Laying the Groundwork for Meaningful Change

Explore resources that provide a foundational entry point for better understanding the core mindset, proven methods, and practical tools that drive continuous improvement. Whether you're new to improvement work or looking to deepen your understanding, these resources are designed to support your journey toward more impactful and sustainable change.

After Action Review Tool

A guided reflection tool that helps teams look back on their actions, analyze what worked or didn’t, and plan forward with lessons learned to improve future outcomes.

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Blank PDSA Form

PDSA cycle template

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Four Rules for Interpreting a Run Chart

This resource outlines four rules teams can use to interpret run charts and recognize patterns that signal nonrandom variation versus random variation in their data over time.

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Horizontal Equity Centered Improvement Prompts Handout

Prompts to help teams reflect on equity and keep the needs of historically underserved students at the center of their improvement work.

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How to Create a Process Map Handout

A step-by-step guide to creating a process map, using basic symbols to show how a task or system works from start to finish.

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Outlining the Message Tool

A tool to help leaders clearly communicate the purpose, actions, and impact of a decision or initiative by outlining key messages in a structured format.

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Seven Steps for Making a Run Chart

This resource provides a step-by-step guide for creating a run chart—a data visualization that helps teams track data over time to see whether a change leads to improvement.

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Ten Questions Handout

This resource provides ten guiding questions to help teams analyze a process map, uncovering delays, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement in how the work flows from start to finish.

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Introduction to Improvement Science

This video introduces the core concepts and guiding ideas behind improvement science.

Introduction to Process Maps-Improvement Science in a Minute

This video introduces process maps—a visual tool that outlines the steps in a process to help teams understand how systems work, identify breakdowns, and find opportunities for improvement.

Accompanying Tools

How to Create a Process Map Handout: A step-by-step guide to creating a process map, using basic symbols to show how a task or system works from start to finish.

Model for Improvement: Exploring the Details of a Single PDSA Cycle

This video highlights how using a single Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle can help teams learn what works by testing a change idea in real-world practice.

Accompanying Tools

Blank PDSA Form

Model for Improvement: Our Engine for Change Video

This video introduces the Model for Improvement, using three key questions to guide change efforts and showing how the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle helps teams learn and improve systems over time.

Model for Improvement: PDSA Cycle

This video explores the purpose of PDSA cycles, showing how they help teams test ideas, learn from experience, involve the right people, and gather ideas for change in meaningful ways.

Ordered Bar Charts Improvement Science in a Minutes

This video helps viewers understand the difference between variation across categories and over time, and shows how to read and use ordered bar charts and Pareto charts.

Run Charts Improvement Science in a Minutes

This video introduces how observing data over time can help teams understand and manage the performance of a system, and demonstrates one method for analyzing time-ordered data to support continuous improvement.

Accompanying Tools

Seven Steps for Making a Run Chart: This resource provides a step-by-step guide for creating a run chart—a data visualization that helps teams track data over time to see whether a change leads to improvement.
Four Rules for Interpreting a Run Chart: This resource outlines four rules teams can use to interpret run charts and recognize patterns that signal nonrandom variation versus random variation in their data over time.

Seeing Inside the System: Process Maps in Action Improvement Science in a Minute

This video explains what process maps are, why they’re useful, and how they can help teams better understand and improve the way their systems work.

Accompanying Tools

Ten Questions Handout: This resource provides ten guiding questions to help teams analyze a process map, uncovering delays, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement in how the work flows from start to finish.

SIL Mini Module: Consolidation

This video explains the process of consolidation, helping teams identify key strengths and areas of need by focusing on themes that emerge from data rather than assumptions.

SIL Mini Module: Initative Crosswalk

This video introduces the Initiative Crosswalk, a tool that helps teams review current plans and resource use to better understand and align existing practices.

SIL Mini Module: Prioritization

This video shows how teams can work together to identify and prioritize the most important problems to focus their time, effort, and resources on.

Small Moves for Big Impact: Look Back to Learn

This video explores how mindset, follow-through, and reflection shape what’s possible in improvement work, highlighting how cycles like the After Action Review help teams learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

Accompanying Tools

Outlining the Message Tool: A tool to help leaders clearly communicate the purpose, actions, and impact of a decision or initiative by outlining key messages in a structured format.
After Action Review Tool: A guided reflection tool that helps teams look back on their actions, analyze what worked or didn’t, and plan forward with lessons learned to improve future outcomes.

Introduction to Continuous Improvement

Laying the Groundwork for Meaningful Change

After Action Review Tool

Blank PDSA Form

Four Rules for Interpreting a Run Chart

Horizontal Equity Centered Improvement Prompts Handout

How to Create a Process Map Handout

Outlining the Message Tool

Seven Steps for Making a Run Chart

Ten Questions Handout

Introduction to Improvement Science

Introduction to Process Maps-Improvement Science in a Minute

Model for Improvement: Exploring the Details of a Single PDSA Cycle

Model for Improvement: Our Engine for Change Video

Model for Improvement: PDSA Cycle

Ordered Bar Charts Improvement Science in a Minutes

Run Charts Improvement Science in a Minutes

Seeing Inside the System: Process Maps in Action Improvement Science in a Minute

SIL Mini Module: Consolidation

SIL Mini Module: Initative Crosswalk

SIL Mini Module: Prioritization

Small Moves for Big Impact: Look Back to Learn