A clearly defined vision of excellence is critical for any organization, especially when designing and implementing continuous improvement or strategic planning efforts. In our framework, excellence refers not only to the aspirational and high quality outcomes sought by the organization but also the level of team effectiveness and the ways people work together. It encompasses the purpose, the process, and the product. In other words, the how, the why, and the what of the organization.  

In highly effective systems, the vision is robust and relevant, and everyone in the organization knows the mission. Intentional goals provide members of the organization direction on where the system is headed, what they hope to accomplish, and the pathways, strategies, and tools that will get them to their destination. Relevance is created through collaborative structures at all levels of the organization. Two way information systems inform organizational goals and shared decision making.

Finally, a Common Vision of Excellence ensures the integration of time, talent, and resources, which must be intentional and allocated through an equitable approach to impact change and improve systems. This coherent approach clarifies and reinforces the organization's vision, values, and goals, building trust and mutual accountability among all members.

ELEMENTS:

• A common vision of excellence encompassing the organization's values and diverse perspectives.

• Specific goals, tools, and strategies are established.

• Collaboration and shared decision making are defined and practiced in teams at all levels of the organization.

• There is a culture of trust and mutual accountability.

Organizations are comprised of individuals with unique perspectives, experiences, and priorities. As a result, establishing shared goals and a common vision requires the use of data to gather a clear picture of the strengths and opportunities of the system, what is working well, and what needs attention. This is especially true in schools and school districts to ensure each student's needs are met and all students thrive.

The foundational and critical practice of reviewing data is often a challenge, as the word “data” has become a trigger for many educators. Data is often perceived as judgment rather than a driver for excellence. As a result, developing a shared understanding that “data” simply refers to information necessary to design relevant and meaningful goals and monitor progress toward those goals is an essential first step in building a continuous improvement process.  

Establishing spaces of vulnerability to address the apprehension that often comes with reviewing and analyzing data must be intentional and a priority when establishing teams. Collaboratively determining the most relevant data sources to determine the system's needs and balancing qualitative and quantitative measures gives members of the organization a voice in deciding how the system will measure success. Using the agreed upon, comprehensive data sources to establish goals increases the relevance and buy-in of the goals and fosters a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

Once a data system has been developed, ongoing cycles of inquiry should be established to measure impact and inform refinements to action plans and strategies to ensure the system achieves its goals. Formal benchmarks and timelines for reviewing data provide a structure to share their successes and challenges that can inform professional learning and support.

ELEMENTS:

• Data sources and authentic artifacts inform goals and progress monitoring.

• Data is analyzed regularly through established processes and timelines.

• Spaces for vulnerability exist to address the apprehension that often comes with reviewing and analyzing data.

• Data analysis informs professional learning and refinement of action plans.

Innovative and Responsive Strategies are the “work” of the system or organization. They are the actions taken to achieve the common vision and goals informed and driven by data.

In a continuous improvement model, leaders are constantly seeking new and innovative strategies to address the complex needs of the system. When the selection and implementation of new initiatives are not grounded in a common vision or based on a collaborative process of progress monitoring using data, they are often unintegrated and carried out in isolation. The results are system overload and initiative fatigue, or surface level adoption and implementation, resulting in little to no significant impact on the system.  
Developing collaborative teams at all levels of the system focused on establishing goals, developing action plans, and monitoring progress toward goals creates an infrastructure for systems coherence. Connected via intentional two-way information systems, these teams can inform the selection, timing, and implementation plans of strategies, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to those responsible for the work.

Furthermore, creating opportunities to learn from one another promotes innovation and the ability to harness expertise from within the system rather than investing in external resources. Building more intentional time and structures for information sharing and collaboration might be the most impactful strategy to move the system forward in achieving goals.

Regardless of the strategies selected, developing clear plans for implementation, including training and professional learning, is critical to ensuring the system has the capacity to take on the new work. Implementation of new initiatives should be reflected in annual improvement plans and should allow for discretion based on the needs of schools. Ensuring intentional and thoughtful integration into school plans ensures programs and practices can be implemented effectively.

Elements:

• Strategies and initiatives are aligned with the common vision and reflective of data-driven decision making.

• Collaborative teams inform the selection, timing, and implementation plans for strategies and initiatives.

• Internal expertise and innovative sharing are leveraged to design and implement strategies for continuous improvement.

• Professional learning and training include intentional time and discretion for collaboration to deepen the understanding of initiatives.

Integration of a Common Vision of Excellence, Data-Driven Decision Making, and Innovative and Responsive Strategies lays the foundation for intentionally monitoring the impact on the system.  In a highly effective system, this is where “the rubber hits the road.”  It is where the organization can tell the story of how it accomplished what it set out to do, identify what may not have gone as planned, and accurately share the missteps and how they will be addressed.

In many systems, the organization lacks internal structures for impact monitoring and leaves the systems’ assessment to external compliance measures. This reinforces the deflection and accountability of looking at data and ensuring the goals and actions of the organization result in ongoing improvement.

Leveraging information systems and collaborative teams to reflect thoughtfully about what is working and what needs to be refined or eliminated allows for timely and ongoing impact monitoring throughout the organization. These processes must be connected to reviewing goals and data sources and collaboratively determining the most impactful strategies.  

Establishing result-oriented cycles of inquiry with consistent timelines and benchmarks drives the flexibility and responsiveness needed to support district and school continuous improvement. When needed, refinement of action plans or adjustments to the goals themselves ensures that the system accomplishes what it set out to do.

ELEMENTS:

• Collaborative teams throughout the organization reflect thoughtfully on what is working and what needs to be refined or eliminated through ongoing impact monitoring.

• Result-oriented cycles of inquiry with consistent timelines and benchmarks drive the flexibility and responsiveness needed to support district and school continuous improvement.

• When needed, refinement of action plans or adjustments to the goals themselves ensures that the system accomplishes what it set out to do.

Typically, information about goals and strategies is known by the system's leaders and is not widely broadcast or known among all members of the organization. Robust two-way information systems provide regular and timely updates and intentionally seek diverse perspectives to inform decision-making.

Regular, structured communication ensures alignment, clarity, and cohesion of processes to collaborate effectively and achieve outcomes. As a result, the goals and plans for continuous improvement are meaningful, relevant, and practical and reflect the experiences and diverse perspectives within the organization. 

Communication practices are an essential part of robust information systems. However, one of the most common challenges of organizations is the focus on communicating rather than ensuring communication is received and understood. Expanding communication practices to the notion of information systems ensures effective broadcasting of information and structures for ensuring all individuals have access to information. Once the information systems are in place, expectations and shared responsibility for being informed can be established. 

The information system is the organization's lifeline. It connects the six building blocks and ensures that the goals of the organization are understood and owned by all. 

ELEMENTS:

• Robust two-way information systems provide regular and timely updates and intentionally seek diverse perspectives to inform decision-making.

• Goals and plans for continuous improvement are meaningful, relevant, and practical and reflect the experiences and diverse perspectives within the organization.

• Expectations and shared responsibility for being informed are established. 

• The goals of the organization are understood and owned by all.

In a healthy organization, individuals hold themselves accountable and commit to achieving shared goals because they see the relevance and connection between their work and the priorities of the organization.  Therefore, in a systems approach to continuous improvement, all members of the organization must have clarity around their roles and responsibilities and how their work aligns with the common vision. In highly effective systems, this clarity allows team members to integrate their efforts, minimize redundancy, and amplify strategies to achieve goals, eliciting shared commitments.

Establishing shared values and commitments among team members and colleagues lays a foundation for trust and the direction needed for individuals and teams to impact the system collectively. Agreements on meeting structures and practices foster psychological safety and risk-taking, allow team members to articulate what they need from one another, and celebrate individual and collective success.

Clarity of shared goals and expectations fosters the trust and vulnerability needed to communicate openly and honestly about what is working and where efforts are falling short. Without trust, work becomes siloed and competitive, and the true vision of what is trying to be accomplished gets lost. 

ELEMENTS:

• All members of the organization have clarity around their roles and responsibilities and how their work aligns with the common vision.

• Shared values and commitments among team members foster psychological safety and risk-taking.

• Team members articulate what they need from one another and celebrate individual and collective success.

• Individual contributions are focused on shared goals and amplify the success of the team.