CAST Network Improvement Science Project
In the Spring of 2020, the Urban Education Institute partnered with the CAST School Network and created a team of educators representing three campuses across two school districts, with support from faculty and staff at the Institute and in UTSA's College of Education and Human Development. In the midst of a pandemic and emergency distance learning, this team launched by completing a unique improvement science simulation in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. With eight campus-based teacher-leaders and two members of the network adminstration, the team set out to identify a problem of practice and began learning and implementing improvement science tools in order to bring about an effective change for students.
I. A Problem Identified
Using survey data collected designed and collected by UEI for seven San Antonio School Districts along with the unique CAST School Network, the Improvement Science Team began its process by analyzing data from the report and identifying a gap between current results and desired outcomes.  After this analysis, the team drafted the first version of a problem statement. Some of that work can be found below.

Digging into the Data

Hear from some of the teachers as they began to unpack their observations from the data collected in UEI's COVID-19 Distance Learning reports below:
 
See the reports that the team used for its initial investigation from survey data created by UEI for CAST schools and seven other San Antonio school districts that included responses from 1,125 parents and teachers, along with with 545 teachers:
Problem Statement

After analyzing and discussing the data using improvement science protocols, the team developed this initial problem statement to focus the next steps of its work:

"Distance learning lessons seem to be less engaging to students than pre-pandemic, in-person lessons."

II. Investigating the Problem & System
With a clear problem of practice identified, the team took time to investigate the problem and the systems in which the problem exists, using tools like scanning for expert knowledge, empathy interviews, process maps, and more. Through rigorous and UEI's Improvement Science Toolkit, an early version of a fishbone diagram of the problem and system was developed.

Tools of the Trade

Learn about some of the tools the team used in its investigation from the UEI Improvement Science Toolkit:

Expert Support
When team members in the CAST Network had further questions about the data, UEI's Network Hub connected the team with an expert to get them answers. Dr. Sharon Nichols, a UTSA professor of educational psychology, conducted further interviews and data analysis to bring more clarity and answers to the investigation.
See Report Summary
III. Looking Ahead

As the CAST Improvement Science Team continues its journey of learning to improve, updates to about its work will be periodically made available. Closing out the initial investigation phase, the team looks to finalize the system map and begin to identify high-leverage drivers that can have the greatest, most efficient impact on the current problem statement. As the team continues to investigate, it will begin to establish change ideas, measures, and enact "Plan, Do, Study, Act" cycles in order to develop potential, practical solutions for CAST schools during the trying circumstances of distance learning.

Interested in bringing Improvement Science to your campus? Contact Matthew Singleton at matthew.singleton@utsa.edu.