Current research indicates that a professional learning community (PLC) is an effective means for helping teachers to bridge the gap between research and practice. A PLC is a team of educators systematically working together to improve teaching practice and student learning. This study evaluated the PLC formed by teachers at a public elementary school. A 2-part formative assessment was conducted: an implementation evaluation to determine if PLC practices were in place and an evaluation to determine the PLC's progress towards meeting its goals. The PLC consisted of 6 4th grade and 5th grade teachers working to increase their science content and pedagogical knowledge. The foundation of this PLC was based in 4 areas of educational research and theory: constructivism, social learning, multiple intelligences, and differentiated instruction. Data were collected by means of interviews, participant observation, and analysis of artifacts. Data were then analyzed using an iterative set of phases: data reduction, data display, conclusion drawing and verification. The implementation evaluation showed that the PLC was in the developing stage. The progress evaluation showed that the PLC was making significant progress towards its goals of increased collaboration and pedagogical knowledge, but there was insufficient evidence to determine if participants' science content knowledge improved. An executive summary of the results and recommendations was presented to the stakeholders. The positive social change implications include knowledge useful for educators who are searching for direction in improving the quality of professional development offered to elementary teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]