ABSTRACT
Teachers became part of professional learning communities, working together, sharing ideas, gathering information, and changing curriculum and instruction in response to what they were learning. Such approaches build school-wide capacity by honoring the knowledge and experience that teachers bring with them. Because writing appears so front-and-center in the Common Core Standards, many are reporting an increase in needed professional development in how to teach and assess writing. After all, assessing writing can be challenging. When asked why good writing is difficult to assess, Linda Friedrich, PhD, the Director of Research and Evaluation of the National Writing Project, responded that: For these reasons, teachers must be permitted time to discuss, plan, and reach consensus. The author pictures Common Core Professional Learning Communities as interdisciplinary groups going forth and creating amazing small academies of projects, assessments, and activities.
