Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Improvement Science in Education: A Primer serves a simple but vital purpose: it provides a comprehensive explanation about the field of improvement science to both novices and current practitioners.
Improvement science is a methodological framework that is undergirded by foundational principles that guide scholar/practitioners to define problems, understand how the system produces the problems, identify changes to rectify those problems, test the efficacy of those changes, and spread the changes (assuming that the change is indeed an improvement).
This primer is specifically designed to introduce improvement science to educational audiences. Originally employed in such fields as engineering and health care, it has proven to be a very effective process for improving schools. The book first explores the philosophical and methodological foundations of improvement science, juxtaposing it with traditional forms of research so that clear distinctions can be drawn. It then guides the reader through the process of improvement. By providing many examples of strategies to achieve educational equity, the Primer illustrates the practicality of the method as a way to deal with today's most pressing problems in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. It should be adopted in every classroom devoted to the topic.
Synopsis
Improvement Science in Education: A Primer provides a comprehensive overview of improvement science as a framework to guide continuous improvement and reconceptualizes improvement by centering equity and justice as the purpose of improvement. This Primer is designed to introduce improvement science, a methodology with origins in manufacturing, engineering and healthcare, to educational audiences. The book first explores the philosophical and methodological foundations of improvement science, juxtaposing it with traditional forms of research so that clear distinctions can be drawn. Chapters in the latter half of the book introduce the principles of improvement, give guidance and tools for operationalizing the principles in practice, and conclude with questions to ensure you are improving with equity in mind. Constantly reminding readers to think about who is involved and impacted, the Primer makes improvement science accessible to novices and adds critical dimensions for experienced practitioners to consider.
Synopsis
"This is an important book for educators who seek to use scientific means for solving all kinds of problems--particularly problems of educational equity. It addresses problems of practice, from instructional problems to organizational problems, and the nature of problems in general. As described by Hinnant-Crawford, improvement science will serve as a useful framework to undergird our continuous improvement efforts to alleviate inequities in education."
Gloria Ladson-Billings, PhD, President, National Academy of Education Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences; Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin, Madison