Drawing from a wealth of research and experience, this book shows educators how to use the transformative power of professional learning in community to raise the professional stature of educators. The authors, experts in their field, provide clear steps and real-school examples with a focus on collaborative adult learning for student gains, community respect, professional satisfaction, and collegial support. They examine pitfalls and distractions, and show clear images of what empowered Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) look like for teachers, administrators, and leaders at the school and district level. The authors also provide practical tools for advancing and measuring progress. This resource will help educators move from a climate of sanctions to one of mutual trust and support informed by a commitment to students and a dedication to working and learning together. Book features include: (1) A rubric for PLCs to measure their progress on a continuum; (2) Organizational structures, human resources, and protocols required to empower PLCs; (3) Stories from schools of PLC breakthroughs and best PLC practices; (4) An "Innovation Configuration Map," or master plan, for moving a PLC to progressively higher levels; and (5) A framework for developing a teaching profession that is more self-regulating and more highly valued by society. [Foreword by Karen Seashore Louis.]