As superintendent of a school district in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Tom Many keeps a sharp focus on school improvement issues. In each of his roles - superintendent, public speaker, and author - he has worked closely with Dr. Rick DuFour, national authority on how to transform schools into professional learning communities. Dr. Many's distinguished career includes 17 years experience as superintendent, as well as a classroom teacher, curriculum supervisor, principal and other positions. A dedicated PLC practitioner, he has been involved in local and state level initiatives to achieve school improvement. Under his direction, District 96 has been recognized as one of the highest- achieving and lowest-spending elementary districts in Illinois. Dr. Many co-authored Learning By Doing with Rick and Becky DuFour, and Bob Eaker. This training examines the role of assessment in a PLC - especially as it relates to how teachers can use data to improve student achievement. Participants will review the research on common assessments, talk about common barriers to implementing a system of formative assessment, and learn specific strategies to help teachers become more assessment literate.