Evidence for Improvement: An Integrated Analytic Approach for Supporting Networks

• In Event: Research Practice Partnerships and Improvement Communities

Abstract

In education, networks are becoming increasingly popular and are seen as a high-leverage strategy to impact previously intractable, or “wicked” problems (Gates, 2017; Hewlett, 2017). Similar to research-practice partnerships (RPPs) or Aligned Action networks, improvement networks involve diverse stakeholders organizing in novel ways to develop innovative solutions to educational problems. Yet, there is little guidance that helps these organizations know, if they are leading change efforts that will produce improvements in teaching and learning. This article synthesizes evaluation literature and draws on original research to articulate an approach for providing analytic support to improvement networks that we call Evidence for Improvement (EFI). We argue that this approach could be used to understand network performance and develop targeted supports for improvement.

Authors

• David Gilbert Sherer, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

• Jon Norman, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

• Kelly McMahon, Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching