Secondary school students in the 21st-century are faced with political, economic, and social trends that often pose crises such as performing below levels of proficiency on state mandated assessments. Restructuring school cultures within various schools and districts were noted through the establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs). The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to give a descriptive account of a newly formed professional learning community by examining three areas that transformed a culture within a struggling secondary school. Specifically, the research questions focused on the perspectives of professional educators in terms of purposeful reflections within PLCs, leadership within PLCs, and collaboration within PLCs were explored. Three teachers working in secondary schools in the Midwest region of the United States participated were interviewed in depth. Transcriptions of the interviews were read in their entirety, and meaningful units were noted and interpreted. The perceptive findings cited professional learning communities as systematic and structured methods of reform. The success of the method, however, was perceived to be predicated on collaborative effort, valued perspectives, effective leadership, and reflective insight among all stakeholders. A consideration of this study focuses on further research in the areas of secondary professional learning communities undergoing reform. In addition, similar research in the areas of student learning communities (SLCs) and literacy learning communities (LLCs) may be an additional consideration. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]