Poplar Grove Elementary Receives National Recognition

Poplar Grove Elementary School was recently notified of its prestigious new designation for its sustained success in raising student achievement. Solution Tree, a renowned educational professional learning company, has designated Poplar Grove Elementary as a 2025 Model Professional Learning Communities at Work® School – one of only four schools in Tennessee this year – for its successful implementation of the PLC at Work® process.

According to Solution Tree, the PLC at Work^® process is increasingly recognized as the most powerful strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement. Poplar Grove Elementary principal Alisha Erickson, Ed.D. agrees. “Since fully adopting the PLC methodology, our faculty has consistently focused on analyzing student data to inform instructional decisions, enabling us to make targeted shifts that drive student learning forward.”

Educators in PLC-focused schools and districts recognize that the key to improved student learning is ongoing, job-embedded learning for the adults serving those students. Poplar Grove Elementary applied for this prestigious designation as it honed its focus on the rigorous work of PLCs within its building.

The three big ideas of a PLC call upon educators to:

1. Focus on learning;
2. Build a collaborative culture; and
3. Create a results orientation.

“The three big ideas place both student and adult learning at the core of our work at PGES, with our collaborative teams serving as the foundation for everything we do, This structure ensures that we remain focused on student outcomes,” Erickson said. “Teaching is no longer centered on what we've taught or the standards we've covered; it's about what students have actually learned. This shift is a direct result of the PLC process, and its impact is evident in the growth and achievement of our students.”

Solution Tree Model schools are recognized based on strict criteria, including demonstrating a commitment to PLC concepts, implementing these concepts for at least three years, and clear evidence of improved student learning over that period.

Associate Director of Schools for Teaching and Learning Mary Decker, Ed.D., has made districtwide PLC training a significant focus in FSD. “Our district understands that when a school functions as a PLC, there is an incredible impact on student learning. Having Poplar Grove Elementary join Freedom Middle as our first two Model PLC at Work Schools is very rewarding.” The other six FSD schools are also in various phases of this work, and all are committed to implementing the PLC framework with fidelity.