AchieveMetrics Improvement Protocol

Step 1: Define Your Problem of Practice

Start by identifying the specific, measurable performance gap your students are experiencing.

What is a Problem of Practice?

A clear, specific description of what students are struggling with and why it matters. Based on data, not assumptions.

Example: "Students in Geometry struggle to prove congruence using SSS, SAS, and ASA. Exit ticket data shows only 42% proficiency. This skill is critical for upper-level geometry and is assessed on CAASPP."

How to Identify Your Problem

Look at current assessment data (formative & summative)
Review student work for patterns of struggle
Talk to students: What's hard? Why?
Check standards alignment with your curriculum
Focus on a single, specific skill or concept

Key Questions to Ask

What specific skill or concept are students struggling with?
How many students? What % proficiency?
What's the evidence? (formative data, work samples, observations)
Why does this matter? (standards, next level, real-world applications)

Step 2: Identify the Root Cause

Don't assume. Investigate which of the five root causes is driving your performance gap.

The Five Root Causes

1. Assessment Misalignment

The assessment doesn't match what you taught or how you taught it.

Key Question: Does the assessment format or context match your instruction? (e.g., taught procedurally, assessed with word problems)

2. Lack of Instructional Exposure

Students haven't had enough opportunity to learn this content.

Key Question: Did students receive adequate time and instruction on this skill? Or was it rushed, skipped, or taught superficially?

3. Ineffective Instructional Practice

The teaching method isn't working for your students.

Key Question: Do students understand the "why" and "how" or just the procedure? Is instruction differentiated for different learners?

4. Student Skill Gaps

Students lack foundational skills needed for this content.

Key Question: Do students have the prerequisite skills? Can they do simpler versions of this skill?

5. Systemic Barriers

Factors outside the classroom (time, resources, support) prevent learning.

Key Question: Do we have adequate time, materials, support services, or scheduling to teach this effectively?

How to Choose the Right Root Cause

Ask yourself: "If this root cause is the problem, what evidence would I see?"
Look for corroborating evidence across multiple data sources
Remember: There's usually ONE primary root cause (focus there first)
Don't assume—investigate with student work, conversations, and observation

Step 3: Conduct Root Cause Investigation

Ask diagnostic questions aligned to your suspected root cause to confirm your hypothesis.

If You Suspect Assessment Misalignment

Question 1: How do students perform when the content is presented in the same format as your instruction?

Question 2: Do students struggle more with certain assessment formats (multiple choice vs. open-ended)?

Question 3: Are there gaps between what you teach and what the assessment asks?

If You Suspect Lack of Exposure

Question 1: How many days/lessons have students had on this skill?

Question 2: Did pacing guide or schedule force us to rush?

Question 3: Have students had enough practice opportunities (guided + independent)?

If You Suspect Ineffective Practice

Question 1: Can students explain the "why" behind the procedure, or do they just follow steps?

Question 2: Do different students respond better to different instructional approaches (visual, kinesthetic, etc.)?

Question 3: Is there a mismatch between how I'm teaching and how my students learn?

If You Suspect Skill Gaps

Question 1: Can students perform on prerequisite skills?

Question 2: Do they struggle more on the foundational piece than the new skill?

Question 3: What prior knowledge is missing?

If You Suspect Systemic Barriers

Question 1: Do we have adequate instructional time?

Question 2: Are materials, technology, or support services available?

Question 3: What resources or schedule changes would help?

Step 4: Select Change Ideas

Choose interventions matched to your diagnosed root cause. Evidence-based, targeted, and doable.

For Assessment Misalignment

Matched Change Ideas:

Align practice problems to assessment format
Teach test-taking strategies for that assessment type
Use formative assessments that mirror the summative assessment
Practice with same context/language as the assessment

For Lack of Exposure

Matched Change Ideas:

Add daily spiraling or warm-up practice on the skill
Increase guided practice time (I do, We do, You do)
Add more independent practice opportunities
Build in review/re-teaching in subsequent units

For Ineffective Practice

Matched Change Ideas:

Change instructional strategy (concrete → pictorial → abstract)
Add explanation of reasoning, not just procedures
Use multiple representations (numbers, pictures, words, symbols)
Differentiate instruction by learning style

For Student Skill Gaps

Matched Change Ideas:

Pre-teach or review prerequisite skills before new content
Add intensive small-group instruction for struggling students
Use mastery-based progression (don't move until they've got it)
Scaffold with manipulatives or visual supports

For Systemic Barriers

Matched Change Ideas:

Request schedule change or additional block time
Partner with support staff (ELL, special ed, counselor)
Leverage community resources or tech tools
Collaborate with team to redistribute instructional load

How to Choose Your Change Idea

Pick ONE idea aligned to your root cause
Is it evidence-based? Can you defend it?
Is it doable in your context? (time, resources, skills)
Can you implement it with fidelity?
Will you know if it worked? (measurable outcome)

Step 5: PLAN Your Cycle

Document your improvement plan with clear goals, timeline, and success measures.

1. Write Your Change Idea (Refined)

Be specific. Not "improve instruction" but "implement daily 5-minute fluency warm-ups using number lines for fraction-decimal conversion."

What: The specific action you'll take
How: The method or approach
When: Start date and duration
Who: Which students/classes

2. Set Your Success Measure

Specific + Measurable + Time-bound

Example: "80% of students will score 70%+ on exit tickets assessing fraction-decimal conversion within 2 weeks."

3. Choose Your Timeline

2-4 weeks is typical for a small PDSA cycle
Long enough to see impact, short enough to iterate quickly
Avoid testing during state assessments or major disruptions

4. Plan What You'll Measure

Exit tickets, quizzes, or formative assessments
Student work samples
Classroom observations
Student engagement or participation data

Steps 6-8: DO, STUDY, ACT

Implement, analyze results, and decide what happens next.

DO: Implement and Observe

Execute your change idea with fidelity
Document what actually happens (successes, challenges, adaptations)
Observe student engagement and response
Keep notes for reflection later

STUDY: Analyze and Reflect

Collect your data (assessments, work samples, observations)
Did you meet your success measure? For whom? Why or why not?
What unexpected findings emerged?
What did you learn about your students? Your teaching?

ACT: Make Your Decision

Choose one path:

SCALE: Met success measure → Implement with more students/classes/teachers

REFINE & CYCLE: Partial success → Adjust the intervention and cycle again

INVESTIGATE: Didn't work → Revisit your root cause diagnosis

Plan Your Next Cycle

If scaling: How will you sustain this across more contexts?
If refining: What specifically will you change?
If investigating: What's your new hypothesis about the root cause?
Share your learning with your PLC team