Continuing and Expanding Action Research Learning Cedar Rapids Community Schools February, 2005 Dr. Susan Leddick

What the District Is Doing Teaching teams of teachers and administrators to use the tools and processes of Action Research in order to make improvements in all three levels of the district system. Emphasizing deployment of school improvement plans – carrying out strategies that have significant impact on student achievement. Expanding impact through the Baldrige framework.

Why Action Research? Compatible with adult learning theory Compatible with Iowa Professional Development Model Combines learning and improving Works at any system level, in any setting Research-based; data-driven; system-focused

Why Baldrige? Agreed-upon definition of excellence across sectors An integrator Increases scope of leadership view Puts PDSA and AR into perspective

Our Year in Brief – Three Ps Purposes –Apply previous knowledge and skills in action research (PDSA) to deployment of the 2004 CSIP –Increase impact of AR by learning and applying the Baldrige framework as an integrator Preparation –3 training sessions, with support between Presentation (in Baldrige Format) –All-district sharing session in April

Assignment for February 7-8 Continue work on CSIP deployment Lead a mid-year school progress review on all CSIP goals (using Progress Review guide) Continue work on Organization Profile, Part One

Todays Working Agenda A Quick Cycle PDSA on the progress review Toward standardizing on best known practice Preparing for the April sharing session

1. A Quick-Cycle PDSA Plan: 1.What might be improved about our process for ______? 2.How would people benefit if we improved this process? Do: 1.What might we do to improve the process? 2.How will we test our theory? 3.What data will we keep? Study: 1.Did we improve? 2.What do the data show? 3.What did we learn? Act: 1.What should we standardize about this process now? 2. What should we improve next?

Start a Quick-Cycle PDSA Thinking back on your CSIP mid- year progress review, work as far through the Quick-Cycle PDSA as you can. Be ready to report at least one insight or action.

2. Why standardize? Perhaps the most blunt and meaningful question one can ask of any research procedures is So what? In other words, Now that we know that there is a higher likelihood of Y if we do X, are we really going to do X or just talk about it? Without replication, accountability is a sterile exercise in reporting and evaluation. -Doug Reeves (2004) -Accountability for Learning

What are drivers and barriers to standardizing practices? What would motivate people to want to use someone elses method if it appears to be more successful? What would motivate people to want NOT to use someone elses method if it appears to be more successful?

3. The April Sharing Session What should be the purposes of the district sharing session? How did we do it last year? How might it be improved this year?

Sharing Our Schools Learning Storyboards in Baldrige format Key questions to address – two formats from which to choose Beginning our story today…

The Baldrige Framework: Format #1 – Self-Assessment How do we communicate the mission? How do we review and use performance data? How do we plan and deploy our plans? How do we use student and stakeholder Information? Are they satisfied with us? How do we organize and develop our staff? Are they satisfied? How do we manage our learning processes? Our support processes? Are our key results better over time? Better than comparable schools and districts? How do we manage and use our data? How do we share knowledge on effective practices?

Format #2: The Story of One Goal How have you communicate d the importance of this goal at your school this year? How is the goal connected to the mission of the district or your school? How did you develop this goal? How did you focus or narrow this goal to make it workable? How does the goal reflect your student s needs? How does the goal reflect requirements ? What changes to your measurement system have you made as a result of having and working on this goal? How have you changed how you are using the data from measures as a result of having and working on this goal? How have you organized to get the work done on this goal? (AR team and membership.) Explain any related changes to how grade level teams or other groups work. Changes in how your teaching and learning system operates? Changes in how your support departments or support staff work to help with this goal? Results in student learning? Other indicators?

Assignment for April Continue work on CSIP deployment Prepare a Baldrige storyboard to share with your colleagues (Partner school optional) Continue work on Organization Profile, Part One for your school