Menu

NETWORKS AT WORK

Practical measures tell us if change is making a difference

By Nick Morgan and Michelle Bowman
Categories: Change management, Data, Evaluation & impact, Standards for Professional Learning
April 2024
Change is hard. Whether baking bread or implementing a new high-quality curriculum, our first attempts at trying something new often don’t turn out the way we envisioned. This is why continuous improvement initiatives have become popular — they help us learn to get better at getting better. Learning Forward’s work on continuous improvement has encompassed many subject areas and grade levels over the past decade. Our network initiatives use structured processes built on systems of measurement that track the evolution of change toward a desired end state. The selection and careful use of practical measures as part of a larger system of measures is critical for making improvement processes effective. The right measures help us learn whether changes are actually improvements and provide timely feedback

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Log In
   

References

Brannegan, A. & Takahashi, S. (2023, April). Practical measures make data timely and useful. The Learning Professional, 44(2), 52-55.

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (2024). Practical measures for improvement: A pathway to get started. www.carnegiefoundation.org/pmi-home/

Learning Forward. (2022). Standards for Professional Learning. Author.


Nick morgan 2 250x250
+ posts

Nick Morgan (nick.morgan@learningforward.org) is senior program director for Learning Forward.

Michelle Bowman
Senior Vice President, Networks & Continuous Improvement | + posts

Michelle A. Bowman is senior vice president of networks and continuous improvement at Learning Forward. She engages in and executes cross-organizational strategic thinking, especially through the strategy of networks and communities of practice, that supports state and local education agencies committed to professional development redesign. She also oversees the development of content and learning designs that support organizations' capacity to engage in continuous improvement processes. With 30 years in public education, Michelle served in leadership at the district, campus, and classroom levels before joining Learning Forward. Michelle has an Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change from Baylor University. Her dissertation investigated how school district leaders engaging in a community of practice impacts their professional learning efficacy. She also co-authored Teacher Professional Development in the Digital Age: Design and Implementation of Learning without Limits in Technology in the Classroom: How It Can Improve Teaching and Student Learning in American Schools (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017) with Learning Forward Executive Director (retired) Stephanie Hirsh. Michelle refreshes her soul, mind, and body by singing songs of worship and spending time with family and friends. She enjoys great coffee and long walks.


Categories: Change management, Data, Evaluation & impact, Standards for Professional Learning

Search
The Learning Professional


Published Date

CURRENT ISSUE


Recent Issues

MAXIMIZING RESOURCES
August 2025

This issue offers advice about making the most of professional learning...

MEASURING LEARNING
June 2025

To know if your professional learning is successful, measure educators’...

NAVIGATING NEW ROLES
April 2025

Whether you’re new to your role or supporting others who are new,...

LEARNING DESIGNS
February 2025

How we learn influences what we learn. This issue shares essential...

×

Register your interest

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.