At the GateOur Journey Toward

Continuous Quality Improvement

Presentation for the 2006 National Quality in Education Conference

Dr. John E. McKinney, SuperintendentMary Ann Plahitko, Director of Quality Services

Danville Community School CorporationDanville, Indiana

danville.k12.in.us

• Rural/suburban community 20 miles west of Indianapolis

• Consolidated school district of 2500 students

• No industry (270 of 294 in wealth)

• Hospital, county courthouse, & schools are primary employers

• Limited diversity

Who We Are:

Who We Are:• 14% special education• 17% Free/reduced count• Low crime• State of Indiana-ISTEP+

test in September. (Grade 10 is GQE)

• Good test scoresEveryone, Every Day; High Standards, High Achievement

Prior to 2000

• Unaligned arrows• Little use of data• Previous school

improvement plans (PBA and NCA)

• No high stakes achievement tests

• A good but complacent district

When you don’t know where you are going, any road will lead you there.

Good is the enemy of great!

Our journey toward continuous quality improvement began…

2000-2001• P.L. 221 influenced search for

CQI• Discovered Baldrige• Created a district-wide Model

Schools Leadership Team (developing a collaborative culture)

2001-2002

• Adopted Baldrige as a district model for continuous quality improvement

• Provided School Board with introduction to Baldrige

• Wrote the first CQI plan to meet the requirements of PL221

2002-2003

• Baldrige training for superintendent and curriculum directors

• Building CIC’S Established• Data rich/analysis poor

2003-2004• Completion of training of all

certified staff• Training of non-certified staff• Began to implement S2S meetings• Data-focused (NWEA MAP and

ISTEP+)• Partnered with Shipley and

Associates and Steve Benjamin and Associates

2004-2005• Focused in-service days on CQI• Baldrige training for new staff• Training staff from other districts on request• CQI pizza lunches• Partnered in starting Indiana Quality School

Coalition• Hosted first Indiana Quality School Coalition

Conference in June, 2005• School Board meetings with data use• Administrative meetings with data use• Began frequent and broad surveying

PLAN

DO

CHECK

IMP

RO

VE

Student-led Conferences

Students Tracking Data

Parent Communication

“I have not failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that

won't work.”

-Thomas Edison

2005-Present

• Redesigned job descriptions of administrators to include a Director of Quality Services

• Designated someone to tell our story in public forum

• Began focusing on systems improvement

CQI Coaches• Chose one in each building to lead

classroom CQI initiative• Provided formal training and informal

collaboration sessions• Expectations of coaches:

– Provide support– Model in classroom– Train in in-service,

grade/department meetings, etc.

Q-Team

• Chose 4 teachers per building who model CQI

• Asked that they support coach and CQI initiative

• Create collaboration time during the year (without taking them out of the classroom)

Common Assessments

• English/Language Arts and Math• Grades 1-9• Aligned to Indiana’s Academic Standards• “No permission to forget” included• Given every 6 weeks • Comprehensive end-of-year assessment• Provide information for remediation and

enrichment

Induction Junction

• Created to prevent attrition • Hoped to develop a CQI culture with

new staff• Planned for three years of support• Includes all new staff regardless of

experience

Induction Junction Year 1• When hired, sent Harry Wong’s First Days

of School and asked to read it • 4 days prior to the start of the new year

CQI4MATTechnologyDistrict curricular initiativesClassroom management and process skillsModel classroomBusinessPicture directoryTote bag

Induction Junction Days 1-4

Collegiality

Induction Junction Year 1 (Con’t)

• Days 5 and 6 are early in NovemberDedicated to CQIIncludes some 4MAT and curriculum

• Days 7 and 8 are in early FebruaryDedicated to 4MAT and differentiationIncludes some CQI and curriculum

• Day 9 is PDCIPlan for the following yearDo a lesson plan for the first week of schoolCheck data and write the “Improve” of PDCI

Induction Junction Years 2 and 3

• Delve deeper into CQI• Provide collaboration and support for

Quality Classroom Rubric progress• Write 4MAT lesson to be used before

next session and share results• Provide curricular support• Develop sessions by providing their

requests at the previous session

Year 3 Exit Activity

• Place in teams of 4 and 5• Create a video to use with next year’s

new staff in Induction Junction• Create resources for years 1 and 2

Recognition

• Year 1 – Framed certificate given at last day recognition luncheon

• Year 2 – Certificate• Year 3 – Certificate and Exit Activity

Quality Classroom Rubric

• Outgrowth of teacher plea, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” Also, “What does it look like in my classroom.”

• A 4 level rubric of indicators• A support document for indicators• A modified rubric for non-traditional

classrooms

Created Quality

Classroom

Rubric

Rubric Level FocusLevel 1 – Teacher DrivenLevel 2 – Teacher and Student DrivenLevel 3 – Process DrivenLevel 4 – Student-managed Process Driven

Quality RubricQuality Level 1

• Completes Classroom Systems Check Level III

• Facilitates student-generated classroom mission statement

• Develops measurable classroom goals aligned with school goals

• Utilizes PDCI Cycle Develops classroom displays of data for above

• Creates teacher data folders aligned with classroom goals

• Exhibits the Core Value and School Aim of Valuing Students by creating a caring learning environment

Quality Level 4

• Completes all Q1, Q2, and Q3 accomplishments

• Collects and utilizes classroom data to guide 5 classroom processes

• Demonstrates use of 5 quality tools for classroom improvement

• Monitors student and stakeholder satisfaction

• Conducts celebrations of performance achievement/ progress on a trimester basis or more

• Trains and educates students to lead key processes as part of the classroom system

• Gives students access to the information they need to make their own decisions about learning

S2S Meetings

• “System to System”• One-on-one twice a year • With small groups (departments/grade

levels) three times a year• Share data, strategies, PDCI• Aligned at all levels• Twice a year for non-certified staff

What Does CQI Look Like at DCSC?

• Slightly different in each building• S2S Meetings at all levels• PDCI for all processes and at all levels• Learner-centered classrooms• In-house and peer trainers• CQI partners and networks• A developing culture

Culture ExampleE-mail to her entire building: “I just wanted to recognize the 4th grade

teachers for the wonderful job they did teaching this year’s 5th graders place value. I can’t believe how well they are doing with it! Every single student in my class can identify up to the hundred millions place! WOW! Thank you 4th grade teachers!”

Culture Example

E-mail to everyone in her building: “Hi all! Just wanted to share with you

an idea I came up with to show that our classroom is a caring learning environment……………”

Culture Example

District Building

Classroom Student

At All Levels…

And now for the rest of the story….

Kids don’t care how much you know until

they know how much you care…….

My teacher thinks I am smart!

Top 10 Lessons Learned

10. Face reality when analyzing the data.

9. New roles mean new responsibilities, even for the students.

8. Use research based strategies (CQI tools, 4MAT, Marzano research, etc.)

Top 10……

7. Don’t stop at training teachers. Teachers need to know how to train students!

6. When you find that you are headed in the wrong direction, turn around! (PDCI)

5. Form positive groups for support. (Q-Teams, CQI Coaches)

4. Curriculum Alignment:

Align curriculum to support state standards.

Develop Power Standards.

Create “kid friendly” standards.

Develop assessments to determine how well students are mastering standards.

Top 10……

3. Don’t ask if you don’t want to know.

2. Don’t wait for everyone to get on board.

AND #1…..

Top 10……

Go slow to go fast!

• But don’t let this motto become an excuse.

• Hmmm. Decisions, decisions…….