NETWORKED IMPROVEMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND COHERENCE IN AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING
Loading...
Can’t use the file because of accessibility barriers? Contact us with the title of the item, permanent link, and specifics of your accommodation need.
Date
2023-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
[Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University
Permanent Link
Abstract
Networked improvement communities (NICs) have emerged as a comprehensive reform strategy that can be used to solve complex educational issues and improve student outcomes. NICs focus on equitable improvement that solves persistent issues in education and attends to the context of the challenge (Bryk et al., 2015). The purpose of this study is to understand how the development of a NIC and its emphasis on improvement science tools increase teachers’ understanding of problems of practice while also contributing to instructional coherence across their classrooms. The study seeks to understand how this work informs the principal’s approach to teaching and learning. Drawing from a qualitative case study conducted in two urban elementary schools, the study included interviews, focus groups, observations, and document retrieval. The findings indicate that teachers in the case study initially struggled to use improvement science tools and inquiry processes, that is, root cause analysis, fishbone diagrams, and plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. Data collection, organization, and use were also challenging but supported teachers in implementing PDSA cycles. Analysis indicates that over time and through collaboration with members of the NIC, the teachers came to understand and more clearly define instructional practices in their classrooms. Principals who participated in the study found it beneficial to use a coaching stance and specific question stems aligned with the inquiry process to support teaching and learning. The study has implications for the research on school improvement and the expanding literature base on networked improvement science.
Description
Thesis (Ed.D.) - Indiana University, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies/School of Education, 2023
Keywords
networked improvement community, coherence, improvement science, school improvement, math education, PDSA cycles
Citation
Journal
DOI
Link(s) to data and video for this item
Relation
Rights
Type
Doctoral Dissertation