Improvement That Talks Back: Design, Monitor and Measure Continuous Improvement Efforts

Dr. Stephan KnoblochDirector of Research

Loudoun County Public Schools

NSBA T+L Conference 2009Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Plan

DoStudy

Act

OngoingImprovement

Cycle

2October 2009

“School improvement is most surely and thoroughly achieved when teachers (and school leaders) engage in frequent, continuous, and increasingly concrete and precise talk about teaching practice … adequate to the complexities of teaching, capable of distinguishing one practice and its virtue from another.”

--Judith Warren Little

3

Welcome

• Purpose– Deepen Awareness of one Improvement

Model – Measures, Monitor and Design– Review Use of Data Analysis Tools and

Protocols– Review Improvement Application and

Resources– Exchange Ideas and Promising Practices

for Community and Parent Involvement

4

Alignment and Measures

• Goals– Align with School Board Priorities/Goals

• Indicators– Local, state and national measures

• Action Plans– Strategies and Programs

• Tasks– Specific chronological tasks needed for successful

action plan implementation

• Sample SIP - Sterling Middle School

October 2009

5

Plan

Act

Study

Do

OngoingImprovement

Cycle

ReadData

AskQuestions

Analyze Practices

Craft Action Plans

Monitor Action Plans

Assess Plan andRevise

Plan

Do

Study

Act

Implement Action Plans

Measure

What do you see?

What do you see?

Analyze Practices

7

Diagnostic Tree Protocol

1. Identify “Red Flag,” Event, or Priority Issue

2. Determine the “LOCATION” of Priority Issue/Event/Red Flag

3. Create Initial Hypotheses• Student Demographics• Curriculum• Instruction• System Processes• External Factors

June 2008

8

PLAN Analyze Practice: 5 Whys Framework

• State the problem (Select a topic from QD Protocol)– Describe WHY you think

the problem exists– Describe WHY you think

the previous statement exists

– Describe WHY you think the previous statement exists

– Describe WHY you think the previous statement exists

June 2008

Problem Statement

9

Force Field Analysis

• Stone Bridge High School’s Teaching and Learning Framework– Driving Forces

• School• District

– Restraining Forces• School• District

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Developing Action Plans• Decide on a strategy

or instructional strategies that are likely to solve the problem of practice

• Agree on what the plan looks like in the classroom

• Put the plan down on template (SkoVision)

• Determine how you will know if the plan is working

June 2008

Task

Owner

Start - Due

Status

Resources

Cost

Expected Results

11

Action Plan: Problem-Solving Approach (PSA) (Data Wise p. 131)

Goal: Improve problem-solving instruction by teaching a consistent methodology for solving problems in all math classesIndicators: # of completed projects done independently by students to demonstrate their ability to apply the PSA% of poster projects evaluated using a common rubric

Math department chair creates materials for PD including rubric and anchor chart listing steps of the PSA to post in classroom for reference

January 7

Math chair models teaching PSA in 4 classes; all math teachers attend at least one modeling session

January 14

Math dept chair leads PD session and debriefs model lesson, offers list of problems for poster projects with range of difficulty

January Dept. Mtg.

Math teachers work in small teams to design PSA lessons and select problems for poster project #1

January 21

Teachers model PSA in classes, share poster rubric and assignment w/students January 28

Math teachers integrate PSA into regular lessons; students begin poster projects February 14

Teachers work in small groups to assess projects February 28

Instructional coach observes four math teachers (volunteers) integrating PSA March Dept. Mtg.

Guidance offered for round 2 of poster projects April 15

Math teachers meet weekly in small groups to discuss student work May 30

June 2008

12

STUDY Action Plan Study Questions:Choose an action plan.

Answer the questions below within SkoVision

• Study– Did the action plan

contribute to expected results or help to meet targets/indicators?

– Did the action plan reveal other needs or issues?

– Does the action plan need to be adjusted and/or refined?

– Was each task completed as planned?

– Was the action plan and its tasks monitored in a timely manner?

– Overall was this action plan effective?

• Act – This action plan should be

• a model considered for division-wide use.

• a model for school-wide deployment.

• continued as it is currently designed.

• discontinued.• expanded.• improved.

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ACT Descriptive Consultancy Protocol

• Purpose: Help someone think through a problem by framing it and describing it without judgment

• Problem Presentation – Describe problem• Clarifying Questions – Members ask questions• Reflecting Back – What did you hear?• Response – Clarify group understanding• Brainstorming – What if…? Have you thought

about…? Possible next steps/solution• Response – What has the presenter learned?• Debriefing – Feedback on role as presenter

June 2008

14

SkoVision New Features• Email Notification

– Action Plan (Late to start or complete)– Tasks (Late to start or complete)– New Indicator Value– New Action Plan Assignment

• Online Help• Plan Development and Archiving Flags• Indicator Charts• Activity Logging• More Filters• New Icons for Plan Overview• New SIP Home Page with Mission and Vision

Statements

June 2008

15

SIP Next Steps: Planning for August

• Sample Agenda• Need Data Reports

– SOL Trends Report Data Warehouse– Performance Marks – Final

• Protocols– Questioning Data– 5 Whys

• Materials