Champion Academy teachers in this mixed methods action research case study
illuminate the conditions which support or hinder the process of making collective
commitments with cycles for iterative improvement. The results of the study demonstrate
how closely connected process is to outcome in the work of school improvement. Since
the work of school revitalization hinges on change at the classroom level, it is paramount
that teachers find the processes utilized favorable in order to increase the likelihood that
they will want to engage and follow through.
Cycles for iterative improvement are embedded in an intricate school ecosystem
spanning multiple domains, from goal setting to instructional leadership, and therefore
fidelity to enacting collective commitments rests on many factors. To understand the
health of the professional learning community where teachers interface with cycles for
iterative improvement, the Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised was
employed. Semi-structured interviews were then utilized to gain a more complete picture
of the community prior to asking interview questions about cycles for iterative
improvement and the process of making collective commitments.
Teachers shared that working toward a shared goal, collegial, supportive
relationships, and incremental capacity building are essential to the success of cycles for
iterative improvement. Teachers unanimously reported that they are more likely to
change practice, using new knowledge and skills in their classrooms, when their voice is
included and valued in the process. According to Champion Academy teachers, choice
and bounded autonomy is fundamental to the process but insufficient. During interviews,
teachers repeatedly encouraged leaders to consider how to make cycles for iterative
improvement more participatory in the future.
The result of this study is an action plan which purposefully integrates teacher
voice at the outset of the improvement process and embeds opportunities for teacher
involvement throughout each stage of cycles for iterative improvement. This research
provides an opportunity to close the knowing-doing gap, where evidence-based practices
are known but underutilized, in classrooms in schools across the country. The research
suggests that cycles for iterative improvement, when coupled with the expertise of local
educators in a learning community, have the potential to serve as a vehicle for
transforming classroom practice.