Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities

Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities Synopsis

Building on extensive evidence that school-based teacher learning communities improve student outcomes, this book lays out an agenda to develop and sustain collaborative professional cultures. McLaughlin and Talbert - foremost scholars of school change and teaching contexts - provide an inside look at the processes, resources, and system strategies that are necessary to build vibrant school-based teacher learning communities.

Offering a compelling, straightforward blueprint for action, this book:

• takes a comprehensive look at the problem of improving the quality of teaching across the United States, based on evidence and examples from the authors' nearly two decades of research
• demonstrates how and why school-based teacher learning communities are bottom-line requirements for improved instruction
• outlines the resources and supports needed to build and sustain a long-term school-based teacher professional community
• discusses the nature of high-quality professional development to support learning and changes in teaching
• and details the roles and responsibilities of policymakers at all levels of the school system