URL:

Abstract:

What happens in your school when, despite a teacher's best efforts, a student does not learn? In traditional schools, the answer is left to the discretion of the individual classroom teacher, says Rick DuFour in this leadership column (Journal of Staff Development, Fall 2004). DuFour calls this approach "a form of educational lottery with children." Schools with professional learning communities, on the other hand, "create a systematic response -- processes to monitor each student's learning and to ensure that a student who struggles is provided additional time and support for learning according to a schoolwide plan." This kind of coordinated system of support "never occurs by chance," DuFour writes. "It can only occur when school leaders work with staff to develop a plan of intervention, carefully monitor the implementation of that plan, and confront those who disregard it."

DuFour, R. Leading edge: Culture shift doesn't happen overnight--or witout conflict.XZxz JSD, Fall 2004 (Vol. 25, No. 4. Retreived from the National Staff Development Council 3 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/dufour254.cfm

• Tagged
• XML
• BibTex