| The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of their schools as professional learning communities in two schools, one characterized as high achieving and one characterized as low achieving based on the percent of students who met the state determined standard on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test. A comparative case study was used to investigate differences in the perceptions of teachers at two high schools, Adams and Bryant, which were believed to be maximally different. The School Professional Staff as Learning Community survey was used to collect quantitative data and sub-samples of teachers at each school were interviewed to add qualitative data to the study.; Hord's definition of the professional learning community was the conceptual framework for this study. Hord defined a professional learning community as characterized by five interrelated dimensions: (a) shared and supportive leadership, (b) shared values and vision, (c) collective learning and its applications, (d) shared personal practice, and (e) supportive conditions. Teachers were asked about their world, their work, and their experiences in their schools to create a picture of the two schools' professional community.; Findings from the two sites are reported for each of the five dimensions of the professional learning community model. Teachers at Adams High School described their schools as more like Hord's professional learning community model than did teachers at Bryant High School. Findings for each of the five dimensions of the professional learning community model are presented for each school as well as findings that compare the schools on each dimension. Conclusions are then provided for each of the five dimensions of the professional learning community model. Recommendations for practice and future research are presented for each of the conclusions. |
