Improvement: SQS Focus for 2004-05

1
Improvement SQS Focus for 2004-05

• Session 2 of 3
• Susan Leddick

2
Purposes of the Training Cycle

• Learn by doing
• Produce real results
• Anchor in personal experience
• Master a basic skill for system improvement the
  PDSA cycle

3
Todays Purposes

• To analyze the data from the application of your
  improvement theory
• To prepare for the final two steps of the PDSA
  cycle
• To select the person who will attend QNM to show
  the PDSA project

4
Choose Team Roles

• Timekeeper (keeps track of time gathers
  resources)
• Facilitator (keeps work on track involves all
  members)
• Reporter (speaks in full-group report outs)

5
Cycle Review

• Facilitators, lead a table review of the first
  four steps of the cycle. Use the model on page 2
  of your guide and the Step pages 6, 8, 10, 12.
• Using the actual work done by team members,
  identify examples for report-out
• Applications of tools that led to insight (tool
  plus insight)
• Areas that caused difficulty or confusion

6
The Model
7
Step One Define the System

• What's this step about?
• Understanding the system you're trying to
  improve and preparing to gather baseline data.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• a description of the system,
• a flow chart of the critical process(es)
• a project statement,
• and a data gathering plan.
• What tools might be useful?
• Flow chart, operational definition, sampling,
  check sheet, run chart

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Step Two Assess the Current Situation

• What's this step about?
• Understanding the patterns and trends in your
  baseline data.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• an analysis of baseline data
• insights about individual learners, groups of
  learners, and the whole class
• action on special causes of variation, if you
  find them in your data.
• What tools might be useful?
• Pareto diagram, run charts, scatter diagrams,
  chart interpretation, and DataNotGuessworkR
  materials

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Step Three Analyze Causes

• What's this step about?
• Detecting the root causes of the unwanted
  patterns of variation that you have found in your
  datadiagnosing why learning is not occurring.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• a cause and effect analysis of learning problems
  in your class,
• research-based ideas on how to change instruction
  or other classroom processes to bring about
  better learning results,
• at least one improvement theory to be tested.
• What tools might be useful?
• Cause and effect diagram Pareto diagram
  affinity, relations, and systematic diagrams

10
Step Four Try Out Improvement Theory

• What's this step about?
• Putting your improvement theory to the test to
  see if it produces improved performance.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• a test of the research-based theory in practice,
• a continuous record of performance on your key
  measures (continuation of baseline data),
• implementation notes.
• What tools might be useful?
• Timeline, matrix, graphs, plus-delta, force
  field analysis.

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Step Five Study the Results

• What's this step about?
• Deciding whether the improvement theory was
  effective in raising performance.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• analysis of your graph(s)from baseline through
  theory test,
• an explanation of why the results turned out the
  way they did (whether changed or not),
• other insights and accidental learning.
• What tools might be useful?
• Various graphs, research notes, implementation
  notes

12
Analysis

• Look for patterns trends

13
Interpretive Captions

• Summarize the pattern or trend in a sentence or
  phrase
• Scores reflect that about half the students are
  mastering the standard and about half are
  struggling to understand it.
• Scores are trending up for seven weeks in a row.

14
Explain WhyReflection

• Explain why you think you got these results.
  (Whether you see improvement or not!)
• Go into considerable detail about 100 words at
  minimum.
• This is the place where you learn!

15
Accidental LearningIt Happens!

• What might you have learned by accident?
• What other questions does this raise for you?

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Step Six Standardize Improvements

• What's this step about?
• Making sure that the improvements you have made
  become a permanent part of how you operate
  deciding whether your improvements could help
  other colleagues, and, if so, how to share the
  learning.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• revised flow chart, showing how the process works
  now (after the improvement),
• plans for training others who use the new process
  now and in the future,
• updates to forms, schedules, and other documents
  used in the process. (Consistency built in.)
• potential for transferring learning to other
  colleagues.
• What tools might be useful?
• Flow chart, matrix, timeline

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Why standardize?

• Perhaps the most blunt and meaningful question
  one can ask of any research procedures is So
  what? In other words, Now that we know that
  there is a higher likelihood of Y if we do X, are
  we really going to do X or just talk about it?
• Without replication, accountability is a sterile
  exercise in reporting and evaluation.
• Doug Reeves (2004)
• Accountability for Learning

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What are drivers and barriers to standardizing
practices?
What would motivate people to want to use someone
elses method if it appears to be more successful?
What would motivate people to want NOT to use
someone elses method if it appears to be more
successful?
19
What are your recommendations for moving toward
standardized effective practice?
20
Application

• Complete page 16 for your project. Rely on the
  recommendations from the prior conversation.

21
Step Seven Plan for Continual Improvement

• What's this step about?
• Deciding how you will focus your next cycle of
  improvement, sharing your learning, and
  celebrating success.
• What do I have when I'm finished?
• a plan for your next PDSA cycle,
• a brief learning summary to share with
  colleagues,
• celebration, well earned
• What tools might be useful?
• Nominal group technique, matrix, timeline

22
Options for the Next PDSA

• Once more around the wheel
• Shift focus
• Test in a different context

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Assignment Session Three

• Complete steps 5, 6, and the selection of a new
  PDSA cycle (from step 7). Record your insights
  and implementation notes.
• Bring all your work papers to classwe will focus
  on documenting, sharing, and learning from the
  PDSA projects.

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A Team Decision
SQS

• Select a person to share his or her PDSA project
  at the QNM conference March 31, 2005, at Tamaya.
  (SQS pays for this persons registration.)
• Use these criteria in your decision.
• Project closely follows the 7-step PDSA model.
• Improvement theory is drawn from research and
  reflects context.
• Explanation of results is thoughtful and
  complete.
• Graphs are accurate and include interpretive
  captions.
• Project findings have potential for replication
  or re-testing to improve practice.