Getting Focused on Continuous Improvement

-J. Jay MarinoAssociate Superintendent for Organizational Effectiveness and Accountability, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

What’s Your Definition of Quality?

Every organization needs to understand what quality is and

what it isn’t.

What are the characteristics of What are the characteristics of a continuous improvement a continuous improvement system (district, school or system (district, school or classroom)? What would it classroom)? What would it look like?look like?

Use some quality tools:Use some quality tools:BrainstormBrainstormAffinity DiagramAffinity DiagramNominal Group Nominal Group Technique Technique

Are We Satisfied? Consensogram: On a scale of 1-10,

how satisfied are you with the quality and results of your school system? “10” Very Satisfied- we couldn’t possibly

improve or have better results “1” Very Unsatisfied- a complete

overhaul and redesign is needed to fix/improve the system and its results

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Very Unsatisfied

Very Satisfied

Today’s Essential Today’s Essential Questions…Questions…

How can quality and continuous How can quality and continuous improvement processes and tools improvement processes and tools positively impact student positively impact student achievement?achievement?

What are the components of the What are the components of the continuous improvement continuous improvement classroom and school?classroom and school?

How can the 7-step Plan Do Study How can the 7-step Plan Do Study Act cycle (Action Research) be Act cycle (Action Research) be used as a school improvement used as a school improvement model to increase student model to increase student achievement?achievement?

The Big The Big Question???Question???

--Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?

Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?Answer: The Answer: The World Has World Has ChangedChanged

The World is The World is FlatFlat ””The long-term opportunities The long-term opportunities

and challenges that the and challenges that the flattening of the world puts flattening of the world puts before the United States are before the United States are profound. profound. Therefore, our ability Therefore, our ability to get by doing things the way to get by doing things the way we’ve been doing them…will we’ve been doing them…will not suffice any more.”not suffice any more.”

Permanent Change!Permanent Change!

Thomas Friedman

None of the top 10 jobs in None of the top 10 jobs in 2010 exists today2010 exists today

--Former Ed. Secretary Richard Former Ed. Secretary Richard RileyRiley

The average person today The average person today will have 10 - 14 careerswill have 10 - 14 careers

The average job will last The average job will last 3 – 5 years 3 – 5 years

--U.S. Department of LaborU.S. Department of Labor

Changing JobsChanging Jobs

Our Our ChallengeChallenge

How do we create the How do we create the learning environments that learning environments that engage this generation? engage this generation?

How do we equip these How do we equip these students with the skills and students with the skills and knowledge they need to be knowledge they need to be competitive in a global, competitive in a global, flatflat world?world?

Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?Answer: Students Answer: Students need a different need a different set of skills to set of skills to compete in compete in today’s today’s flatflat world world

Academic Excellence

Strong Community

Broad Worldview

Mountain View Whisman School DistrictEducation for the world ahead

Goal:All children supported and inspired to reach their highest potential

Core Value:Culture of excellence

• Rigorous, results-driven instruction

• Teachers and staff committed to continuous improvement

• Can-do attitude

Supporting Points:

Goal: All children supported and enriched by entire Mountain View community

Core Value:Culture of collaboration

• High parental involvement and commitment

• City-wide enrichment services

• Interdependent relationships with universities and corporations

Supporting Points:

Goal: All children supported and prepared to thrive in a global environment

Core Value:Culture of respect

• Diverse student body• Access to rich, multi-

cultural perspectives and activities

• Horizon-broadening uses of technology

Supporting Points:

What Should We What Should We Teach?Teach?

Critical thinking skill areas Critical thinking skill areas must be addressed:must be addressed:Information Information processingprocessing skillsskills

Information Information presentationpresentation skillsskills

Independent Independent problem problem solvingsolving skills skills

Interdependent Interdependent team-workingteam-working skills skills

Our Greatest Challenge Our Greatest Challenge as Leaders…Changing as Leaders…Changing

Mindset…Mindset… A paradigm is any set of rules A paradigm is any set of rules

or regulations that defines or regulations that defines boundaries and tells you how to boundaries and tells you how to behave. behave.

Paradigms help us get Paradigms help us get through the day, but they through the day, but they also can work also can work against us.against us.

Change ProcessChange Process

SHOCK Acceptance

Rebuild

Depression

Helping Others With Helping Others With Change…Change…

Anxiety is reduced when…Anxiety is reduced when… Leaders- set and communicate Leaders- set and communicate

direction: direction: A well-defined and clearly communicated A well-defined and clearly communicated

mission, beliefs, objectives, parameters and mission, beliefs, objectives, parameters and strategies strategies

Alignment of people, resources and Alignment of people, resources and actions to the direction you are heading actions to the direction you are heading

Support/opportunities to gain the Support/opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to knowledge and skills necessary to accomplish the communicated directionaccomplish the communicated direction

Random Acts of ImprovementAim of the Organizatio

n

Goals and Measures

Aim of theOrganization

Aligned Acts of Improvement

Goals and Measures

Video: Goal!Video: Goal!

Goals & Top Goals & Top PrioritiesPriorities Running in all directions Running in all directions

(misaligned arrows)(misaligned arrows) ___ % know top goals (too many, ___ % know top goals (too many,

changing)changing) The front line produces bottom lineThe front line produces bottom line ___ % are passionate about the goals___ % are passionate about the goals ___ % of time on key goals___ % of time on key goals ___ % might know goals, ___ % might know goals,

don’t know what to do don’t know what to do about them about them

Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?Answer: To Answer: To align efforts align efforts and get and get everyone on the everyone on the same pagesame page

“Critical Few”

GOALS

DistrictStrategic

Plan

Aligned Acts of Aligned Acts of ImprovementImprovement

= Programs, Processes & School Improvement

Plans

Administrators: Setting &

Communicating Direction

Getting Getting alignment is alignment is

sometimes like sometimes like herding catsherding cats

It’s About It’s About Alignment!Alignment!

Can we get Can we get everyone everyone rowing in rowing in the same the same direction?direction?

Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?Answer: It’s Answer: It’s Research Based!Research Based!

Why Quality and Why Quality and Continuous Continuous

Improvement?Improvement?Answer: To provide the Answer: To provide the highest quality highest quality education while education while preparing students to preparing students to be successful in an ever be successful in an ever changing changing flatflat world! world!

MVWSD Goal: All children supported and prepared to thrive in a global environment

So What’s So What’s Next?Next?

A Review of MVWSD Strategic A Review of MVWSD Strategic PlansPlans

• Selected key elements of continuous improvement initiatives: – MBO’s - Ongoing Review Process (see timeline) – Project Management methodology implementation– Deploy wikis in content for project management– Trimester assessments measure for analysis– Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle for data-

driven instruction and results– Koality Kids for continuous improvement

in the classroom for students and teachers

MANAGE BY OBJECTIVES & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Next Steps

MANAGE BY OBJECTIVES & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Next Steps

• Refine MBO’s and ongoing review process with Leadership Team (LT)

• Define district version of PDCA cycle• Provide professional development to LT on PDCA

cycle• Institute first PDCA cycles using CST and trimester

assessment data (and Edusoft)• Select teachers to participate in first training of

Koality Kids program & determine method for sharing the program across district

What Does What Does Continuous Continuous

Improvement Look Improvement Look Like…Like…

In The In The Classroom?Classroom?

Objectives

• Objectives are the expression of the desired, measurable end results for the district, in terms of student success, performance, and achievement. Every student will meet or exceed academic standards at each educational level. Every student will demonstrate the attitudes and social skills needed to be successful in each educational setting and in life. Every student will demonstrate personal responsibility for his/her own learning.

The Continuous Improvement Classroom

Expected Outcomesof the continuous improvement classroom

• #1- Increased academic achievement

• Student ownership, responsibility and accountability for learning

• Customer/student focused

• Results driven

If a visitor came to a continuous improvement classroom …

They would see…

They Would See…• The classroom mission statement displayed• Classroom goals and measures• Data indicating progress towards classroom

goals• +/Delta from the previous day/class• Action plan for the day• Chairs/desks/tables arranged to support

collaborative work in achieving classroom goals

They Would See…• Grade-level/course standards in kid-friendly

language

• Flow chart(s) of key classroom process(es)

– Such as morning routine, homework, lab

• Regular class meetings at which goals are reviewed, progress is shared, ideas for improving the classroom learning system are shared.

They Would See…• Students talking to visitors about the

classroom learning system, the class mission, goals and measures

• Student-led conferences with parents to share progress toward learning goals

They Would Feel…• A sense of learning community

• Shared accountability toward achieving class and personal goals- raising achievement

• Excitement about learning

• A willingness to collect and analyze data to improve the learning system

• A commitment to continual improvement

What Does What Does Continuous Continuous

Improvement Look Improvement Look Like…Like…

As a School Improvement As a School Improvement Model (Teams Working in Model (Teams Working in

Professional Learning Professional Learning Communities)Communities)

PLC’s & PDSAPLC’s & PDSA Educators continuously seek and share

learning (to be able to act on what they learn) to increase student achievement

Goal of their action is to enhance their effectiveness as professionals

Teams of teachers collaboratively seek out research and best practices

Utilization of the 7 step, data-driven process of Plan-Do-Study-Act

ITBS Language Total Scores

This data shows “the big picture” of language proficiency …

This data “digs deeper” through sub test areas of language skills…

This data “digs deeper through disaggregation ” of student subgroup population proficiency …

Vocabulary

Communication

Language

Vocabulary

Subgroups:

•African American

•American Indian

•IEP

•Low Income

ACT

PLANSTUDY

DO

Plan Continuous

Improvement

Define the System

Standardize Improvement

Study the Results

Assess Current Situation

Try Out Improvement

Theory

Analyze Causes

After reviewing assessment data, teachers discuss options at a team meeting and decide to form a study group & use the PDSA cycle in their learning community

They define how they are currently teaching vocabulary (flowcharts)

The team determines what other in-process measures they could use to see how students are doing in vocabulary and they collect baseline data (Run Charts & Pareto Diagrams)

The team reviews baseline data and discusses root causes for the results they have (Cause & Effect/Relations Diagrams)

Once root causes are identified, each member gathers research and best practices related to vocabulary instruction and submits them to the team for review and discussion (Improvement Theory)

ACT

PLANSTUDY

DO

Plan Continuous

Improvement

Define the System

Standardize Improvement

Study the Results

Assess Current Situation

Try Out Improvement

Theory

Analyze Causes

The team writes an Action Plan to carry out the improvement theory in their classrooms. Members build background, practice newly-learned strategies, and reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies

Members invite each other into their classrooms to observe and provide feedback to each other

Members collect vocabulary achievement data to determine effectiveness of strategies

Members reflect, observe, practice, receive feedback, gain expertise and standardize the new vocabulary instruction practice (new flowchart)

Teams continue to use the PDSA cycle to make improvements in the realm of their professional learning community

The Critical Role ofThe Critical Role of Walking Your Talk Walking Your Talk

Simply put:Simply put: “If the leaders don’t get “If the leaders don’t get

significantly involved with the significantly involved with the effort, no one else will take it effort, no one else will take it

seriously.”seriously.”

Question: Why Quality and Question: Why Quality and Continuous Improvement?Continuous Improvement?

Answer: The World Has ChangedAnswer: The World Has Changed Answer: Students need a different set of Answer: Students need a different set of

skills to compete in today’s worldskills to compete in today’s world Answer: To align efforts and get everyone Answer: To align efforts and get everyone

on the same pageon the same page Answer: It’s Research Based!Answer: It’s Research Based! Answer: To provide the highest quality Answer: To provide the highest quality

education while preparing students to be education while preparing students to be successful in an ever changing Flat world!successful in an ever changing Flat world!

Answer: To accomplish the MVWSD Goal: All children… prepared to thrive in a global environment

Are We Satisfied?

Revisit the Consensogram… would we change our initial response?

Can continuous improvement processes and tools help us increase student achievement?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I doubt it

Definitely!

Very Unsatisfied

Very Satisfied

What’s Your What’s Your Definition of Definition of

Quality?Quality?

What’s Your What’s Your Definition of Definition of

Quality?Quality?

Would your staff Would your staff recognize quality recognize quality when they see it? when they see it?

Every organization needs to Every organization needs to understand what quality is and what understand what quality is and what

it isn’t.it isn’t.

Your Mission Your Mission (should you choose to (should you choose to

accept it!)accept it!) To function as a professional To function as a professional

learning community and learning community and utilize the PDSA cycle and utilize the PDSA cycle and quality tools to quality tools to improve student improve student achievement!achievement!

Are you ready?Are you ready?