Collaborative Action Research : Developing Professional Learning Communities

Describing the role of both the university and the school, this book explores critical aspects of collaborative action, including establishing relationships, using critical friends, developing leadership teams, and implementation. It provides lessons learned from successful and unsuccessful programs, to show schools what to do and what to avoid.

Those new to action research are provided an overview and map to guide participants through the process. Gordon evaluates the work of the School Improvement Network, a partnership in which university professors and graduate students collaborated with K - 12 school leaders and teachers to design, implement, and assess schoolwide action research projects focused on long-term school improvement.Describing the role of both the university and the school, ""Collaborative Action Research"": explores critical aspects of collaborative action, including establishing relationships, using critical friends, developing leadership teams, readiness, organization, and implementation; provides lessons learned from successful and unsuccessful programs, to show schools what to do and what to avoid; and, examines schools in Texas that have used action research to improve student achievement within a standards-based environment.