what improvement science is and describe its relationship to various improvement methods like plan-do-study-act ( PDSA ) cycles , or Six Sigma . Improvement science is the broader field of study under which continuous improvement methods would nest , but only when implemented scientifically . Below , we review some popular misconceptions about improvement science and offer some thoughts on how we might avoid negative consequences of those misconceptions and instead leverage the immense opportunity that improvement science represents .
Misconception # 1 : Improvement science is an additional program to the work that districts are already doing .
This misconception is completely understandable because we have a tendency to pile on more and more requirements and programs when we try to stimulate improvement in schools .
Improvement science is not a new program to implement ; it is a way to bring intentionality , rigor and consistency to two or three key strategies that are known to lead to better outcomes . This is done by allocating time and resources to tracking key metrics , embedding opportunities to reflect on and adjust the chosen handful of initiatives , and understanding the specific relationships between planned inputs and expected outputs – i . e ., how the local context might require specific adaptations to an evidence-based practice being implemented .
Recommendations to avoid the problems caused by this misconception :
1 .) Emphasize depth rather than breadth : Because high quality implementation of improvement science methods requires more focused attention than is typically given to school and district initiatives , reduce the number of initiatives in order to allow time for the iteration and reflection that improvement science requires . In this way , your teams will be working smarter rather than harder .
2 .) Integrate improvement science methods into existing initiatives : Incorporate the learning-by-doing that improvement science involves into the work of existing content or process-based initiatives , rather than
Improvement science is more than just the sum of its parts , and doing it in public school systems requires a dramatic mindset shift .
adding it on as something separate .
3 .) Focus on what you know best : If you are tackling multiple challenges with multiple initiatives , you will most likely need to narrow your focus . Use root cause analysis to understand the source of each major challenge , and determine which problem you understand best . Then apply improvement science methods to the initiative associated with that problem . Trying to improve a solution to a problem that you barely comprehend is a recipe for frustration and weak results .
Misconception # 2 : Improvement science is only for low-performing schools .
Continuous improvement should be a core feature of every school and district – and of the agencies that support them : regional offices , state departments , and leader- and teacher-training programs . Perhaps reflecting a limitation on resources , the California Department of Education is planning to help only low-performing schools , as defined by the state ’ s accountability system , implement improvement science methods .
Applying improvement science in just the places of greatest need will promote educational equity , but there are two flaws with the thinking that only those schools should be supported in implementing this critical knowledge .
First , it assumes that the largest challenges faced by low-performing schools have their root causes within the school themselves . Over the many years of supporting low-performing schools , our organizations have learned that the school is just one small part of a complex system that produces the patterns seen at the school . Improvement is not something that works well if only one component of a complex system engages in the core practices .
Yes , a school can get better at training and retaining new teachers . For example , Martin Luther King Middle School in San Francisco went from being a hard-to-staff school to a school where there is a growing list of teachers trying to work there because of improvements in the support that teachers receive in their classrooms . However , that positive change is part of a larger effort by San Francisco Unified to understand the challenges that new teachers face and adjust district-wide human capital strategies based on what practices schools are experimenting with and finding successful .
Ideally , the district would also communicate its learning to the teacher training institutions in order to improve teacher preparation . That is what learning from im-
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