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Rebecca Nicolas

Rebecca Nicolas, EdD, is the principal of Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Her work is focused on the implementation of the PLC process and the integration of collaborative teams.

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Rebecca Nicolas

Rebecca Nicolas, EdD, is the principal of Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Her work is focused on the implementation of the PLC process and the integration of collaborative teams.

Prior to her work at Fern Creek, Dr. Nicolas was an assistant principal at Fern Creek High School and an English teacher and assistant principal at Doss High School in Kentucky. She has 17 years of experience working in schools with significant at-risk student populations. Her work at Fern Creek includes the development of integrated RTI practices, the use of data in developing effective teams, and the inclusion of nontraditional students in highly rigorous courses. As one of the few examples of an urban turnaround high school in Kentucky, Fern Creek has received recognition as a Model PLC school, was a runner-up for the 2016 DuFour Award, and was named winner of the 2016 NPLI School Innovation and Change Award. Fern Creek later won the 2017 DuFour Award.

Dr. Nicolas has presented her work on the implementation of the PLC process at regional, state, and national conferences, including Advanced Placement, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Council on Education, as well as a presentation to the US secretary of education on best practices of an urban turnaround school.

Dr. Nicolas earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky; a master’s degree in English from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and an EdD in educational leadership from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.


Priority Schools in a PLC at Work®

Hand-selected and trained by PLC at Work champions our Priority Schools in a PLC at Work experts have proven success in leading the PLC at Work process and have specific experience with the unique challenges that face schools labeled as low performing. Work with them to identify and prioritize critical areas of growth to implement changes in a timely manner with a focus on student achievement.

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PLC at Work®

PLC at Work® experts have proven success in leading the PLC at Work process in a school or district. Work with them to implement a focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and create a results orientation that leads to sustained, substantive school improvement.

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RTI at Work™

RTI at Work experts focus on learning for all students and will empower you to build your own timely, targeted, and systematic intervention program. Work with them to implement a results-driven program that provides targeted instruction at all tiers of intervention.

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Presentations by Rebecca Nicolas

  • Response to Intervention Using Academic Advising
  • Creating and Sustaining a College-Going Culture
  • Best Practices of an Urban Turnaround School
  • Building Collaboration with CTE and the Core
  • Student Progress Monitoring: Effectively Driving Instruction
  • Building Community in an AP Culture
  • Using Data to Drive Collaboration in a Professional Learning Community