Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams
Transforming Schools Through Coherence, Belonging, and Consistency
- Dave Nagel - Education Consultant
Foreword by Casey Watts
Transform your school teams into engines of student growth
Despite significant investment, many schools struggle to translate professional learning efforts into measurable student achievement. The challenge isn't a lack of will but a need for a new approach—one that moves beyond mandated meetings that lack impact to cultivating genuine collaborative expertise.
Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams provides a clear, research-based blueprint for school and district leaders to transform how their teams work together and align efforts and actions to desired goals and outcomes. Drawing on Visible Learning research and proven strategies from high-performing organizations, the authors introduce a framework for designing and sustaining teams that maximizes impact and growth. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your teams
With this book, you’ll learn to:
- Determine core essential actions that unite the efforts of all the adults in your school or system
- Embrace a nine-element framework to foster authentic collaboration, psychological safety, and a shared commitment to student learning
- Utilize a variety of practical tools, including vignettes, case studies, self-assessments, instruments, and reflection logs, to effectively guide team development and track progress toward shared goals
- Align professional learning with PLC actions to ensure new knowledge is applied effectively in the classroom, bridging the "knowing doing" gap
- Strengthen your existing PLC model by integrating strategies that enhance team leadership, cohesion, and a focus on high-impact outcomes
This book offers a powerful blend of insights and strategies that leaders can implement immediately. By investing in the people and practices that matter most, you can create a system of connected classrooms, teams, and structures that lead to lasting success for all students.
"As an educator, I found this book to be an honest and insightful reflection on the challenges teachers face in today’s classrooms. The author skillfully highlights real issues within the U.S. education system and offers thoughtful, practical strategies to address them. A valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue about improving teaching and learning."
"Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams is a must read for any leader who struggles with obtaining impactful results from their teams. The book provides a very specific roadmap for that leader to take their teams to higher levels of learning and effectiveness, thus positively impacting the culture of the school."
"Clear, accessible, and grounded in practice, Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams offers school leaders and teacher teams practical guidance for building authentic collaborative learning cultures. With vivid vignettes and useful tools, it is an indispensable resource for transforming school communities."
"This book offers a powerful blend of research-based insights and practical strategies that leaders can implement immediately. It delivers tremendous value with actionable examples, clear frameworks, and tools that support real collaboration. From fostering shared language of learning to addressing implementation gaps as systemic opportunities, this resource equips school and district leaders with the clarity and structure needed to strengthen teams and student outcomes."
"A timely, research-driven roadmap for building collective expertise that transforms teaching teams into engines of student growth."
"By linking PLC research and Visible Learning to authentic, data-driven strategies anchored in success criteria, this book empowers teachers, administrators, PLC team members, and Collaborative Expertise Teams with the tools to deliver high-impact results at every level of education."
"This book provides a clear, research-based roadmap for building the collaborative expertise schools need to thrive. With practical tools and compelling case studies, it bridges theory and practice in ways that educators can immediately apply."
"Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams by David Nagel and Bruce Potter is exactly the resource today’s schools need. As an experienced educator and school leader who has studied John Hattie’s research extensively and implemented both the Teacher Clarity Playbook and PLC+ Playbook, I approached this book with a critical eye, and was thoroughly impressed.
This book strikes a powerful balance between theory and application. It is rich with practical tools, rubrics, self-assessments, case studies, and clear guidance for building collaborative expertise across any school setting. What makes it especially effective is its accessibility. Even readers unfamiliar with Hattie’s work will find the concepts approachable and the structure intuitive due to the authors’ clear writing style.
I strongly recommend this book for publication. If I were in a position to purchase copies for my team, school, or district, I would do so without hesitation. It offers exactly what our leadership team needs to move forward with strategic coherence and deepen our culture of collaboration. In fact, we plan to use it as the foundation for a future book study and implementation cycle.
This book has the potential to impact not just schools, but any organization striving for collective growth. It’s a timely and valuable contribution to the field."
"You are about to enjoy the most practical handbook for developing collaborative expertise teams in your school."
"This book not only provides a reason for why school leaders should and need to consider what they are doing in terms of supporting sustained school improvement when it comes to student achievement, they have provided practical tools to support that work. Through real stories leaders can see how these are utilize in school’s context."