Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn [Paperback]

Rebecca DuFour (Author), Robert Eaker (Author), Gayle Karhanek (Author), Richard Dufour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn examines the question, What happens when, despite our best efforts in the classroom, a student does not learn?

A professional learning community creates a school-wide system of interventions that provides all students with additional time and support when they experience difficulty in their learning. The authors describe the systems of interventions, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School's Pyramid of Interventions, created by a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools. The authors also discuss the logistical barriers these schools faced and their strategies for overcoming them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The results are incredible. This is the future of professional development." -- Rick Stiggins, Assessment Training Institute, Inc."Whatever it Takes provides the stories, the vision and hope for all schools dedicated to the 'learning for all' mission."

— --Lawrence W. Lezotte, National Consultant and Commentator Effective Schools Products

About the Author

As the former principal and superintendent of Adlai Stevenson, a 4,000-student suburban high school, Richard DuFour helped the school become one of the most recognized and celebrated schools in America.

As the former principal of Boones Mill, a 400-student rural elementary school, Rebecca DuFour helped her school receive the Governor's Award for High Achievement.

As the former executive vice-president and provost of Middle State Tennessee University, Robert Eaker was cited by Phi Delta Kappa as one of the nation's leading experts in translating school research into practice.

As director of student services at Adlai Stevenson for 25 years, Gayle Karhanek was the 2000 winner of the "Those Who Excel" award from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Solution Tree (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932127283
• ISBN-13: 978-1932127287
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard DuFour is one of the nation's foremost authorities on applying the principles of Professional Learning Communities in the real world of schools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book that people interested in PLCs need!, September 22, 2005

By 

Ryan Grant (Medical Lake, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn (Paperback)

The heart of the entire idea of Professional Learning Communities is that they respond to the needs of the students in a more directed, individualized way than before. The other books on PLCs ("Professional Learning Communities at Work" and "On Common Ground", for example) talk in passing about the intervention part of a PLC, but this is the book that finally tells you what that intervention model can look like.

There's something in here for every school. The most convincing chapters are probably 3 and 4 wherein we hear how one high school evolved into a responsive learning environment that really did manage to be all things to all people. Chapter 5 (on a middle school) didn't really add much to the book, but chapters 6 and 7 talk about two different elementary schools that adopted the PLC framework and the great results they achieved.

The content that makes this PLC book stand above the rest is the focus on details. At times the other books on PLCs fell into platitudes and back-patting about how nice PLCs are; you don't find that here. There are lots of specifics, lots of details, and after reading it I felt really good about the direction that my school could go.

In short--highest recommendations, and must-read material for anyone working with PLCs!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Should have been an essay., August 6, 2007

By 

E "Shaw" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn (Paperback)

Basic ideas are sound, but I think nothing ground-breaking. I felt that each chapter could have been shortened into a paragraph or two. At most, this should have been an essay. Based on the way the book was written, I got the feeling that the authors were trying to influence the reader much the same way as a cult would try to brainwash a prospective member. While I agree that teachers should teach children to learn, I feel that the student will be in trouble upon graduation as the system of support will be gone. They will have to perform or fail... period. I felt the book to be too wordy, too preachy, too liberal... did I say too wordy?

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Whatever You Can Do to Pass A Student, January 21, 2008

By 

Poe's Perkins (Upland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn (Paperback)

I find it troubling that so much of this author's claim lies at the fountainhead of what he calls learning, but where does he explain what "learning" actually is? He appears to skirt around this issue in every chapter. After reading the book, I am left with the feeling that learning, for DuFour, is something that I do as a teacher when I fill students' heads up with information. I take my pitcher of what-is-to-be-learned and carefully pour it in each student's head. According to DuFour, some heads are not equipped with funnels, so a cadre of teachers assemble to cascade what-is-to-be-learned, pouring waterfall-like liquids of learning over various student heads in the hopes that some of the precious liquid will stay. By the end of twelfth grade, because a deluge of learning has been cast at the students, enough of the learning-liquid should be present for adult proficiency. There is one major part with this metaphor that bothers me, though: What role do students play in learning? Again, according to DuFour, students are only vessels to contain learning. To be honest, I've never thought of my students as cups or glasses.