District shifts school improvement to short-cycle PDSA model, pilot underway at six schools
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Summary
District leaders described embedding Plan‑Do‑Study‑Act (PDSA) cycles into school improvement plans across 38 sites to move from annual metrics to 60–90 day short‑cycle data; six pilot schools will present family engagement examples at a Jan. 27 update.
At the Jan. 13 meeting, the district’s teaching, learning and equity team presented a shift toward frequent, short‑cycle improvement work using Plan‑Do‑Study‑Act (PDSA) cycles.
Dr. Heather Fowler, executive director of school programs, described PDSA cycles as a move from large-scale, infrequent measures to short-cycle data collected over 60–90 days and used to make iterative changes. “PDSA cycles provide a structure for making that shift,” Fowler said, and she described examples of short-cycle data including PLC notes, classroom walkthroughs, formative assessments and student feedback.
The presentation noted that administrative teams used a rubric and calibration process during a December leadership gathering to revise initial PDSA plans and that nearly all schools showed clearer, more data‑rooted goals on subsequent submissions. Fowler said teams will continue focusing on building strong professional learning communities and that six pilot schools will present family engagement work at the Jan. 27 TLE update.
The update was informational; the board did not take formal action. District leaders said they will share progress updates as the PDSA work continues.