Impact of Professional Learning Communities in Alternative School

Over the last hundred years, scholars, parents, and politicians have theorized about the cause of the academic shortfall in the United States. While a variety of solutions have been proposed and implemented, the problem still persist. Studies have however, documented that one approach that has been proven to be effective in alleviating the academic backwardness of American schools is the establishment of PLC’s in schools. While research supports the claim that the implementation of PLC’s boosts teachers' morale, which ultimately results in improved student learning, no studies have focused on the effectiveness of a PLC within an alternative high school setting. Author Ndieze Nnawuchi therefore, conducted a study that examined the effectiveness of PLC on the academic achievement of students’ in an alternative high school in Cook County Chicago, IL. Findings from this qualitative study indicated that the implementation of PLC principles in an alternative high school had a profound impact on students' academic achievement, as well as collaboration among team members if practiced appropriately.