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Over the last hundred years, scholars, parents, and politicians have theorized about the cause of the academic shortfall in the United States. While a variety of solutions have been proposed and implemented, the problem still persist. Studies have however, documented that one approach that has been proven to be effective in alleviating the academic backwardness of American schools is the establishment of PLC s in schools. While research supports the claim that the implementation of PLC s boosts teachers´ morale, which ultimately results in improved student learning, no studies have focused on the effectiveness of a PLC within an alternative high school setting. Author Ndieze Nnawuchi therefore, conducted a study that examined the effectiveness of PLC on the academic achievement of students in an alternative high school in Cook County Chicago, IL. Findings from this qualitative study indicated that the implementation of PLC principles in an alternative high school had a profound impact on students´ academic achievement, as well as collaboration among team members if practiced appropriately.

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Dr. Nnawuchi was born in 1963. He earned a bachelor´s degree in 1989, masters in 1999, and doctoral degree in 2013. He serves as a learning behavior specialist 1 with Chicago public schools. With this vantage point, along with his early educational skills, he has developed a unique view on why students struggle through their academic careers.

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