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Key points:
In schools across the country, teacher turnover and burnout have reached crisis levels. Educators are stretched thin, often working in isolation, and many professional learning communities (PLCs) fail to deliver meaningful results. After decades of studying and implementing PLCs, we realized that the model from the 1990s no longer meets the needs of today’s classrooms. That’s why we developed PLC+, the next generation of professional learning communities.
The traditional PLC model emphasized student learning outcomes but often overlooked adult learning, instructional practices, and the spread of innovation. Teams frequently addressed surface-level goals, such as “raise reading scores,” without a shared understanding of the root challenges. PLC+ restores focus on adult learning alongside student learning, encourages teachers to spend time in each other’s classrooms, and ensures effective practices are shared across the entire school.
Rethinking PLCs: Focusing on real problems
A trap that many schools fall into is setting broad outcome goals–like raising reading or math scores–without examining underlying instructional challenges. The common challenge is not the reading scores. That’s an outcome measure, but it’s not actually the problem we’re trying to solve. Rather, an example of a common challenge names the issue: “We want to leverage close reading to help students better understand complex texts (i.e., primary sources, scientific articles, and informational essays).” The common challenge then drives the investigation. PLC+ helps teams first identify the common challenge that matters most and then use five guiding questions to create evidence of impact in real time:
- Where are we going?
- Where are we now?
- How do we move learning forward?
- What did we learn today?
- Who benefited and who did not?
By focusing on these challenges, schools can generate actionable data and meaningful insights rather than waiting for annual test results.
Innovation must spread beyond a single team or department. If nobody else in the school ever gets to learn about what the science team learned, then that innovation stays locked into one department. By clarifying problems and sharing solutions, PLC+ allows the entire organization to benefit through the regular use of check-ins, gallery walks, and other collaborative events that allow teams to learn about each other’s progress and discoveries.
Building collegial affiliation to fight burnout
Educators spend most of their days with students, often with little interaction with other caring adults. Research shows that teacher burnout is closely tied to isolation. PLC+ combats this by fostering strong collegial affiliation and shared purpose.
Strong collegial affiliation not only fosters collaboration but also helps teachers stay in the profession, reducing burnout across the school.
PLC+ also incorporates emerging tools like AI–but ethically and effectively. We recommend treating AI like an intern: It can handle routine tasks such as drafting learning intentions or success criteria, but teachers remain in control. The human in the loop is the one with the expertise and the wisdom.
Measuring what matters beyond test scores
Evidence shows that schools engaging deeply with PLC+ see meaningful results. In Wake County, North Carolina, student outcome data from 121 of the district’s elementary schools indicate higher levels of engagement in PLC+ correlated with greater gains on standardized tests. While correlation does not prove causation, these findings highlight the importance of collaborative problem-solving in driving student outcomes.
However, test scores are just one indicator. PLC+ emphasizes real-time impact data, the spread of innovation across departments, teacher retention, and overall satisfaction. Without this evidence, educators cannot fully appreciate their collective efficacy or the impact of their work. True collective efficacy requires concrete evidence. Collective efficacy is sometimes misunderstood as being “rah, go team, we can do it.” That’s not it. You have to have evidence that your school organization is capable of addressing this particular issue. Without it, it becomes really difficult for educators to understand their impact.
By tracking multiple indicators, including progress and achievement analyses resulting from PLC+ cycles, schools gain a comprehensive understanding of what works–and what doesn’t–allowing teams to refine strategies in real time.
The payoff: Teachers who stay and students who thrive
PLC+ transforms school improvement from an isolated effort into a collaborative, evidence-informed process. It strengthens teacher affiliation, builds professional efficacy, and creates a pathway for that instructional innovation to spread across the organization. Ethical use of tools like AI allows teachers to focus on what they do best: knowing their students, designing effective lessons, and fostering learning communities that thrive.
The result is a school culture where teachers can solve real problems, see the impact of their work, and remain in the profession with a renewed sense of purpose and support. By focusing on the right challenges and creating collegial support, PLC+ helps educators stay engaged, effective, and resilient–benefiting students and the entire school community.
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Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey, San Diego State University & Health Sciences High and Middle College
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