Continuous school improvement only happens when teachers and administrators collectively center their powers on ensuring student success within a professional learning community. With this practical guide, K-12 educators will discover how to target their school's specific needs with an immediate course of action to improve and measure student achievement. Each chapter includes space for teams to determine actions steps and a list of questions to help bring greater focus to your school improvement process. A how-to guide for implementing Professional Learning Community at Work(TM) practices: Learn how to drive increased academic achievement for all students. Consider anecdotes from the authors' experiences working with schools that illustrate best practices in action. Contemplate your school's reality, and determine what actions you can take to improve student achievement. Prepare a school improvement plan for the structural changes needed to create a positive school culture. Use helpful protocols, rubrics, and action and assessment plans found throughout the book to design your continuous improvement plan. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Charting a Course Focused on Learning Chapter 2: Transforming Culture and Structures Chapter 3: Focusing on 21st Century Learners Chapter 4: Establishing a Common Curriculum Chapter 5: Creating and Using Common Assessments Chapter 6: Planning Meaningful and Effective Instruction Chapter 7: Embracing Accountability Epilogue References and Resources