Creating a CPED Networked Improvement Community to Enhance EdD Practice-Based Inquiry, Community Connections and Partnerships

Presenters: Debby Zambo and Betsy Kean

Objectives: In this Exchange CPED members will:• Consider the tools and

processes of Improvement Science;

• Engage in developing solutions to incorporating Improvement Science and Networked Improvement Communities in EdD programs;

• Establish a Network Improvement Community to turn these ideas into actions.

The Case for Improvement ScienceDecades of successful use in

multiple fields leading to improvements in practice

In past 14 years:◦Health Care: ~12,000 studies using

Improvement Science (IS)◦Education: 240 IS studies

IES is “beginning” to support this work

Principles of Improvement á lá the Carnegie Foundation

Illustrates how Improvement Science through networks can effect change

** To accelerate improvements: Tap the Wisdom of Crowds

IS inquiryIs based on traditional methods

of researchIs highly analytical and

disciplined (rigor)Links to existing knowledge base

in teaching/learning/social systems

Provides replication in different contexts to expand use rapidly

Requires new intentionality (culture shifts)

Your turn

Have you done IS?

What would you like to do first (or next)?

Networked Improvement Community

An intentionally designed social organization with a distinctive problem-solving focus; roles, responsibilities, and norms for membership; and the maintenance of narratives that detail what it is about and why affiliating with it is important.

Essential NIC Characteristics:

• Focused on a well-specified common aim• Guided by a deep understanding of the

problem, the system that produces it, ,and a shared working theory to improve it

• Disciplined by the methods of improvement science research to develop, test, and refine interventions

• Organized to accelerate the diffusion of interventions into the field and effective integration into varied contexts

Learning in NICs:

 A level: Example: knowledge acquired by front-line workers, e.g., a faculty member learning to use IS tools (cf.: Action Research).

B level: Example: clusters of workers in the same workplace who together address the same practice issues (cf.: Curriculum revision team in an EdD program; Professional Learning Communities in a school; Lesson Study).

C level: Example: learning across institutions (cf: expand learning throughout sites within a system).

The Benefits of NICs:• resource social capital

• investigate patterns and identify improvement targets from network data

• compare results and learn from one another

• support translational research – scholar

practitioners

A Call to Innovate:In 2012,Tony Bryk, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, posed the following questions to CPED members: What if cadres of EdD candidates across

multiple institutions were working on a problem, or parts of a problem, in a Networked Improvement Community?

What if CPED institutions supported Networked Improvement Communities while also developing human and social capacity for this work to grow?

The Problem: Despite this call and the demonstrated benefits of IS & NIC’s, we continue to struggle to bring them into the Consortium.

Why might this be?

Our Modest Proposal

Organize and initiate a NIC to explore implementing IS/NICs into EdD programs

Initial phase: June 2015 – October 2015

Possible Goals for our NICMembers use IS tools and

strategies to understand their own EdD system

Members initiative and evaluate one change incorporating IS/NICs into their EdD program

The NIC begins to develop a theory of practice improvement for implementing IS/NICs into EdD programs

CPED’s role in the (initial) NIC

CPED facilitators produce a summary of PDSA cycles, change results, unexpected outcomes, next steps

Assess of the role of CPED in facilitating the work of the NIC members

Lead discussion of next steps based on experiences of the NIC

How you can help plan/do this CPED NICHandout on CPED’s facilitating

activities and responsibilitiesAssume that you wanted to

participate:◦Which of these seem helpful?◦ Which would you change and how?◦What is missing? ◦What questions do you have about

CPED’s role?

How you can help plan/do this CPED NICHandout on members’ proposed

activities and responsibilitiesAssume that you wanted to

participate:◦Which of these seem reasonable?◦ Which would you change and how?◦What is missing? ◦What questions do you have about

this plan?

Where do we go from here?

Questions?

See the planning sheet

Mark appropriate boxes

Thank You