Produced by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest, this video highlights the experiences of teachers participating in Oklahoma Excel, a data-driven and job-embedded professional development program administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). In Oklahoma Excel, teams of teachers participate in Plan-Study-Do-Act cycles to identify, test, analyze, and refine educational practices. Oklahoma Excel uses the networked improvement community model, or NICs. By participating in NICs, teachers can iteratively test and refine practices to support their students. NICs allow teachers to get rapid feedback and adjust their classroom practices quickly. REL Southwest partnered with OSDE to support continuous program improvement for Oklahoma Excel by assessing needs and providing critical program supports focused on improving student outcomes.
Keywords: networked improvement communities, NICs. Oklahoma Excel, Oklahoma State Department of Education, OSDE, REL Southwest, job-embedded professional development, classroom practices, data use, teacher effectiveness, teacher professional development, Plan-Do-Study-Act, PDSA, Champions of Excellence, continuous improvement cycles, rapid research cycles, teachers, improvement fellows
This video was prepared under Contract 91990018C0002 by Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest, administered by the American Institutes for Research, through funding from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. The content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
