A 2022 SPE Outstanding Book Honorable Mention
Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools is intended for classroom teachers, school leaders, and district leaders charged with leading improvement efforts in schools. From questions such as "how do I develop a love of reading in my classroom?" to "how can I better manage student behavior during independent learning time?" to "what should we do to make sure kids of all races read at grade level by 3rd grade" to "how could we include families of all backgrounds as partners in learning" or "how do we increase our graduation rate among underserved students," this book shares real-life examples from those who are currently leading equity-focused improvement in our classrooms and schools. If you are curious about how Improvement Science has been used, or how others have succeeded-or failed-at equity-focused improvement efforts in our classrooms and in our schools, or if you're wondering how to spur discussions in school districts, universities, and communities about leading equity-focused improvement, this book is for you. Teachers, students, family members, community members, principals and superintendents will be inspired to embrace Improvement Science as a method to improve equity in their schools.
The book helps people new to Improvement Science to understand the basic steps to implement the process. If you're a beginner, it provides some basic steps and a resource (
https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/our-ideas/six-core-principles-improvement/) to help you understand the process better; for those with some experience, the book will be an excellent refresher and tool with functional suggestions to take your practice further.
1. Form a Team.
2. Examine Data.
3. Ask Why.
4. Read Research.
5. Get Perspective of Those Closest to theProblem.
6. Plan the Change.
After you've done the above, then it's time to test one idea, using short
Plan Do Study Act cycles. These are short improvement cycles. Students are only in our classrooms generally for one year, so the cycles need to be short, perhaps even as short as one week, to ensure that every instructional move we are making truly does improve the experience of the students.
Readers of
Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools will be taking an important step toward achieving the goal of producing socially just classrooms and schools.
WATCH: Meet the Authors (ZOOM recording from #CPED21 Virtual Convening, 10/20/21).
To learn more about Improvement Science and see our full list of books in this area, please clickthrough to the Myers Education Press Improvement Science website.
Perfect for courses such as: Culturally Responsive Learning Environments; Educating For Equity And Social Justice; Cultivating Culturally Responsive Classrooms; Integrating Methods And Curriculum Design; Inquiry, Assessment, And Instructional Design; Foundations Of Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Practice; Math Literacy; Physical Education; Professional Collaboration In Education; Language And Literacy Development Of Diverse Learners; Equal Opportunity: Racism; Diversity And Equity In Schools; Cultural Proficiency In Schools; Language And Power In Education; Teaching For Equity In Literacy; Supportive Classroom Communities; Cultural Diversity In Literature; Engaging Students In Writing; Introduction To School Leadership; Introduction To School Improvement; Teacher Leadership And School Improvement
Industry Reviews
"Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools demonstrates what collaborative problem solving among practitioners in schools and communities can look like when equity and justice are at the forefront and change is guided by the improvement science process. This important volume offers a firsthand look at improvement in action and shows us how the tools of improvement science are needed for improving and ensuring equitable and just educational systems. Kudos to Peterson & Carlile for putting together this resource!"--Jill Alexa Perry, Ph.D., Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate & University of Pittsburgh
"With an engaging and informative format, this volume would be a useful resource for any educator interested in implementing improvement science in schools or seeking to spur discussions about equity-focused improvement in school districts, universities, and communities. The main audience for this volume is people unfamiliar with improvement science, as the authors include the basic steps for implementing the improvement science process. However, for educators with some knowledge of improvement science, the book is an excellent refresher and functional tool to boost their practice. In particular, I recommend Improvement Science to principals, classroom teachers, and educators in teacher and administrator preparation programs serving traditionally underserved students. These case studies are written by teachers and present real-life examples collaborations to improve the educational outcomes of students of color and close achievement gaps in reading, mathematics, and other areas." (Click HERE to read the full review at Education Review, 30.)--Clifford Davis, Jr., Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, University of West Georgia
"As superintendent, I take seriously the goal of listening to and taking action on our students' and families' perceptions of school culture. I also believe deeply in empowering our teachers and staff to analyze and utilize data to lead and measure improvement in our classrooms and schools so each child achieves their dreams. Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools provides numerous examples and ideas for teachers and principals as they collaborate with students, families, and colleagues to implement culturally responsive, anti-racist practices--with real results."--Dr. Susan Enfield, Superintendent, Highline Public Schools, 2020 Women in School Leadership Award by the American Association of School Administrators
"Collaborating with students, teachers, staff, families, and the broader community to ensure that each student and family has access and opportunity is at the heart of what I do as superintendent. Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools is the kind of book that teachers, staff members, principals, community members, and superintendents can use to inspire impactful and lasting change and continuous improvement, building on the expertise of our community to create the high-performing, equity-focused classrooms and schools our children and families deserve. This book shares a multitude of perspectives across a wide-range of topics, all with a singular focus of educational improvement for our students."--Dr. Greg Baker, Superintendent, Bellingham Public Schools, Washington State 2020 Superintendent of the Year
"In Today's educational landscape we must possess the ability to adapt to change, while holding equity at the forefront of every decision. We make these changes while focusing on the needs of all students. Improvement Science: Promoting Equity in Schools provides educators with practical tools they need to make meaningful changes. These changes will positively impact student outcomes by removing barriers, and providing student-focused learning that is culturally relevant and engaging. This book highlights the expertise of teachers, school leaders and practitioners and provides a framework for success. It also includes practices that can be replicated and applied across classrooms, schools and districts."--Dr. Paul E. Coakley, Superintendent, Multnomah Education Service District
