Jim Knight, Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group, is a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than 20 years studying professional learning and instructional coaching. He earned his PhD in Education from the University of Kansas and has received multiple awards for teaching, innovation, and service. Knight’s pioneering work has shaped modern professional development in schools. He wrote one of the first major articles on instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching (2007) provided the first in-depth exploration of the field. His book Focus on Teaching (2014) introduced effective uses of video for professional learning, and his later work on instructional playbooks expanded coaching practices. He has authored or co-authored numerous influential books, including Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021), Evaluating Instructional Coaching (2021), and Data Rules (2024). Knight also writes for leading education publications and co-hosts the podcast Coaching Conversations. Through ICG, he delivers workshops and institutes for coaching programs worldwide.