study

2. Identify whether improved studentachievement in Mathematics andReading/English Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills(TAKS) scores increased as a result of professional learning communities for the2004, 2005, and 2006 school years.




Research Questions

1. To what degree do principals rate their school as functioning as a professional

learning community as measured by the

School Professional Staff as Learning Community instrument?




Research Questions

2. Is there a relationship between studentachievement, based on change in

Mathematics Texas Assessment of

Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, andthe degree to which the principals report

that the school is functioning as a

professional learning community?




Research Questions

3. Is there a relationship between studentachievement, based on change inReading/English Language Arts Texas

Assessment of Knowledge and Skills(TAKS) scores, and the degree to whichthe principals report that the school is

functioning as a professional learningcommunity?




Null Hypotheses

H01 - There is no statistically significantrelationship between student achievement,

as measured by Mathematics Texas

Assessment of Knowledge and Skills(TAKS) scores, and the degree to which a

school is functioning as a professional

learning community.




Null Hypotheses

H02 - There is no statistically significantrelationship between student achievement,

as measured by Reading/English

Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, and

the degree to which a school is functioning

as a professional learning community.




Method

Descriptive Statistics

Correlational Statistics Pearson¶s Correlation

Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis




Method

Independent Variable ± The degree to which aschool functions as a professional learning

community as rated by the principal.

Dependent Variable ± Student achievement

based on change in Mathematics and

Reading/English Language Arts TAKS scores.




Method

Subjects of the Study All accessible regular instruction public high

schools that functioned as a PLC in Texas

Grades 9 through 12

Total student enrollment greater than 1,000

64 principals responded out of 142




Method

Instrumentation School Professional Staff as Learning

Community Instrument

five-point Likert-type instrument Pilot Test and Field Test for reliability and

validity conducted by Appalachia EducationalLaboratories (AEL)

5 Indicators (17 total questions)




Method

Instrumentation ± 5 Indicators

1. School administrators participate democraticallywith teachers by sharing power, authority, anddecision making.

2. There is a shared vision for school improvement inwhich the school has an undeviating focus onstudent learning.

3. Staff¶s collective learning and application of thelearning create high intellectual tasks and solutionsto address student needs.




Method

Instrumentation ± 5 Indicators

4. Peers review and give feedback

based on observing each other¶s

classroom behaviors.

5. Conditions and capacities support the

school¶s arrangement as aprofessional learning community.




Major FindingsResearch Question 1

To what degree do principals rate their school as functioning as a professional

learning community as measured by the

School Professional Staff as Learning Community instrument?





Mean PLC Score = 68.8Possible Range: 17 to 85

Reported Range: 52 to 83

Mean Length of Time as a PLC = 2.5 years





Correlation Between Total PLC Score onInstrument and Years as a PLC

r = .347,p = .005, (p < .01)




Review of LiteratureResearch Question 1

Lezotte (1997) - The best way to build this broad-basedcommitment to the goals and strategies is throughinvolvement of the staff and administrators.

Eaker, DuFour, & DuFour (2002) - In a professionallearning community, collaboration is embedded intoevery aspect of the school culture. Every major decisionrelated to the learning mission is made through

collaborative processes.





Gale (1997) - For change to be sustained, it isessential that those in authority support thechange and those at the site of change must beinvolved in decisions regarding the change.

Twadell (2006) - The seeds of change in our departmental culture were planted whenteachers worked together to develop a shared

vision of the department they hoped to becomeand the students they hoped to shape.





DuFour and Eaker (1998) - Teachers inprofessional learning communities recognizethat teaching has not occurred until learning hasoccurred, and they act accordingly.

Hinman (2006) - Collaboration and collectiveinquiry are essential to the PLC concept, but

only if teachers remain focused on the rightissues.





Muhammad (2006) - They recognize studentscannot continually learn at higher levels unlesseducators are continually developing their capacity to meet the needs of students.

Eaker, DuFour & DuFour (2002), Members of aPLC are not µinvited¶ to work with colleagues:they are called upon to be contributing members

of a collective effort to improve the school¶scapacity to help all students learn at high levels.





Is there a relationship between studentachievement, based on change in

Mathematics Texas Assessment of

Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, andthe degree to which the principals report

that the school is functioning as a

professional learning community?





Freq. % Freq. % Freq %

Decrease 9 14.1 38 59.4 6 9.4

Increase 55 85.9 26 40.6 58 90.6

2004-2005 2004-20062005-2006

Change in Mathematics TAKS Scores





Pearson¶s ³r´ for the total PLC score and eachindicator as they relate to Mathematics TAKSscores were not significant for any of the schoolyears.

The null hypotheses was not rejected.

Stepwise multiple regression analysis was notcalculated.





Is there a relationship between studentachievement, based on change inReading/English Language Arts Texas

Assessment of Knowledge and Skills(TAKS) scores, and the degree to whichthe principals report that the school is

functioning as a professional learningcommunity?





Freq. % Freq. % Freq %

Decrease 28 43.7 1 1.6 1 1.6

Increase 36 56.3 63 98.4 63 98.4

2004-2005 2004-20062005-2006

Change in Reading/English Language Arts TAKS Scores





For the 2004 and 2005 school years,

Indicator 2 (Undeviating focus on student learning):

r = .289, p = .021 (p < .05)

Indicator 5 (Conditions and capacities support the

learning community school):r = .252, p = .045 (p < .05)





Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis

Excluded Variables

Sig. Partial Correlation

Total Score: .789 -.034

Indicator 1: .629 -.062Indicator 3: .601 -.067

Indicator 4: .301 -.132

Indicator 5: .434 .100

The null hypotheses was not rejected.




Review of LiteratureResearch Questions 2 & 3

Descriptive Statistics

Muhammad (2006) - A school that lagged far behind stateaverages had surpassed the state and eliminated theachievement gap. This transformation occurred, not

because of an influx of better, brighter students, butbecause of the increased capacity, skill, and confidenceof the staff.

Thompson, Gregg & Niska (2004) - In the area of studentlearning, every principal said that they felt students werelearning in their school and they know this by looking atvarious assessments, i.e. test scores, student work, andportfolios.





Correlational Statistics

Schools could be implementing other

initiatives.

Hatch (2000) refers to this excess of

initiatives as ³multiple innovationscolliding.´





Correlational Statistics

Time as a PLC = 2.5 years

Fullan (2000) - It takes about three years toachieve successful change in studentperformance in an elementary school.Depending on size, it takes about six years to doso in a secondary school.



Teresa Ann Hughes

Professional Learning Communities 34October 25, 2006 1:00 PM

Conclusion

It can be concluded that while there are significantincreases in all TAKS scores, the results from

the instrument can not be used to predict

change in TAKS scores. Therefore, it cannot be

concluded that professional learning

communities impact student achievement and it

cannot be concluded that they do not impact

student achievement.



Teresa Ann Hughes


Recommendations

Principals should follow professional learning

communities over the next few years to document further progress.

Principals should continue participating democratically

with teachers sharing power, authority, and decisionmaking.

Principals should continue working to share visions for

school improvement that have an undeviating focus onstudent learning and are consistently referenced for thestaff¶s work.



Teresa Ann Hughes


Recommendations

Principals should continue to support the staff¶s

collective learning and application of the learning toaddress student needs.

Principals should implement peer reviews and peers

providing feedback based on observing each other¶sclassrooms in order to increase individual andorganizational capacity.

Principals should continue to support the school¶sarrangement as a professional learning community.



Teresa Ann Hughes


Recommendationsfor Further Study

A study could be conducted to compare schoolsfunctioning as professional learning communitieswith schools not functioning as professionallearning communities to determine if studentachievement is impacted.

A study could be conducted to determine if arelationship exists between the number of years

schools are professional learning communitiesand student achievement.



Teresa Ann Hughes



A study could be conducted to compare professional

learning community schools with similar demographics todetermine if student achievement is impacted. Schoolscould be identified by the campus group with which theyare assigned.

A study could be conducted that includes bothelementary and middle schools. This study only includedhigh schools.

A study could be conducted where both principals andteachers are surveyed and interviewed to determine theperceptions of their schools as professional learningcommunities.



Teresa Ann Hughes



A study could be conducted with a different instrument

that addresses the differences in the respondent¶s mindbetween what should be present for a professionallearning community to exist and what actually isoccurring on the respondent¶s campus.

A study could be conducted with a different instrumentthat has a wider range of choices within a Likert-typescale. This would provide a greater potential variance for each variable so that true differences would emergeduring inferential statistical analysis.



October 25, 2006 1:00 PM

Teresa Ann Hughes

Professional Learning Communities 40

The Relationship Between

Professional LearningCommunities and Student

Achievement in High Schools

A Dissertation Defense

byTeresa Ann Hughes

Documents

Dr. Teresa Ann Hughes, PhD Dissertation Defense, Dissertation Chair, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis