Developing, Embedding and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities - Presentation of Research by Hallie Tamez and Debra Smith

Developing, Embedding and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities: Investing in Invention

In March of 2008, Hallie Tamez, Senior Program Officer at TPI, and Debra Smith of the Collaborative Inquiry & Development Group at the University of Southern Maine will be presenting their research for the Alcatel-Lucent Peer Collaboration Initiative at the American Educational Research Associaton (AERA) in New York City. 

Over the past seven years, The Alcatel-Lucent Foundation has provided support to several school districts participating in two initiatives designed to help transform their professional cultures through systematic peer critique and support. The Peer Collaboration Initiative (1999-2002) facilitated the creation of “Lucent Learning Communities” (LLCs) in each of about 20 schools in four districts: Albuquerque, NM; Seattle, WA; Lancaster, PA and Broward County, FL. Based on the lessons learned through documentation of the work in these districts, three New Jersey districts: Edison, Plainfield and Trenton, are currently involved in the Lucent Collaborative Learning Communities Initiative. In their research paper, Tamez and Smith describe the design, common themes and lessons of the Peer Collaboration Initiative, the New Jersey initiative’s design growing out of these, and what they are learning as the work unfolds in New Jersey districts.

Download the full research paper.