Continuous Improvement Practices involve an ongoing process within the school that utilizes diverse data/information, such as street data and empathy interviews, aligned with the shared purpose and encompassing measures of belonging, connection, and engagement. Regular use of disaggregated data drives improvement efforts, especially in supporting students facing opportunity disparities. Embracing diverse perspectives, the school gains a profound understanding of the problems/issues addressed. A steadfast commitment to structured processes, utilizing iterative, focused inquiry cycles, enables sustained progress and growth.
Statements Depicting the Ideal Pursuit of a School
- The school utilizes a wide range of data/information, including street data, empathy interviews, etc., aligned with the school’s shared purpose and inclusive of measures of belonging, connection, and engagement.
- Disaggregated data is regularly employed to drive improvement efforts aimed at supporting students facing opportunity disparities.
- Diverse perspectives are embraced in sense-making processes to gain deep understanding of the problems/issues to be addressed.
- The school demonstrates a commitment to structured processes, utilizing iterative, focused inquiry cycles.
Points of Emphasis
- Initial concentration area leaders should address is engaging the school community in a shared vision for readiness with a focus on students and families who have been historically marginalized.
- In order to solve a problem we must spend the majority of the time understanding it before trying to solve it.
Quotes
“Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.” – Robin Sharma
“If we’re really committed to growth, we never stop discovering new dimensions of self and self-expression.” – Oprah Winfrey
Key Resources
All Toolkit Resources
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Enticing Into Confusion
No matter our instructional, distributed, or transformational leadership strengths their value does not address the change agent’s mortal enemy, the status quo. Foot soldiers in the status quo army are the purveyors of “No!” No matter how promising an idea, the answer is always the same—no.
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Build Unity Through Change: Engage Staff in Continuous Improvement Processes
Continuous improvement should be embedded in day-to-day work, in a systemized, organic way. You can think of the cyclical process as a formative assessment of the ideas being tested.
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SEL Aligned With Your School Community: Select an Evidence-Based SEL Program
Your SEL team will need to consider several factors prior to the adoption of an evidence-based program for SEL. This activity will assist your team to clarify the needs and priorities and chose a program best suited for your school.
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How To Build a Culture of Mind, Heart, and Spirit: 4 Ways Leaders Can Support Their Team & School
Embedding school identity in instruction, setting positive expectations, and embracing meaningful change are just some of the educational practices Angela Stevens-Stevenson — former principal at Martin Luther King, Jr. Junior High School in Pittsburg, California — is both passionate about and experienced with.
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MTSS Framework and the Work of the PLC: Two Schoolwide Systems & Three Big Ideas Work Together to Support ALL Students
You cannot effectively implement RTI without the PLC process. The three big ideas drive the work of a PLC: a focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a results orientation. You cannot effectively implement RTI without the PLC process. The three big ideas drive the work of a PLC: a focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a…
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Work Cycle for Teams: Keep Collaborative Teams Focused on Their Purpose & Goals
So, you want to get on-board with continuous improvement and lasting change in your school and education; you’ve worked through the root causes of core issues and needs; you’ve drafted the big plans and made them manageable; you’ve created your A-Teams; now what? This guide will help your teams for effectively and efficiently work towards…