Ongoing Action -Continual Implementation Phase

Continuous Improvement Cycle

A continuous improvement cycle is a systematic process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate initiatives for ongoing enhancement and effectiveness. It involves a series of steps that, when repeated, create a cycle of continuous improvement. Here is a typical framework for a continuous improvement cycle:

Assessment and Analysis:

• • Gather Data: Collect relevant data on current practices, performance, and outcomes related to the initiatives aligned with the CSMH Framework. 

    1. • Does the data collected provide the information we need and want to inform this work?

       • What data did we not collect that would be beneficial to this work?

  • Analyze Data: Analyze the collected data and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. Share data analysis and reports with stakeholders to discuss and use to make informed decisions. 

    1. • What is working? What gaps still exist? What changes can help meet these gaps?

Setting Goals and Objectives:

• • Identify Growth Areas: Based on the assessment, determine specific areas or processes that require improvement. Here are a few questions to consider when reviewing data:

    1. What story does the data tell? 

    2. What are the strengths? What challenges exist? 

    3. Who is successful? Who is not successful? Examine subgroups and demographic information.

    4. Do all students and families have access to adequate support and services?

    5. What areas do educators need additional training?

    6. What are the mental health needs of the school community?

After ample time to discuss data, establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives for improvement.

Action Planning:

• • Develop Action Plans: Create a logic model and detailed plans that specify the steps, resources, and timeline required to achieve the identified goals and objectives.

  • Allocate Resources: Allocate human, financial, and material resources needed for successful implementation.

Implementation:

• • Execute Plans: Implement the action plans according to the established timeline.

  • Communication: Keep stakeholders informed about the activities, programming initiatives, progress, and changes.

Progress Monitoring and Evaluation:

• • Monitor Progress: Regularly track the progress of the implemented changes against the set goals and objectives.

  • Collect Feedback: Gather feedback from stakeholders involved in or affected by the changes.

  • Evaluate Effectiveness: Assess the effectiveness of the changes in achieving the desired outcomes.

Adjustment and Refinement:

• • Identify Adjustments: Based on the monitoring and evaluation results, identify areas where adjustments or refinements are needed and modify strategies, processes, or resource allocation as necessary.

Celebrating Successes and Learning from Failures:

• • Acknowledge Achievements: Celebrate successes and "lessons learned" from the implemented changes with all stakeholders.  Often, this critical activity is overlooked. Share your success stories. Be proud of the work you are doing!

  • Learn from Failures: Analyze any failures or challenges to understand the root causes and learn from them to inform future improvements.

Documenting Best Practices:

• • Capture Best Practices: Document successful strategies, processes, and practices that emerge during the improvement cycle. Share what you have learned with stakeholders and other education professionals to encourage learning and replication.

Feedback Loops:

• • Establish Feedback Mechanisms: Implement mechanisms for continuous feedback from various stakeholders and use the feedback to inform decision-making and guide further improvements.

Iterate the Cycle:

• • Repeat the Cycle: Once the improvement cycle is completed, repeat the process by reassessing, setting new goals(or updating existing goals), and developing action plans. *Understand that continuous improvement is an iterative process that involves ongoing refinement and enhancement.

By embracing a continuous improvement cycle, schools can foster a culture of learning, adaptability, and excellence. This cyclical approach enables the leadership teams to respond to changing needs, capitalize on opportunities, and systematically enhance their performance over time. Regular reflection and adjustment are key components of a successful continuous improvement process.

In this last phase, review and ensure that CSMH Framework implementation practices are horizontally and vertically aligned.

Horizontal and vertical alignment are concepts commonly used in education to describe how different educational system or curriculum elements align. These alignments ensure coherence, consistency, sustainability, and effectiveness in delivering educational experiences. Horizontal and vertical alignment ensure there will not be any gaps in learning across grade levels and from one year to the next.  Alignment facilitates communication among all educators as they plan for both horizontal and vertical alignment of skills, expectations, standards/competencies, content/curriculum, and assessment.  Additionally, districts can utilize the alignment process to ensure that the professional development needs of educators are met. Aligned experiences, paired with appropriate training and coaching of educators, can have positive and long-term impacts on student outcomes.  Developmental theory suggests that strong alignment will provide children with routine exposure to content beyond their current skill level and within their range of abilities — critical conditions for children’s social, emotional, and academic development. 

Horizontal Alignment:

What is horizontal alignment?

• Definition: Horizontal alignment is the alignment of the skills, standards/competencies, and content/curriculum taught by teachers in a common grade level.  Pacing guides are commonly utilized within horizontal alignment. A pacing guide is a written schedule or chart displaying the topics/skills and behavioral outcomes related to an education unit or curriculum to be addressed over a defined period of time. A pacing guide may also be known as a curriculum map, program timeline, instructional guide, or year-at-a-glance.

  • Horizontal alignment helps ensure no overlaps or gaps around content and skills being taught and that students are adequately prepared and ready for the next grade. This process promotes collaborative planning and communication among teachers within the same grade level or across similar subjects, essential for horizontal alignment.

Example: INSERT SCHOOL STORY/EXAMPLE

Vertical Alignment:

What is vertical alignment?

• Definition: Vertical alignment refers to the coordination and consistency of skills, expectations, standards/competencies, and content/curriculum across different educational levels, such as connecting elementary, middle, and high school levels. Curriculum maps (sometimes called a vertical alignment matrix) are useful tools to create processes for vertical alignment. Curriculum maps describe a vertical sequence of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral targets to be addressed at each grade level and within each discipline. These targets become increasingly more sophisticated and rigorous as students matriculate. Curriculum maps also provide a year-at-a-glance view of what’s being taught and any assessments/screeners used. They guard against unnecessary repetition of content across grades and ensure appropriate repetition of knowledge and skills as students progress from one grade level to the next.

  • Vertical alignment ensures a logical progression and continuity in the curriculum from one educational level to the next and facilitates a smooth transition for students as they move from one educational level to the next, preventing gaps or redundancies in learning. This process promotes collaboration and communication between teachers and administrators across different educational levels, which is crucial for vertical alignment.

Example: INSERT SCHOOL STORY/EXAMPLE 

In summary, both horizontal and vertical alignment are critical for a coherent and effective implementation of the CSMH Framework. Vertical and horizontal alignment builds effective structures and conditions to support and sustain system-wide continuous improvement of teaching and learning.  Both types of alignment support a cohesive educational experience for students, help educators ensure that their efforts are mutually reinforcing, lead to well-rounded and progressively challenging educational experiences, and inform districts on the necessary professional development to meet the needs of educators at all levels.

Provide additional examples/best practices – highlight 2-3 additional school stories