One aspect of your Continuity of Learning Plan you may want to monitor early is your strategy for communication. We have created an example for how one district, Pleasant Valley Public Schools, has used the IPOF model to document how they will monitor their communication during the coming weeks. Before you jump into the example, think about the importance of monitoring your communication strategy. With all the changes going on in how you operate on a day-to-day basis it would be easy to miss a few things. One thing you don’t want to miss is the opportunity to clearly communicate your plan to teachers, leaders, and the community.
In the Pleasant Valley Public Schools Communication example below, the first table shows the Input, Process, and Output originally planned and the second table includes the Feedback consisting of both the data and the decisions made to adjust their process based on the analysis of the data they collected during the first week.
As you read through this example, what did you notice? You may have noticed:
- The simplicity of this plan. It’s not a 20-page document with every little detail explained.
- The processes are around adult actions defined by roles.
- The output goals are measurable and short term.
- The data was collected and monitored for each defined output.
- Pleasant Valley Public Schools monitored their plan and used the information collected as feedback to identify additional steps that would move them closer to their desired results.
What wonderings did you have? You may have wondered:
- Who tracks this progress and collects the data?
- What will the next iteration’s data show based on this iteration’s feedback?
- How many small system cycles will a district or school have at one time?
Using the Small Systems Cycle (IPOF model) to monitor your plan puts you in the driver seat. You determine the answers to the questions sparked by reviewing this example. Collecting and analyzing the data early and often will help you stay on top of issues that arise and allows you to provide needed support to teachers, students, and families. This brings us back to the question of the day, how will you know if your plan is achieving the results you intend? No matter what tool you use, commit to monitoring your plan. As you navigate the next few weeks you will learn what works and what doesn’t work well for your staff and students. Be prepared to modify and adjust for a better chance of success!
“Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.”
~Indira Gandhi
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