The Professional Learning Community to Implement the Results-Based Management Approach (RBM) in Québec - Case Study and Teaching Activities

Oct 15, 2026

School principals are change agents in implementing education policies that support accountability, including monitoring and evaluating student achievement and determining needed measures. In Québec, results-based management (RBM) is paired with professional learning communities (PLCs) to help members gather, manage, and analyze student data. This case study examines one principal’s training and implementation experience when RBM increases administrative workload and supervision challenges. Two series of teaching activities address prioritization tasks and PLC roles under work intensification and RBM constraints.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Case Narrative

Context and initial concerns

Challenges under RBM and a dissolved PLC

Transfer in 2018 and trust-building strategies

Student Success plan and supervision objectives

The Professional Learning Community to Implement the Results-Based Management Approach (RBM) in Québec Yamina Bouchammaa & Daniel Aprilb aLaval University, bUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Abstract School principals are agents of change in the implementation of education policies as they oversee accountability actions that serve to monitor and evaluate student achievement and identify the measures required. In Québec, where results-based management (RBM) is encouraged, the professional learning community (PLC) approach ensures this accountability by enabling members to gather, manage, and analyze student data. This case study pertains to the experience of one principal who sought training on how to integrate a PLC in his school. In the context of RBM, characterized by an increase in administrative tasks, this principal ultimately experienced a low sense of effectiveness regarding his supervision practices by having few legal structures to support this supervision. Two series of teaching activities are proposed related to prioritization tasks and the role of PLCs in a context of work intensification and RBM. Keywords: professional learning community, Results-Based Management, teacher supervision, principals, accountability Case Narrative Francis is a Québec City high school principal with five years of experience. In his former school, he focused primarily on his administrative duties and less on his educational role. Because his school board had no guidelines regarding teacher supervision, Francis was concerned about the lack of framework and thus found supervision risky. He had not taught in over five years and therefore felt that he lacked the expertise to effectively supervise his tenured teachers who were specialists in disciplines other than his own. He also thought that he did not have enough time to perform this duty and that he lacked student data collection and analysis skills. Francis was under pressure from all sides. On the one hand, his teachers’ associated supervision with evaluation and therefore viewed supervision as an attack on their professional autonomy; on the other hand, were his district’s expectations with respect to RBM: namely, that he (1) supervise his teachers individually and collectively and (2) report on his students’ outcomes. The existing RBM policy (as established by the school team, their district, and the Ministry of Education) created several challenges for Francis, such as the element of control conveyed by this policy, the arduousness and complexity of the existing tools, the fact that administrative management was prioritized over pedagogical actions, and the difficulty getting teachers to participate. After four years in this school, he decided to establish a professional learning community (PLC) . Unfortunately, this PLC dissolved soon after due to various issues, including the lack of clarity regarding the roles of each member, the limited sharing of power within the PLC, and the lack of collaboration and cohesion when introducing certain practices. In hindsight, Francis recognized the weaknesses in his past experiences with a PLC. These issues were not based on evidence, and they were too strongly influenced by perceptions, opinions, subjectivity, and mandatory member participation was not well received. Furthermore, Francis was not always present to supervise each session and was alone to implement his PLC. Despite the fact that Francis had previously attended training workshops given by experts on how to establish and develop PLCs, the long-term repercussions of these seminars proved to be limited, as he received no guidance or follow-up from the training facilitators following the theoretical portion of the activities. Consequently, Francis failed to keep his work journal up to date to document the development of his PLC. In September 2018, Francis transferred to Saint-Laurent High School in the greater Montréal area. Francis

FAQs

How does RBM influence the principal’s supervisory responsibilities in this case?

RBM requires the principal to supervise teachers individually and collectively and to report student outcomes. This increases administrative workload while also creating control-related challenges for effective supervision.

Why did the first PLC dissolve soon after being established?

The PLC lacked clarity about members’ roles, offered limited power sharing, and suffered from weak collaboration and cohesion when introducing practices.

What strategies does the principal use after transferring to Saint-Laurent High School?

He builds trust by being present, leveraging each member’s strengths, encouraging participation through volunteer groups, sharing responsibilities, and prioritizing student needs while balancing pedagogical support and control.

Oct 15, 2026

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