Lately, I've been giving a lot of thought to effectiveness, and this has been mirrored in my writing and work as a coach. Reflecting on my time as a principal at my previous school, I recall the successful shift towards digitalization and incorporating innovative practices. Our main goal was to demonstrate tangible improvements rather than just discuss them. We merged quantitative and qualitative measures to validate each innovative idea's reasons, processes, and outcomes in detail. The critical element in this equation was skillfully purposefully employing digital resources while ensuring consistency and continuity in all our old and new practices.
As a principal, I persistently sought methodologies and procedures to gauge the effects of the changes we were enacting. Regrettably, no such solutions were available. As I engage with districts and schools regularly, they frequently inquire about ways to gauge the outcomes and efficacy of their innovative strategies, such as BYOD, 1:1, blended and personalized learning, classroom and school redesign, branding, makerspaces, and professional development. This got me thinking about what might be missing to ensure efficacy.
As the CEO of Aspire Change EDU, I'm dedicated to research-driven, data-enhanced, and evidence-based services and resources to aid districts, schools, and organizations in transforming teaching, learning, and leadership. Among these resources stands the Innovative Practices Assessment (IPA), which was created to fill a void in moving from ideas and innovative practices to results that improve the learning culture.
The IPA establishes the framework for educators and administrators, facilitating an innovative lens to underpin individualized professional growth. It initiates by scrutinizing the tactics instituted within each educational institution, at the school or district level, which bolster student learning through technological integration, encompassing dimensions like rigor, pertinence, interpersonal bonds, involvement, and the broader ethos. Subsequently, the procedure advances to comprehending the extant leadership methodologies that effectively usher in technology and groundbreaking approaches. These methods are harmonized with the 7 Pillars of Digital Leadership & Learning. (Student Learning, Learning Spaces and Environment, Professional Growth, Communication, Public Relations, Branding, and Opportunity).
Through this proven model, schools and districts can identify opportunities to begin their transformation or take their digital and innovation goals to the next level. The IPA combines a self-reflection questionnaire rubric, on-site observations, and extensive data and evidence collection inventories. Rubrics are then leveraged to observe leadership and instructional practices while collecting artifacts to provide evidence of efficacy-based innovative practices. Once collected and analyzed, a detailed summary report outlining areas of success, focus opportunities, and recommended next steps will guide the professional learning journey, supporting the development of a strategic implementation plan.
Here is a summary of the IPA process:
Step 1: The IPA questionnaire is completed by the district or school. This 18-question rubric asks school leaders to reflect on their perceptions of where their school falls, from needing to start to well-developed. School leadership teams are expected to collect and document aligned evidence for each item during this reflective process. This information will then be reviewed at the initial meeting for reflection and goal-setting to grow and improve. The baseline evidence shared is in the context of determining the fidelity of innovative practices that currently exist and are implemented on a routine basis (including examples of data, lesson plans, unit plans, student work, PLC minutes, rigorous digital performance tasks, walk-through forms, assessments, sample observations/evaluations, portfolios, PD plans, social media accounts, pictures, videos, press releases, media coverage, partnerships, etc.).
Step 2: On-site observations and interviews with leaders, staff, and students are conducted to validate perceptions and evidence collected for the questionnaire. Targeted classroom observations of student learning aligned with the mission and vision of the school(s) are also conducted. Additional data is collected for analysis in the final report. The idea is to engage school leaders in dialogue about their culture, student learning, and practices, regardless of their transformation.
Step 3: The data and evidence are tightly aligned to research-based rubrics to provide a detailed view of where a district or school is with its transformation. The data and artifacts are analyzed, leading to a summary report detailing the current state of practice at each school or district.
Step 4: The IPA report is shared and discussed with the school or district leadership team. Observations about the evidence collected are shared and discussed. During the strategic planning process, discussions focus on areas of strength and improvements to develop a tailored and personalized implementation plan.
Step 5: On-going professional learning is implemented and progress monitoring through the robust questionnaire is documented to determine the efficacy of the transformation efforts using innovative approaches.
The IPA process has been created to support districts and schools looking for ways to measure and articulate the impact of technology and innovation on practice. While data is valuable, it moves beyond this as the only metric for success by actually taking a lens to an array of strategies and practices that combine to create a thriving learning culture.
The IPA doesn’t just look at innovation. It also provides insight into all elements of school culture and student learning. In addition to being informed by a broad body of research and driven by evidence, the IPA process is also aligned with the following:
- Future Ready Schools (Click HERE to view a detailed alignment document)
- National Education Technology Plan (NETP)
- Books that showcase evidence and changes to practice aligned with research
- Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms: Preparing Learners for Their Future
- Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times
- Uncommon Learning: Creating Schools That Work for Kids
- BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning
- Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today
Evaluation of our practice is essential to grasp our current position and the impact of alterations. We aspire that the IPA process will aid you in shaping, honing, gauging, and subsequently disseminating remarkable innovative practices that vividly portray the achievement of effectiveness.
Reach out today to have a conversation on how the IPA process can help transform your school, district, organization, or system (AspireChangeEDU@gmail.com)
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