This preliminary work supports the two hypotheses. Continued data collection during the year will include meeting logs from the Teacher Leaders and Teachers on Special Assignment, student performance data on the state science test, and two separate case study efforts. Ten selected schools are being studied in depth by the evaluation team and all of the Teacher Leader/Principal teams are participating in four one-day symposia during the school year with one intended outcome being a structured self-case study of their building Professional Learning Community. The criteria for selection of the ten in depth studies included buildings with strong Teacher Leader participation in project professional development and both strong and weak building adoption of Professional Learning Communities or other potentially effective science education reform efforts. This will allow us to probe the roles of the Teacher Leader, principal, and the Teacher on Special Assignment more deeply.

References:

Dufour, R. and Eaker, R. (1998) "Professional Learning Communities at Work". National Educational Service (Bloomington, IN).

Elmore, R. (2005) "School Reform From the Inside Out: Policy, Parctice, and Performance". Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA).