Experts define a learning organization as one in which a group of people pursuing common purposes (individual purposes as well) with a collective commitment to regularly weighing the value of those purposes, modifying them when that makes sense, and continuously developing more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing those purposes.

Although this is an inspiring vision, schools may be far from achieving it. Teacher isolation, lack of time, and the complexity of teaching present significant barriers to sustained organizational learning. Not surprisingly, researchers have often found that substantive changes in teaching practices are elusive. Studies show that even when teachers were willing to learn new methods, they often applied them in a superficial or inconsistent way, offering the appearance but not the substance of real change. Moreover, while rhetoric on learning organizations is plentiful, thoughtful research is harder to find.

Some studies point to changes in the workplace as a key to successful organizational learning. First, schedules and assignments should allow time for collective inquiry. Thus, schools must provide time for teachers to work and reflect together. Some schools, using early dismissal one afternoon a week, have been able to clear out significant blocks of time. More democratic forms of governance may strengthen collective inquiry.

It is experienced by us that the key to successful group dynamics is dialogue rather than debate, with the emphasis on listening, suspending judgment, and seeking common understanding.

In successful dialogue, participants learn not to march directly toward the nearest solution but to examine assumptions and share multiple perspectives that open the way to new types of collective learning. New strategies appear to be best learned in small groups that provide motivation, support, sympathetic sounding boards, and technical assistance.

Exploration carried out by us at an individual level reveal that school leaders must see ourselves as "learning leaders" responsible for helping schools develop the capacity to carry out endeavor. A crucial part of this role is cultivating and maintaining a shared vision that provides focus, generating questions that apply to everyone in the organization. Learning becomes a collaborative, goal–oriented task rather than a generalized desire to "stay current." One has to bring about the organizational structures that support continuous learning, creating time slots, collecting and disseminating information.

Perhaps, leaders need to view their organizations as learning communities, for faculty as well as students. This requires initiating school improvement in terms of hypotheses to be tested rather than solutions to be handed out, attacking the barriers to collaboration, and making decisions democratically. When the spirit of inquiry permeates the daily routine, we schools are on our way to becoming true learning organizations.