The PLC Framework of VOYAGE Horizons - The Source of the Issue
VOYAGE Horizons Module 1: The Source of the Issue helps school leaders diagnose and address core challenges in PLC effectiveness, guiding them to set actionable goals that strengthen collaboration and improve student outcomes.
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Introduction to The Source of the Issue
VOYAGE Horizons Module 1, "The Source of the Issue," guides educators and school leaders through the foundational elements of successful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and provides tools to address common barriers to PLC effectiveness.
VOYAGE Horizons Module 1, "The Source of the Issue," guides educators and school leaders through the foundational elements of successful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and provides tools to address common barriers to PLC effectiveness.
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Lesson 1 - Reflective Brainstorming
Before diving into the details, let’s take a moment to harness the power of reflection. This exercise will help you tap into your current understanding and experiences with PLCs, laying a foundation for the deeper exploration to come.
Before diving into the details, let’s take a moment to harness the power of reflection. This exercise will help you tap into your current understanding and experiences with PLCs, laying a foundation for the deeper exploration to come.
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Lesson 2 - What is a PLC?
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a collaborative group of educators focused on student learning, fostering a culture of collaboration, and achieving measurable results.
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a collaborative group of educators focused on student learning, fostering a culture of collaboration, and achieving measurable results.
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Lesson 3 - VOYAGE Horizons Teams
VOYAGE Horizons operates through three distinct teams, each playing a key role in bringing the PLC vision to life across the school.
VOYAGE Horizons operates through three distinct teams, each playing a key role in bringing the PLC vision to life across the school.
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Lesson 4 - Kickstarting VOYAGE Horizons
Kickstarting VOYAGE Horizons begins with building a strong Lead Team to steer your school’s PLC transformation.
Kickstarting VOYAGE Horizons begins with building a strong Lead Team to steer your school’s PLC transformation.
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Lesson 1 - So Why Are Some PLCs Ineffective?
Effective PLCs can transform education, but overcoming common challenges is essential to unlock their full potential.
Effective PLCs can transform education, but overcoming common challenges is essential to unlock their full potential.
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Lesson 2 - Key Factors That Make PLCs Ineffective
Ineffective PLCs often struggle with time constraints, poor communication, resistance to change, and data overload, which hinder their progress and impact.
Ineffective PLCs often struggle with time constraints, poor communication, resistance to change, and data overload, which hinder their progress and impact.
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Lesson 3 - Avoiding Pitfalls
Underperformance in PLCs often stems from three root causes: lack of skill, lack of knowledge, and lack of motivation.
Underperformance in PLCs often stems from three root causes: lack of skill, lack of knowledge, and lack of motivation.
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Lesson 4 - Three Key Challenges Students Face
Understanding how students struggle with skill, knowledge, and motivation provides valuable insights for addressing their learning needs.
Understanding how students struggle with skill, knowledge, and motivation provides valuable insights for addressing their learning needs.
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Lesson 5 - How Lack of Skill, Knowledge, and Motivation Impact Teachers in PLCs
Just like students, teachers in PLCs can struggle with skill, knowledge, and motivation gaps that affect collaboration and progress.
Just like students, teachers in PLCs can struggle with skill, knowledge, and motivation gaps that affect collaboration and progress.
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Lesson 1 - Using a Needs Analysis to Uncover Challenges and Opportunities in Your PLCs
A well-conducted needs analysis identifies gaps and opportunities, setting the stage for meaningful improvement in your PLC.
A well-conducted needs analysis identifies gaps and opportunities, setting the stage for meaningful improvement in your PLC.
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Lesson 2 - Uncovering the Root Causes of PLC Challenges
A successful PLC requires uncovering the core issues—skill gaps, knowledge deficits, and waning motivation—that hinder progress.
A successful PLC requires uncovering the core issues—skill gaps, knowledge deficits, and waning motivation—that hinder progress.
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Lesson 3 - Using Surveys to Strengthen Your PLCs
Surveys provide a panoramic, data-driven look into the skills, knowledge, and motivation shaping your PLCs. This tool helps identify trends, challenges, and strengths across your school, laying the foundation for targeted, effective interventions.
Surveys provide a panoramic, data-driven look into the skills, knowledge, and motivation shaping your PLCs. This tool helps identify trends, challenges, and strengths across your school, laying the foundation for targeted, effective interventions.
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Lesson 4 - Crafting Effective Surveys for Your PLCs
Guiding Questions to Optimize Your Survey Design
Guiding Questions to Optimize Your Survey Design
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Meet your instructor - Genevra Self
Genevra is a former educator and the founder of Juniper Consulting LLC, bringing extensive experience from over a decade in K-12 education. With a background in both classroom teaching and instructional coaching, Genevra has a deep understanding of the challenges teachers and school leaders face in creating effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
Through her hands-on experience implementing PLCs across multiple schools, Genevra developed the VOYAGE Horizons framework—a structured, data-driven approach to PLCs that transforms collaboration and drives real student outcomes. Her work focuses on empowering teachers and school leaders to adopt practical strategies for continuous improvement, fostering a culture of support, reflection, and growth.
One of Genevra’s favorite parts of her work is collaborating with others to remove barriers to teacher and student success. She believes in the power of teamwork and shared problem-solving to create meaningful, lasting changes in schools. As a consultant, Genevra specializes in helping schools build sustainable, impactful PLCs. With her guidance, you'll gain actionable insights and proven tools to strengthen your school’s PLCs and support your team’s professional growth.
FAQs
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Genevra Self is a former classroom teacher and instructional coach with over a decade of experience in K-12 education. She is the founder of Juniper Consulting LLC, where she helps schools build effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Genevra believes in examining educational structures and protocols with a critical eye, constantly asking if current methods are effective and how they might be improved. Removing barriers to teacher and student success is a passion of hers. She often challenges the status quo by questioning, “Why are we doing things that don’t work?” and focuses on finding practical solutions that make a meaningful difference. This dedication to refining and improving processes led her to create the VOYAGE Horizons framework, which supports sustainable, impactful PLCs.
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VOYAGE Horizons is a structured approach to building and sustaining effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within schools. The framework focuses on creating three interconnected teams—the VOYAGE Lead Team, the VOYAGE Facilitator Team, and the VOYAGE Grade Level Team—that work together to support PLC implementation. Each team has a specific role, from strategic planning to on-the-ground instructional adjustments, ensuring that the PLCs stay focused on data-driven goals and continuous improvement
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VOYAGE Horizons is unique because it includes a built-in support system with clearly defined roles for three levels of collaboration. Unlike many PLC models that operate in isolation or lack strategic guidance, VOYAGE Horizons provides structured support for each team, with the VOYAGE Lead Team overseeing strategic direction, the Facilitator Team bridging strategy to action, and the Grade Level Team implementing instructional changes. This layered approach keeps PLCs aligned, data-driven, and sustainable, addressing common pitfalls in PLC implementation.
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Genevra created the VOYAGE Horizons framework after experiencing two failed attempts at implementing school-wide PLCs. She realized that success wasn’t just about teachers adopting PLCs; it also required effective leadership and structured support. Genevra saw a need for a model that includes leadership involvement, reflection, and training, which led her to develop VOYAGE Horizons. This framework reflects her belief that successful PLCs need clear roles, accountability, and continuous guidance to drive real improvement.
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VOYAGE Horizons provides a comprehensive structure for PLCs that promotes effective collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement. By implementing this model, schools can create a strong support system that addresses the specific needs of both teachers and students. The three-tiered team approach allows for strategic planning, leadership development, and practical changes in the classroom, ensuring that the PLCs are focused and impactful.
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Implementation of VOYAGE Horizons begins with a commitment from you as a school leader to actively participate and dedicate the necessary time and resources during the first couple years. While the goal is for PLCs to eventually become self-sustaining, with teachers developing the leadership skills to take ownership, achieving this requires a solid foundation. This groundwork starts with your role in a PLC specifically focused on supporting and refining the school’s PLCs.
The program is set up to guide you through each phase, starting with the establishment of the VOYAGE Lead Team, composed of school leaders and instructional coaches, who conduct a needs analysis and create a strategic roadmap tailored to the school’s goals. Next, VOYAGE Facilitators—teacher leaders selected to lead grade-level or content teams—are trained by the Lead Team to guide collaborative discussions effectively. Finally, the VOYAGE Grade Level Teams, led by these facilitators, engage in data-driven instructional planning and adjustments that directly impact student outcomes. The program supports school leaders and teams at every step to ensure that the framework is implemented with a strong foundation for lasting impact.
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Absolutely. While VOYAGE Horizons is designed to support teachers, it’s equally valuable for school administrators who play a critical role in PLC success. The framework emphasizes that for PLCs to truly thrive, school leaders need to be actively involved—not just delegating but fully engaging in their own PLC focused on identifying and removing barriers that may prevent teachers’ PLCs from being effective. This means that as a school leader, you are expected to be part of a collaborative, data-informed process to address issues that impact PLC progress, from resource gaps to structural roadblocks.
VOYAGE Horizons provides administrators with a clear set of tools and strategies for building a strong foundation for PLCs, including how to analyze needs, create strategic roadmaps, and support facilitator training. By shifting the focus from compliance to real, data-driven improvement, administrators can drive meaningful change that benefits both teachers and students. Instead of seeing PLCs as just another requirement, VOYAGE Horizons empowers school leaders to create a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, making a lasting impact on the entire school community.