Marylhurst MAT Students Join Professional Learning Community

Excerpt from an article by Erica Ryberg in the South County Spotlight, September 2, 2009.

Scappoose High Attracts Innovative College Program

For the last three years, Scappoose High School students have come into math, science and social studies classrooms where the credit-by-proficiency learning culture differs from most classrooms.

This year, a group of Marylhurst University masters-level teaching students are coming to school as well, specifically to absorb the cutting edge teaching skills that have helped make Scappoose High School one of the states’ best schools in terms of low dropout and high graduation rates.

And the Marylhurst students represent some cutting edge teaching in their own right. Tom Ruhl, who is the chair of the university’s Education Department, said the college is clustering all of its masters students in only three schools – Scappoose High and two other schools in the Portland area – with the hope of creating a professional learning community, one where learning flows between the Marylhurst students and the mentoring Scappoose teachers.

"There’s good evidence that building a professional learning community makes a great deal of difference in teacher effectiveness and enhanced student learning," Ruhl said.

Courtney Vanderstek, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Oregon Education Association, said her agency is funding research to pay an independent evaluator to examine the professional learning community that Marylhurst is creating with area schools.

"There’s research out there that says this is a really viable thing," Vanderstek said. "And if, in fact, we see some benefit, that will be when the decision will be made about expanding the program and making it a part of other districts."

About the Professional Learning Laboratory School Partnerships