Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, March 2, 2015. PCI: Improvement Science Basics

1. Developing a Theory of Practice
Improvement: Driver Diagrams
Monday, March 2, 2015

2. The Improvement Journey
2
Problem
P D
S A
Understand
the
problem
See the
system
Set an aim
Develop a
theory of
improvement
Test
changes
Spread
changes
Identify
measures

3. 3
WEAK
RELATIONSHIP
WITH
PRINCIPAL
INADEQUATE
FEEDBACK
INEFFECTIVE
RECRUITING,
HIRING
&
PLACEMENT
SYSTEMS
LACK
OF
PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNITY
INEFFECTIVE
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
TURNOVER
RATES
FOR
NEW
TEACHERS
ARE
HIGH
AND
NEW
TEACHERS
ARE
NOT
EFFECTIVE
FAST
ENOUGH
POOR
WORKING
CONDITIONS
Lack of attention to relational
practices in the induction and
development of principals.
New teachers low
priority on
principals’ time
Weak or absent culture
of trust district-wide
High principal
turnover
No common language
about good teaching
Not connected
to resources to improve
Those giving feedback
lack expertise
Feedback is
experienced as
isolated and/or
evaluative events
Mismatch between
teacher background
and initial assignments
Lack of clarity around
roles and responsibilities
(e.g HR, principal, etc.)
Lack of information
necessary for good
school-teacher match
Processes not timely
Lack of communication
between prep programs
and districts
“It’s not my job”
Lack of
collective
responsibility
for students
and their
achievement Inadequate time,
resources and
structures
Each new teacher
invents curriculum
No concept of arc
of teacher dev
Not connected to
student learning
Not differentiated
by needs of
individual teachers
Lack of
coherence
Environment
not safe
Facilities
inadequate
No breaks

4. Table activity: Generating change ideas (10m)
Imagine that you are part of a K-12 school
district task force to improve teacher retention
• Independently brainstorm change ideas on the
problem area you worked on before
• Share change ideas in your group
– Group similar ideas together
4
Tips
on
changes
• If
you
wanted
to
take
away
this
cause,
what
would
you
do?
• A
change
is
concrete
–
something
that
can
be
done

5. Prioritizing change ideas
• Individually, decide which change idea you
think the team should start with
• Report out to the whole group using Poll
Everywhere
If I want to improve new teacher retention and efficacy,
then I need to focus on [principal feedback], and one
way to do that is to _________________.
5

6. Table discussion (5m)
§ How did you decide what to work on first?
§ How is this decision-making process similar/
different to improvement efforts you’ve been
involved in?
6

7. How do we improve
teacher retention and efficacy?
It’s
the
TRAINING
It’s
a
HUMAN
RESOURCE
issue
It’s
MOTIVATION
It’s
PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING
It’s
an
INSTITUTIONAL
LEADERSHIP
failure
Teacher
Educa?on
Programs
Performance
Incen?ves
Recruitment
policies
PD
+
Faculty
Inquiry
Groups
Principal
training

8. 8
Improvement Aspirations
Current
Performance
Change
Ideas
Goal
AIM

9. 9
Theory of Practice Improvement
Current
Performance
Theory of
Practice
Improvement
“Probably wrong
and definitely
incomplete”
Goal
AIM

10. Why a Theory of Practice Improvement?
§ Creates a common language
§ Focuses improvement efforts on the most
important parts of the system
§ Shows how changes are related to the aim &
how different projects fit into a larger portfolio
of work
§ Explicates the theory of practice improvement
so it can be tested
10

11. Driver Diagram Basics
AIM
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
-Outcomes
-Gap you are trying
to close
Primary Drivers
• 3 to 5
• Similar grain size
• High leverage
• Based on evidence &
expertise

12. Secondary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers:
• The
necessary
and
sufficient
to
move
primary
drivers
• Norms,
processes,
structures,
etc.
• Use
to
plan
changes
&
interven?ons
• Not
always
needed
depending
on
scope
of
project
AIM
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Driver Diagram Basics

13. • Change
• Change
• Change
Changes:
• Specific work
practices or
interventions
Secondary
Drivers
AIM
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Driver Diagram Basics

14. 14
School-based
professional
community
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Relationship
btwn principals
and NTs
Hiring and
placement
system
Professional
development
for NTs
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
Goal
Changes
Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
Your
driver
diagram
Working
conditions
-­‐Timeliness
of
hiring
decisions
-­‐Right
info
in
Interview
process
-­‐Right
info
on
schools
to
candidates
-­‐Targeted
recruitment
Teaching
task
as
part
of
an
interview

15. Rapid Cycle Iterative Learning
15
• Change
• Change
• Change
Secondary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
AIM
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
Primary
Driver
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
• Change
Test and refine

16. 16
Hiring and
placement
system
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
Right
info
in
Interview
process
Teaching
task
as
part
of
an
interview
Overall
aim
Change
Idea
What
Happens
HOW?HOW?HOW?
WHY?WHY?WHY?
ACTIONEFFECT

17. In summary, a Driver Diagram:
§ Represents your theory of how to change the system
§ Needs to be explicit
§ Is a living document that should be iterative based on testing
§ Focuses the work on high leverage areas of change
§ Coordinates action across groups working in parallel
§ Creates a common language and a level of consensus about
how to work together
17

18. Some tips
• Quality of changes matter
• The driver diagram should be iterative
• A shared aim is important
• You don’t have to get it perfect, just get started!
18

19. The problem
“We are eating our young
and nobody seems to care.”
Robert Hughes, President
NewVisions for Public Schools

20. Why?
A revolving door of human capital
– This is a quality issue. Teachers with more than 3 years of
teaching experience are more effective than teachers with
less than 3 years.
– This is a fiscal issue. There is a high monetary cost
associated with teacher turnover for schools and districts.
– This is an equity issue. Teachers leave high minority, low
SES, low performing schools at higher rates than other
schools – students in these schools are disproportionately
placed in novice teachers’ classrooms.

21. Building a Teaching Effectiveness Network
(BTEN)
How can we support new teachers to get
better faster… and hold onto them?

22. UserVideo

23. 23
BTEN:
Program
Improvement
Map
Revised
01/19/11
Key:
Challenges
at
the
TEACHER
level
Challenges
at
the
SCHOOL
level
Challenges
at
the
DISTRICT
level
INFORMATION
INFRASTRUCTURE
LEARNING
TEACHING:
Knowledge,
Skills,
PracOces
Recognize/appreciate/
develop
effec?ve
prac?ce
Con?nuous
learning
from
work
with
students
to
improve
prac?ce
Learn
the
organiza?onal
&
classroom
management
rou?nes
Learn
the
instruc?onal
system
of
the
school
(pedagogy,
curriculum,
assessments,
etc.)
SYSTEM
SUPPORT,
GUIDANCE
&
ACCOUNTABILITY
SOCIALIZATION
INTO
THE
TEACHER
ROLE
Learn
to
operate
within
federal,
state
&
local
rules
and
regula?ons
CHALLENGE
SPACE
Provide
tools,
data
visualiza?on
&
?mely
analysis
to
diagnose
student
needs
&
document
student
learning.
Provide
tools,
data
visualiza?on
&
?mely
analysis
to
inform
teacher
learning
&
make
consequen?al
decisions.
Adopt
ethical
stance
rela?ve
to
students
Cope
with
workload
&
pace
Learn
how
to
access
resources
of
the
school
&
system
IMMEDIATE
WORK
ENVIRONMENT
Suppor?ve
rela?onship
with
principal
Professional,
collegial
work
environment
Appropriate
resources
including
?me
for
planning,
enactment,
reflec?on,
du?es
Environment
that
is
physically
safe
Hiring
&
ini?al
placement
procedures
that
take
teacher
capaci?es
&
school
needs
into
account
System
of
incen?ves,
rewards,
consequences,
including
leadership
&
career
advancement
opportuni?es
for
teachers
Integrated
professional
development
resources
for
socializa?on
into
teaching
&
learning
teaching
Ar?culate
the
instruc?onal
system
(including
curriculum)
Ongoing
evalua?on
of
the
performance
of
the
overall
human
resources
system
A
system-­‐wide
environment
of
trust
that
enables
professional
learning
Understanding
of
student,
family,
community
context
&
teacher’s
connec?on
to
it
Formal
evalua?ons
&
feedback
processes
Develop
pedagogy
and
content
knowledge
specific
to
assignment
Develop
a
trajectory
of
effec?ve
student
learning
over
?me
Develop
a
trajectory
of
effec?ve
teacher
growth
over
?me

24. 24
School-based
professional
community
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Relationship
btwn principals
and NTs
Hiring and
placement
system
Professional
development
for NTs
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
Goal
Changes
Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
BTEN

25. 25
Baltimore
Austin
School
School
School
School
BTEN STRUCTURE
MEMBERS
New Visions
School
School
BTEN
Hub
Carnegie
AFT
Aspen
IHI

26. 26
School-based
professional
community
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Relationship
btwn principals
and NTs
Hiring and
placement
system
Professional
development
for NTs
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
Goal
Changes
Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
BTEN
AusOn
BalOmore
New
Visions

28. 28
School-based
professional
community
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Relationship
btwn principals
and NTs
Hiring and
placement
system
Professional
development
for NTs
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
-­‐Timeliness
of
hiring
decisions
-­‐Right
info
in
Interview
process
-­‐Right
info
on
schools
to
candidates
-­‐Targeted
recruitment
Teaching
task
as
part
of
an
interview
Goal
Changes
Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
BTEN

29. Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers
Changes
School-based
professional
community
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Relationship
btwn principals
and NTs
Hiring and
placement
system
Professional
development
for NTs
29
Feedback
Coordination
Support
2
week
feedback
&
support
process
Conversa?on
protocols
Coordina?on
mee?ngs
Online
tool
to
track
feedback
&
support
Feedback
that supports
improvement
Increase new
teacher
efficacy and
retention
Primary
Drivers
Secondary
Drivers

30. Building a Theory of Practice Improvement
30
Iden?fy
problem
Map
broad
understanding
of
the
system
Chose
a
par?cular
angle
Build
out
individual
drivers
Leadership System analysis
-Research
-New Teachers
-District & school Leaders
-Unions
Leadership Expert Convening
Testing
90-day cycle
Develop
specific
changes
Revise based on learning

31. Viewing Processes:
Teacher Feedback Process
31
Principal
assigns
BT
to
Case
Manager
and
Support
Provider
Principal
has
ini?al
conference
with
BT
to
iden?fy
focus
area
BT
ready
for
observa?on?
BT
meets
indicator
of
success?
Every
two
weeks
NO
NO
YES
YES
Case
Manager
has
follow-­‐up
conference
with
BT
Case
Manager
observes
BT
Case
Manager
has
post-­‐
observa?on
Conference
with
BT
Support
provider
works
with
BT
Support
provider
works
with
BT
Case
Manager
and
BT
determine
next
focus
area
Principal
assesses
BT
performance
Principal,
Case
Manager,
Support
Provider
meet
regularly
to
communicate
about
BT’s
progress
Within
48
hrs.

32. The Improvement Journey
32
Problem
P D
S A
Understand
the
problem
See the
system
Set an aim
Develop a
theory of
improvement
Test
changes
Spread
changes
Identify
measures