Collaborative Teams That Transform Schools: The Next Step in PLCs (Improving Student Learning in PLCs; Effective Leaders and Team Collaboration That Bolster PLCs)

Discover a practical, comprehensive model of effective professional learning communities. In this user-friendly guide, educators explore research-based steps and strategies designed to increase the effectiveness of collaborative teams and enhance PLCs. Examine how the PLC process can transform critical components of education by expanding the responsibilities of collaborative teams, enabling them to transform the scope and content of the curriculum, the nature and function of classroom assessments, the manner in which instruction is planned and executed, the system in which teachers develop, and the way schools are led.

Benefits
- Gain a model of effective instruction and strategies for direct instruction.
-Explore resources for collaborative teams to use as they have honest and challenging discussions, set and monitor norms, and focus on the right work.
-Chart progress and transformation of your own schools and classrooms to inform and adjust curriculum, instruction, and assessment with self-evaluation surveys.
-Study vignettes that depict how real schools have successfully implemented the strategies of a professional learning community outlined in each chapter.
-Use reproducible agendas, scales, and checklists to improve schoolwide practices.
-Answer comprehension questions to review each chapter's main points and increase your ability to support teacher development and student achievement.

Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is the cofounder and CEO of Marzano Research. During his 47 years in the field of education, he has worked with educators as a speaker, trainer and author on topics such as instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership, and school intervention. His practical translations of the most current research and theory into classroom strategies are known internationally and are widely practiced by both teachers and administrators.

Tammy Heflebower, EdD, is a senior scholar at Marzano Research with experience in urban to suburban districts internationally. She has served as a teacher, building-level leader, district leader, regional PD director, trainer, director of curriculum and instruction. She was also an adjunct professor at several universities. Tammy has contributor to and coauthored several articles and the books. She has also received the District Distinguished Teacher Award and worked as an educational trainer for the National Resource and Training Center at Boys Town in Nebraska. She also served as director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Douglas County School District and as a leader of many statewide organizations in Nebraska and Colorado.

Jan K. Hoegh is an associate vice president of Marzano Research. She is a former classroom teacher, PD specialist, asst. high school principal, and curriculum coordinator. Jan also served as assistant director of statewide assessment for the Nebraska Department of Education, where her primary focus was Nebraska State Accountability test development.

Phil Warrick, EdD, is an associate vice president of Marzano Research. He was an award-winning administrator for nearly twelve years. Phil has been an adjunct professor at Peru State College, and was invited to participate in the Texas Principals' Visioning Institute. He is a past regional president and elected chair for the NCSA. Phil was named Nebraska Outstanding New Principal, Secondary School Principals Region One Asst. Principal, Secondary School Principals Region One Principal, and State High School Principal of the Year on three occasions.

Gavin Grift is executive director of Hawker-Brownlow Professional Learning Services. With experience as a teacher, asst. principal, educational coach, and speaker, Gavin connects with topics ranging from cognitive coaching and quality teacher practice to PLCs and learning-centered leadership. As a training associate he led the establishment of a PLC network within Australian schools. Gavin also serves as a training associate for Thinking Collaborative, which is the home of both Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Schools.

Laurel Hecker is a production editor for Marzano Research and coauthor of Teaching Reasoning. Laurel's writing and editing experience extends across a range of topics and formats, including articles, website and social media content, research reports, and creative pieces.

Janelle Wills, PhD, is the director and lead training associate of Marzano Institute Australia. Janelle is the lead training associate for High Reliability Schools, The Art and Science of Teaching, and other Marzano Research topics. She works extensively with schools, regions, and systems throughout Australia. With over thirty years of teaching and leadership experience, Janelle has a strong commitment to continued learning enabling her to remain both informed and innovative in her approaches. Through practical application she has been able to link theory to practice resulting in the development of significant initiatives. Janelle has a strong belief in the importance of teaching as a profession and fervently promotes the need for teachers to actively engage with research through action research and reflective practice.