BLOOMINGTON, IN--(Marketwired - January 28, 2016) -  Solution Tree, an educational publisher and professional development provider, has announced three finalists for the first annual DuFour Award. The new award honors high-performing schools that demonstrate exceptional levels of student achievement.

"We received many impressive applications over the past few months," said Solution Tree CEO Jeffrey C. Jones. "But the three schools we selected as finalists stood out for their outstanding ability to work collaboratively to ensure every student receives a quality education."

Each finalist school submitted an essay and created a short video demonstrating their commitment and dedication to building a successful professional learning community, improving student learning and advancing instructional best practices.

The 2016 DuFour Award finalists include:

Fern Creek High School, Louisville, Kentucky

James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas

Mason Crest Elementary School, Annandale, Virginia

The winner will be announced during The Summit on PLC at Work™, which will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 3­-5, 2016. Solution Tree will make a $25,000 contribution to the winning school.

About Solution Tree

Solution Tree delivers comprehensive professional development to schools and districts around the world. Solution Tree has empowered K-12 educators to raise student achievement through a wide range of services and products including educator conferences, customized district solutions for long-term professional development, books, videos, online courses and more.