Lastinger-affiliated faculty
win research paper award

Three UF Lastinger Center scholars recently won the 2010 Teaching and Teacher Education Paper Nate Gage award for research excellence from the prestigious Teaching and Teachers Education journal.

In granting this award, the journal also acknowledged that “A review of research on professional learning communities: What do we know?” by Vicki Vescio, Dorene Ross and Alyson Adams has become the most downloaded research paper in the educational field.

The paper describes the five key elements of effective professional learning communities (PLC). It defines a PLC as a community of progressive learning, collaborative teamwork and constant inquiry.

“In true PLCs,” Vescio said, “people work together.”

Vescio and her co-authors possess firsthand knowledge of PLCs.

“Since 2003, the Lastinger Center has been bringing the concept of PLCs to schools in Alachua, Miami-Dade, Collier, Pinellas and Duval counties,” Adams said. “The research behind PLCs has really helped us work with schools to refine their PLCs to make the most impact on teacher learning and student achievement.”

To view the article, click here.