Professional learning communities focus on developing educators’ capacity for critical
inquiry, collaboration, and reflection. The theoretical framework is based on the professional
learning community as a culture of trust and a culture of change. The purpose of this study
was to identify the perceptions of teachers who are new to the process of working as a
professional learning community. The qualitative method of narrative inquiry was used to
address the research question of how teachers’ ability to improve student outcomes has been
affected by the collaborative process. One elementary school in a rural area has partnered
with ATLAS Learning Communities to become a professional learning community through a
weeklong training and monthly on site visits. Nine staff members, 5 who attended a weeklong
ATLAS training and 4 who did not, engaged in semi-structured narrative interviews using
open-ended questions. Typological analysis data were coded through the constant comparative
method, allowing common categories and themes to emerge. While the narratives indicated
positive effects from engaging as a professional learning community, there was a discrepancy
in understanding between those who attended the weeklong training and those who did not.
The shift to effectively working collaboratively had a strong start but the same level of
momentum will need to continue to become completely ingrained in the culture of the school
so that all staff members have the same understanding and expertise. This study addressed
social change by identifying how embedded professional development helped teachers
become more effective when they engaged in collaboration focused on student work, using
assessments to drive instruction, and sharing best practices as they changed their practice to
meet the diverse learning needs of the students in the school.