Responding to the Every Student Succeeds Act With the PLC at Work™ Process

“In Responding to the Every Student Succeeds Act With the PLC at Work™ Process, the authors provide a model of how educators can and should respond to US national and state-level initiatives—in this case, the ESSA. Instead of viewing this initiative as a mandate to be fought, they can embrace it as an opportunity to improve best practices. The authors demonstrate that the PLC at Work process not only brings this initiative to life and makes it succeed but also ensures that it has no unintended harmful consequences.”

“As the dust settles after nearly twenty years of conflict between public policy and education research, this must-read resource offers hope for American children. The authors emphasize that the ESSA provides an opportunity for practitioners and policymakers to collaborate in a way that truly benefits all students, and offer a concrete plan of action for those who make critical decisions about the future of our schools.”

“DuFour, Reeves, and DuFour make an urgent and compelling call for educators to act as they enter yet another new era of federal policy. They describe lessons educators can learn from past federal legislation that failed to meet its intended goals and demonstrate the great potential of ESSA to empower instead of punish. They posit that educators are best positioned to create the state, district, and school conditions to ensure innovation that leads to high levels of learning for all students. This book makes the complex simple and the research practical and undeniable. An essential read for educators at every level, it provides invaluable insights with a well-defined road map to success.”

“Renowned education leaders Richard DuFour, Douglas Reeves, and Rebecca DuFour present an overwhelming case for taking advantage of the opportunities ESSA provides to propel US public education forward and upward like never before. How? Their answer should come as no surprise—developing the capacity of school staff to function as members of high-performing teams in schools that are true professional learning communities (PLCs). But it’s more than that. The authors redefine educational accountability as learning systems that use real-time data to inform professional practice and policymaking to ensure student learning at the highest levels.”