Continuous Improvement
A Closer Look
Continuous school improvement is a cyclical process intended to help groups of people in a system—from a class to a school district or even a network of many districts—set goals, identify ways to improve, and evaluate change in a sort of continuous feedback loop. It has quickly become a buzzword in K-12 policy and practice, as states, districts, and schools strive for systemic, long-term gains in student achievement, instead of looking for the next, shiniest silver bullet. In 2018 Education Week took a close look at what it is and how it was playing out in several places around the country.
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.
School & District Management
Tackling Two 'Danger Zones' of Freshman Year: Attendance and Homework
A Seattle partnership between researchers and practitioners is using a continuous improvement approach to improve outcomes for students making the rocky transition from 8th to 9th grades.
Federal
How Data Helped Head Start Centers Tackle a 'No Show' Problem
Getting a more accurate enrollment count for the start of the school year is just one way that Head Start centers use data to improve operations.
School & District Management
Q&A
Getting Feedback Right: a Q&A With John Hattie
Providing students or teachers with actionable critiques essential for any kind of continuous improvement process, says John Hattie.
Every Student Succeeds Act
'Continuous Improvement' Model Woven Into State ESSA Plans
Although the federal K-12 law doesn't explicitly ask for it, a systemic and data-informed approach to long-term student achievement is part of the mix for many states as they implement the Every Student Succeeds Act.
School & District Management
Educators, Finance Officers Team Up to Build a Better Budget
A network of districts finds that in order for their schools to 'continuously improve,' a more integrated approach to budgeting is in order.
School & District Management
Schools Struggle to Use Data to Spark Improvement
While K-12 schools focus primarily on using student achievement data for accountability purposes, experts contend that it can be a catalyst for daily improvement.
Every Student Succeeds Act
A Primer on Continuous School Improvement
What is continuous improvement and why are schools and districts jumping on that bandwagon?
School & District Management
Tinkering Toward Better Schools
Educators in Menomonee, Wis., are going all in on "continuous improvement," a strategy that combines constant feedback, experimentation, and problem-solving.