PLC Development Rubric (PLCDR)

The PLCDR enables school and district staff to identify and delineate practices that build on the more formal diagnostic data of the PLCA-R. When using the PLCDR in schools and districts, staff indicate how the school currently operates along a continuum related to the most representative phase of change (not initiated, initiation, implementation, institutionalization). Ideally, staff members meet as a whole school to complete the rubric and then share their individual ratings in small groups by providing specific evidence of the practices in their school.

The following dimensions and related behaviors are characteristics of academically successful professional learning communities at various phases of the change process.

Dimensions	Not Initiated	Initiation (Starting)	Implementation (Doing)	Institutionalization (Embedding)
Shared and Supportive Leadership Administrators share power, authority, and decision-making, while promoting and nurturing leadership.	Leadership is held by school administrators; staff are not empowered around issues of teaching and learning.	Pockets of leadership exist beyond school administrators; staff are nurtured and encouraged to take leadership roles.	Leadership is prevalent across the school; staff share power, authority, and responsibility around issues of teaching and learning.	Leadership and decision making are broad-based; empowerment exists around issues of teaching and learning; staff are committed and accountable.
Shared Values and Vision The staff share visions that have an undeviating focus on student learning, and support norms of behavior that guide decisions about teaching and learning.	A school vision, values and plan do not exist, or do not involve stakeholders; there is a lack of focus on student learning.	Values and norms are espoused; a collaborative process exists for developing shared values and vision; some focus exists on student learning, but efforts are not aligned.	Shared vision and a set of values exist that reflect high expectations for student learning; efforts are aligned.	A shared vision and set of values is “lived” across the entire school community, and guide decisions policies, and programs related to teaching and learning.
Collective Learning and Application The staff share information and work collaboratively to plan, solve problems, and improve learning opportunities.	Collective learning does not exist; staff does not show evidence of learning from one another to meet diverse student needs.	Staff meet to share information and discuss issues of teaching and learning; staff begin to dialogue and act on their learning to meet diverse student needs.	Staff meet regularly to collaborate and problem solve around teaching and learning; staff show evidence of learning from one another to meet diverse student needs.	Staff share information and work together to seek new knowledge, skills and strategies; staff apply new learning to their work, and search for solutions to address diverse student needs.
Shared Personal Practice Peers meet and observe one another to provide feedback on instructional practices, to assist in student learning, and to increase human capacity.	Staff work in isolation, do not observe one another, offer feedback, or share practices with one another.	Some staff work collaboratively to observe and encourage one another, offer feedback, or share practices with one another.	Staff work collaboratively, observe one another, offer feedback and formally and informally share outcomes of new practices to improve student learning.	Formal and informal mentoring and coaching programs exist; staff observe one another and provide feedback, staff regularly review student work together and share instructional practices.
Supportive Conditions (Structures) Systems (e.g., communication, technology), and resources (e.g., personnel, facilities, time, fiscal, materials) enable staff to meet and examine practices and student outcomes.	Systems and resources are not sufficient to promote staff and student learning.	The need for adequate systems and resources is considered to address staff and student learning.	Systems and resources are appropriate, in most cases, to increase staff and student learning.	Innovative efforts result in systems and resources that impact continual staff and student learning.
Supportive Conditions (Relationships) A culture of respect, trust, norms of critical inquiry and improvement, and positive, caring relationships pervade the entire school community.	Efforts do not exist that promote change in the culture of the school, such as: caring, trust, respect, a sense of safety, and recognition and celebration of efforts and achievement.	Some efforts exist that promote change in the culture of the school, such as: caring, trust, respect, a sense of safety, and recognition and celebration of efforts and achievement.	Staff and students are committed to promote change in the culture of the school, such as: caring, trust, respect, a sense of safety, and recognition and celebration of efforts and achievement.	The entire school community promotes sustained and unified efforts to take risks to embed change in the culture of the school, such as: caring, trust, respect, a sense of safety, and recognition and celebration of efforts and achievement.