This case was developed for use with future school leaders in an educational setting. There are several topics of discussion that can be developed, including but not limited to policy implementation, the efficacy of professional learning communities, and improving student learning outcomes. The setting is a solidly performing middle school in the third year of implementing a new policy of common assessments through a professional learning committee model. Data are presented about the students, the district, and the teachers involved. Students must support the main player in the story: a new principal who is about to begin work with an established math department in the midst of collaborative crisis.
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