Professional learning communities have been labeled as effective and capable of producing continuous school improvement. Despite the merits and popularity of professional learning communities, they have been shown to be an elusive concept to implement. The problem this study addressed was the inconsistent quality of professional learning…

Research has shown that adequate support from the school environment is necessary to help beginning teachers in applying differentiated instruction (DI), but how schools can aid in this process remains unclear. This qualitative study explores how professional learning communities (PLCs), an indicator of a supportive school environment, can enhance…

This article presents a case study that examined leaders' actions within a Spanish/English two-way immersion program as they guided teachers in a critical analysis of a common literacy assessment routine. The intent of this research was to move toward a more equitable reconceptualization of the literacy assessment routine and ultimately work to…

A substantial amount of research shows that teacher collaboration and a collaborative school culture can significantly increase student achievement. However, long-standing norms of teacher isolation create a significant barrier to this endeavor. The increased popularity of Professional Learning Communities has helped education move away from these…

Research has indicated educational leaders have had to redefine how leadership is practiced in schools. Because of the increase of accountability measures and responsibilities of the K-12 administrator, there has been a shift in leadership from the "lone" leader to leadership including principals, teachers, and other school leaders. The…