Learning to Improve

Learning to Improve PDF

Author: Anthony S. Bryk

Publisher: Harvard Education Press

Published: 2015-03-01

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 161250793X

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As a field, education has largely failed to learn from experience. Time after time, promising education reforms fall short of their goals and are abandoned as other promising ideas take their place. In Learning to Improve, the authors argue for a new approach. Rather than “implementing fast and learning slow,” they believe educators should adopt a more rigorous approach to improvement that allows the field to “learn fast to implement well.” Using ideas borrowed from improvement science, the authors show how a process of disciplined inquiry can be combined with the use of networks to identify, adapt, and successfully scale up promising interventions in education. Organized around six core principles, the book shows how “networked improvement communities” can bring together researchers and practitioners to accelerate learning in key areas of education. Examples include efforts to address the high rates of failure among students in community college remedial math courses and strategies for improving feedback to novice teachers. Learning to Improve offers a new paradigm for research and development in education that promises to be a powerful driver of improvement for the nation’s schools and colleges.

Improvement Science in Education

Improvement Science in Education PDF

Author: Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford

Publisher: Myers Education Press

Published: 2020-07-10

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1975503570

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Improvement Science in Education: A Primer provides a comprehensive overview of improvement science as a framework to guide continuous improvement and reconceptualizes improvement by centering equity and justice as the purpose of improvement. This Primer is designed to introduce improvement science, a methodology with origins in manufacturing, engineering and healthcare, to educational audiences. The book first explores the philosophical and methodological foundations of improvement science, juxtaposing it with traditional forms of research so that clear distinctions can be drawn. Chapters in the latter half of the book introduce the principles of improvement, give guidance and tools for operationalizing the principles in practice, and conclude with questions to ensure you are improving with equity in mind. Constantly reminding readers to think about who is involved and impacted, the Primer makes improvement science accessible to novices and adds critical dimensions for experienced practitioners to consider. Perfect for courses such as: Educational Research, School Improvement, and Program Evaluation

The Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice

The Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice PDF

Author: Jill Alexa Perry

Publisher: Myers Education Press

Published: 2020-07-10

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1975503228

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The Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice provides a narrative and illustration about the purpose and features comprising the Dissertation in Practice and how this culminating experience is well suited to using Improvement Science as a signature methodology for preparing professional practitioners. This methodology, when combined with the Dissertation in Practice experience in EdD programs, reinforces practitioner learning about and skills for leadership and change. As a guide, the book is an extremely valuable resource that supports faculty, students, and practitioners in the application of Improvement Science to pressing educational problems in a structured, disciplined way. Perfect for courses such as: Educational Leadership, Research Methods, The Dissertation Process, Dissertation Writing and Research, and Thesis and Dissertation

Continuous Improvement in the Science Classroom

Continuous Improvement in the Science Classroom PDF

Author: Jeffrey J. Burgard

Publisher: Quality Press

Published: 2009-01-09

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1636940757

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Schools were originally designed to provide “opportunity” to learn and used the “bell-curve” to gauge their success. The expectations have changed and schools are required to make sure all children learn, but the systems, core processes, and management styles that have always driven teaching and learning have not. New programs and curriculum cannot just be added onto these outdated classroom interrelationships and be expected to produce different results. Now, by managing with W. Edwards Deming’s Theory of Profound Knowledge, science educators can improve their systems and achieve the needed results. Deming’s management theories created Japan’s “Industrial Miracle” in the 1970s by improving quality and employee morale, while decreasing costs. It is a philosophy that focuses on experimentation and allows the people who do the work to provide input into improving the work. This book shows science teachers how to apply that same philosophy to engage students in the improvement process to increase learning and enthusiasm, while decreasing failure. Combined with the latest brain and educational research, it will enlighten, empower, and engage teachers and students to continuously improve their classroom. In this second edition of Continuous Improvement in the Science Classroom, Jeffrey Burgard shares new learning and insights from the last 10 years of workshop facilitation and his own classroom experience. He delves deeper into the philosophy, clarifies each improvement process, and reveals new, highly effective applications. Each process transforms different aspects of the classroom and, when implemented concurrently, creates a dynamic, continuously improving learning system. It is time to have an “educational miracle” — science classrooms with high standards, high achievement, and high enthusiasm.

The Improvement Guide

The Improvement Guide PDF

Author: Gerald J. Langley

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-06-03

Total Pages: 514

ISBN-13: 0470549033

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This new edition of this bestselling guide offers an integrated approach to process improvement that delivers quick and substantial results in quality and productivity in diverse settings. The authors explore their Model for Improvement that worked with international improvement efforts at multinational companies as well as in different industries such as healthcare and public agencies. This edition includes new information that shows how to accelerate improvement by spreading changes across multiple sites. The book presents a practical tool kit of ideas, examples, and applications.

Improving How Universities Teach Science

Improving How Universities Teach Science PDF

Author: Carl Wieman

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2017-05-22

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 0674978927

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Too many universities remain wedded to outmoded ways of teaching science in spite of extensive research showing that there are much more effective methods. Too few departments ask whether what happens in their lecture halls is effective at helping students to learn and how they can encourage their faculty to teach better. But real change is possible, and Carl Wieman shows us how it can be brought about. Improving How Universities Teach Science draws on Wieman’s unparalleled experience to provide a blueprint for educators seeking sustainable improvements in science teaching. Wieman created the Science Education Initiative (SEI), a program implemented across thirteen science departments at the universities of Colorado and British Columbia, to support the widespread adoption of the best research-based approaches to science teaching. The program’s data show that in the most successful departments 90 percent of faculty adopted better methods. Wieman identifies what factors helped and hindered the adoption of good teaching methods. He also gives detailed, effective, and tested strategies for departments and institutions to measure and improve the quality of their teaching while limiting the demands on faculty time. Among all of the commentary addressing shortcomings in higher education, Wieman’s lessons on improving teaching and learning stand out. His analysis and solutions are not limited to just one lecture hall or course but deal with changing entire departments and universities. For those who want to improve how universities teach science to the next generation, Wieman’s work is a critical first step.

Improvement Science as a Tool for School Enhancement: Solutions for Better Educational Outcomes

Improvement Science as a Tool for School Enhancement: Solutions for Better Educational Outcomes PDF

Author: Susan P. Carlile

Publisher: Improvement Science in Educati

Published: 2022-02-28

Total Pages: 125

ISBN-13: 9781975504793

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Improvement Science as a Tool for School Enhancement: Solutions for Better Educational Outcomes is a collection of equity-focused improvement science-in-action, school-based case studies led by practitioners. Chapter authors tell us how and why improvement science principles make system-wide improvements in classroom practice, how they learned from the problems encountered and, further, how they were then able to make changes within a school or district. A core principle of improvement science is variability in context (what works for whom and under what conditions)--a critical concept for improvement in each of the case studies. Each team analyzed their problem of practice from the perspective of the unique conditions in their context, considering what might work, and what might not work, and when the changes could be expanded for implementation school- or district-wide. Early chapters describe the actions of school personnel to embed social and emotional learning as well as how to serve historically underserved students during disasters. Trauma-informed and restorative practices embraced by all staff enhanced student outcomes and reduced educational disparities in classrooms and throughout the school. The content then explores how improvement science change processes improve chronic absenteeism and discipline issues through whole-school practices related to school climate. Centering student and family perception, developing representative systems, and facilitating collaborative improvement projects were found to measurably improve the experience of students, increase equity, reinforce democratic principles, and empower school stakeholders, especially those whose voices have historically been ignored, to create meaningful system-wide school improvement. Finally, the material in the book provides concrete examples of improvement science as it applies in real-setting to address high school advisories, graduation rates, services for multi-lingual learners, students with disabilities, and reading clubs. Each chapter has an equity focus. The editors and contributors provide examples of how to use the processes and tools of improvement science to increase equity system-wide. How to use improvement science to address educational disparities system-wide with urgency, commitment, and a belief in the success of every child, of every race, every ethnicity, gender, ability, and cultural identity, is the essence of this book.

Improvement Science in Evaluation: Methods and Uses

Improvement Science in Evaluation: Methods and Uses PDF

Author: Christina A. Christie

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2017-03-17

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 1119378613

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While improvement science has experienced a surge of interest over the past 30 years, applications of it are rare in the evaluation literature. This issue promotes the cross-fertilization of ideas, techniques, and tools between evaluation and improvement science. There are at least four areas where this cross-fertilization is particularly relevant: learning from error, examining variation, appreciating context, and focusing on systems change. This volume considers: the conceptual similarities and distinctions between improvement science and evaluation; the intellectual foundations, methods, and tools that collectively comprise improvement science; and case chapters that offer an inspiring review of state-of-the-art improvement science applications. Cutting across all of these applications is a shared grounding in systems thinking, a determination to capture and better understand variation and contextual complexity, as well as a sustained commitment to generative learning about projects and programs—all issues of great concern to evaluators. The issue offers producers and users of evaluations the potential benefits of a closer engagement with improvement science. This is the 153rd issue in the New Directions for Evaluation series from Jossey-Bass. It is an official publication ofthe American Evaluation Association.

Improvement Science

Improvement Science PDF

Author: Robert Crow

Publisher: Improvement Science in Educati

Published: 2021-05

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 9781975503796

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Improvement Science: Methods for Researchers and Program Evaluators moves beyond traditional research methods textbooks by responding to people working in improvement science and program evaluation. This book is tailored to the need for specific improvement research methodologies and frameworks collected and presented in an edited volume written by research faculty associated with or teaching in leadership programs.

Improvement Science

Improvement Science PDF

Author: Deborah S. Peterson

Publisher: Myers Education Press

Published: 2021-09-08

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1975504690

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A 2022 SPE Outstanding Book Honorable Mention Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools is intended for classroom teachers, school leaders, and district leaders charged with leading improvement efforts in schools. From questions such as “how do I develop a love of reading in my classroom?” to “how can I better manage student behavior during independent learning time?” to “what should we do to make sure kids of all races read at grade level by 3rd grade” to “how could we include families of all backgrounds as partners in learning” or “how do we increase our graduation rate among underserved students," this book shares real-life examples from those who are currently leading equity-focused improvement in our classrooms and schools. If you are curious about how Improvement Science has been used, or how others have succeeded—or failed—at equity-focused improvement efforts in our classrooms and in our schools, or if you’re wondering how to spur discussions in school districts, universities, and communities about leading equity-focused improvement, this book is for you. Teachers, students, family members, community members, principals and superintendents will be inspired to embrace Improvement Science as a method to improve equity in their schools. The book helps people new to Improvement Science to understand the basic steps to implement the process. If you’re a beginner, it provides some basic steps and a resource (https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/our-ideas/six-core-principles-improvement/) to help you understand the process better; for those with some experience, the book will be an excellent refresher and tool with functional suggestions to take your practice further. 1. Form a Team. 2. Examine Data. 3. Ask Why. 4. Read Research. 5. Get Perspective of Those Closest to the Problem. 6. Plan the Change. After you’ve done the above, then it’s time to test one idea, using short Plan Do Study Act cycles. These are short improvement cycles. Students are only in our classrooms generally for one year, so the cycles need to be short, perhaps even as short as one week, to ensure that every instructional move we are making truly does improve the experience of the students. Readers of Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools will be taking an important step toward achieving the goal of producing socially just classrooms and schools. WATCH: Meet the Authors (ZOOM recording from #CPED21 Virtual Convening, 10/20/21). To learn more about Improvement Science and see our full list of books in this area, please click through to the Myers Education Press Improvement Science website. Perfect for courses such as: Culturally Responsive Learning Environments; Educating For Equity And Social Justice; Cultivating Culturally Responsive Classrooms; Integrating Methods And Curriculum Design; Inquiry, Assessment, And Instructional Design; Foundations Of Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Practice; Math Literacy; Physical Education; Professional Collaboration In Education; Language And Literacy Development Of Diverse Learners; Equal Opportunity: Racism; Diversity And Equity In Schools; Cultural Proficiency In Schools; Language And Power In Education; Teaching For Equity In Literacy; Supportive Classroom Communities; Cultural Diversity In Literature; Engaging Students In Writing; Introduction To School Leadership; Introduction To School Improvement; Teacher Leadership And School Improvement