Avalon PDSA

Avalon
Into to Improvement

w/PDSA

December 9, 2020
Secondary Teacher PD Session

Objectives

● Appreciate how Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles
function as a mindset, not just a practice

● Understand the components of the PDSA

● Understand the 3 improvement questions to
leverage PDSAs

Why Improvement Thinking?
Why Now?

GAPAll change begins with...

VISION

CURRENT REALITY

Roll out Innovate

So what do we
typically do?

Superhero Train

AB

Roll out Innovate

Which have you C
leaned on the most?

E

Superhero D
Train

Getting better at
getting better.

A Different Way: Improvement Science

A disciplined approach to learning in organizations that
leverages the contributions of everyone in order to
redesign systems and produce better results.

A Different Way: Improvement Science

A disciplined approach to learning in organizations
that leverages the contributions of everyone in order
to redesign systems and produce better results.

Most effectively practiced in teams of educators
working together through structured projects.

Involves skills, tools, protocols... and mindsets.

What improvement science is not:

A program to implement A step-by-step process

What improvement science is:

Flexible...
Disciplined...
Collaborative...

The Model For Improvement

WWhhaat tssppeecciificcaallylyaarerewweetrtyryininggtoto
aaccccoommplliisshh??

How will we know that a change is
an improvement?

What changes might we introduce
& why?

A

A SP
D
SP

AP D

APS D

SD

The Traditional Way

IMPLEMENT!

Plan, plan plan! If it doesn’t work,
we move onto the
Ideas for
change next plan...

Using Improvement Cycles to Learn

Quality results,
every day,

for everyone

DATA P AP
AD
A S D IMPLEMENT!
SP S
Tests in diverse
D conditions, with many
people

Ideas AP Follow-up tests to
for SD work out the kinks

change Small scale test
to see if it’s
feasible

What’s working and what’s not?
Testing through Iterative Cycles

“We held practice runs, and we got it ACT ACT
wrong. We did more practice runs with ACSTTUDY
employees as test patients, and we got it PLAPNLAPLNAN
wrong again. But each time we improved.
By the end of the four-day planning and STUDY DDDOOO
testing period, we had a comprehensive STUDY
process map and standard work for eight

key positions.”

Tool: The PDSA Cycle

ACT PLAN Making theories
and
• Next steps: Adapt, • What’s the change?
adopt, or abandon assumptions
the change? • What are your explicit
predictions?

• Plan to conduct test

STUDY DO

• Compare results to • Execute the test
predictions
• Collect data &
• What did you learn? observations

Tool: The PDSA Cycle

ACT PLAN

• Next steps: Adapt, • What’s the change?
adopt, or abandon
the change? • What are your
predictions?

• Plan to conduct test

STUDY DO

• Compare results to • Execute the test
predictions
• Collect data &
• What did you learn? observations

So that gaps in
understanding
may be revealed

Tool: The PDSA Cycle

ACT PLAN Making theories
and
• Next steps: Adapt, • What’s the change?
adopt, or abandon assumptions
the change? • What are your explicit
predictions?

• Plan to conduct test

STUDY DO

• Compare results to • Execute the test
predictions
• Collect data &
• What did you learn? observations

So that gaps in
understanding
may be revealed

“Change is disturbing when done to us, but
exhilarating when done by us”

Rosebeth Kantor

Components of an Aim Statement

WWhhaat tssppeecciificcaallylyaarerewweetrtyryininggtoto What will be improved?
aaccccoommplliisshh?? (clear operational definitions)

How will we know that a change is How much? (measurable,
an improvement? specific, numerical goals)

What changes might we introduce By when? (time frame)
& why?
For what/whom? (target
A population/setting or
system/process)
A SP
D
SP

AP D

APS D

SD

Some Examples

A) By August 18, 85% of our incoming Freshmen will

attend at least one of our three virtual orientation
sessions.

B) By September 15, 90% of our 9th graders will

report that they feel comfortable reaching out for
help to at least one adult from our school

C) By September 1, we will have discussed the needs

and assets of at least 15 at-risk or vulnerable
students during our 9th grade team time.

All improvement requires change,
but not all change is an improvement.

WWhhaat tssppeecciificcaallylyaarerewweetrtyryininggtoto Measures
aaccccoommplliisshh??
Data that serves as
How will we know that a change is feedback on your
an improvement? improvement efforts

What changes might we introduce May be quantitative or
& why? qualitative

A At least one related to
your aim, but maybe
A SP others as well
D
SP

AP D

APS D

SD

WWhhaat tssppeecciificcaallylyaarerewweetrtyryininggtoto ● Our starting assumption:
aaccccoommplliisshh?? “Every system is perfectly
designed to get exactly the
How will we know that a change is results that it gets.”
an improvement?
● To change the results, you have to
What changes might we introduce change the system
& why?

A DEFINITION OF “CHANGE”:

A SP An alteration in how work gets done
D in the system
SP
Design or redesign of a process,
AP D structure, or material

APS D

SD

The “what” vs. the “how”

Identifying what may work is not enough….

improvement science helps us learn how to
make something work in practice,
day after day, in our own context.

AP
SD

Emails
& Insta

AP A
SD SP

Emails D
& Insta
Advertise a
Swag Raffle

Learning from Data

A
SP

D

Personalized Calls
& Text Messages

AP A +48%
SD SP

Emails D
& Insta
Advertise a
Swag Raffle

+22%

A
SP

D

Personalized Calls
& Text Messages

AP A Learning:
SD SP
+4P8e%rsonalized calls &
Emails D texts are time
& Insta intensive, but seemed
Advertise a to have the most
Swag Raffle impact on our
students’ attendance.
+22%
Going forward, we
should learn how and
when they are
best-used.

Improvement Project Organizer

Title of Project Attendance @ Freshman Orientation Timeframe of Project Aug 3-Aug 17

Team Member(s) for Project 9th Grade Team

School Name Sample High

What specifically are we We will achieve at least 85% attendance for incoming 9th grade class at one of 3 virtual
trying to accomplish? orientation sessions.

How will we know if a Quantitative or qualitative data to be reviewed for evidence of improvement?
change is an ● Attendance - % of total enrolled students who attend
improvement?
How will it be collected?
● One person will be assigned to monitor participation during each session

When will it be reviewed?
● After each orientation session, we will track the total to date.

What change(s) might we ● Instagram posts
make? ● Personalized text messages from assigned advisory teacher
● Raffle off swag to those who attend
●
●

PDSA Intro Document

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F4L1rWPdnJzP
z9N34GKu1IYje1UIk5I_aVkW5PK0Mx0/edit?usp=shari
ng