How Does This Work Support Schools?

Navigating the School Improvement Cycle

csip students playing music

The Office of Systems Improvement and Planning supports school teams as they navigate the improvement cycle. Through professional development, phase-by-phase assistance, and print and digital resources, the Systems Improvement and Planning team coordinates and facilitates school-based support. At the end of the year, the school improvement cycle ends and begins with reflection where school teams gather feedback around the implementation of action plans, progress-monitoring processes, and stakeholders’ experiences. Reflections and debrief also include a thorough look at the processes, routines, and practices within the school and any outcomes that can be observed from data sources (e.g., school surveys, Measures of Academic Progress [MAP] data, etc.). Next, a needs assessment is completed, using the school’s data profile for comprehensive analysis and interpretation, to show any gaps between actual performance and the vision of the school. Following the needs assessment, priorities are identified, and a consensus is reached on improvement goals for the next year. School Improvement Plans are developed to include aligned and systemic strategies with cascading activities in the form of an action plan that houses the shared goals and shared responsibilities, resources needed, and support needed for each goal. Implementation of action plans then occurs as indicated and paced through identified strategies and activities within the plans. As implementation occurs, the school’s leadership team conducts progress monitoring at regular intervals to determine the continuation of the current action plan or midcourse corrections to the plan.

School Improvement Cycle