ADE Leading Change Sessions

Date: June 7, 2019
Location: Tucson, AZ

In June 2019, REL West partnered with the Arizona Department of Education to present three sessions at the statewide Leading Change Conference. This is an annual event designed for local and district administrators to learn and share strategies to improve teacher and student outcomes.

The three REL West sessions centered on providing information and support for evidence-based decisionmaking to meet the evidence standards laid out by ESSA, the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Navigating the World of Evidence-Based Expectations

Presenters: Lenay Dunn, REL West at WestEd and Sean Ross, Arizona Department of Education

Presentation Slides

Featuring work from the Arizona Literacy Partnership to implement ESSA and the state’s Move on When Reading policy, this session discussed the evidence-base requirements and how to determine what programs will work in individual schools’ contexts and meet the unique needs of students. Participants were invited to examine an efficacy study of a K–3 Core Reading program to learn:

• How to read an efficacy study for an evidence-based program;
• The key elements of an efficacy study to examine to determine the effectiveness of a program; and
• How to determine whether an evidence-based program is right for their school.

Check out the REL West blog to learn more about how ADE is providing support to districts as they select K–3 literacy interventions aligned with ESSA evidence standards.

Logic Models for Implementing Evidence-Based Supports for Principals

Presenters: Reino Makkonen and Lenay Dunn, REL West at WestEd

Presentation Slides

This session was designed to help district leaders:

• Better understand the theory behind principal & other site leader interventions and supports;
• Identify the key components of evidence-based programs; and
• Shape the design or refinement of their own local efforts to build site leaders' capacity.

The session featured video excerpts from a recent REL West presentation by Dr. Rebecca Herman of the RAND Corporation describing a recent literature review on evidence-based leadership interventions. Participants then built and/or refined their own logic models for their local site leader support initiatives.

Improvement Science Basics

Presenters: Sola Takahashi and Lenay Dunn, REL West at WestEd

Presentation Slides

This hands-on workshop provided an overview of improvement science and engaged participants in exploring the basic tenants of improvement science and its key tools. The “Mr. Potato Head” activity introduced how groups can use improvement science principles and tools to develop a theory of improvement, enact Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles, use data to inform change ideas, and build knowledge across a network. Participants:

• Were introduced to the basic elements of Improvement Science;
• Learned about and experienced the connections among a theory of improvement, change ideas, and data;
• Enacted Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles; and
• Reflected on processes and structures for building knowledge through rapid cycle testing.