James H. Stronge is president and CEO of Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting, LLC, an educational consulting company that focuses on teacher and leader effectiveness with projects throughout the United States and internationally. Additionally, he is the Heritage Professor of Education, a distinguished professorship, in the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership Area at the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

He teaches doctoral courses within the School of Education's Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership (EPPL) Program, with a particular focus on teacher and leader effectiveness, human resource leadership, legal issues in education, and research design.

Jessica M. Straessle received her master's degree in early childhood education from Georgia State University, where she focused on effective teaching in an urban environment. She then received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from William and Mary's Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership Program with a focus on curriculum and educational leadership.

While completing her PhD program, she was a classroom teacher teaching inclusion and gifted classes. Currently, she is working as a research associate with Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting. Her research interests include teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluation, and student individuality. To date, she has helped edit two books and coauthored three quick reference guides for teachers (ASCD).

Xianxuan Xu received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from William and Mary's Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership Program. Currently she is working as the decision analytics researcher at the Virginia Department of Education. Previously she served as the senior research associate with Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting. Her research interests include teacher and principal effectiveness, professional development, and evaluation.

To date, she has authored or coauthored eight books and numerous book chapters, journal articles, and technical reports. She has presented findings of her research at leading national conferences, such as the American Educational Research Association, the University Council for Educational Administration, and the CREATE National Evaluation Institute.