James Stronge is the Heritage Professor in the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership area at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

His research interests include policy and practice related to teacher quality as well as teacher and administrator evaluation, and he has worked extensively with local school districts on these topics. His work focuses on how to identify effective teachers and how to enhance teacher effectiveness.

Stronge has authored, coauthored, or edited 22 books and more than 100 articles, chapters, and technical reports. He has been a teacher, counselor, and district-level administrator. His doctorate in the area of Educational Administration and Planning is from the University of Alabama.

Xianxuan Xu is a dedicated researcher and experienced consultant Her research interests focus on teacher effectiveness, professional development, and teacher and principal evaluation.

She has been involved in several research projects, including a study examining the relationship between national culture and student achievement, creativity, and productivity, and an international comparative study of effective teachers serving disadvantaged students in the United States and China. Xu's research papers have been published in many journals and she has presented findings of her research at various national conferences.

Xu is a coauthor of Qualities of Effective Principals, What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There, and more.