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Located in the heart of California's Central Valley, Tulare County is a leading producer of agricultural commodities in the United States. Tulare County’s 4,863 square miles includes cultivated agricultural land and the Sierra Nevada mountains. The community takes pride in sharing what's homegrown through farmers markets, fine dining options featuring local crops, and a variety of events that celebrate our diverse heritage. In many of the rural unincorporated towns, schools serve as the cultural center providing students opportunities in sports, music, and art programs.
Located in the heart of California's Central Valley, Tulare County is a leading producer of agricultural commodities in the United States. Tulare County’s 4,863 square miles includes cultivated agricultural land and the Sierra Nevada mountains. The community takes pride in sharing what's homegrown through farmers markets, fine dining options featuring local crops, and a variety of events that celebrate our diverse heritage. In many of the rural unincorporated towns, schools serve as the cultural center providing students opportunities in sports, music, and art programs.
As rich as our valley is, Tulare County also faces serious challenges. Nearly 80 percent of students live in socio-economic disadvantaged households and unemployment is consistently higher than the state average. Without a four year university in our county boundaries, students who wish to pursue a college degree often have to move away or choose a two-hour- commute.
As rich as our valley is, Tulare County also faces serious challenges. Nearly 80 percent of students live in socio-economic disadvantaged households and unemployment is consistently higher than the state average. Without a four year university in our county boundaries, students who wish to pursue a college degree often have to move away or choose a two-hour- commute.
Tulare County Office of Education is recognized for its leadership in the community. Our mission is to provide quality service and support to the students and school districts of Tulare County. This is achieved by promoting lifelong learning opportunities that will help individuals lead healthy and productive lives. We are dedicated to work in a collaborative manner with students, parents, and districts to prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. We engage with our districts in tackling problems and embrace network structures to accelerate and deepen learning. As an organization, we are nimble in our role as we shift from leader to co-learner as warranted and strive for programmatic cohesion. Our theory of change, improvement will come about through an investment in the deep work of capacity building for educators at all levels of the system coupled with our theory of action, a disciplined approach to improvement is necessary for sustainable systemic change, guides all efforts. TCOE utilizes improvement science methodology to improve our OWN capacity and as a framework to launch improvement efforts within and across districts.
Tulare County Office of Education is recognized for its leadership in the community. Our mission is to provide quality service and support to the students and school districts of Tulare County. This is achieved by promoting lifelong learning opportunities that will help individuals lead healthy and productive lives. We are dedicated to work in a collaborative manner with students, parents, and districts to prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. We engage with our districts in tackling problems and embrace network structures to accelerate and deepen learning. As an organization, we are nimble in our role as we shift from leader to co-learner as warranted and strive for programmatic cohesion. Our theory of change, improvement will come about through an investment in the deep work of capacity building for educators at all levels of the system coupled with our theory of action, a disciplined approach to improvement is necessary for sustainable systemic change, guides all efforts. TCOE utilizes improvement science methodology to improve our OWN capacity and as a framework to launch improvement efforts within and across districts.
Using A Continuous Improvement Approach
Using A Continuous Improvement Approach
Understanding the Problem
Understanding the Problem
CVNIC began by investigating the systems producing widespread underachievement in mathematics. Together, we conduct teacher, student, parent, and administrator interviews; dissect local and state achievement data, and engage in systems-mapping activities to deepen our understanding of the problem. We consult with experts and relevant research to gain insight into what key factors might be essential to our work moving forward.
CVNIC began by investigating the systems producing widespread underachievement in mathematics. Together, we conduct teacher, student, parent, and administrator interviews; dissect local and state achievement data, and engage in systems-mapping activities to deepen our understanding of the problem. We consult with experts and relevant research to gain insight into what key factors might be essential to our work moving forward.
Testing Changes
Testing Changes
Teams across the network are able to test changes iteratively, adapting change ideas to increase the quality and/or reliability of the change. Teams are able to investigate what’s most interesting to them, while allowing us to better understand how changes within a common area of focus respond at different schools and in different contexts.
Teams across the network are able to test changes iteratively, adapting change ideas to increase the quality and/or reliability of the change. Teams are able to investigate what’s most interesting to them, while allowing us to better understand how changes within a common area of focus respond at different schools and in different contexts.
Network Learning: Understanding the Impact of Change
Network Learning: Understanding the Impact of Change
Collaborative structures and routines provide the opportunity to learn together and to share about team learnings. Network learning focuses on classroom culture and mindset, instructional practices, and improvement science as a vehicle for continuous improvement. Teachers, coaches, and leaders learn together and then test their change ideas as a team on their school sites. Coaches and leaders serve as integral supports for teams as they collect evidence about the impact of their changes and consider whether or not to adopt, adapt, or abandon a change. The evidence collected represents a much broader look at data including mindset surveys, formative assessments, classroom observations, and student self-assessments in order to provide relevant and timely data that is close to the change being tested.
Collaborative structures and routines provide the opportunity to learn together and to share about team learnings. Network learning focuses on classroom culture and mindset, instructional practices, and improvement science as a vehicle for continuous improvement. Teachers, coaches, and leaders learn together and then test their change ideas as a team on their school sites. Coaches and leaders serve as integral supports for teams as they collect evidence about the impact of their changes and consider whether or not to adopt, adapt, or abandon a change. The evidence collected represents a much broader look at data including mindset surveys, formative assessments, classroom observations, and student self-assessments in order to provide relevant and timely data that is close to the change being tested.
Consolidation Routines
Consolidation Routines
The network year is divided into Action Periods, approximately two months, that start and end with a Network Meeting. During each Action Period, teachers are asked to conduct individual testing of change ideas that may possibly move them closer to reaching their aim. At Mid-Action Period, teachers individually reflect upon their learning and meet with a site coach, as a team, to collectively consolidate. This entire cycle is repeated. The Hub gathers and summarizes and shares the learning from each site during the next Network Meeting.
The network year is divided into Action Periods, approximately two months, that start and end with a Network Meeting. During each Action Period, teachers are asked to conduct individual testing of change ideas that may possibly move them closer to reaching their aim. At Mid-Action Period, teachers individually reflect upon their learning and meet with a site coach, as a team, to collectively consolidate. This entire cycle is repeated. The Hub gathers and summarizes and shares the learning from each site during the next Network Meeting.
The Hub provides coaches with consolidation facilitation support and tools. We have found it is important that teachers are allowed to process their own learning as individuals and with their site teams to create new approaches and develop new theories. An effective way to share learning at sites has been through Improvement Review sessions.
The Hub provides coaches with consolidation facilitation support and tools. We have found it is important that teachers are allowed to process their own learning as individuals and with their site teams to create new approaches and develop new theories. An effective way to share learning at sites has been through Improvement Review sessions.
Who We Are
Who We Are
Based out of the math department at Tulare County Office of Education's Educational Resource Services, the Hub serves as organizer of the Central Valley Networked Improvement Communities. They provide expertise in improvement science and mathematics and pedagogy. They lead the work of the NIC, plan Action Periods, support teachers and leaders, and offer on-site support for teams. The Hub collects and analyzes data so that the network knows what site level changes move us closer to meeting our aim.
Based out of the math department at Tulare County Office of Education's Educational Resource Services, the Hub serves as organizer of the Central Valley Networked Improvement Communities. They provide expertise in improvement science and mathematics and pedagogy. They lead the work of the NIC, plan Action Periods, support teachers and leaders, and offer on-site support for teams. The Hub collects and analyzes data so that the network knows what site level changes move us closer to meeting our aim.
Kim WebbCVNIC Network Co-Director
Joseph LambCVNIC Network Co-Director
Caroline KoontzCVNIC Coordinator
Arcy Alafa Improvement Specialist
Nick LopezImprovement Specialist
How we got started
How we got started
In 2016, Central Valley Networked Improvement Community (CVNIC) launched to take on the challenge of transforming mathematical learning experiences for students across Tulare County. During that period, teachers, coaches, and leaders from seven districts and 12 sites continued working towards our aim, while building our collective capacity for continuous improvement. We saw the positive impacts of this work in classrooms, redefining what it means to teach and learn mathematics for students and teachers alike. CVNIC classrooms in the network moved from performing at the county average to outperforming the rest of the region on CAASPP.
In 2016, Central Valley Networked Improvement Community (CVNIC) launched to take on the challenge of transforming mathematical learning experiences for students across Tulare County. During that period, teachers, coaches, and leaders from seven districts and 12 sites continued working towards our aim, while building our collective capacity for continuous improvement. We saw the positive impacts of this work in classrooms, redefining what it means to teach and learn mathematics for students and teachers alike. CVNIC classrooms in the network moved from performing at the county average to outperforming the rest of the region on CAASPP.
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