The Continuous Improvement Coach role is for a pragmatic system-thinker who has been on the front-lines helping secondary schools leverage improvement science methods. You have a deep and clear understanding of the realities, obstacles and timelines associated with helping schools improve. Because of the work you have done in the field – supporting network improvement communities, training school leaders, training intermediary coaches, engaging in PDSA cycles, building databases and leveraging data – you enter into this role with credibility.
You are recognized for your expertise and you understand how to leverage knowledge management in the service of continuous improvement and organizational learning. You are expert at engineering adult learning experiences as well as knowledge management best practices (database design, taxonomy development, data management). You recognize how Continuous Improvement Coaching accelerates organizational learning by leveraging K-12’s extensive content while also building up the skills of staff to engage in improvement science. By routinizing learning protocols that engage staff in improvement science practices, the continuous improvement coaches (CIC) support internal learning and synthesis across teams. In addition, the CICs support teams in testing and reviewing their theories of change, encouraging participants to reframe their thinking and consider new possibilities for action. The CIC is an active member of the data-driven culture on the K-12 team and is able to synthesize quantitative and qualitative data in support of improvement across K-12 teams, partners and grantees which will culminate in a “playbook” that is connected to the K-12 strategy.
Demonstrated commitment to outcome-based accountability, data-driven decision-making, differentiated instruction, and continuous adult learning as drivers of improved K-12 outcomes.
- Help design and develop a “playbook” that helps to track, modify, codify and scale a set of “plays” that might be discovered beyond the networks where we invest. A playbook by definition has “various strategies for a team that, when employed, would hopefully result in a win.” Playbooks are living documents that adapt to each “game” or school context and allow for variation and evolution (every game is slightly different) but have static structures and design.
- Help build the playbook infrastructure which includes a database, taxonomy, and interface for a driver diagram item bank along with the coding of research at the problem level, primary driver level, secondary driver level and change package level that intersects with those drivers.
- Build out extensive case studies from intermediaries and schools across the nation that are delivering exceptional models of continuous improvement and codify those case studies for ingestion into a knowledge management system.
- Support the documentation of continuous improvement efforts taking place on-the-ground in place-based delivery.
- Assessing key K-12 workflows, pipelines and processes and ensuring KM supports are appropriately aligned.
- Help lead the K-12 knowledge management team’s internal continuous improvement efforts. Design and implement KM learning audits to support the implementation of and modifications to the KM strategy.
- Support K-12 staff in the build out of onboarding learning objectives and sprints for new K-12 staff, K-12 staff transitioning into new positions, and K-12 staff taking over grant portfolios.
- Working closely with the K-12 Leadership team, help design and implement the K-12 wide learning events such as Learning Weeks, Skill Building Curriculum and learning seminars, as well as documenting work central to the organization.
Core Knowledge & Skills:
- Continuous Improvement: Ability to support all facets of continuous improvement; Ability to translate principles of continuous improvement for intermediary and school-based staff; Development of continuous improvement maturity models.
- Database and Taxonomy Development for Curation: Ability to develop a database, taxonomy and leverage those data to support our strategic understanding of continuous improvement.
- Facilitation: Ability to support sense making, and organizational learning via team meetings, learning weeks, and grant performance review sessions
- Research: Ability to get up-to-speed on and make sense of a broad range of topics very quickly and to create useful outputs from a wide range of sources of information including quantitative and qualitative data with a focus on having a “continuous improvement mindset” and asking the right questions
- Writing: Ability to distill and generate consolidated information and data, strong experience writing for non-expert audiences and an ability to quickly grasp the K-12 messaging and positioning
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal abilities; good listening, writing, and verbal skills. Awareness of reputation, positioning, and brand management
- Decision-Making: Analytical and strong problem-solving abilities, takes initiative, drives for results, ability to prioritize work, communicates problems, and proposes solutions, as appropriate
- Execution: Sense of urgency and responsibility, meets deadlines, flexible work style, ability to multi-task and work under pressure, detail oriented, ensures product is in sync with the “demand,” ability to switch between the multiple K-12 perspectives
- Partnership and Relationship Building: Internal and/or external ambassador, interpersonal abilities, adaptable and flexible
- Strategic Ability: Anticipates future opportunities and consequences, demonstrates innovative approach to work, ability to identify and prioritize what’s important in any project
Education, Certification and Experience:
Master’s Degree preferred with at least 5+ years of proficient experience in the following areas:
- Working inside a school district as a teacher/admin.
- Experience with core tenants of knowledge management and adult learning (engineering experiences for large teams).
- Successfully conducted and delivered PDSA Cycles. Continuous improvement at a network of schools required.