This title presents powerful tools for facilitating teachers’ professional development and optimizing school improvement efforts! This step-by-step guide presents specific strategies for coaches who work with professional learning communities (PLCs) that practice action research, better known as ‘inquiry-oriented PLCs’. This resource illustrates how incorporating action research can significantly influence professional development practices and provides coaches with lessons learned from facilitators of inquiry-oriented PLCs. This research-based book also offers: the 10 essential elements for a healthy PLC; sample inquiry projects and case studies of actual inquiry-based PLCs; 12 lessons to help good coaches become great coaches; and, reflection prompts in each chapter for study groups.