Studer Education Partner Districts at Carnegie Summit 2024

At the 2024 Carnegie Summit, Studer Education Leaders and K12 partner districts are showcasing groundbreaking initiatives and transformative practices in education. As esteemed participants of the summit on improvement in education, they bring forth a wealth of experience, innovation, and dedication to advancing educational excellence. Through collaborative efforts and visionary leadership, these educators are poised to inspire, engage, and propel education forward, shaping the future of learning for generations to come.

View poster session recordings in the “Poster Sessions” tab below or on our YouTube channel.

We started through wanting to learn more about continuous improvement processes/improvement science work at Carnegie. Pat Greco did a local training. This session resonated with the Redmond community. They were in a mindset of want to operationalize continuous improvement. The connection with Studer surfaced as the need is bigger than simply PDSAs (plan, do, study, act). Transitioning out of the pandemic was the perfect time for a rebirth.
– Linda Seeberg, Assistant Superintendent • Redmond School District, Oregon

Studer Education at Carnegie Summit 2024

The Carnegie Foundation’s annual summit offers a distinct platform for a dynamic and inclusive community dedicated to enhancing education to unite and exchange insights. This summit serves as a pivotal gathering for advocates of educational equity, spotlighting innovators and reformers who are crafting systems to more effectively support teachers, students, and communities.

Partner Sessions at Carnegie

The Carnegie Foundation is a pioneer in education improvement science. Each year, our coaches and partners join thought leaders and difference makers at the Carnegie Summit to share discoveries, success stories, and advancements in practices of excellence.

Pre-conference Session

PC12: Building the Engine to Improve: Leader “Always Actions” to Impact Student and System Results

This pre-conference session focuses on embedding improvement as the primary driver for achieving results in complex school systems. Led by executive leaders and improvement coaches, attendees will learn from a decade of experiences and insights, the session will showcase improvement efforts in three school districts and offer practical guidance on aligning efforts from leadership to classroom, emphasizing the impact on student learning, team culture, and organizational performance through the Nine Principles® Framework.

This course aims to equip participants with the skills to engage elected boards in driving improvement through resource allocation and policy adoption, coach collaborative leadership teams to lead effectively amidst continuous change and develop aligned strategies to drive improvement at all levels of the education system. Participants will learn to report progress using simple, effective cycles and ensure that improvement efforts involve everyone within the school community. Ideal for school and system leaders, K-12 improvers, and coaches.

Presenters:

General Sessions

Leading School and District Improvement Impact: Stories of Impact 

Aims focused on strengthening systems through building a culture of support, as well as developing collective efficacy are helping three districts accelerate and sustain improvement practices and achieve positive results. The panel of presenters will present impact stories from across three unique district sizes and systems. Each grappling with common problems such as inclusive practices, chronic absenteeism, student success, removing barriers/gaps for diverse students and families, mental health, onboarding, engagement and retention. Impact stories shared around common tools, inquiry processes, data that informed and guided improver’s next moves leading to results, and made positive changes for their organizations.

Presenters:

Lead for Impact Align Effort and Leverage the System’s Engine to Improve Results

Leaders wade through piecemeal initiatives exhausting people and wasting resources.  This panel of executive leaders will share how they are growing organizational capacity to improve for real impact.  Focused on clarity first, they will share the behaviors, tools, and processes needed to engage formal and informal leaders from the executive team to the classroom of these K-12 districts and a County Office.  Leaders listen deeply and hardwire practical improvement tools and processes to scaffold communication and make it safe to transparently share data.  Transforming cultures of improvement within complex systems requires a belief in people, a steadfast commitment to focus, and the conviction that change is not only possible, but also necessary.   These executive leaders will share lessons learned and demonstrated results from teams spreading improvement practices to remove barriers, improve access, and impact results for students, families, and staff.

Presenters:

Building Leaders, Making Connections – A System for Student Connections and Success

Building Leaders – Making Connections – Scaling a system of student connections and success at the secondary level. Burton Middle School will provide attendees with a system of student success that connects ALL students to their school and community. BMS will model our improvement tools that can be scaled on any campus to ensure that all students are being connected and walk through the process of ongoing data analysis to support every child. BMS will provide administration, student, and teacher testimonials to this transformational system that is embraced by every staff member on their campus, maintained adoption through leadership changes, and defined who they are as an educational leader in the community. Attendees will walk away with a “how to” process for implementing this on their own campus. This session is highly encouraged for secondary schools. Burton Middle School Students, Administrators, and Teachers will attend this in person session.

Presenters:

  • Casey Rangel, Director of Secondary Education • Burton School District, California
  • Diriki Jordan, Principal • Burton Middle School, California
  • Fernando Gonzalez, Teacher • Burton Middle School, California
  • Ezecue Leon, Full Time Student • Burton School District, California
  • Dafne Phillips, Full Time Student • Burton School District, California

Educational Transformation: Lessons from the National Center’s Breakthrough Collaboratives

The newly established National Center for School-University Partnerships at the University of Mississippi is at the forefront of driving continuous improvement within education. This interactive, 75-minute session will describe the vision, mission, and goals of the National Center; showcase the progress, challenges, and lessons learned from their Breakthrough Collaboratives on chronic absenteeism and special education; and highlight the promise and pitfalls of improvement science as a force for equitable change in education. Participants will leave the session with practical insights and strategies for fostering equitable improvement in their own educational contexts, and the inspiration to actively engage with improvement processes that involve diverse stakeholders.

Presenters:

An Improvement Journey: Closing the Opportunity Gap in Literacy

In 2015, only one in two students became proficient readers by third grade.  Our English learners, students with disabilities and low income students were not experiencing reading success in our system.  This reality led us to engage in a full system reading transformation.  We launched our Every Child a Reader by 3rd Grade (ECR3) initiative to transparently address inequities and increase educational outcomes for all.  To avoid “solution-itis,” we conducted a fishbone diagram to identify root causes and gaps in our instructional program.  We identified our theory of action and our outcomes are showing success and closing the achievement gap.

Presenters:

Improving Educator Work Environments: A Journey of Listening and Learning from Our Staff

In this session, participants hear the story of how a specialized program used improvement science to improve staff engagement and retention. The session will give insights into what it is like to take the principles of improvement science and put them into practice to solve a critical staffing shortage that prevented the full operation of the program. Presenters will share stories, experiences, challenges, and successes in using the process for the first time and how the organization came together around a problem to create improvements.

Presenters:

Poster Sessions

Scaffolding Scorecards for Impactful Results

This session explores the challenge of strategic priorities becoming stagnant after development, proposing the use of a scorecard as a dynamic tool for ongoing learning, testing, and sustaining improvement efforts. Practitioners at various proficiency levels will discuss how this methodology aligns organizational goals, actions, and outcomes, fostering equitable success for students, communities, and staff, while also facilitating the identification and scaling of successful practices.

Poster Host(s):

District and School Leaders Seeing the System: Facing Rapid Change and Relentless Focus

This poster session will feature leaders discussing how they maintain focus on district priorities during disruptions, ensuring that students’ highest needs are met. Through hardwiring improvement efforts and implementing “always actions,” these leaders have become better equipped to manage disruptions and remove barriers, regardless of their phase in the continuous improvement journey. They emphasize the significance of celebrating small wins and implementing simple actions to achieve their goals.


Poster Host(s):

The Fearless Journey Continues: The Story and Lessons of the First Year Scorecard Process

This session will present the outcomes of the inaugural district scorecard process, highlighting meaningful measures, unexpected results, and valuable lessons learned during a year of fast-paced continuous improvement. Attendees will gain insights into the tools used, observe shifts in improvement cycles, and have the opportunity to engage with the team to discuss successes, barriers, and strategies for overcoming challenges.

Poster Host(s):

  • David Shimer, Superintendent • Burton School District, California
  • Julissa Leyva, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Student Services • Burton School District, California
  • Treasure Weisenberger, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services • Burton School District, California

Slow and Steady: Scaling Out Improvement Practices and Measuring Impact

In this presentation, viewers will discover a network of district improvement coaches dedicated to scaling improvement practices throughout schools and classrooms. They will explore stories detailing how these coaches enhanced their confidence and coaching strategies, leveraging virtual collaboration to exchange insights on effective approaches and lessons learned while supporting others in adopting improvement thinking, tools, and strategies.

Poster Host(s):

Every Student-Every Future: Student Voice Driving Improvement and Adults Are Listening

Portage Public Schools demonstrates a commitment to student-centered improvement by actively engaging students in the process. They share their approach of soliciting student input on their experience, translating their ideas into actionable steps, and measuring the impact of improvement efforts. With a vision of “Every Student-Every Future,” the school prioritizes equity and places students at the heart of their improvement initiatives.

Poster Host(s):

Improvement Resources

View the latest tools and resources shared by our team and partners at the 2024 Carnegie Summit.

Hardwiring Excellence in Education — The Nine Principles® Framework

This book is intended for individuals engaged in leadership, regardless of their organizational rank. Each chapter delves into the Nine Principles® Framework, offering tools and strategies to enhance leadership abilities and enhance various aspects of work and organizational functioning. The ultimate aim is to cultivate dynamic workplaces by empowering individuals to excel, thereby expediting achievements. Educators, fueled by passion and purpose, play a crucial role in shaping lives. This book serves as a guide for leaders to optimize their performance and strive for excellence in their endeavors.

Learn More About the Book→

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