Joyce S. Kaser (EdD, American University, Wash-ington, D.C.), is a Senior Program Associate with WestEd. She is also President of Kaser and Associ-ates and is a Senior Research Associate with The Study Group. She is first author of Enhancing Pro-gram Quality in Science and Mathematics, also published by Corwin Press, in 1999. This book presents an approach, called profiling, to forma-tive evaluation of programs that support mathe-matics and science education. Over the past de-cade, Dr. Kaser has been one of the key developers of this methodology. She has also been an evalua-tor of state, urban, and local systemic change ef-forts, along with numerous national and statewide professional development programs. Currently, she is part of a team developing statewide criteria for professional development and serves as the coprincipal investigator of re-search for an online learning program. She assists a major professional devel-opment provider implement profiling as its approach to quality assurance. A former teacher and school administrator, Dr. Kaser is coauthor of a change management methodology for use in education, along with a risk analysis as-sessment process for large system interventions. This new book brings to-gether her work in professional development, evaluation, change manage- ment, lifelong learning, and group leadership. Susan Mundry is currently deputy director of Learning Innovations at WestEd and the associate director of WestEd′s Mathematics, Science, and Technology Program. She directs several national or regional projects focused on improving educational practice and oversees the research and evaluation projects of Learning Innovations. She is codirector of a research study examining the distribution of highly qualified teachers in New York and Maine for the Northeast & Islands Regional Education Laboratory and is the project codirector for the evaluation of the Intel Mathematics Initiative, a professional development program for elementary and middle grades teachers aimed at increasing student outcomes in mathematics. She is also a Principal Investigator for two National Science Foundation projects that are developing products to promote the use of research-based practice in science and mathematics. Since 2000, Mundry has codirected the National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership, which provides educational leaders with training and technical assistance on professional development design, leading educational change, group facilitation, data analysis and use, and general educational leadership, as well as access to research-based information to improve teaching and learning. Building on this work, she provides technical assistance to several large urban schools districts engaged in enhancing leadership and improving math and science programs. As a senior research associate for the National Institute for Science Education (1997-2000), Mundry conducted research on attributes of effective professional development. She served on the national evaluation team for the study of the Eisenhower Professional Development program led by the American Institutes for Research, where she worked on the development of national survey instruments and the protocols for case studies. From 1982 to 1997, Mundry served in many roles from staff developer to associate director at The NETWORK, Inc., a research and development organization focused on organizational change and dissemination of promising education practice. There, she managed the work of the National Center for Improving Science Education and the Center for Effective Communication, provided technical assistance to schools on issues of equity and desegregation, oversaw national dissemination programs, and co-developed the "Change Game," (Making Change for School Improvement) a simulation game that enhances leaders′ ability to lead change efforts in schools and districts. Mundry has written several books, chapters, and articles based on her work. She is coauthor of the best selling book, Designing Effective Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics (2nd edition), as well as Leading Every Day: 125 Actions for Effective Leadership, which was named a National Staff Development Council Book of the Year in 2003. Her latest book is The Data Coach′s Guide to Improving Learning for All Students (2008). Katherine E. Stiles brings 20 years of experience to her current work as a project director and senior program associate at WestEd, and is co-director of WestEd′s National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership. As a senior staff member on Using Data Project, a collaboration between TERC and WestEd, Stiles co-developed the professional development program and provided technical assistance to the participating schools engaged in collaborative inquiry into data. She was awarded the Paul D. Hood Award in 2002 from WestEd for Distinguished Contribution to the Field. Stiles is co-author of the Corwin Press book, Leading Every Day: 124 Actions for Effective Leadership (2005), which received the National Staff Development Council′s 2003 Outstanding Book of the Year Award. She has co-authored or authored additional Corwin Press titles, including Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics, Second Edition (2003), and the Facilitator′s Guide to Leading Every Day (2006). Stiles has degrees in psychology, education, and special education. Susan Loucks-Horsley was the lead author of the first edition of Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics and directed the professional development research for the National Institute for Science Education on which the book is based. At the time of her passing in 2000, Susan was the associate executive director of Biological Sciences and Curriculum Study (BSCS) and senior research associate for science and mathematics at WestEd. She had previously served as director of professional development and outreach at the National Research Council′s Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education, where she promoted and monitored standards-based education, especially the National Science Education Standards. Susan was a leading researcher, writer, and professional developer who enjoyed collaborating with others to address education′s toughest problems. She was the lead author of several books, including Continuing to Learn: A Guidebook for Teacher Development, An Action Guide for School Improvement, and Elementary School Science for the 90s. In addition, she wrote numerous reports on teacher development for the National Center for Improving Science Education, as well as chapters and articles on related topics. While at the University of Texas/Austin Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, she worked on the development team of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), a classic framework for understanding and leading change efforts.
