"School improvement is not easy and quick. Data-driven change requires the commitment and perseverance of individual practitioners sustained by the focused efforts of the whole school community."
Lipton, L., & Wellman, B. M. (2012). Got data? now what? : creating and leading cultures of inquiry (p. 8). Solution Tree Press.
Prepare - During the initial stage, the preparation phase, it is crucial to figure out what exactly needs to be done, how it should be done, and who will be responsible for carrying it out. Doing so can avoid wasting resources such as time and money on misplaced efforts. As a part of the preparation process, the team should evaluate the readiness for change and determine which proposed changes would best serve the system's needs. The outcome of this preparation is the ability to involve stakeholders in the improvement process.
Implement - Implementation is a process that takes time and effort to increase the likelihood of success for students. Frustration can occur when well-aligned, evidence-based practices fail to produce results. Research suggests it may take two to four years to operationalize a program, practice, or innovation fully. Teams should move through the implementation stages until they become fully sustainable. Multiple evidence-based practices can be implemented simultaneously, each going through the same stage.
Monitor - Monitoring is essential for school improvement, as it allows teams to track progress over time. This fosters a culture of inquiry and continuous improvement. The monitoring phase assesses if evidence-based practices have the desired impact on outcomes. The team identifies changes or "disturbances" within the system and determines when practices are fully implemented.
Adjust - Based on data analysis, teams adjust implementation strategies to improve student learning. They determine modifications to align the process with the intended goals. The continuous improvement cycle requires defining, implementing, and monitoring plan components. Evidence may suggest refinements or adaptations to better align with goals. Teams adjust the plan based on reflection and refinement. Sufficient time and opportunity are critical for desired outcomes. Teams may continue what works, adjust what doesn't, and explore greater impact.
Leadership
Indicator 42 - The Leadership Team
Building Leadership Team: Considerations for Establishing or Refining & FunctionsThe Building Leadership Team (BLT) is the driving force behind school improvement efforts because it has the most direct contact with educators using effective innovations. As the BLT begins or continues the work of school improvement, the leadership team may need to define or redefine membership. This resource is a tool that can be used as teams navigate building-wide improvement and sustainability of the system.
District Point of Contact: Roles & Functions: A District Point of Contact (DPoC) functions as the coordinating force behind systemwide improvement.
District Leadership Team Considerations: The District Leadership Team (DLT) is the driving force behind district-wide improvement. This tool offers considerations for leaders to think through when establishing or refining the district leadership team.
Engaging in the Right Work - The leadership team sets the culture of the school. To sustain that culture, it then becomes their job to monitor the implementation of the work. By providing psychological safety, tight participation structures, asking the right questions to intentionally bring an equity advocacy lens to all leadership groups - this dialogue happens by intention rather than by chance. Equity becomes the first lens a team utilizes further focusing direction, cultivating collaborative cultures, advocating for marginalized groups, deepening learning, and securing accountability.
Effective Communication The leadership team is the conduit of communication for all stakeholders (students, staff, parents, community members, etc). A clear method and protocol of how, when, and why something is communicated will ensure that the leadership team is proving consistent messaging, giving necessary information to the appropriate groups, and helping to process information.
Indicator 45 - Data-based Decision Making
Collaborative Learning Cycle The collaborative learning cycle (Got Data, Now What by Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman) is a framework that establishes a learning forum for group exploration of data. Structured engagement with information and fellow learners ignites the processes of inquiry and problem-solving. This question-driven model promotes specific cognitive processes and group-member interaction in three phases: 1 - Activate and Engage. 2 - Exploring and Discovering. 3 - Organizing and Integrating.
Data-Based Decision Making Developing a systematic and purposeful way of exploring data as a leadership team is essential in the successful implementation of effective practices for school improvement.
Improving Your Systems Through Advocacy: Most leadership teams in Kansas are compromised of people that have different backgrounds and experiences than the students they serve. We are entrusted to make decisions that affect students and our backgrounds and experiences may give us blind spots from flexibly understanding the data and making decisions.