Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work: Grades 9-12 - Softcover

Dr. Fisher received an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award for his work on literacy leadership. For his work as codirector of the City Heights Professional Development Schools, Dr. Fisher received the Christa McAuliffe award. He was corecipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article, Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School, published in The English Journal.

Dr. Fisher has written numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design. His books include Creating Literacy-Rich Schools for Adolescents, Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations.

He earned a bachelor's degree in communication, a master's degree in public health, an executive master's degree in business, and a doctoral degree in multicultural education. Dr. Fisher completed post-doctoral study at the National Association of State Boards of Education focused on standards-based reforms.

Nancy Frey, PhD, is a professor of literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Through the university's teacher-credentialing and reading specialist programs, she teaches courses on elementary and secondary reading instruction and literacy in content areas, classroom management, and supporting students with diverse learning needs. Dr. Frey also teaches classes at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego. She is a board member of the California Reading Association and a credentialed special educator and reading specialist in California.

Before joining the university faculty, Dr. Frey was a public school teacher in Florida. She worked at the state level for the Florida Inclusion Network helping districts design systems for supporting students with disabilities in general education classrooms. She is the recipient of the 2008 Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference and the Christa McAuliffe Award for excellence in teacher education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She was corecipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article 'Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School.'

Dr. Frey is coauthor of Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations. She has written articles for The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The English Journal, Voices in the Middle, Middle School Journal, Remedial and Special Education, and Educational Leadership.

"The increasing complexity of texts, the Common Core State Standards for English language arts, and the need for ever-more sophisticated reading constitute a perfect storm for educators. Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work™, Grades 9-12 offers a powerful navigational aid as teachers work to collaboratively engage students in inquiry and critique across a sea of complex texts. Through specific chapters on professional learning communities; the standards for reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language; and formative assessment and intervention, Fisher and Frey ground their text in classroom vignettes and their own on-the-ground experiences, helping schools and secondary students excel."

--Thomas W. Bean, Professor of Reading and Literacy, Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Nevada, Las Vegas