In Change Package #2, Organize the Change, you will learn some key mindsets and practices that influence continuous improvement work. You will also learn the steps in the improvement process, using a theory of change The Children’s Institute has found to be common in Oregon’s early learning settings.

Organizing Your Team on the Problem of Practice

Based on years of experience with Early Works and with Early School Success, Children’s Institute has prepared two different paths for your team to work on.

Example 1

Are you starting a preschool?
Do you want to partner with a preschool?

[Theory of Change diagram for each Path]
Discussion?

Understanding the “Root Causes” of the Problem of Practice

Solutionitis

In public education it has been long-standing practice to identify a problem and jump to a solution, sometimes with little input from the children, families, and communities experiencing the problem. The practice of jumping to solutions is troublesome because it excludes those who are being served, especially those who are being underserved or misserved. This practice often leads to solutions that are misaligned to community needs, resulting in damaged community trust and resources wasted on a solution that does not match need. Worse yet, sometimes a solution is identified and implemented without even exploring if there is a problem. This can happen when grant funds need to be spent quickly or forfeited, an educational leader is lured by a shiny solution that had success in a different context and community, or a parent or community member has an agenda and applies pressure to school leaders or school board members. In continuous improvement circles, this practice is referred to as “solutionitis”. Like any other “-itis”, it is a disease to be avoided.

Many problems are typically solved this way. A few people determine the problem and start to implement a solution right away.
In our process we are proposing that we gather voice and perspective to understand the problem and to…

Root Cause Analysis

Many problems are typically solved this way. A few people determine the problem and start to implement a solution right away.
In our process we are proposing that we gather voice and perspective to understand the problem and to…

Empathy

Empathy Interviews

Now that the team has deeply unpacked the problem they are trying to solve, it is time to consider other perspectives. The team should ask, “What would those who are most impacted by this problem say about the root causes?” The team should consider the perspectives of children, families and community members, especially those who have been underserved and underrepresented. One method to engage others to weigh in on the problem is through a process called empathy interviews. Empathy interviews are a process to listen to and understand the perspectives, feelings and experiences of other people. The goal is not just to better understand the problem, but to connect with individuals experiencing the problem and using their experiences and wisdom when developing a solution. The focus bone helps shape and narrow the questions asked during the empathy interviews. It is critical for the interviewees to enter this process in the spirit of listening, learning and relationship building. Trust must be established and the interviewee must be very clear with the participant about confidentiality and how the interview data will be used. Treating this process as a transaction or misusing the information shared is harmful and tokenizing to the person being interviewed.

Our colleagues at Community Design Partners wrote a fantastic article in Learning Forward about empathy interviews that will help teams understand the purpose and prepare for the process. Read it here:
https://learningforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tool-empathy-interviews.pdf
In advance of empathy interviews and observations, we recommend setting up a central data collection tool such as google forms. A central system will make later analysis of empathy data much easier.

Empathy Observations

If the root cause you are addressing requires gaining empathy for young children, empathy interviews are not likely to yield rich data that will help enrich your understanding of the problem. Gaining empathy for young children is also not a social norm in that young children are not often treated with respect, and their voices are not often included in problem solving.

Young children, however, are quite capable in communicating complex ideas and sharing their thoughts if the structure and format for their participation is done in a way that is developmentally appropriate* (define).

Young children are more likely to show you or demonstrate to you what they are thinking. When asked an empathy interview-style question, their responses are likely to be short and may not include a detailed story which is what empathy interviews are designed to do.

Developing an Aim Statement and Theory of Change

Aligning Needs Statements to the Fishbone Diagram

The final step of this process is to map the needs statements back to the theory of change. Next, the team uses a structured process to determine which need to focus on first. One structure that is helpful to make this determination is to use an Effort/Impact matrix.

Team members use dots on the matrix to determine the impact and effort involved in addressing each need, and start with the highest impact, lowest effort need. Another simple structure is to allot a certain number of stars (high priority) and hearts (important) to each team member and allow them to vote on the needs they would like to address by placing their stars and hearts on a chart.

Test the Change

Another thing for educators to keep in mind is that we are testing if the change is an improvement. In order to know this, we must keep consistent data on both process and outcomes.

By testing first, we learn a tremendous amount about the conditions for success.

• Spreadsheet for outreach
• Spreadsheet for data collection
• Empathy interviews take on average 20 minutes to conduct. Analysis should take 2-3 hours once all data is collected.
• Data saturation can happen after 3-5 interviews. The goal isn’t completion it’s to gain insight for people who have been surviving and people who have been thriving.

• TBD

While systems change* (key term) may sound daunting, this guide is designed in a way to break down the steps of change, make change approachable, make change achievable, and, most importantly, make change impactful for children.

Starting with Equity

We approach change by starting with and maintaining a focus on equity* (key term). We believe that persistent gaps in achievement and life outcomes are attributed to persistent institutional biases* (key term) that are both intentionally and unintentionally upheld. Preschoolers are expelled at rates more than three times higher than school-aged children and nationally Black children are about three times as likely to be suspended from preschool when compared to their White peers. In Oregon, we see disproportionate expulsion rates for children of color and children experiencing disabilities. (need source from Marina) We are believers in the adage that “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” (source unknown)

In order to change systems with equity in mind, we need an accurate understanding of how the system is currently designed. Thus, the first section of this improvement guide is focused on organizing and building a team to take on the task of analyzing the current school system, describing the root causes* of problems in the system, and then designing solutions to address those root causes. For example, we know that root causes of suspension and expulsion in preschool include:

• mental health and emotional well-being of preschool children
• access to assessment and appropriate services for children with special needs
• teacher preparation and professional development
• parenting education, especially in the areas of social and emotional development aligned with classroom strategies for consistent home-school communication
• biased and unequal access to education and care for linguistically and culturally diverse young learners (need source from Marina)

Starting with Equity

We approach change starting with a focus on equity* (key term). We believe that persistent gaps in achievement and life outcomes are attributed to persistent institutional biases* (key term) that are both intentionally and unintentionally upheld. As our colleagues at Community Design Partners remind us, “Systems are designed to get the outcomes they are getting.”

In order to change systems with equity in mind, we need an accurate understanding of how the system is currently designed. Thus, the first section of the Change Package is focused on organizing and building a team to take on the task of analyzing the current school system, describing the root causes* of problems in the system, and then designing solutions to address those root causes.

Building A Team

A practice we bring to changing school systems is that we disrupt “business as usual.” The typical everyday methods and processes we put into place will likely lead to the same kinds of outcomes we are already getting.

To disrupt business as usual, we

• Unpack the social identities of members of the team
• Reflect on the social identities of the children and families we serve
• Examine which social identities might be missing from the team and why
• Purposefully engage underrepresented voices on the team

Set Up For Paseo

Social Identities: We think about social identities as the groups to which we belong. These groups may be shaped by race, ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation, age geography, ability, religion, class. They are also shaped by our communities, families, careers, interests and talents. Social identities are both overlapping and fluid–we belong to many groups and our identities related to these groups are always changing.

Understanding our social identities helps us to figure out our positionality*. It helps us to know who we are in relation to each other. Most importantly, it helps us to know which perspectives we are bringing to our team, and helps us to uncover which perspectives we may be missing.

Set an Inclusive Table

We now know which perspectives we are offering in our team, and when we think about the issues and challenges we will be working on, it is important to have perspectives we are missing.

Since perspectives are missing, we need to add new members to the problem solving team. When that is not possible due to time or resource constraints, we need to find creative ways for people to participate, using technology, transportation, food, and childcare to support inclusion. This is aligned to our principle of equity. We need to remove barriers to participation.

• Expect discomfort. New members will have different ways of thinking about a problem, describing it, different solutions, and even different ways of just participating in a group.
• Be adaptable.
• Uncommon meeting times based on family schedules.
• Speak First, Speak Last: Give the first and last opportunity to speak to the people who are typically least represented.
• Think through how time, technology, transportation, food, and childcare can support an inclusive team.
• Introduce people by name, strength, or purpose for joining the group. Decenter titles and positions that may create power dynamics.

• How did it feel to make a Paseo protocol for yourself? How often do you think about your social identities in that way?