John T. Wardlaw

INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

What is Continuous Improvement?

Continuous improvement in education is a cyclical process that helps groups of people in a school system set goals, identify ways to improve, and evaluate change over time. It's a sustained process that doesn't have a predetermined end point. The goal is to make long-term gains in student achievement.

What is the Wardlaw Institute?

The Wardlaw Institute is the training and coaching arm of Spartanburg Academic Movement. The Wardlaw Institute aims to drive sustainable improvements and foster a culture of continuous improvement that supports academic excellence by establishing continuous improvement programs throughout Spartanburg County schools and adjacent entities that accelerate academic excellence.

Our approach in supporting this work includes delivering comprehensive training programs on Continuous Improvement tools and methods for educators and community leaders, collaborating on projects via coaching for targeted support. Our goal is to enhance and support educational practices, infrastructure, and community resources utilizing the Continuous Improvement Workshop tools and methods.

If you have any questions about specific trainings, please email Robin Carter.

This video explains how SAM began using continuous improvement to achieve academic gains in the Four Highest Poverty Schools. This video features Dr. John Stockwell, a founding board member of SAM and the inaugural director, Dr. Russell Booker, also a founding board member who is now the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Marquice Clark, the current principal of Cleveland Academy of Leadership, Mendy Mossbrook, the first director of the Wardlaw Institute, the late Cheryl Broadnax, who trained Spartanburg educators on continuous improvement through her work with StriveTogether and Dr. Thomas Webster, the former principal of Drayton Mills Elementary who returned to the classroom upon his retirement as an administrator this year.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

All workshops and training offered through the Institute are developed to support the outcomes focused work of the Spartanburg Academic Movement through the key learning stages of:

Kindergarten Readiness
Early Grades Reading
Middle Grades Math
College and Career Ready High School Graduation
Postsecondary Enrollment
Postsecondary Persistence and Completion

Participants will have the option to align their work with similar work happening throughout our community through SAM’s Collaborative Action Networks engaged in aligning community action and resources to improved outcomes in these pivotal learning stages.

Continuous Improvement Training

I'm Interested!

The Wardlaw Institute offers single-course training workshops as well as a Summer Continuous Improvement Intensive Week, which is free to all Spartanburg County educators. The week will offer a total of 32 Continuing Credit Hours with CI 101 & 102, Statistics, and Lean for Educators, and trauma-informed resilient schools training.

CI 101: Continuous Improvement for Educators

CI 101 introduces the concept of Continuous Improvement and the PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) problem-solving methodology.

Participants learn to use PDSA in the classroom with the students and outside the classroom to improve processes.

This class is 7 hours and intended for all employees to establish a culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.
6-25 participants
7 credits
None

CI 102: Continuous Improvement for Educators

Participants learn basic CI tools to support problem-solving inside and outside of the classroom.
These tools include fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys, Four Corners diagrams, Pareto charts, flowcharts, and FMEAs.
This class is 7 hours and intended for everyone who will lead PDSA efforts including teachers, administrators, and district staff.
6 to 25 participants
7 credits
CI 101

Lean for Educators

Lean introduces a set of tools and methods to increase efficiency. Some of the tools introduced in this course include 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, and waste elimination.
This class includes an interactive simulation designed to illustrate the power small changes can have on process improvement and satisfying stakeholders.
This course is 7 hours and is intended for anyone who may be leading or engaging in CI practices.
6 to 25 participants
7 credits
CI 101, CI 102

CI for Leadership Training

District and school leaders need to understand how to support CI activities in their areas.
In addition to learning about PDSA and CI tools, they learn the basics of strategic planning, project identification, prioritization, and review.
CI tools include key driver diagrams, SWOT analysis, and decision matrices.
This class is 7 hours and intended for all administrators at the school and district levels.
6 to 25 participants
7
CI 101

Statistics for Educators

Participants will learn to ask pertinent questions and interpret data while they create and analyze basic charts and graphs. Hypothesis testing is employed to determine the reliability of data-driven conclusions. The types of hypotheses testing included are regression analysis, student t-test, and ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).
6 to 25 participants
7
CI 101

CI Refresher

CI Refresher course is intended for individuals who have previously taken a CI 101 course. This course reintroduces the concept of Continuous Improvement and the PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) problem-solving methodology.
Participants are shown real life examples and engage in activities focused on using PDSA cycles. This class is 4 hours and intended for all employees to reengage in culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.
6 to 25 participants
4
CI 101