Continuous Improvement in Mathematics Departments: Some thoughts from the field

Level
Institution
Classroom
Process Stage
Continuously Improving
Role
Institutional Leadership
Math Department

To fully realize the promise of math pathways, the Dana Center recommends that math departments engage in a deliberate and thoughtful process of continuous improvement throughout the initial structural changes and beyond.

Putting into place new, aligned math pathways is a significant step, but that step must be followed by questioning and confirming that students are being placed in the appropriate pathways—and that each pathway covers relevant content that will be useful to the student’s future progress.

This brief provides guidance for such efforts by presenting examples of effective continuous improvement processes at the departmental level. These examples are intended for use with professional learning experiences designed to foster cultures of continuous improvement in DCMP implementation.