Professional Learning Community and Innovation Configuration Survey

Professional learning communities are defined as "professional educators working collectively and purposefully to create and sustain a culture of learning for all students and adults."

The following dimensions are characteristics of academically successful professional learning communities.

Shared and Supportive Leadership
Shared Values and Vision
Collective Learning and Application
Shared Personal Practice
Supportive Conditions (Structures)
Supportive Conditions (Relationships)

Please take a few minutes to give your feedback about these dimensions in GHS and GSD. Your responses are anonymous and DEEPLY appreciated.


A red asterisk (*) indicates required questions.

  1. Dimension: Shared and Supportive Leadership

    Definition: Administrators share power, authority, and decision-making, while promoting and nurturing leadership.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?*
    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.


  1. Dimension: Shared Values and Vision

    Definition: The staff share visions that have an undeviating focus on student learning, and support norms of behavior that guide decisions about teaching and learning.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?*
    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.


  1. Dimension: Collective Learning and Application

    Definition: The staff share information and work collaboratively to plan, solve problems, and improve learning opportunities.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?*
    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.


  1. Dimension: Shared Personal Practice

    Definition: Peers meet and observe one another to provide feedback on instructional practices, to assist in student learning, and to increase human capacity.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?*
    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.


  1. Dimension: Supportive Conditions (Structures)

    Definition: includes systems (communication and technology) resources (personnel, facilities, time, fiscal, and materials) to enable staff to meet and examine practices and student outcomes.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?*
    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.


  1. Dimension: Supportive Conditions (Relationships)

    Definition: includes respect, trust, norms of critical inquiry and improvement, and positive, caring relationships among the entire school community.

    Which statement below best applies to GHS?
    *
    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.


  1. The next three questions concern GSD's "external support systems" - in other words, factors outside our building that contribute to school improvement efforts.

    Please choose the statement that you believe best describes the contributions of the GSD district office to our school improvement efforts.*
    District office personnel provide minimal direction, resources and support for school improvement efforts.
    District office personnel provide adequate direction, resources and support for school improvement efforts.
    District office personnel participate consistently in providing direction, resources and support for school improvement efforts.
    District office personnel play an integral role in building capacity within and across schools related to direction, resources and support for school improvement efforts.


  1. Please choose the statement that you believe best describes the contributions of GSD parents and families to our school improvement efforts.*
    Parents/families minimally participate in decision-making and issues related to student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Some parents/families participate in decision-making and issues related to student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Many parents/families participate in decision-making and issues related to student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Parents/families are regularly involved in decision-making and participate meaningfully around issues related to student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.


  1. Please choose the statement that you believe best describes the contributions of GSD community members to our school improvement efforts.*
    Community members play a limited role in supporting student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Some community members play a role in supporting student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Many community members play a role in supporting student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.
    Community members play a significant role in supporting student learning, school improvement and extra-curricular activities.


  1. Please choose the statement(s) that describe your feelings about the collaboration time available to you (Wednesday mornings, professional development, etc.). *
    I use the time primarily to collaborate with colleagues who teach common courses.
    Collaborative time allotted during professional development days helps support our professional learning communities.
    I would like to use our collaboration time to learn more with my colleagues about new initiatives and trends in education.


  1. Please add any additional comments below if you wish.





Frau Havas
Greendale High School
Greendale, WI