1. Problem
Solving
Process

2. District Problem Solving Model
GOAL: Ensure that all buildings within the Wichita Public Schools use a single problem solving model to integrate academic and behavior instruction and intervention.
Barriers that require Action Plans
Understanding the model and opportunity to see it work, when to use it, and knowing benefits
Lack of clear expectations for use and accountability for implementation

3. Plan ahead for change. Analyze and predict the results.Do
Do it. Execute the plan, implement changes taking small steps in controlled circumstances.
Check
Monitor and study the results. Track implementation impact and engage in performance improvement
dialogue.
ACT
(Adjust, Continue, Transition)
A decision point. Take action to standardize or improve the process. Develop improvement hypothesis. Secure the improvement.
Plan
Plan ahead for change. Analyze and predict the results.
Overview of the 4 components in the problem solving process.

4. 4 Step Problem Solving
Use the 4 Step Problem Solving Process when making decisions related to a) changing someone else’s behavior; b) students; and/or c) instructional decisions.
What do we want students to learn?
How will we know when they have learned?
What will we do when they don’t learn?
What will we do when they have learned?
It is appropriate for teachers to use the problem solving process for decision making related to teacher teams, students or instructional decisions.
Schools or district departments may use the problem solving process for decision making related to working teams or operational/functioning/results based decision making.

5. 4 Step Problem Solving Plan Do
Plan – Create or revise the plan
Identify the problem and write it as a question.
Craft a desired goal statement including how it will be measured.
Determine the current level of performance, the desired target performance, peer performance, and gap analysis.
Brainstorm interventions & hypotheses .
Determine strongest alignment to desired goal statement.
Identify who will be involved, what action will be taken, the timeline for implementation and follow up.
Determine implementation support.
Do – Carry out the plan
Support implementation with ongoing professional development.
Provide ongoing implementation feedback.
Execute the plan as identified by who will be involved, the action to be taken, and the timeline for implementation and follow up. Do
What are we doing to ensure success?
Check
How do we know we are meeting the desired goal?
ACT - Adjust, Continue, Transition
What do we need to do differently?
Plan
What do we want students to know and be able to do?
Start
Check – Check the status of the plan
Frequently collect data.
Determine the response to the intervention.
Make documented adjustments based on data throughout the implementation timeline as necessary.
Determine why the desired goal statement was or was not met.
Start at PLAN. Process through the steps with the school leadership team or school staff. PLAN includes brainstorming and may require more than one meeting time to allow teams to think about ideas and gather input from others to be able to identify the strongest ideas to meet the goal.
PLAN initiates the Action Plan template.
ACT – Adjust, Continue, Transition
Action based upon learning.
Reconvene team to develop follow up accountability plan.
Brainstorm strategies to reduce or eliminate obstacles.
Develop plans for reducing obstacles.

6. 4 Step Problem Solving Plan Do
Plan – Create or revise the plan
Identify the problem and write it as a question.
Craft a desired goal statement including how it will be measured.
Determine the current level of performance, the desired target performance, peer performance, and gap analysis.
Brainstorm interventions & hypotheses .
Determine strongest alignment to desired goal statement.
Identify who will be involved, what action will be taken, the timeline for implementation and follow up.
Determine implementation support.
Do – Carry out the plan
Support implementation with ongoing professional development.
Provide ongoing implementation feedback.
Execute the plan as identified by who will be involved, the action to be taken, and the timeline for implementation and follow up. Do
What are we doing to ensure success?
Check
How do we know we are meeting the desired goal?
ACT - Adjust, Continue, Transition
What do we need to do differently?
Plan
What do we want students to know and be able to do?
Start
Check – Check the status of the plan
Frequently collect data.
Determine the response to the intervention.
Make documented adjustments based on data throughout the implementation timeline as necessary.
Determine why the desired goal statement was or was not met.
Start at PLAN. Process through the steps with the school leadership team or school staff. PLAN includes brainstorming and may require more than one meeting time to allow teams to think about ideas and gather input from others to be able to identify the strongest ideas to meet the goal.
PLAN initiates the Action Plan template.
ACT – Adjust, Continue, Transition
Action based upon learning.
Reconvene team to develop follow up accountability plan.
Brainstorm strategies to reduce or eliminate obstacles.
Develop plans for reducing obstacles.

7. 4 Step Problem Solving Application Do
What are we doing to ensure success?
Check
How do we know we are meeting the desired goal?
ACT
Adjust, Continue, Transition
What do we need to do differently?
Plan
What do we want students to know and be able to do?
The following slides provide an example of the problem solving process as applied to attendance problems. Walk through the application example and ask teams to consider real situations they are encountering related to decision making for a) changing someone else’s behavior; b) students; and/or c) instructional decisions. Have teams use the template as they work through the process.

8. What do we want students to know and be able to do?
4 Step Problem Solving
Problem: What can we do to improve student attendance?
Desired Goal & Measurement: Reduce student chronic absenteeism to below 10% by spring break.
Current performance: 20% chronically absent.
Desired target: 10% or less chronically absent.
Peers: 10% chronically absent.
Gap: 10-15%
Possible Interventions & hypotheses: Assembly for student and parents (educate community), communication to community venues (educate community), school-wide goal w/ student follow up (importance of work ethic and change behavior).
Strongest alignment: School-wide goal made public and tracked weekly with weekly follow up on chronically absent students.
Who: All staff and student groups.
What action: Set expectation, information to staff, students, and parents/guardians. Weekly announcement and data throughout school. Student rewards. (use Action Plan template)
Timeline: Less than 10% chronically absent by March 2012.
Follow up: Week after spring break 2012
Needed support: Communication with parents/guardians, and community.
Identify the problem and write it as a question.
Craft a desired goal statement including how it will be measured.
Determine the current level of performance, the desired target performance, peer performance, and gap analysis.
Brainstorm interventions & hypotheses.
Determine strongest alignment to desired goal statement.
Identify who will be involved, what action will be taken, the timeline for implementation and follow up.
Determine implementation support.
Plan
What do we want students to know and be able to do?
See example to the right for PLAN.

9. What are we doing to ensure success?
4 Step Problem Solving
Problem: What can we do to improve student attendance?
Desired Goal & Measurement: Reduce student chronic absenteeism to below 10% by spring break.
Current performance: 20% chronically absent.
Desired target: 10% or less chronically absent.
Peers: 10% chronically absent.
Gap: 10-15%
Goal/Action alignment: School-wide goal made public and tracked weekly with weekly follow up on chronically absent students.
Who: All staff and student groups.
What action: Set expectation, information to staff, students, and parents/guardians. Weekly announcement and data throughout school. Student rewards.
Timeline: Less than 10% chronically absent by March 2012.
Follow up: Week after spring break 2012
Needed support: Communication with parents/guardians, and community. Do
What are we doing to ensure success?
Support implementation with ongoing professional development.
Provided ongoing implementation feedback.
Execute the plan as identified by who will be involved, the action to be taken, and the timeline for implementation and follow up.
DO – Similar to what was in PLAN, however the brainstorming of ideas has been narrowed to what the group identified as the strongest ideas to meet the goal.
It is imperative that the principal monitor the ongoing implementation of the school’s actions plan throughout the process.

10. How do we know we are meeting the desired goal?
4 Step Problem Solving
Problem: What can we do to improve student attendance?
Desired Goal & Measurement: Reduce student chronic absenteeism to below 10% by spring break.
Current performance: 20% chronically absent.
Desired target: 10% or less chronically absent.
Peers: 10% chronically absent.
Gap: 10-15%
Goal/Action alignment: School-wide goal made public and tracked weekly with weekly follow up on chronically absent students.
Who: All staff and student groups.
What action: Set expectation, information to staff, students, and parents/guardians. Weekly announcement and data throughout school. Student rewards.
Timeline: Less than 10% chronically absent by March 2012.
Follow up: Week after spring break 2012
Needed support: Communication with parents/guardians, and community.
Data collection: Feedback from staff, students, parents/guardians; Weekly attendance by school, grade, class.
Frequently collect data.
Determine the response to the intervention.
Make documented adjustments based on data throughout the implementation timeline as necessary.
Determine why the desired goal statement was or was not met.
Check
How do we know we are meeting the desired goal?
CHECK – timelines are set in the Action Plan and specific data sets are named in the PLAN phase. At the checkpoint meetings, include the entire team or the staff named in the plan. The data is shared by those responsible for generating the data. Data collection and sharing is the responsibility of all of the team, not just one or a few.

11. Adjust, Continue, Transition What do we need to do differently?
4 Step Problem Solving
Problem: What can we do to improve student attendance?
Desired Goal & Measurement: Reduce student chronic absenteeism to below 10% by spring break.
Current performance: 20% chronically absent.
Desired target: 10% or less chronically absent.
Peers: 10% chronically absent.
Gap: 10-15%
Goal/Action alignment: School-wide goal made public and tracked weekly with weekly follow up on chronically absent students.
Identify obstacles: Identification based on data throughout initial problem solving cycle.
Brainstorm strategies: Brainstorm strategies for reducing or eliminating obstacles.
Needed support: Adjust based on data analysis.
Data collection: Feedback from staff, students, parents/guardians; Weekly attendance by school, grade, class.
ACT
Adjust, Continue, Transition
What do we need to do differently?
Reconvene team to develop follow up accountability plan.
Brainstorm strategies to reduce or eliminate obstacles.
Develop plans for reducing obstacles .
CHECK and ACT may take place during the same meeting time.

12. Adjust, Continue, Transition
4 Step Problem Solving
Action Plan Template
Question:
Desired goal statement and measurement:
Plan and Do
Check
ACT
Adjust, Continue, Transition
Who
(By name and position)
What Action
(In detail, name specific actions to be taken)
By When
(Actual dates)
Data Collection & Frequency
(In detail, specific data points - success indicators)
Results
(What does the data indicate?)
Follow-up & Next Steps
(Actual dates & decisions throughout problem solving cycle)
Action plans must to be generated by schools for: 1) Reading, 2) Math, 3) Attendance/Graduation
This process and tool will be used to replace Integrated Improvement Plans or School Improvement Plans.
Others may be created for the school’s use.
Priority and Focus Schools will go through this process and use this template.