Improvement That Talks Back: Design,
Monitor and Measure Continuous
Improvement Efforts
Dr. Stephan Knobloch
Director of Research
Loudoun County Public Schools
NSBA T+L Conference 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ongoing
Improvement
Cycle
“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
October 2009
2
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
3
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
4
Assess
Plan and
Revise
Read
Data
Ask
Questions
Act
Act
Monitor Action
Plans
Study
Study
Ongoing
Improvement
Cycle
Plan
Plan
Analyze
Practices
Do
Do
Implement
Action Plans
Craft
Action
Plans
5
Measure
What do
you
see?
Analyze
Practices
What do
you
see?
Diagnostic Tree Protocol
1.
2.
3.
Identify “Red Flag,” Event, or
Priority Issue
Determine the “LOCATION” of
Priority Issue/Event/Red Flag
Create Initial Hypotheses
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June 2008
Student Demographics
Curriculum
Instruction
System Processes
External Factors
7
PLAN
• State the problem
(Select a topic from
QD Protocol)
Analyze Practice:
5 Whys Framework
Problem Statement
– 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
8
Force Field Analysis
• Stone Bridge High School’s
Teaching and Learning
Framework
– Driving Forces
• School
• District
– Restraining Forces
• School
• District
9
Developing Action Plans
Task
Owner
Start - Due
Status
Resources
Cost
Expected Results
June 2008
• 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
10
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 classes
Indicators: # 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
11
STUDY
• Study
Action Plan Study
Questions:
Choose an action plan.
Answer the questions below within SkoVision
– 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.
12
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
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•
June 2008
13
SkoVision New Features
• Email Notification
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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
14
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
15