Proving Ground works to support partners in making evidence-based continuous improvement part of the ordinary course of business. In this conclusion to the “Improving Improvement” series, Proving Ground shares a thoughtful reflection on their progress towards that goal.
Improvement Science
SHIFTING OUR PERSPECTIVES OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO ENGAGE IN IMPROVEMENT WORK
Engaging in improvement work can feel like it takes up a lot of time for school district leads. Why is that and how much time is too much time? Proving Ground examines these questions.
CONNECTING WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS
How can those engaged in improvement work elevate student and family voice? Proving Ground shares recent efforts around engaging families and involving students in continuous improvement work.
ELEVATING STUDENT VOICE IN IMPROVEMENT WORK
How can those engaged in improvement work strategically and meaningfully involve students in improvement efforts? Proving Ground shares how they embed empathy building activities and student voice to inform their improvement work.
HOW DISTRICTS PERCEIVE IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTS
In this series, Proving Ground has shared how it is supporting partners in their continuous improvement efforts. But how well are Proving Ground’s services helping increase partners’ capacity to improve – even after direct support has ended? David Hersh shares results from a recent self-evaluation.
EXAMINING TEACHER RETENTION AND TEACHER EVALUATION WITH NNERPP MEMBERS
Especially in the current environment where the challenges teachers experience on a day-to-day basis are particularly salient and leading to serious retention problems due to burnout and turnover, research on teacher retention and teacher evaluation can inform efforts to support teachers. We examine what four RPPs have found when investigating teacher retention and potential inequities in teacher evaluation.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO IMPROVEMENT?
When engaging in improvement work means that already overburdened school districts are having to do even more work, does that make their improvement partners part of the problem? David Hersh shares how Proving Ground is seeking to address the biggest barrier to improvement.
HOW TO KNOW AN IMPROVEMENT EFFORT IS SUCCEEDING?
David Hersh shares important considerations for and challenges in measuring the success of improvement efforts.
TESTING THEORIES OF INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING
David Hersh shares how new improvement efforts with state- and district-level partners aim to help make continuous improvement an embedded practice rather than an add-on.
RESULTS FROM A PANDEMIC YEAR
David Hersh shares outcomes of improvement efforts from three continuous improvement networks and takeaways from piloting and testing during a pandemic year.
THE ROLE OF RPPs IN AN EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE
David Hersh proposes investing stimulus funds in an improvement infrastructure and outlines the role of RPPs in the creation of such an infrastructure.
IMPROVING IMPROVEMENT: INTRODUCTION
David Hersh and Jennifer Ash introduce a new series that will focus on leveraging the power of research-practice partnerships to build schools’, districts’, and states’ capacity to improve and share lessons about bridging the research-practice divide drawn from the work of two continuous improvement networks.
