As Improvers Tell It: Exploring Possibilities and Building New Realities With Improvement Science

• In Event: Equity-Oriented Improvement Approaches in Diverse Educational Settings: Insights From England, California, and Beyond

Abstract

The past decade has seen growing enthusiasm for and significant investments in networks and partnerships using improvement science methods to transform systems and improve educational outcomes. The use of improvement science offers a paradigm for problem-solving using inquiry tools, data, and design-thinking to determine what works, for whom, under what conditions (Bryk, et al., 2015; Coburn, Penuel, Geil, 2013). The purpose of this descriptive study is to understand the emerging improvement field through a systematic analysis of the voices of improvers. The knowledge gained from this study may improve our collective ability to build new educational realities.

Authors

• Kelly McMahon, Center for Public Research and Leadership

• Barbara Shreve, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

• Erika Nielsen Andrew, Carnegie Foundation