DESE showcases PLC pilot gains while lawmakers question scale, cost and access

DESE officials and educators presented the Professional Learning Community (PLC) project to the Senate Education Committee as a multi‑year, research‑based professional‑development strategy that began under Act 427 of 2017.

Missy Wally (Office of Special Projects) and Ivy Pfeffer (Deputy Commissioner) said the pilot began with nine schools and has expanded through cohorts and a regional‑network approach. DESE presented cohort data from model schools showing improvements in metrics such as grade‑level reading and math proficiency, decreased special‑education referrals in some schools and improved teacher retention in others.

DESE described project features: an initial needs assessment, process and achievement goals for participating schools, and local evidence (kid‑by‑kid, skill‑by‑skill progress monitoring) used to document changes. Officials said there are 21 model schools currently recognized, 52 PLC regional‑network schools and dozens more implementing PLC strategies locally.

Some legislators praised the work; others sought stronger independent evaluation and questioned whether the program represents the best use of multi‑year funds. Representative McKenzie asked about independent validation and noted that the Solution Tree provider is also the vendor used in some project schools; she said oversight and clear outcome metrics were important. "With a hundred million dollars that we're spending over 7 years, scrutiny is good," Representative McKenzie said.

DESE replied that districts choose to apply for project funding through a rigorous application and interview process and that the PLC expansion will continue through practitioner networks and cooperative-driven outreach to underrepresented regions. Officials said participation is voluntary and that the department will prioritize outreach and supports for areas not yet represented in cohorts.

Lawmakers asked for disaggregated data (by race, gender, special‑education and English‑learner status) and clearer reporting to verify results across student groups; DESE agreed to provide additional breakdowns to committee members.

Committee members thanked the educators who attended and asked DESE to accelerate outreach to districts in geographic 'desert' areas that have limited PLC participation.