Document Type
Brief
Publication Date
6-5-2024
Keywords
Professional learning communities; PLCs; PLC at Work; professional development
Series Title
Office for Education Policy
Series Number
Volume 21, Issue 1
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of Solution Tree’s Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work model on the academic achievement and growth of students in Arkansas schools. It provides the first large-scale evaluation of the PLC at Work model’s effectiveness in improving student academic outcomes. Using publicly available data from the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the analysis uses a two-stage matching process and an event study framework to determine the effectiveness of PLC at Work across six cohorts. The findings hold significant implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers interested in leveraging professional development to enhance educational practices and student outcomes.
Overall, we find no statistically significant impacts on student achievement or value-added growth, suggesting that the PLC at Work model may not improve academic outcomes for Arkansas students.
Citation
McKenzie, S., Barnes, K., & Reid, C. (2024). Effects of PLC at Work in Arkansas on Academic Outcomes. Policy Briefs. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/oepbrief/169
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