Improvement
Model
Plano ISD is constantly
seeking to improve and strengthen its educational program.
To help accomplish that goal PISD, under the leadership of Dr. Doug
Otto and the Board of Trustees, invited a team of outstanding educators
from throughout the nation to study our curriculum and advise on how
we could elevate our district from very good to outstanding.
The Curriculum
Audit
The resulting Curriculum Audit provided
ten recommendations covering a wide range of subjects and provided the district
with a strong foundation for growth and improvement. The audit was a discrepancy
audit: It was not designed to compliment the district on how well it was
doing, but rather to point out the gap between where we were currently and
what we needed to do to reach a very high standard.
The Recommendations
- Design and implement sound and effective long range planning for continual
improvement and organizational focus including needs diagnosis, facilities,
finance, technology, assessment of performance, and curriculum.
- Design and implement a comprehensive curriculum management system.
- Restructure roles and responsibilities of administrative personnel to
ensure sound and effective organizational practices.
- Establish and implement a comprehensive, multi-dimensional district assessment
program to provide for decision-making in student learning, program evaluation
and the improvement of teaching.
- Organize and staff a division for organizational assessment to provide
sound and useful data for decision making.
- Redesign and implement an approach to review and develop curriculum guides
to insure quality and internal consistency and devise the "process-centered" integrated
curriculum to establish connections with content area learner objectives.
- Develop and implement a plan to overcome inequities in student learning
among diverse groups over a five year period, beginning with the next first
grade class.
- Focus organizational activities on strengthening policy requirements
to direct curriculum management and ensure quality control.
- Design and implement a sound and focused staff development plan to maximize
human resources and effective curriculum delivery.
- Adopt a four-year plan for implementation of a program-based budget and
allocation system to improve cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
The Response & Improvement Model
The
district's administration created seven audit response teams comprising teachers
and school and district administrators. These teams have accepted the challenge
of responding to the audit recommendation in the following areas:
- long-range planning and mission
- curriculum
- staff development
- ensuring equity
- assessment
- organization
- curriculum based budgeting
Undergirding all areas has been policy review and implementation as needed.
System Improvement Model
The System Improvement Model used by the audit response
teams includes seven steps. Based on a model published in "Total Quality Transformation" QIP,
Inc/PQ Systems, Inc., the district has addressed the audit recommendations
in the following manner.
Step One: Define the Project
Purpose: To agree on aim, size
and scope of the solution to the recommendation.
Results: Form audit response teams. Identify how recommendations relate to
audit standards.
Describe the project.
Develop objectives.
Step Two: Assess Current Situation
Purpose: To study our current programs
and confirm findings.
Results: Collect and analyze data.
Verify findings from the audit.
Step Three: Develop Improvement Plan
Results: Analyze recommendations.
Identify other recommendations.
Identify "best practices" from other school districts.
Analyze critical areas.
Develop appropriate strategies.
Report to School Board.
Step Four: Implement Improvement Plan
Purpose: To field
test or pilot strategies recommended in the plan.
Results: Conduct surveys as needed.
Gather data.
Step Five: Study Implementation Results
Purpose: To determine
success of the improvement plan.
Results: To compare data to benchmarks established in Step Three and the audit
standards.
To determine whether to standardize, modify or abandon (return to Step Three)
the plan.
Report to the School Board.
Step Six: Standardize Improvement
Purpose: To implement
improvement fully.
Results: Communicate improvement.
Develop user acceptance.
Provide staff development initiatives.
Establish responsibility for continuous monitoring.
Adopt policy as needed.
Step Seven: Plan Continuous Improvement
Purpose: To develop
a plan for continuous review and improvement.
Results: To establish a review cycle and chart.
To re-implement the System Improvement Model.
To celebrate and communicate success.
Report to the School Board.
For copies of Audit Response Team reports, or for more
information, contact:
Plano Independent School District
Office of the Superintendent of Schools
2700 W. 15th Street
Plano, TX 75075
(469) 752-8100
askpisd@pisd.edu
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