Sustainability of Urban Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a professional development (PD) initiative utilized in schools across the world for the purposes of improving student achievement. Research suggests this PD initiative differs in implementation from suburban to urban school settings, just as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Response to Intervention (RTI) have differed among the two contexts. Suburban PLCs have experienced sustainable success with emphasis on a set of specific factors that support sustainability. The purpose of this study was to identify key factors that support sustainability of urban PLCs and how they are similar or different to what current research states for suburban school settings. This study used a consensus building approach utilizing a panel of identified experts in the field of sustainable urban PLCs from across the nation with the use of the Delphi Technique. Data will be collected through a series of four questionnaires presented to a panel of 10 to 20 identified experts made up of teachers and administrators who are or have participated in sustainable urban PLCs in order to achieve a consensus concerning elements that support sustainability of urban PLCs.