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.