Continuous Improvement Continuums

findings on the over-sized T-chart. Members will agree on a consensus by using the thumbs up, thumbs down method.”
-Continuous Improvement Continuums “Now that we have completed the activities, we understand better where we are now and issues that prevent us from achieving our school goals. Moving onto the next phase is assessing the Continuous Improvement Continuums. This process will help us see exactly where we are right now with respect to the continuous improvement, we will ultimately be able to use the CIC to determine if we are making progress over time. To start lets briefly discuss the Continuous Improvement Continuums”
- FAQ: Where did the Continuous
Improvement Continuums come from? “Where did the Continuous Improvement Continuums
come from? In 1991, participating Education for the Future Initiative schools worked with Education for the Future staff to develop an authentic measurement tool that would provide useful information to the schools about where they are in the school improvement process and clarify where they are going. A set of rubrics known as the Continuous Improvement Continuums (CICs) resulted from the work. The Continuums are based on what was learned with the schools and the literature on school improvement. The CICs provide criteria for implementing systemic school change. Schools across the country have found these tools to be invaluable in maintaining a shared school vision, keeping the parts of their complex learning systems congruent, understanding the interrelationships of the parts, assessing progress, and providing overall direction.”
-Continuous Improvement
Continuums Activity A poster size set of the Continuous Improvement Continuums (CICs) will be posted in the meeting room, an individual sized copy of the CICs will be given to all staff members.
Chart paper, markers, and colored dots will also be available for this activity. "Please follow along as I read the Information and Analysis Continuous Improvement Continuum description (posted on the projector) and view the CIC rubric. Determine where the school is right now, with respect to Approach, Implementation, and Outcome. Using your individual CIC rubric place a colorful dot where you believe the school is with respect to Approach, Implementation, and Outcome. Next, each corner of the room is labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Once you have selected your choice for Information and Analysis Continuous-Approach, please stand by the rating number you chose. Notice where the rest of the staff members
stand”
“Staff members will discuss why they chose the rating and can walk to a different corner (rating) if they change their mind.” Beliefs shared by the staff will be recorded.
“This process will continue until members have reached a consensus (thumbs up or thumbs down; all members are standing in the same corner). If one number is becoming clearly favored, members will be asked if there is anyone who could not live with this number as a baseline assessment of the school’s Approach to Information and Analysis. If no one opposes, a sticker will be placed on the large continuum to represent the consensus decision of the group. If there is not a number that is clearly favored after the first discussion, the discussion will be continued. Next, a sticker is placed on the poster size CIC.” The same process is repeated for Implementation and
Outcome.
“Now that we have reached a consensus on the three sections, what are the next steps? What do we need to do to move up? Or to become the next solid number?”
While members discuss the next steps a staff member will record the suggested steps needed to move to the next level. Before finalizing suggestions, members will be asked if they agree with the suggestions.
*Staff members will repeat the entire process for Student Achievement, Quality Planning, Professional Development, Leadership, Partnership Development, Continuous Improvement and Evaluation

-FAQ: How often do you assess on the Continuums? “Great work team, now that we have come to a consensus on where we are as a school you might ask what’s next or how often should we assess on the Continuums. It is recommended that a school assess no less than twice a year, at the beginning of the school year and at the end. For the first time, early fall is good. For ongoing years, assessing in mid-fall and mid-spring, when there is still time to implement “next step.” In the beginning, schools with low initial ratings may want to assess three times that first year to show and know progress is being made.”
FAQ: What do we do with these ratings? “Now that we have our ratings, I know you are asking, now what do we do? It is a good place to store the results and a summary of the discussion in The Continuous Improvement and Evaluation chapter. The discussion around the ratings is a beginning for the text that can go in each section of the school portfolio.”

Meeting Adjourned