The goal of this project is to provide quality professional development through Learning Communities in target schools in the Albany City School District, as part of the district's professional development plan. These Learning Comminities are a partnership of teachers and paraprofessionals from three elementary magnet schools and one K-8 school and faculty from the University's School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences to increase pedagogical and content area knowledge and skills. The third partner is the Capital Area School Development Association. Short-term goals are to improve student learning by strengthening content knowledge and pedagogical practice through Learning Communities and to develop leadership in the area of service learning as a vehicle to improving student learning. The long-term goal is to create a model of embedded, school-centered professional development that improves student learning that will be replicable in schools across the district and then to other school districts across the state.