PLC Innovation Configuration Matrix (PLC-ICM)

As administrators and staff assess their progress related to incorporating the learning community concept within their school, it is helpful to clarify what this intervention looks like in practice. Hall and Hord (2006) explain the Innovation Configuration Map (ICM) that describes both the expected ideas of the change as well as the variations of the change evident in classrooms. These distinguishing practices allow the administrators and staff to discover where their actions fall on this continuum.

Although the PLC-ICM is generally used by staff to assess their collective relationship to the change, the tool can also be used by teachers for individual review to guide future practice. Teachers will find it helpful to use the map for self-reflection, as well as for peer observations within classrooms.

Dimension: Shared and Supportive Leadership

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Information Sharing and Decision Making	Administrators hold information and make decisions in isolation.	Administrators determine what information to share and with whom; selected staff are involved in decision making.	Administrators share most information with all staff and many decisions include most of the staff.	Information is available to all staff; administrators consistently involve staff in broad-based decision making.
Authority and Responsibility	Staff authority and responsibility are limited to daily issues of classroom teaching and learning.	Administrators offer increased authority and responsibility and nurture selected staff around teaching and learning issues at classroom and school levels.	Administrators involve and nurture all staff around teaching and learning issues at classroom and school levels.	Administrators and staff share authority and responsibility around issues of teaching and learning at all levels.
Commitment and Accountability	Staff do not hold themselves accountable for student learning.	Staff perceive themselves as accountable for student learning.	Staff hold themselves accountable for student learning.	Staff are committed to and accountable for student learning.

Dimension: Shared Values and Vision

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Values	Administrators and individual staff hold personal values about teaching and learning, but do not voice these to others.	Administrators and individual staff hold personal values about teaching and learning, and voice these to a few selected colleagues.	Administrators and individual staff hold personal values about teaching and learning and share these with all colleagues in open discussion.	Administrators and staff members use their personal values about teaching and learning as the foundation for developing shared values to guide school decisions.
Focus	Administrators and staff address multiple areas of teaching and learning; some, but not all, areas focus on student learning; state and federal mandated assessments are not utilized.	Small groups of staff work together to address one or more areas of teaching and learning; most areas focus on student learning; student learning measures are not aligned to state and federal mandated assessments.	Staff agree on priority areas for teaching and learning; all priorities focus on high expectations for student learning; student learning measures are limited to state and federal mandated assessments.	Staff agree on priority areas for teaching and learning; all priorities focus on high expectations for student learning; student learning measures include, but are not limited to, state and federal mandated assessments.
Vision	The school district has a vision and/or mission statement, but no vision and/or mission statement exists for the school.	Staff are involved in a process to define the vision for the school; the vision is not used as a basis for decision making.	Staff are involved in a process to define the vision for the school; it is used as a basis for decision making.	Staff are involved in a process to define a shared vision; it is routinely used as a decision making template for aligning policies, programs and norms of behavior.

Dimension: Collective Learning and Application of Learning

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Collaboration	Staff seldom engage in discussions that focus on student data.	Staff engage in discussions that begin to address data related to student needs; continuous inquiry is inconsistently related to identified student needs.	Staff begin to engage in data-driven dialogue and share diverse ideas that lead to continuous inquiry related to identified student needs.	Staff engage in purposeful dialogue, share diverse ideas, engage in continuous inquiry, and provide solutions to identified student needs.
Planning and Problem-Solving	Staff work in isolation to plan and solve problems related to student and adult learning.	Staff work individually and with selected peers to plan and solve problems related to student and adult learning.	Staff work in purposeful learning teams to plan and solve problems related to student and adult learning.	Staff work across the school community to plan and solve problems related to student and adult learning.
Knowledge, Skills and Strategies	Staff rarely work together to seek knowledge, skills or strategies to improve practice.	Staff work together to seek knowledge, skills and strategies to improve practice.	Staff work together in multiple ways (teams, departments, committees, etc.) to seek knowledge, skills and strategies to improve practice.	Staff consistently work together and involve the school community in purposeful action aligned with shared knowledge, skills, and strategies to improve practice.

Dimension: Shared Personal Practice

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Observation	Staff do not observe one another teaching.	Some staff informally observe others teaching at arranged times during the school day.	Most staff regularly observe each other, formally and informally, at arranged times during the school day.	Staff observe each other, formally and informally, embedded throughout the school day.
Review and Feedback	Staff do not review each other’s work or offer feedback related to teaching.	Some staff review work and offer informal feedback and encouragement.	Most staff regularly review work and offer formal and informal feedback that encourages change of practice.	Staff regularly review student work and offer substantive feedback that changes attitudes and practice.
Sharing Outcomes of Practice	Staff do not share knowledge and personal practice.	Some staff work collaboratively to share knowledge and practice.	Most staff collaborate to share knowledge and outcomes of practice to improve student learning.	A collaborative culture exists that supports staff in sharing knowledge and outcomes of practice to improve student learning.
Mentoring and Coaching	Formal and informal mentoring and coaching systems do not exist.	Some staff are involved in informal mentoring and coaching.	Most staff use both formal and informal systems of assistance including mentoring and coaching.	Mentoring and coaching systems are in place to support teacher practice related to improving student learning.

Dimension: Supportive Conditions – Structures

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Communication Systems	Accurate and meaningful communication is not regularly shared with staff.	Accurate and meaningful communication is often shared with staff.	Accurate and meaningful two-way communication flows between administration and staff.	Communication systems promote a flow of information across the entire school community.
Technology Systems	Appropriate technology and instructional materials seldom meet the needs of staff to enhance student learning.	Appropriate technology and instructional materials usually meet the needs of staff to enhance student learning.	Staff are involved in the selection of appropriate technology and instructional materials that meet the needs of staff to enhance student learning.	Staff and administrators use data to determine appropriate technology and instructional materials that meet the needs of staff to enhance student learning.
Resources (Personnel, Facilities, Time, Money)	Resources are not sufficient to promote staff and student learning.	The need for adequate resources is considered to promote staff and student learning.	Resources are appropriate, in most cases, to increase staff and student learning.	Innovative efforts across the school community result in garnering resources that impact continual staff and student learning.

Dimension: Supportive Conditions – Relationships

	Not Initiating	Initiating	Implementing	Sustaining
Trust and Respect	Efforts do not exist that promote change in the culture of the school; staff work in isolated units with limited personal interactions.	Some efforts exist that promote change in the culture of the school; staff engage in limited interactions and seldom take risks.	Staff and students are committed to promote change in the culture of the school; interactions reveal substantive sharing and risk taking.	Interactions across the entire school community promote sustained and unified efforts through risk- taking to embed change in the culture of the school.
Recognition and Celebration	Achievement is rarely recognized or celebrated; a sense of caring is seldom apparent in the school.	Some efforts exist to recognize and celebrate achievement; caring relationships are apparent.	Achievement is regularly recognized and celebrated. A caring culture exists.	The entire school community promotes a caring culture that recognizes and celebrates achievements.

The PLC-ICM provides a means to determine how a school is progressing in relation to each of the five dimensions, as well guide next steps to continue its progress.