Continuous Improvement

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Mathematics Opinion Students' Math Outcomes Have Plummeted. Here's What to Do
Implementing a set of interconnected strategies can help students improve their mastery of math.
Tracy Fray-Oliver, January 2, 2024
4 min read
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Conceptual illustration of students making choices based on guidance.
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School & District Management What the Research Says Q&A: How Can High Schools Continue to Improve Now?
The way to do it, says researcher Robert Balfanz, is to dig beneath the averages to find real solutions to schools' thorny problems.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 6, 2021
6 min read
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Julie Poetzel, 7th-grade science teacher, works with her students on a genetics project at Falls North Middle School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Science teacher Julie Poetzel works with 7th graders in Menomonee Falls, Wis. in 2018, as part of the district's continuous improvement initiative. New research finds networks of schools can benefit from continuous improvement, if they ensure rigorous testing of their interventions.
Narayan Mahon for Education Week
School & District Management Most Improvement Networks Fall Short, But They Can Help Districts Adapt to New Problems
A study of school improvement networks finds they fall short when it comes to developing solutions from one school that apply elsewhere.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 20, 2020
3 min read
School & District Management Video Great to Greater How the Best Schools and Education Systems Keep Getting Better — Douglas Reeves
Although many schools and educational systems make improvements, the typical outcome, after several years, is a plateau in performance. In this hourlong discussion with attendees at Education Week’s Leaders To Learn From event in Washington, renowned speaker, researcher, and author Douglas Reeves discusses how to break through the plateau and achieve greater performance, touching on core competencies of “great to greater” schools. Reeves is the founder of Creative Leadership Solutions, a nonprofit with the mission to improve educational opportunities for students throughout the world using creative solutions for leadership, policy, teaching, and learning. He is also the founder of DouglasReeves.com, ChangeLeaders.com, and has created a non-profit called FinishTheDissertation.org, which helps doctoral students finish their dissertations via phone, Skype, or personal conferences. Watch other videos from the event: https://leaders.edweek.org/leaders-live-stream-2019/
May 23, 2019
54:15
Equity & Diversity Opinion Using Continuous Improvement to Disrupt Inequity and Promote Deeper Learning
Educators from EL Education reflect on two years of efforts to promote equity to refine their practices and strengthen them moving forward.
Contributing Blogger, August 17, 2018
7 min read
School & District Management Video Continuous Improvement in a Nutshell
A new approach called "continuous school improvement" brings together everyone in the school community to understand the deeper, systemic causes of everyday problems and test ways to fix them. Schools are drawing from tools gleaned from business, medicine, and design. (June 29, 2018)
June 29, 2018
2:35
Dan Gordon
Dan Gordon
Every Student Succeeds Act Q&A Q&A: Making the Most of 'Continuous Improvement' in State ESSA Plans
Policy expert Dan Gordon talks with Education Week about how a continuous improvement approach can help states support low-performing schools, improve achievement across the board, and bolster the work of their own education agencies.
Alyson Klein, June 27, 2018
5 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Tailored Approaches: How State ESSA Plans Address 'Continuous Improvement'
Although the term isn’t specified in the Every Student Succeeds Act itself, some state plans for ESSA are embracing some form of “continuous improvement.”
Alyson Klein, June 22, 2018
1 min read
School & District Management Collection Continuous Improvement
What is continuous school improvement? How are districts and schools using it to improve student achievement? Browse our coverage from 2018.
June 22, 2018
School & District Management Video The Right Equipment to Solve a Playground Problem
It can be hard for school officials to notice patterns in day-to-day problems and address their underlying causes. But when the nurse at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Menomonee Falls, Wis., noticed a sudden rise in playground injuries, the school used problem-solving strategies learned in its continuous improvement initiative to get to the bottom of it.
June 21, 2018
3:35
Instructional Coach Diane Caldwell (center) meets with the school's biology professional learning community.
Instructional Coach Diane Caldwell (center) meets with the school's biology professional learning community.
Brandon Thibodeaux for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion A School-Improvement Guidebook: Cultivate Trust
Teachers benefit from feedback and support that isn’t tied to professional evaluations, writes instructional coach Diane Caldwell.
Diane Caldwell, June 11, 2018
4 min read
To establish a culture of continuous improvement, teachers need the space to take risks
Assistant Principal Maggie Norris tackles paperwork at her desk.
Brandon Thibodeaux for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion A School-Improvement Guidebook: Build Partnerships
To establish a culture of continuous improvement, teachers need the space to be vulnerable, explains assistant principal Maggie Norris.
Maggie Norris, June 11, 2018
5 min read