Voices of Improvers Project Showcase

We at the Carnegie Foundation, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, sought to engage with the improvement community to understand the experiences, values, and aspirations of the growing group of people using continuous improvement and improvement science to pursue ambitious aims.

WE GATHERED STORIES FROM PEOPLE ACROSS THE FIELD OF EDUCATION WHO IDENTIFY AS USING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE IN THEIR WORK. 

In the spring of 2023 more than 300 people offered their reflections about their experiences. Through surveys, focus groups and video interviews, participants shared stories about working to improve academic outcomes and transform their organizations and systems. 

While the problems people are working on vary, common areas of focus for improvement were evident. People also identified supports that would help to strengthen and grow improvement in education going forward. As we cross the 10 year mark of this community, what emerges is a clear identity of what it means to be an improver — the dispositions, knowledge and skills — paired with deep conviction that improvement as a method works. 

We invite you to explore what project participants shared in detail in the executive summary, full report, and videos below.