The Educational Leader's Guide to Improvement Science

"Educators spend a great deal of time having to think about and justify their actions related to continuous improvement initiatives within their programs and district. Often, these introspective investigations occur without the theoretical or foundational supports necessary to help guide these inquiries, leaving the participants grappling at artifacts and data, with no cohesive way to utilize that content for continuous improvement. The Educational Leader’s Guide to Improvement Science: Data, Design and Cases for Reflection edited by Robert Crow, Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford, and Dean T. Spaulding will provide an indispensable resource for practitioners and researchers as they address the effective utilization of data to guide their improvement science initiatives. This readable and useful text provides informational support for novice as well as expert improvement scientists as they learn and apply the terms and concepts related to the field. A generous utilization of figures and graphs provide effective visuals that make the relationships between concepts more approachable and understandable. Cases situated around realistic educational contexts provide opportunities for the reader to interrogate the topics in a meaningful fashion, thus leading to new understandings of the way improvement science can be utilized within their individual programs." (Full review can be found in the August 2020 issue of School Administrator.)

"Across educational sectors, we strive to make our make our curricula rigorous and relevant for students; The Educational Leader’s Guide to Improvement Science challenges educational leaders to be rigorous in our analysis of problems and relevant as we implement context-specific solutions. While introducing improvement science as a methodology, The Guide gives leaders a handbook of tools with examples for authentic utilization. Additionally, the contributors illustrate the applicability of the method in micro and macro settings, making it a useful tool for everyone from aspiring leaders to CEOs. It is evident that improvement science methodology has the great potential for accelerating improvement, and those serious about transforming education should read this book."

Sharon L. Contreras, PhD, Superintendent, Guilford County Schools

"Crow, Hinnant-Crawford and Spaulding's book on the intersection of school leadership and improvement science is an essential resource for those transforming the education doctorate as well as for those preparing to lead schools. The book features a dozen chapters by practitioners of improvement science as well as chapters showcasing the promise of this important pedagogy. Both novices and experienced practitioners will find much to enhance their use of improvement science."

David Imig, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Foundation; Chair, Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate Board; Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland

Foreword

SECTION ONE – The Science of Improvement Science

Chapter 1 – Considering Improvement Science in Educational Leadership by Robert Crow

Chapter 2 – Tools for Today’s Educational Leaders: The Basic Tool Box by Dean T. Spaulding & Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford

Chapter 3 - Practical Measurement in Improvement Science –by Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford 

SECTION TWO – Contextualizing Improvement Science in Higher Education

Chapter 4 - Crossing the Streams: Improvement Science, Educational Development and Systems Theory in Higher Education by Amy B. Chan Hilton & Laura Cruz

Chapter 5 - Navigating the Improvement Journey with an Equity Compass by Manuelito Biag 

Chapter 6 – The UCEA’s Program Design Network: Roles and Opportunities for Professional Learning Using Improvement Science by Kathleen M.W. Cunningham, Michelle D. Young, David Eddy Spicer 

Chapter 7 - Developing Stewards of the Practice: Understanding the Role of Improvement Science in EdD Programs by Jill A. Perry & Debbie Zambo 

Chapter 8 - Preparing School Leaders to Effectively Lead School Improvement Efforts: Improvement Science by Deborah S. Peterson & Susan P. Carlile 

Chapter 9 – Leveraging Improvement Science to Include Culture Shift by Richard J. Corman 

Chapter 10 - Redesign of the Licensure Field-Based Experience Using Improvement Science by Susan P. Carlile & Deborah S. Peterson 

Chapter 11- Unravelling Gateway Course Complexity by Brandon Smith 

Chapter 12 – Learning to Improve While Improving Assessment of Family Medicine Residents on an OB/GYN Rotation by Brook Hubner, Cecil Robinson & Michael Lawson

SECTION THREE - Contextualizing Improvement Science in K-12 Education 

Chapter 13 - Growth and Grading: Overcoming “Grades Don’t Matter” in Middle School by Cassandra Thonstad 

Chapter 14 - Using Improvement Science in Professional Learning Communities: From Theory to Practice by Ryan Carpenter & Deborah S. Peterson 

Chapter 15 - Implementing Professional Learning Communities: Improvement Required by Jacqueline Hawkins, Gary Henry, Kristi Santi & Keith Butcher 

Chapter 16 – Applying the Plan-Do-Study-Act Framework to Building a Social-Emotional Student Support Framework by Ken Facin & Patrick Dailey 

Chapter 17 - Conclusion – Dean T. Spaulding & Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford

Robert Crow

Robert Crow, PhD, is an associate professor of educational research at Western Carolina University. His expertise in assessment and evaluation has led to collaborations with other 4-year institutions, community colleges, PK-12 schools, and institutional accreditation agencies such as SACS-COC. Dr. Crow's research interests include assessment and evaluation of student learning and of learning environments.

Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford

Brandi Hinnant-Crawford, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Educational Research at Western Carolina University. As a mixed-methods methodologist, she believes in the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative research, and seeks to use research in transformative ways (such as with improvement science). Dr. Hinnant-Crawford’s work has been published in diverse venues such as Urban Education, the Journal for Multicultural Education, and Black Theology. She holds a PhD from Emory University in Educational Studies, a master’s degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University, and bachelor’s degrees in English and Communication (media concentration) from North Carolina State University. While she loves research and teaching, her first priority is being the mother of her seven-year-old twins, Elizabeth Freedom and Elijah Justice Crawford.

Dean T. Spaulding

Dean T. Spaulding is the Vice President and Director of Grant Writng and Program Evaluation with Z Score Inc. He is also former chair of the Teaching Evaluation SIG for the American Evaluation Association. Dr. Spaulding has conducted research for New York State Department of Education, New York State Department of Public Health, and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). He has had experience serving as external evaluator on technology-related projects such as state and federal technology catalyst grants PT3: Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology and several Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Grants. He currently serves as external evaluator on a National Science Foundation and a Howard Hughes Foundation grant. Dr. Spaulding is one of the authors of Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice (2010, 2nd edition), Jossey-Bass Wiley, and the author of Program Evaluation in Practice: Core Concepts and Examples for Discussion and Analysis (2014, 2nd edition) Jossey-Bass Wiley. He is also the co-author of Action Research for School Leaders (2012) Pearson, Instructional Coaches and the Instructional Leadership Team (2012) Corwin, and What Does Your School Data Team Sound Like? Strategies to Improve the Conversation Around Data (August, 2018) Corwin.