Saturday, December 8, 2007

Plan - Do - Study - Act (PDSA)

Our campus has implemented the Plan - Do- Study - Act method as way to help students set goals and use data to track their progress. We set both long-range goals and weekly goals that we work towards as a class.

First, we make a plan together. Usually our weekly plans relate to a concept we are learning in either math or reading. Our long term goals relate to our TAKS benchmarks and test scores.

Then, we decide what we will do in order to achieve our goals. Together we create a plan for both the teacher and the students. It is fascinating to listen to the kids' ideas... especially about how I can help them as a teacher!

After we have worked toward our goal, we evaluate how our strategies worked. Did we meet our goals? Are we getting closer? Collecting and reviewing data helps us decide how we are doing. In my opinion, the greatest part of the PDSA plan is allowing students to own their progress through data. Displaying measureable results in a graph or chart form makes it easy for students to see how they are doing. I love to see kids excited as we make strides toward reaching our classroom goals.

The last part of the PDSA plan is when we decide if we have met our goal in the given time period. If the answer is "yes", we celebrate! If not, we review our strategies and possibly revise our plan. It is a cycle that keeps students setting goals for their own learning and recognizing the progress they have made.