Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair for Teresa Ann Huges, Dissertation Defense PPT.
1. October 25, 2006 1:00 PM Teresa Ann Hughes P1
The Relationship Between
Professional Learning
Communities and Student
Achievement in High Schools
A Dissertation Defense
by
Teresa Ann Hughes
Major Professor: William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
PhD Program in Educational Leadership
2. Teresa Ann Hughes 2October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Dissertation Defense Format
I. Theoretical Framework
II. Purpose of the Study
III. Research Questions
IV. Method
V. Major Findings
VI. Review of Literature
VII. Recommendations
3. Teresa Ann Hughes 3October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Theoretical Framework
3 Big Ideas
Student
Performance
Collaborative Culture
Results
Richard and Rebecca DuFour and Robert Eaker
Student Learning
4. Teresa Ann Hughes 4October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Purpose of the Study
The purpose was two-fold:
1. Identify the degree to which each school
was functioning as a professional
learning community as rated by the
principal.
5. Teresa Ann Hughes 5October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Purpose of the Study
2. Identify whether improved student
achievement in Mathematics and
Reading/English Language Arts Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
(TAKS) scores increased as a result of
professional learning communities for the
2004, 2005, and 2006 school years.
6. Teresa Ann Hughes 6October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
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?
7. Teresa Ann Hughes 7October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Research Questions
2. Is there a relationship between student
achievement, based on change in
Mathematics Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, and
the degree to which the principals report
that the school is functioning as a
professional learning community?
8. Teresa Ann Hughes 8October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Research Questions
3. Is there a relationship between student
achievement, based on change in
Reading/English Language Arts Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
(TAKS) scores, and the degree to which
the principals report that the school is
functioning as a professional learning
community?
9. Teresa Ann Hughes 9October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Null Hypotheses
H01 - There is no statistically significant
relationship 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.
10. Teresa Ann Hughes 10October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Null Hypotheses
H02 - There is no statistically significant
relationship 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.
12. Teresa Ann Hughes 12October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Method
Independent Variable – The degree to which a
school 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.
13. Teresa Ann Hughes 13October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
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
14. Teresa Ann Hughes 14October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
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 Educational
Laboratories (AEL)
5 Indicators (17 total questions)
15. Teresa Ann Hughes 15October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Method
Instrumentation – 5 Indicators
1. School administrators participate democratically
with teachers by sharing power, authority, and
decision making.
2. There is a shared vision for school improvement in
which the school has an undeviating focus on
student learning.
3. Staff’s collective learning and application of the
learning create high intellectual tasks and solutions
to address student needs.
16. Teresa Ann Hughes 16October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
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 a
professional learning community.
17. Teresa Ann Hughes 17October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research 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?
18. Teresa Ann Hughes 18October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 1
Mean PLC Score = 68.8
Possible Range: 17 to 85
Reported Range: 52 to 83
Mean Length of Time as a PLC = 2.5 years
19. Teresa Ann Hughes 19October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 1
Correlation Between Total PLC Score on
Instrument and Years as a PLC
r = .347,
p = .005, (p < .01)
20. Teresa Ann Hughes 20October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Question 1
Lezotte (1997) - The best way to build this broad-based
commitment to the goals and strategies is through
involvement of the staff and administrators.
Eaker, DuFour, & DuFour (2002) - In a professional
learning community, collaboration is embedded into
every aspect of the school culture. Every major decision
related to the learning mission is made through
collaborative processes.
21. Teresa Ann Hughes 21October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Question 1
Gale (1997) - For change to be sustained, it is
essential that those in authority support the
change and those at the site of change must be
involved in decisions regarding the change.
Twadell (2006) - The seeds of change in our
departmental culture were planted when
teachers worked together to develop a shared
vision of the department they hoped to become
and the students they hoped to shape.
22. Teresa Ann Hughes 22October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Question 1
DuFour and Eaker (1998) - Teachers in
professional learning communities recognize
that teaching has not occurred until learning has
occurred, and they act accordingly.
Hinman (2006) - Collaboration and collective
inquiry are essential to the PLC concept, but
only if teachers remain focused on the right
issues.
23. Teresa Ann Hughes 23October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Question 1
Muhammad (2006) - They recognize students
cannot continually learn at higher levels unless
educators are continually developing their
capacity to meet the needs of students.
Eaker, DuFour & DuFour (2002), Members of a
PLC are not ‘invited’ to work with colleagues:
they are called upon to be contributing members
of a collective effort to improve the school’s
capacity to help all students learn at high levels.
24. Teresa Ann Hughes 24October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 2
Is there a relationship between student
achievement, based on change in
Mathematics Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, and
the degree to which the principals report
that the school is functioning as a
professional learning community?
26. Teresa Ann Hughes 26October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 2
Pearson’s “r” for the total PLC score and each
indicator as they relate to Mathematics TAKS
scores were not significant for any of the school
years.
The null hypotheses was not rejected.
Stepwise multiple regression analysis was not
calculated.
27. Teresa Ann Hughes 27October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 3
Is there a relationship between student
achievement, based on change in
Reading/English Language Arts Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
(TAKS) scores, and the degree to which
the principals report that the school is
functioning as a professional learning
community?
28. Teresa Ann Hughes 28October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 3
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
29. Teresa Ann Hughes 29October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 3
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)
30. Teresa Ann Hughes 30October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Major Findings
Research Question 3
Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis
Excluded Variables
Sig. Partial Correlation
Total Score: .789 -.034
Indicator 1: .629 -.062
Indicator 3: .601 -.067
Indicator 4: .301 -.132
Indicator 5: .434 .100
The null hypotheses was not rejected.
31. Teresa Ann Hughes 31October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Questions 2 & 3
Descriptive Statistics
Muhammad (2006) - A school that lagged far behind state
averages had surpassed the state and eliminated the
achievement gap. This transformation occurred, not
because of an influx of better, brighter students, but
because of the increased capacity, skill, and confidence
of the staff.
Thompson, Gregg & Niska (2004) - In the area of student
learning, every principal said that they felt students were
learning in their school and they know this by looking at
various assessments, i.e. test scores, student work, and
portfolios.
32. Teresa Ann Hughes 32October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Questions 2 & 3
Correlational Statistics
Schools could be implementing other
initiatives.
Hatch (2000) refers to this excess of
initiatives as “multiple innovations
colliding.”
33. Teresa Ann Hughes 33October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Review of Literature
Research Questions 2 & 3
Correlational Statistics
Time as a PLC = 2.5 years
Fullan (2000) - It takes about three years to
achieve successful change in student
performance in an elementary school.
Depending on size, it takes about six years to do
so in a secondary school.
34. Teresa Ann Hughes 34October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Conclusion
It can be concluded that while there are significant
increases 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.
35. Teresa Ann Hughes 35October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
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 decision
making.
Principals should continue working to share visions for
school improvement that have an undeviating focus on
student learning and are consistently referenced for the
staff’s work.
36. Teresa Ann Hughes 36October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Recommendations
Principals should continue to support the staff’s collective
learning and application of the learning to address
student needs.
Principals should implement peer reviews and peers
providing feedback based on observing each other’s
classrooms in order to increase individual and
organizational capacity.
Principals should continue to support the school’s
arrangement as a professional learning community.
37. Teresa Ann Hughes 37October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Recommendations
for Further Study
A study could be conducted to compare schools
functioning as professional learning communities
with schools not functioning as professional
learning communities to determine if student
achievement is impacted.
A study could be conducted to determine if a
relationship exists between the number of years
schools are professional learning communities
and student achievement.
38. Teresa Ann Hughes 38October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Recommendations
for Further Study
A study could be conducted to compare professional
learning community schools with similar demographics to
determine if student achievement is impacted. Schools
could be identified by the campus group with which they
are assigned.
A study could be conducted that includes both
elementary and middle schools. This study only included
high schools.
A study could be conducted where both principals and
teachers are surveyed and interviewed to determine the
perceptions of their schools as professional learning
communities.
39. Teresa Ann Hughes 39October 25, 2006 1:00 PM
Recommendations
for Further Study
A study could be conducted with a different instrument
that addresses the differences in the respondent’s mind
between what should be present for a professional
learning community to exist and what actually is
occurring on the respondent’s campus.
A study could be conducted with a different instrument
that has a wider range of choices within a Likert-type
scale. This would provide a greater potential variance for
each variable so that true differences would emerge
during inferential statistical analysis.
40. October 25, 2006 1:00 PM Teresa Ann Hughes P40
The Relationship Between
Professional Learning
Communities and Student
Achievement in High Schools
A Dissertation Defense
by
Teresa Ann Hughes
Notes de l'éditeur
Typically I would address the review of literature before the research questions and methods, but I am putting them with the major findings to make it clearer how the study meshes with the theoretical framework.
The PLC model flows from the assumption that the core mission of formal education is not simply to ensure that students are taught but to ensure that students learn. Educators realize they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture. PLC educators judge their effectiveness on the basis of results. If these 3 big ideas are properly implemented the result should be improved student performance.
The following research questions will guide the study…… Principals responding to the instrument, School Professional Staff as Learning Community, will answer this research question.
TAKS data was obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to answer this research question.
TAKS data was obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to answer this research question.
Descriptive Statistics were used to compile demographic information on each principal responding to the instrument. Pearson Correlation Coefficients were then calculated to establish whether or not a relationship existed between schools functioning as PLCs and student achievement. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine predictability for each of the 5 indicator items on the instrument as they related to student achievement.
PLC schools were obtained through 2 sources: Solution Tree – districts hosting PLC conferences in Texas Southwest Educational Development Laboratories (SEDL) – schools given grant money because of NCLB to implement learning communities. The response rate was low but is considered acceptable considering the population and time of year. The instrument was mailed in April and again in June to the non-respondents. Don Dillman’s Total Design Method was also used to increase the response rate. --short instrument --short and personal introduction letter --self-addressed stamped envelope --assured confidentiality by coding the instrument
The instrument used in this study is….. And was created by Shirley Hord at SEDL.
The majority of principals rated their campuses as mature professional learning communities. The mean length of time was 2.5 years. This would indicate that the professional learning communities were a relatively new approach.
This correlation is significant in that the length of time a campus is a professional learning community directly impacts the development level of the campus as perceived by the principal.
TAKS data will be obtained to answer this research question.
For the 2004 and 2005 school years,
It was not necessary to calculate stepwise multiple regression for Mathematics TAKS scores because the Pearson correlation coefficients for the total instrument scores and each indicator, did not reflect a relationship.
TAKS data will be obtained to answer this research question.
For the 2004 and 2005 school years,
Stepwise multiple regression analysis was calculated to determine predictability for each of the 5 indicators as they related to student achievement.
Predictor 2 continues to emerge as a predictor variable. While indicator 5 was included in the model of stepwise multiple regression analysis the analysis excluded it. This could be because indicator 5 is measuring the same constructs in indicator 2. In fact, when I ran a Pearson’s correlation coefficient between indicators 2 and 5, r = .608, p = .000 (p < .01).
Significant increases in student achievement did occur.
NCLB mandates have put a lot of pressure on schools to address student learning. Districts and/or schools could be implementing multiple initiatives while at the same time implementing PLCs.
This indicates that PLCs are a relatively new idea and might explain why a relationship between student achievement and PLC schools was not significant.