Schools are using various forms of professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to increase student achievement and improve educational practices through enhanced communication and collaboration among teachers. This study examined a PLC that had too narrow a focus and failed therefore to affect student achievement. A critical shortcoming of…

Using data for school improvement is a key goal of Race to the Top, and now is the time to make data-driven school improvement a priority. However, many educators are drowning in data. Boost your professional learning community's ability to translate data into action with this new book from Pam Robbins and Robert T. Hess. "The Data Toolkit"…

Describes a study that used fifty-four 10th grade social studies students to investigate the effect of positive goal interdependence and positive goal and positive reward interdependence on achievement. Results indicated that cooperation promoted higher achievement than competition and that both positive goal and reward interdependence are needed…

"Connecting With Others" for grades 9 through 12 is a proactive program helps high school students learn skills in self-advocacy, communication, interpersonal behaviors, and problem solving. It includes 40 learning activities that take into consideration cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity. The activities are divided into the…