Building a High-Performing Culture in a PLC at Work Model: How One Wisconsin School Raised the BarBy: Brandon Krause, Principal and Katelyn Dwyer, Associate Principal, Prairie View Elementary, Beaver Dam School District In today’s educational landscape, one of the most effective ways to foster growth, collaboration, and student success is through a Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work model. This model provides a systematic approach to ensuring that educators work together to achieve common goals, ultimately leading to a high-performing school. In this article, we will explore how one elementary school in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, built a high-performing school using the PLC at Work framework, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, continuous improvement, and a shared commitment to student achievement. Understanding the PLC at Work Model A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a group of educators who meet regularly to discuss student learning, share best practices, and collaboratively solve challenges. The PLC at Work model is a specific, proven approach that emphasizes four key questions that drive the work of the group:
The goal of the PLC at Work model is to create a culture where educators are consistently focused on improving teaching and learning for all students. This model requires a commitment to collective responsibility, where the entire school community works together to achieve shared goals. Systems of Support in a High Performing School For Prairie View to make the leap to becoming a high performing school, there needed to be systems in place to address student growth and achievement. The following teams were established to carry out this work:
Key Elements of a High-Performing PLC School To build a high-performing school within the PLC at Work framework, there are several key elements that Prairie View established and put in place. These include clarity of expectations, a shared vision, collaborative teams, data-driven decision-making, and a culture of continuous improvement. These revolve around the three pillars of a professional learning community: focus on learning, collaborative culture, and focus on results. 1. Clarity on What is Expected To help teachers at Prairie View understand how they were going to positively impact student growth and achievement, the Guiding Coalition and Social-Emotional Leadership teams worked together to determine what an ideal lesson would look like, and what an ideal school environment for our students would look like. These are six to seven indicators for each area that the school leaders have determined are vital for high student growth and achievement. They are:
2. Establish a Shared Vision (Focus on Learning) The first step in building a high-performing school in a PLC model is to establish a clear, shared vision of success. Prairie View teachers engaged in this work over several months (along with some refinement thereafter), crafting a mission about what we were as a building, a vision about what we wanted to become, and collective commitments about how we were going to behave to realize the mission and vision. These components would provide direction and purpose for the work of the school. Prairie View’s current mission, vision, and collective commitments are reviewed at every staff meeting or professional development session, anchoring our work back to them each time. 3. Create Collaborative Teams (Collaborative Culture) In a high-performing PLC, collaboration is at the heart of everything. Prairie View teachers work in teams to plan instruction, analyze student data, and address student needs. These teams are organized by grade level, subject area, or specialty, allowing teachers to focus on areas of common interest and expertise. The collaborative teams meet weekly to discuss best practices, share strategies, and analyze student data to inform their decisions. They utilize a common protocol (Teaching and Assessing Cycle) to determine what is going to be taught, how it will be assessed, and then they analyze how students did to determine future support needed. All certified staff are a part of a collaborative team, including special education teachers, literacy support teachers, and specials teachers. Click here for an example of what the Teaching and Assessing Cycle looks like. 4. Use Data to Drive Decisions (Focus on Results) One of the hallmarks of a high-performing school is a data-driven approach to decision-making. At Prairie View, teachers and administrators use data from formative assessments, benchmark tests, and student performance to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This data informs instructional decisions and helps identify interventions for students who are struggling. In addition to this work happening during weekly collaborative team meetings at the micro level, Prairie View’s SIT meets weekly for about one hour to review data on a macro level. This team spends one meeting per month discussing students in academic interventions, one meeting discussing students in behavioral interventions, one meeting with the special education department to review student progress on IEP goals, and one meeting to review student attendance. The SIT also reviews benchmark assessment data at regular intervals to determine intervention/enrichment needs, as well as reviews and analyzes our system of interventions to ensure they are being successful. 5. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement Building a high-performing school like Prairie View requires a mindset of continuous improvement. Educators have to be committed to their own professional growth and to the ongoing development of their colleagues. Regular professional development opportunities (bi-weekly staff meetings and monthly inservice meetings), peer observations, and feedback loops are essential in this process. Prairie View administrators engage in daily walkthroughs of classrooms, providing immediate and actionable feedback to teachers. Each classroom is visited at least weekly during alternate core curricular areas. In these walkthroughs, administrators spend 7–10 minutes observing teaching and learning. Immediately after the observation is complete, administrators send audio feedback to teachers using the CEIQ framework (Claim, Evidence, Impact, Question). Feedback is focused around the ideal lesson plan or ideal school environment indicators. The Role of Leadership in a High-Performing PLC School School leaders play a critical role in building and sustaining a high-performing school using the PLC at Work model. They are responsible for setting the vision, fostering collaboration, and providing the necessary resources for success. Prairie View’s administrators actively participate in the work of PLC teams. They attend weekly collaborative team meetings and help facilitate conversations, provide ongoing professional development, and ensure the school’s culture supports learning and growth. Leaders should also prioritize creating a safe and supportive environment where all educators feel valued and empowered to contribute to the PLC. By modeling the behaviors of collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability, Prairie View’s administrators set the tone for the entire school community. Conclusion Building a high-performing school within a PLC at Work model requires dedication, collaboration, and a focus on continuous improvement. By creating a shared vision, fostering a culture of teamwork, using data to guide instruction, and supporting professional growth, Prairie View created an environment where both educators and students thrive. With strong leadership and a commitment to the core principles of the PLC at Work framework like Prairie View, schools can transform the way they work and ultimately achieve greater success for all students and staff. References Djabrayan Hannigan, J., & Hannigan, J. (2022). Don’t Suspend Me: An Alternative Discipline Toolkit (Second). Corwin Press. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., Mattos, M., & Muhammad, A. (2024). Learning By Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (Fourth). Solution Tree. Hannigan, J., Djabrayan Hannigan, J., Mattos, M., & Buffum, A. (2020). Behavior Solutions: Teaching Academic and Social Skills Through RtI at Work. Solution Tree. Mattos, M., Buffum, A., Malone, J., Cruz, L. F., Dimich, N., & Schuhl, S. (2024). Taking Action: A Handbook for RtI At Work (Second). Solution Tree.
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