School Vision and Continuous Improvement Practice

Schools use a Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP) as a major improvement lever by to outlining goals, related strategies, and plans to achieve these goals. Achieving CIWP goals involves having a dedicated CIWP team that collaborates with staff across the school on reaching plan milestones and regularly checking progress towards goals. Over time, achieving CIWP goals and engaging in staff teams for other improvement efforts moves a school closer and closer to create a learning environment that matches a school’s vision. The district provides schools with training and support to develop these improvement plans and strengthen school processes that build on what works and make positive changes over time.

Why This Is Measured

There is always room for improvement and we owe it to students to continuously strive for the providing each one of them with a rigorous, joyful, and equitable daily student experience and the school vision. By measuring the extent to which a school has the plans, processes, and practices that reflect the Gears of Continuous Improvement (Culture, Structure, Knowledge & Skills), stakeholders can consider whether the school is positioned to engage in effective continuous improvement cycles that achieve measurable and lasting improvement. Schools with teams that engage in strong continuous improvement cycles are best equipped to optimize resources and leverage school stakeholders to respond to changing student needs, provide an equitable experience for every student, and realize the school’s vision.

Questions to Ask Your School

School stakeholders should expect to receive information about school improvement efforts at least twice a year along with information about how to inform or support these efforts. Information is shared annually via the State of the School Address as well as during annual LSC approvals of the CIWP. Additionally, members of the school community should see that school staff collaborates with one another to support all students, works with school leaders to gather information and address problems named in the CIWP while being aware of their progress throughout the year, and apply people and budgetary resources in ways that support CIWPs while focus on ongoing staff learning and making smart decisions based on available evidence and data. Consider asking your school about how you can support their improvement efforts or see the CIWP Family & Community Review Guide for suggested questions to learn more about a school’s improvement plans.

How the District Supports Improvement

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Department shares school needs and plans, as outlined in the CIWP, with district subject-matter experts to support alignment between district offerings and local improvement efforts at schools. The CI Department also partners with networks to provide school leaders, CIWP teams, and teacher teams with the following:

• Guidance, resources, training, and professional learning to develop and monitor CIWPs.
• Guidance, resource, and professional learning to develop the Gears of Continuous Improvement among staff teams within schools.