Chris Jakicic, EdD, served as principal of Woodlawn Middle School in Illinois from its opening day in 1999 through the spring of 2007. Under her leadership, the staff shifted toward a collaborative culture focused on learning and implemented formative assessment practices to shape their instructional strategies. Student motivation and performance increased. Dr. Jakicic began her career teaching middle school science before serving as principal of Willow Grove Elementary School in Illinois for nine years. At Willow Grove, she helped teachers develop high-performing collaborative teams to increase student learning.Through her work with teachers and administrators across the country, Dr. Jakicic emphasizes that effective teaming is the heart of PLCs. She also shares practical knowledge about how to use data conversations to interpret classroom information for effective instruction. Woodlawn is one of the schools featured on AllThingsPLC.info.Dr. Jakicic led Woodlawn staff in writing common assessments several years ago. She designed a one-day workshop to train all middle school teachers in the district about why using common assessments is so essential. This assessment data is used to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty.Dr. Jakicic has written articles for the Journal of Staff Development and Illinois School Research and Development Journal detailing her experiences with common assessments and PLCs. She has worked as an adjunct instructor at National-Louis University as well as Loyola University Chicago, where she earned a doctor of education.Dr. Jakicic is a coauthor of Common Formative Assessment and Collaborating for Success with the Common Core. She is a contributor for Assessment Leaders, The Collaborative Teacher, The Teacher Assessment Leader, and The Principal Assessment Leader. Her work can be further explored at solution-tree.comYou can follow Dr. Jakicic on Twitter at @cjakicic