Identify & Prioritize Gaps

A key first step in any improvement process is working together to diagnose where - and for whom - problems or challenges in our local systems may be occurring. 

Central to that work is investigating variation in the outcomes we care about. To do so, teams should draw on data to answer several important questions:

• Do we notice systematic differences in the experiences or outcomes among our students?

• Are some students or subgroups encountering markedly different experiences or outcomes than others?

• Do students in some grade levels or subject areas perform at different levels than others?

Answers to these questions can point us toward challenges in program implementation, persistent inequalities, or barriers to access. Once these patterns are recognized, we can work to come to a shared understanding of why and how differences in experiences and outcomes may be occurring.