Transforming an elementary school into a professional learning communit

While there is literature available on professional learning communities, little actual research has been done. This is a single qualitative case study to determine how a professional learning community came to be in a small elementary school in rural New Mexico. Participant observation, interviews with key informants, and research journal anecdotes were used to gather data. A comparison was made with the theories of professional learning community and what actually happened in the school.;Using the available literature, seven key elements were identified which were used to analyze the data. The results of the data indicated that these professional learning community descriptors matched the perceptions of the 11 teachers involved in the study.;The participants' involvement in focused, sustained professional development was also studied to determine if that was a factor in becoming a professional learning community. Teacher perceptions indicated that they felt this was critical to becoming a professional learning community.;Finally, principal leadership behaviors were considered with regard to the effect they had on the formation of the professional learning community. Once again, teacher perceptions indicated that principal leadership was critical in this process. The study concluded that principal leadership and all it entails is a significant factor in the formation of a professional learning community and its sustainability.;With little actual research available on professional learning communities at the elementary school level, this study will help practitioners clarify how a professional learning community can begin. This study has implications for future research on the effect of principal leadership and on the relationships of the stakeholders.