Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement - Softcover

Dr. Richard P. DuFour was a public school educator for 34 years, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. He served as the principal of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois from 1983 1991 and as superintendent of the district from 1991 2002. During his tenure, Stevenson became what the United States Department of Education has described as the most recognized and celebrated school in America. Dr. DuFour is the author of eight books and more than 40 professional articles, and for almost a decade, a quarterly column for the Journal of Staff Development. He was the lead consultant and author for the ASCD s seven-part video series on principalship and is the author of two other videos, How to Build a Professional Learning Community and Through New Eyes: Examining the Culture of Your School. He was the first principal in Illinois to receive the Distinguished Educator award, the state s highest honor as both principal and superintendent; was named one of the top 100 school administrators in North America by Executive Educator magazine; was presented the Distinguished Scholar Practitioner award from the University of Illinois; and was the 2004 recipient of the National Staff Development Council s Distinguished Service award. He consults with school districts, state departments of education, and professional organizations throughout North America on strategies for improving schools. Dr. Robert Eaker, Ed.D., is the former executive vice president and provost at Middle Tennessee State University and former fellow with the National Center for Effective Schools Research and Development. Dr. Eaker has written widely on the issues of effective teaching, effective schools, helping teachers use research findings, and high expectations for student achievement. Dr. Eaker has spoken at numerous national meetings held by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and National Center for Effective Schools Research and Development. He was also chosen by Phi Delta Kappa for the People in Educational Evaluation and Research interview series. He regularly consults with school districts throughout the nation regarding school improvement issues with content that is grounded in current research and that also addresses the concerns and problems of contemporary school practitioners. Drs. Eaker and DuFour co-authored Creating the New American School: A Principal s Guide to School Improvement and Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don t Learn (with Rebecca DuFour and Gayle Karhanek). Their book, Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, co-authored with Rebecca DuFour, has sold over 53,000 copies since its release in March 2002. Drs. Eaker and DuFour are also co-editors of On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities, a collection of essays by leading educational authors and consultants.