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Improvement Toolkit

Use proven root causes and interventions to build your PDSA plan.

Root Causes

Assessment Alignment
Your assessment doesn't match how you taught the content.
Student Understanding
Student understanding did not align with expectations.
Instructional Practice
You taught it, but students didn't learn it.
Skill Gaps
Students lack foundational skills needed first.
Systemic Barriers
Time, resources, or support prevent learning.

Interventions (Click to Expand)

Example PDSA Cycles (with Real Data)

Error Analysis

PLAN:
Use Error Analysis on multi-step equations 2x/week.
DO:
Mon & Wed warm-ups (5 min). Show common error, ask why.
STUDY:
Exit ticket: Can students explain the error? Baseline: 45% yes.
ACT:
After 3 weeks: 72% explained correctly → Continue.

Formative Assessment Alignment

PLAN:
Redesign exit tickets to match CAASPP multiple choice format.
DO:
Every Friday: 5 multiple choice questions aligned to standard.
STUDY:
Compare exit ticket scores to unit test. Baseline: 60% correlation.
ACT:
After 4 weeks: 89% correlation → Exit tickets now predictive.

Increase Wait Time

PLAN:
Pause 5+ seconds after asking questions during instruction.
DO:
During whole group lessons. Use visible timer. Track daily.
STUDY:
Count participation. Baseline: 5 students answer. Track weekly.
ACT:
After 2 weeks: 12 students answering → Double participation.

Misconception Targeting

PLAN:
Identify & target top 3 fraction misconceptions with mini-lessons.
DO:
Give pre-assessment (10 min). Create 3 targeted lessons. Start Monday.
STUDY:
Post-assess same 3 concepts. Baseline: 38% correct. Retest in 2 weeks.
ACT:
After 2 weeks: 71% correct → Misconceptions addressed. Scale approach.

Build Your PDSA Plan

Be specific. What's the data showing?
Select an intervention to see guidance.
When will you start? How often? How will you track it?
What data will you look at to see if it's working?
Based on your data, will you continue, modify, or try something different?
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