The role of schools is student learning. An important factor for students to learn well is the ability and quality of teachers. Quality is improved through continuous professional development. The most supportive framework for professional learning is that of professional learning communities (PLCs) (Hord, 2009). PLC training is a process of focusing on student success while equipping educators with the skills to make a difference. PLC supports the partnership between student learning and educator professional development. PLCs that align with the school’s mission, vision, values, and goals result in high levels of learning for all students. A PLC can be defined as an intentional, ongoing, and systematic process by which teachers and administrators work collaboratively to seek out, share, and act on learning. The overall objective being to improve effectiveness as professionals for the benefit of students (Hord, 1997). PLC begins with a clear statement of its purpose and objectives. Focusing on student learning goals allows leaders to set high expectations and establish rigorous standards (Guskey, 2000). Schools cannot operate as a CLP until staff resolve issues that provide direction both to the school as an organization and to individuals within the organization (Eaker, DuFour, and DuFour, 2002). There are several organizational structures that work simultaneously to form a successful automaton. Part of the structure is defining the framework of the PLC. The framework can be modeled on the three big ideas of the PLC. Richard DuFour and Rebecca DuFour explain the three ideas as follows:1. Commitment to high levels of learning for all students2. A collaborative and collective effort between paper learning communities. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Guskey, T.R. (2000). Professional development assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Hord, S. (1997). Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important? Southwest Educational Development Lab, 6(1). Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues61.html Hord, SM (2009). Professional learning communities. The Journal of the National Staff Development Council, 30(1), 40-43.Killion, J. (2003). Eight Smooth Steps: Strong Footwork Makes Evaluating Staff Development Programs a Song. The Journal of the National Staff Development Council, 24(4), 14-23. Rantz, L. (November 9, 2011). Using survey data to implement PLC. Lecture presented at Developing Professional Learning Communities at Baker University, Overland Park, KS.