Continuous Improvement: Constantly seeking and planning new ways to improve the system. Good data empowers the board and staff to refine, strengthen, modify, correct, and/or eliminate existing programs and practices to get better results.
Additional Resources
Park Hill School District Comprehensive School Improvment Plan
Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, 2008-2013, for the Park Hill School District, Kansas City, MO
Eu Claire (WI) Continuous Improvement Model to Create High Achieving Schools
The Eau Claire Area School District K-12 Continuous Improvement Model for High Achieving Schools is designed to provide school staff with a framework for developing and evlauating school improvement goals. The model is based on effective schools research.
School Board of Lee County (FL) policy on Quality Focus for Continuous Improvement
This policy outlines the School Board of Lee County's philosophy and goals of its continuous improvement approach.
School District of Lee County Continuous Improvement Plan
The School District of Lee County (Florida) has a Department of Accountability, Research, and Continuous Improvement. Schools in the district complete an annual school improvement plan that is aligned with state requirements and the district's strategic plan.
Continuous Improvement in the Cedar Rapids Community School District
The website for Continuous Improvement in the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Community School District includes a case study about the district published by the American Society for Quality.
Continuous Improvement in the Mountain View Whisman School District
An outline of the application of Continuous Improvement in the Mountain View Whisman School District (California). Includes additional resouces on CI.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MD) draft policy on Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement
This draft revision of the Montgomery County School Board's policy on Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement has been placed on the district's website for community comment.
Margaret J. Wheatley's website
Margaret J. Wheatley, an insightful thinker and student of modern organizational theory, applies new lenses to the patterns and problems of organizations and communities. She once observed that, in this day and age, any organization that finds itself in a stable state is near death.
The Learning Organization Website
A website devoted to Peter Senge's concept of the learning organization. Senge defined learning organizations as "organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to learn together."
Shaping School District Culture
In this article from the March 2006 issue of American School Board Journal, two former superintendents tell how they laid the foundations for continuous improvement in their districts.
Good to Great and the Social Sectors
In this monograph, management researcher and best-selling author Jim Collins applies the leadership concepts in his book Good to Great to the nonprofit arena.
The W. Edwards Deming Institute
Renowned management expert W. Edwards Deming espoused continuous improvement and systems thinking in organizations. His approach has been shown to improve quality, customer focus, and employee effectiveness.