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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DuFour, Richard, 1947-
Cultures built to last : systemic PLCs at work / Richard DuFour and Michael Fullan.
pages ; cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-936764-74-7 (perfect bound) 1. School improvement programs--United States. 2. Professional learning communities. 3. Group work in education--United States. 4. Team learning approach in education--United States. 5. Educational leadership--United States. I. Fullan, Michael. II. Title.
LB2822.82.D8 2013
371.14’80973--dc23
2013012401
Solution Tree Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO Edmund M. Ackerman, President
Solution Tree Press President: Douglas M. Rife Publisher: Robert D. Clouse Editorial Director: Lesley Bolton Managing Production Editor: Caroline Weiss Senior Production Editor: Suzanne Kraszewski Proofreader: Elisabeth Abrams Cover and Text Designer: Jenn Taylor
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Solution Tree Press would like to thank the following reviewers:
Steve Atwater
Superintendent of Schools
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Soldotna, Alaska
Debora Binkley
Associate Superintendent
Upper Arlington City Schools
Upper Arlington, Ohio
Mary Ann Burns
Director of School Improvement Initiatives
Missouri Department of Education
Jefferson City, Missouri
Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana
Superintendent of Schools
Santa Ana Unified School District
Santa Ana, California
Dewey Hensley
Chief Academic Officer
Jefferson County Public Schools
Louisville, Kentucky
Marcus Johnson
Superintendent of Schools
Sanger Unified School District
Sanger, California
Dwight D. Jones
Superintendent of Schools
Clark County School District
Las Vegas, Nevada
Mary Kamerzell
Superintendent of Schools
Catalina Foothills Unified School District #16
Tucson, Arizona
Middleton McGoodwin
Superintendent of Schools
SAU #6
Claremont, New Hampshire
Kimberly Moritz
Superintendent of Schools
Randolph Central School District
Randolph, New York
Henry Russell
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri
Arthur Stellar
Former Superintendent
Burke County Public Schools
Morgantown, North Carolina
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Challenge of Cultural Change
One: Clarity Precedes Competence
What Is a Professional Learning Community?
You Are the System
Two: Creating Coherence and Clarity
Barriers to Coherence
Strategies for Coherence Making
The Payoff of Coherence Making
Three: The Loose-Tight Dilemma
The Too-Tight Problem
The Danger of Carrots and Sticks
The Too-Loose Problem
The Right Balance
Clarifying What Is Tight
Examples of Too-Loose and Too-Tight Leadership Using the Common Core State Standards
Four: The Loose-Tight System in Action
Building Shared Knowledge and Deep Understanding
Creating a Guaranteed Implemented Curriculum
Monitoring Progress at the School Site
Supporting Improvement Through Reciprocal Accountability