Scoles-West, Connie: - Connie Scoles West, BSEd, MEd, spent her career in K-12 education as a classroom teacher and administrator in Cincinnati, Ohio, before joining Learning Sciences International as an independent staff developer in 2012. Connie brings expertise to her work from years of experience in a broad spectrum of leadership roles, including gifted education, mentoring, instructional coaching, school improvement, curriculum, professional development, and teacher evaluation. She has presented at numerous conferences on topics in literacy, mathematics, coaching, and curriculum and instruction. Connie earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is a nationally recognized education researcher, speaker, trainer, and author of more than 30 books and 150 articles on topics such as instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership, and school intervention. His practical translations of the most current research and theory into classroom strategies are widely practiced internationally by both teachers and administrators.