Phase 3: Testing Changes: PDSA Cycles by Kevin Shrum

Revising Your Driver Diagram

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:21:08 UTC

As the working representation of your theory of improvement, the driver diagram should always be considered a work in progress. As you engage in improvement work, learn more about your problem’s many manifestations, and experience successes and setbacks, your driver diagram should evolve to reflect your most current thinking. Use the guidance in this tool to prepare for revisions to your driver diagram.

Plan example

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:31:57 UTC

The first step in the PDSA cycle is planning. The team considers its aim and driver diagram, and selects a change idea from the driver diagram team members believe will maximize potential for improvement. An ideal change idea will take a single step to implement, can be implemented over a short duration (i.e., no more than two weeks), and often involves only a small sample size. For additional support selecting a change idea, see the Change Idea Checklist tool.

Change Ideas Checklist

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:34:07 UTC

In order to proceed with a change idea, you need to have a check in all/most boxes of the checklist.

PDSA Form - PLAN

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:37:36 UTC

The “plan” box of the PDSA form is the workspace for the teacher team to develop an action plan. This section of the form is filled out before the change idea is tested, typically during a teacher team meeting. While it is common to identify one or two tasks to be completed before the change idea is tested, if you find that you need additional time to action plan, your test is probably too big.

Do example

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:39:25 UTC

Here the team takes action and carries out the plan, implementing the change idea and

collecting evidence and observations along the way. Typically, the “do” portion of a PDSA cycle will happen in less than a week—frequently it will occur within a single class period—and team members should take extra care documenting inevitable problems and unexpected outcomes that occur. These will ultimately provide the inspiration for your learning, especially in early stages.

PDSA Form - DO

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:40:18 UTC

The “do” section of the PDSA form is completed immediately after the change idea is tested. It is where all relevant notes on what happened are recorded for later discussion. Summaries of the data collected during the test are aligned with the team’s questions and predictions so that they can

quickly assess how it went.

Study example

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:42:17 UTC

After carrying out the test, the team then meets to complete the data analysis by comparing their results to initial pre-dictions. During these debrief meetings, the team’s collective experience will be brought to bear to make sense of the data and what they saw.

PDSA Form - STUDY

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:46:42 UTC

The "study" section of the PDSA form is to document what the team learned from the test.

Act example

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:48:52 UTC

While the A in PDSA stands for “act” in official improvement science terminology—indicating the upswing of the cycle and return to “plan”—it could just as easily stand for “adjust.” This final quarter of the PDSA cycle is a time to leverage the insights gained as well as the remaining questions to make adjustments for the next round. Here the improvement team decides what to do with the change idea and whether the evi-dence suggests they should “adopt, adapt, or abandon” it.

PDSA Form - ACT

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:51:36 UTC

The "act" section of the PDSA form is where the team will discuss and document decisions for the next cycle.

Debriefing a PDSA Test

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:54:42 UTC

This activity is meant to guide reflection conversations following the implementation of a test of a change idea. This conversation represents the Study and Act of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, and this activity exists to support the consolidation of learning and the transition to useful next steps.

Introduction to Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 20:56:45 UTC

This activity is meant to guide a team through the exploration of a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. Through discussion and application, participants will scope a change idea and plan a first test using the PDSA tool.

PDSA: FAQs

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 21:04:02 UTC

The questions represent common issues that come up when learning how to test changes and use the process to drive progress towards your aim.

Data-Collection Flowchart

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-18 21:10:11 UTC

A data collection flowchart is a visual representation of the steps involved in gathering and organizing data, highlighting the flow of information and decision points to ensure data accuracy and completeness.

Phase 3: PDSA

kevin_abeo — 2025-03-19 16:58:19 UTC

The heart of the improvement process lies in testing change. By observing how small changes made in a deliberate step-by-step manner influence behaviors within a classroom or other school contexts, we create conditions for continuous learning to take place and steady but real improvement to grow. Unlike many big initiatives in educa-tion, however, these tests are deliberately engineered to be low stakes—especially in the beginning—prioritizing simplicity in implementation over perfect planning.

Alternative PDSA Form (CCEE Toolkit)

kevin_abeo — 2025-04-02 20:49:36 UTC

Alternative PDSA Form (CCEE Toolkit)

kevin_abeo — 2025-04-02 20:50:23 UTC

Alternative PDSA Form (CCEE Toolkit)

kevin_abeo — 2025-04-02 20:51:01 UTC

Alternative PDSA Form (CCEE Toolkit)

kevin_abeo — 2025-04-02 20:51:28 UTC

Phase 3: Equity-Centered Prompts

kevin_abeo — 2025-10-30 20:35:48 UTC

Use the prompts to keep your improvement work from being equity neutral.

Levels of Data

kevin_abeo — 2025-10-30 20:59:08 UTC

The three levels of data are a system of data.

10 Tips to Collect Street Data

kevin_abeo — 2025-10-30 21:00:25 UTC

The authors of Street Data describe ways to collect street data.