Professional Learning Communities

Every Friday will have a 45-minute late start for all elementary and middle schools, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

The late start provides all these schools with PLC time to focus on continual improvement for teachers, ultimately benefiting students.
DCSD high schools have experienced the value of late-start PLC days since instituting them three years ago, a practice that will continue on Fridays as well.

Below are answers to common questions about what this means for your family and how it directly benefits your student.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is changing in the 2026-2027 school year?

Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, our district-operated elementary and middle schools will have a 45-minute late start every Friday. This provides equitable, dedicated time for PLCs across the district. This late start has been successfully implemented in district-operated DCSD high schools for the past three years. As of the 2026-2027 school year, all district-operated schools will have a delayed start on Friday.

How will this affect school bus schedules?

What if I am a working parent and need childcare at the original start time?

Will breakfast still be served on Friday mornings?

How does this affect Preschool programs?

How does this affect students receiving Special Education services?

What if there is an additional delay due to inclement weather on a late-start Friday?

If there is a delayed start due to weather, it is calculated according to the Friday start time.

Monday-Thursday Example: For a school that starts at 8:20 a.m. Monday-Thursday, a 90-minute weather delay means school would start at 9:50 a.m.
Friday Example: That same school will start at 9:05 a.m. on Friday all year. But a 90-minute weather delay means school would start at 10:35 a.m. for that inclement-weather day.

Can I download and print a school-year calendar with late-start Fridays marked on it?

In January 2026, at the Board of Education Study Session, DCSD staff presented a plan to move forward with providing dedicated PLC time at our middle and elementary schools beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. The once-a-week late start for PLC time is something that is already occurring in our high schools, and has been for three years.

VIEW THE PRESENTATION SLIDES

A teacher works with an elementary student while sitting at a table.

Benefits of PLCs

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a powerful approach to improving student outcomes. In a PLC, teachers collaborate regularly to analyze student data, share teaching strategies, and support each other in refining their practices. This teamwork ensures that all students receive the best possible instruction.

Professional Learning Communities Offer Numerous Benefits:

For students, this leads to more targeted and effective instruction, ultimately enhancing academic achievement;
For teachers, they provide opportunities for shared learning, professional growth, and improved instructional practices;
For schools, PLCs foster a collaborative culture, leading to greater consistency in curriculum and assessment.

PLCs: Why, What and How?

Why is DCSD making this change now?

Years of educational research show that teacher collaboration is the single most effective way to improve student achievement. For students, PLCs lead to more targeted instruction. Currently, DCSD is the only large school district in the Denver/metro area that has not yet built PLC time into its elementary and middle school schedules. By implementing this, we are aligning with other high-performing neighboring districts including Cherry Creek, Littleton, and Jefferson County, who already use weekly PLC time.

What exactly is a Professional Learning Community (PLC)?

A PLC is a structured time where teachers collaborate regularly to analyze student data, share teaching strategies, and support each other in refining their practices. It is not simply extra planning time or a block to grade papers. Instead, teachers follow a rigorous process to answer four critical questions:

What do we want our students to learn?
How will we know if they learned it?
How will we respond if they do not learn it?
How will we extend learning for students who already know it?

How does a weekly meeting help my child directly?

Will this take away from my child's instructional time?

Community Feedback about Dedicated PLC Time

100% of our K-12 principals support and recognize the critical need for dedicated PLC time.

Dedicated PLC Time Survey - Elementary/Middle School Families (November 2025)
Strategic Plan Survey (Spring 2025)

Dedicated PLC Time Survey - Elementary/Middle School Families (November 2025)

2,717 responses view the raw survey data

If your school schedule was changed to include a one day late start each week for teacher PLC time, when would you prefer this begin?
- 53.6% - 2026-2027 school year
- 26.6% - 2027-2028 school year
- 19.8% - not sure
Currently, the majority of DCSD's high schools PLC days take place on Fridays. Understanding this, what day would you prefer the late start day be for elementary and middle schools?
- 56.6% - Friday
- 19.9% - Not Sure
- 12.7% - Monday
- 6.9% - Wednesday
- 2.6% - Thursday
- 1.4% - Tuesday
If DCSD were to implement a late start day (45 minute delay) each week, how likely would this impact your child’s ability to attend school that day? (1=not at all likely | 5=highly likely)
- 66.7% - 1-Not at all Likely
- 6.6% - 2
- 9.1% - 3
- 4.1% - 4
- 13.6% - 5-Highly Likely
If DCSD were to implement a late start day (45-minute delay) each week, how likely would your family be to access child care on those mornings? (1=not at all likely | 5=highly likely)
- 44.2% - 1-Not at all Likely
- 4.9% - 2
- 11.2% - 3
- 4.9% - 4
- 34.7% - 5-Highly Likely
Some families have noted that they would take advantage of late start (45-minute) days by scheduling appointments on those mornings. How likely would your family be to take advantage of that option? (1=not at all likely | 5=highly likely)
- 31.6% - 1-Not at all Likely
- 7.9% - 2
- 19.7% - 3
- 9.3% - 4
- 31.5% - 5-Highly Likely

Strategic Plan Survey (Spring 2025)

Research

Improved Student Outcomes: Research by DuFour and Eaker (1998)

Goddard, Goddard, and Tschannen-Moran (2007)

Teacher Retention and Satisfaction: Studies indicate that participation in PLCs can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates among teachers. Goddard, Goddard, and Tschannen-Moran (2007) found that collaborative environments improve teacher morale and effectiveness.

Goddard, Y. L., Goddard, R. D., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2007). A theoretical and empirical investigation of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement in public elementary schools. Teachers College Record, 109(4), 877–896. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810710900401