In a professional learning community (PLC), teachers are organized into teams, committed to meeting on a regular basis to study their teaching strategies and the effects of those strategies on the students in their classrooms. The teacher teams can be of varied form and composition. Whatever the organizational structure, the teams have one goal – that is to improve teaching so that student learning is improved. Policy developers, legislators, and educational leaders have encouraged the adoption of collaborative professional learning teams as a school reform model for improving schools. In this book we describe the results of studies of professional learning communities in real schools and the effects of the teams on student learning. Much of the time school innovations are not examined in depth. Instead authors and developers simply advocate that they be used. In this book, school principals and administrators describe how their teachers used the PLC teams to improve student learning in their schools. In other words, this book presents actual research on the effects of the use of PLCs rather than testimonials.

Perception or reality: An examination of staff perceptions of professional learning communities in relation to student achievement.

If you are looking for an organic approach to purpose-driven professional learning, this is the book for you. Award-winning educator Lois Brown Easton's latest work provides a compelling case study in narrative form, a chronological PLC planning outline, and first-hand "lessons learned" about how PLCs develop, mature, and sustain themselves. You will not receive a PLC "prescription," but you will find inspiration, wisdom, discussion questions, and a companion CD.

This report gauges progress toward achieving high quality teaching in every classroom, using data about teaching conditions that are new since publication of an earlier report by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. Section 1, "Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching," describes the Commission's original findings and recommendations following two years of study. Findings indicate that most schools and teachers cannot achieve new educational goals because they do not know how and do not receive support to do so. Recommendations include linking teacher standards to student standards, reinventing teacher preparation and professional development, overhauling teacher recruitment, putting qualified teachers in every classroom, and organizing schools for success for all. Section 2, "America's Agenda for Education," discusses new standards and new students in America's schools, examining why and how teaching matters. Section 3, "Lessons from Last Decade's Reforms," discusses major initiatives in North Carolina, Connecticut, and other states for improving teaching quality. Section 4, "The Current Status of Teaching," discusses teacher recruitment and teacher supply and demand; salaries and working conditions; retention; qualifications and training; reform of teacher education and induction; access to professional development; and progress in school reform. Section 5, "Evidence of Progress," describes federal, state, and local initiatives to improve quality. Six appendixes offer state report cards on teacher quality; state-by-state data tables; National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, and National Board standards; Commission staff, advisors, and consultants; partner state contact persons; and national organization partners and contact persons. (SM)

Make the transition from traditional, whole-group reading instruction to the 21st century classroom by integrating three innovations that will dramatically improve elementary reading instruction: RTI, differentiated instruction, and technology. Detailed ex