One of the tools that participants in the ECSO offered by Early Education Leaders learn is Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA). PDSA is a structured, iterative problem-solving method used to test and implement changes for continuous improvement. When built into the workday routines of early educators, it can be a powerful tool for change and quality improvement.
In this training exercise, an image of what the Potato Head is supposed to look like is put up on a screen. The Builder is the only person who can physically put the potato head together. They are blindfolded and must rely on their team members to guide them.
The Talkers give direction to the Builder. They aren’t allowed to see the image of what the Potato Head must look like. They get information from the Seers, who can look around and see everything, including the Potato Head pieces and the final image. The Seers are not allowed to speak! They communicate to the Talkers with gestures. A Data Collector tracks the amount of time it takes to build the Potato Head and rates the experiences of participants on a 1 to 5 scale.
When the Potato Head is built, the team debriefs and figures out how they can build a new Potato Head in less time. The activity helps participants understand how Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles of change work within teams and teaches how to quickly adapt to improve results, measure change, and share lessons learned.
The ECSO offered by Early Education Leaders is a multi-year program for center-based program leaders that is organized around the Essential Leadership Model, an evidence-based approach for continuous quality improvement. It is one of three ECSOs offered to early education programs in Massachusetts through a partnership between the Commonwealth’s Department of Early Education and Care and New Profit, a venture philanthropy firm that backs social entrepreneurs who are advancing equity and opportunity. The others are administered by the Children’s Literacy Initiative and the Flamingo Early Learning at the Lastinger Center.
ECSO participants build their capacity to cultivate high-quality teaching and learning; create new routines to support educators’ learning and practice and create a culture of continuous quality improvement; learn to use data to inform program improvement; deepen engagement with families to support cohesive home, school, and community connections; increase CLASS scores and child attendance; and focus on curriculum and practices that positively impact child outcomes.
