The first of the four critical questions of a Professional Learning Community process is, what is it we want our students to learn? This question underscores the need for teacher teams to identify the essential learning targets that we will ensure students master. Virtually every experienced educator would agree that teachers are saddled with too much to teach in too little time.

Most schools have traditionally left it up to individual teachers to determine essential learning outcomes and skills. But in a PLC, collaborative teams are expected to come to consensus on those priorities. These need-to-know essentials are learning targets and skills that prepare students to reach the following goals Read more