Running small tests of change using PDSA cycles is the primary method to accelerate improvement, making programs and practices more effective, more efficient and more equitable. In this session, participants explored the value of running PDSAs, refined learning questions for their change ideas and ensured there are measures in place to ensure the changes are happening reliably and with quality. Participants made a plan for enrolling PDSA testers and ensuring systems are in place to document key learning.
During this session, dug into the purpose and vision of our NIC, introduced the principles of Continuous Improvement, and review relevant and frequently used CI tools such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) and Driver Diagram. This session was designed for members who are new to our NIC as an onboarding activity. NIC members who have not yet attended a Convening were strongly encouraged to attend.
Co-teachers' abilities to create highly tailored lessons that optimize their combined expertise is directly rooted in their ability to strategically analyze and act upon data that explains their students' nuanced strengths and needs. In this session, participants engaged with some of the best practices that Blue Engine utilizes to support co-teachers with data collection, tracking and usage as part of their regular co-planning processes.
This session built participant knowledge about how the fundamental principles established by the Science of Reading apply to adolescent readers and, more specifically, those with disabilities in the areas of language and reading. Participants had an opportunity to apply these learnings to launch their literacy change ideas in order to dramatically impact reading outcomes for our target population. Participants may consider accessing the Science of Reading 101 (March 2022) session to build background knowledge before attending this session.
One of the foundational aspects of this work is a co-constructed vision for inclusive teaching and for individual and shared responsibilities within the partnership. In this session, participants engaged with Blue Engine's approach to this aspect of team formation by engaging with processes that can be used to support co-teachers in crafting that shared vision as well as coach-facing ideas for leading pairings to and through that work.
Reading is a complex, multifaceted process, and there are myriad ways in which the reading process can break down for struggling adolescent readers. Leveraging what we know about the components of reading can support us in creating tiered assessment processes to help diagnose specific student needs and match our interventions accordingly.
This session was offered asynchronously.
On May 13th, the Co-Teaching PLC welcomed Emilio Pack, STEM Prep’s CEO. Emilio shared STEM’s mindset on Co-Teaching and how they set up strong conditions for establishing and sustaining a co-teaching structure that leverages the skills and expertise of general education and special education teachers.
On August 5th, we welcomed new Improvement Team members to our Networked Improvement Community! We began to build connections with other members, shared the vision of the NIC/CMO Experience Arc, and reviewed the roles and responsibilities within the work. We dug into the principles of Continuous Improvement and unpacked specific examples of improvement tools using the NIC Playbook.
We held our PDSA PD Session #1 on July 30th. We dug into the components of a PDSA Cycle, looked at a sample PDSA, heard stories from the field and conducted a fishbowl activity! We are looking forward to our next PDSA session on August 31st from 9:00 - 10:30 PDT / 12:00 - 1:30 EDT. Participants will be able to bring an actual PDSA plan or cycle that they implemented and worked on in their coaching calls to receive feedback, ask questions, and surface key learnings.
Please see Featured Events to sign up for the PDSA Session #2 on August 31!
The first Transitions Working Group session was held on Thursday July 29th with our Expert-in-Residence Genevieve Thomas! We dug into some great resources, shared current experiences at sites, and practiced benchmark planning. If you are interested in collaborating with other CMOs on Transition Planning or working on improving Transitions at your site, we will be holding more sessions! If you’re interested in joining the Transitions Working Group throughout the SY21-22, please fill out our survey.
Recording passcode: pLzw*H^1
Additional Resources
Student-Led IEPs:
Spartanburg School District's student-led IEP video (inspiration during PD for teachers on student-led IEPs)
Activities to assist a student to be involved in the IEP process
Student-led IEP meeting objectives/benchmarks by grade level
Proficiency scales:
Our final CMO Collaboration event of the 2020-2021 school year featured a deep dive into resource mapping as a strategy for identifying and analyzing the programs, people, services, and other resources that currently exist within your CMO. SWiFT TA Providers Amy Jablonski and Michelle Dunn led conversations around how to apply such a process in alignment with CMO priorities for the upcoming school year.
This CMO Collaboration event focused on System of Measures in order to share knowledge and generate measures related to similar drivers. Data Liaisons Jen Laird and Jared Boyce from the R-Team shared examples of measures for improvement, unpacked examples of self-measuring change ideas, and grounded participants in the four stages of measurement evolution.
At this CMO Collaboration event co-hosted with our Expert-in-Residence Genevieve Thomas of Catalyst:Ed, participants from KIPP, Noble, STEM Prep, STRIVE Prep, and Summit engaged in discussions and shared best practices on the topic of Transition Planning.
This CMO Collaboration event featured a mini consultancy and a Success Analysis Protocol to share recent successes. Meredith Mersits from Noble presented a mini consultancy to gather ideas on designing learning specialists’ schedules.
This CMO Collaboration event featured Lean Coffee discussion around “Hot Topics in Special Education” hosted by Genevieve Thomas, our Expert in Residence with Catalyst:Ed. Lean Coffee topics addressed lessons learned from remote learning that can be used to truly differentiate instruction, systems-level policies that best support inclusive and collaborative practices, and approaches schools are taking for supporting SWDs in a hybrid learning model.
Members from Mastery, Summit, Marshall and the R-Team built relationships and connections by engaging in collective thought partnership and sharing of best practices.
Thank you everyone who attended our first Convening Marsh 10 - 12. For recordings and resources please see the dedicated Convening page here.
CMO-CMO Collaboration #7 with Green Dot, STEM Prep, STRIVE, and Summit.
Convening Elements: Problem Statement, Aim, Data for Improvement, Change Management
CMO-CMO Collaboration #6 with Collegiate, Noble, STEM, and Summit.
Balancing Competing Commitments and Priorities in Coaching Ed Specialists
Supporting Chronically Absent Students
Mitigating Learning Loss Due to Covid-19
Roles & Responsibilities for Special Education Directors
CMO-CMO Collaboration #5 with Collegiate, Green Dot, STEM, STRIVE, and Summit
Observing for accommodations in virtual classrooms
Virtual PD planning and delivery
Addressing current events
CMO-CMO Collaboration #5 with Green Dot, STEM, STRIVE, Ednovate
Balancing Student Engagement & Rigor
Transition Planning
CMO-CMO Collaboration #4 with STEM Prep, KIPP, Summit, Green Dot, STRIVE and Collegiate
Improving Attendance
Preventing Teacher Burnout
Maintaining Rigor
CMO-CMO Collaboration #3 with Green Dot, KIPP NorCal, Mastery, Noble, STEM, STRIVE, and Summit
Student Engagement
Transition Planning
CMO-CMO Collaboration #2 with Collegiate, Green Dot, KIPP NorCal, Noble, STEM, STRIVE and Summit
CMO-CMO Collaboration #1 with STRIVE, STEM, Green Dot, and Collegiate
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