1. The 8-Step Continuous Improvement Model
Good morning everyone. I will be presenting the 8 step continuous improvement model. As you view this presentation, I want you to think about how you can fit your school’s program into this model.
Presented by Kathryn Carr-LeRoy, Division of Mathematics
and Science Education

2. The 8-Step Continuous Improvement Model

3. BRAZOSPORT READING SCORES98 97 94 94 92 82 70 64 60 57

4. Why the 8–Step Continuous Improvement Model?
Is based on Best Practices
Provides for continuous monitoring of performance
Addresses the achievement gap between all sub groups
Supports Data-Driven Decision Making
Why is the 8 step model such a great tool to use for improving your school’s performance. Because first of all it is based on best practices that have worked in many different school systems. This research based program allows schools to continuously monitor student performance. It addresses the achievement gap that all school districts are facing, and especially here in Miami-Dade County where we have an incredibly diverse population. And most of the model supports data driven decision making. Data is be the vehicle that helps your school evaluate its student performance.

5. Step 1: (PLAN) Test Score Disaggregation
Data –FCAT and additional academic data sources
Identify strong and weak objective areas
Prioritize skills needing improvement
Analyze the data to monitor trends in each core subject area
Utilize student scores to identify instructional groups
Use as a goal setting document
Step 1 is the plan. This is where your school should disaggregate data. I know we hear that word often – it means to break apart. Data disaggregation can be a catalyst for action. A school can assess existing conditions and procedures, patterns, and practices that may be helping or hindering student achievement groups. A school can also use it to determine what percentage of students are mastering the essentials at each grade level, and whether the various subgroups are mastering the skills to the same degree. In addition this portion of the process helps us prioritize the skills that need improvement, identify instructional groups, and analyze trends in achievement in the core subject areas. When planning, a school can break the data apart by class, teacher, socioeconomic status, grade. Much of this is done for you by the state, and on the SPI report. Use this data to identify opportunities for improvement.

6. Disaggregating the Data
By class, schools, feeder patterns
Grade levels
Proficiency in English
Race
Gender
Quartiles
Socioeconomic status
Course-taking experience
Teacher PD
ESE, Bilingual, and Title I

7. Analyze and Interpret Data
Large Scale
Assessment
Classroom
Assessment
Scores on the FCAT SSS are reported in several ways.

8. Academic Data Sources Formative/Summative assessments
1. FCAT Norm-Referenced Tests (grades 3-10), and SAT-9 (grade 2)
2. Chapter and Unit Assessments
Benchmark, Publisher authored, Accelerated Reader assessments
Criterion-referenced assessments:
1. FCAT Sunshine State Standards Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science
2. District standards-based tests Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science
These are academic data sources that can be used – list them.

9. Non-academic data sources
Grade distribution
Retention rates
Suspension
Truancy
Student feedback surveys
School Climate Surveys
Attendance records
PD records
Volunteer logs
Parent Participation logs
Homework logs
Media Center records
And these are some non academic data sources. A school can disaggregate the data by these additional outcome indictors.

10. Step 2: (PLAN) Timeline (Calendar) Development
Develop a school wide timeline that encompasses all tested benchmarks and that incorporates the M-DCPS Testing Calendar (scope & sequence)
Create instructional calendar before the school year begins
Emphasize weekly targets for instruction on an ongoing basis and communicate them to all stakeholders
The schoolwide timeline should encompass all benchmarks and skills that will be tested on the FCAT, and all other standardized tests. The timeline should incorporate the entire scope and sequence of the curriculum and should include the district’s testing calendar. The instructional calendar helps to place the instructional focus where it needed the most. Then it is communicated throughout the entire school site and integrated into every teacher’s instructional framework. Weekly targets are emphasized and every staff member reinforces the concepts that are on the calendar. The instructional calendar is not your scope and sequence. It is simply a guide that tells stakeholders what objectives, skills, or benchmarks will be taught during a certain week. It helps to ensure that every concept that is on the state assessment will be covered in the classroom. It helps to align the written curriculum with the taught curriculum with the tested curriculum. It’s also a great time management tool, because it helps to get you started from the first day of school and helps your staff and students to remain focused throughout the year. In addition, it helps parents to understand what their children are supposed to master by the end of the school year. Approaches to the calendar include dividing the standards into the number of instructional days between the opening of school and the testing day. This only works of course if a schools scores don’t change much from year to year. More than likely, you will schedule the standards to be taught from the

11. Step 3: (DO) Instructional Focus
Using the instructional focus calendar, deliver the targeted lessons
Lesson Bank can be created by schools
Instructional focus is mandatory; delivery of the content is
FLEXIBLE

12. Step 4: (Study/Check) Assessment
After skills have been taught:
Administer assessments (test frequently using brief, focused assessments)
Analyze data
Identify problems and/or errors
Identify and share strategies that are/are not working
to identify mastery and non-mastery of skills
Teachers can quickly determine whether the majority of students have
grasped the content or if more time needs to be devoted to a particular skill/benchmark

13. Steps 5 and 6: (Act) Tutorials and Enrichment
Assessment results determine whether or not a student is in need of additional review or enrichment
Enrichment
Maintain skills; continue to learn and sharpen skills
Tutorial
Refocus abilities to learn the skill or benchmark

14. Step 7: Maintenance Formal reviews of skills
Intensify focus before the FCAT
are scheduled throughout the instructional calendar
tested concepts and skills
(mock testing)
Administrative team assumes a lead role in monitoring school wide progress

15. Step 8: Monitor (Study/Check)
Ongoing, structured grade level, department, and team meetings
Administrative team leads in monitoring school wide progress

16. Finally…… Serious focus on SSS
Serious focus on rigorous curriculum and instruction for all
Serious intervention for those who need help
Serious accountability
Demonstrated by state assessments