21CSLA (21st Century California School Leadership Academy)

Continuous improvement is central to engaging in equitable school leadership and improving student outcomes. 21CSLA (21st Century California School Leadership Academy) includes continuous improvement as one of its three underlying principles, along with equity leadership and professional learning. As outlined by the California Department of Education, “Continuous improvement in education is a broad term used to describe the ongoing efforts of local educational agencies, county offices of education, and individual schools as they work to analyze, understand, and address local needs over a period of time.” Generally, continuous improvement is an approach to iterative cycles of research, assessment, and data-driven decision-making to promote change. In education, schools and districts can leverage continuous improvement to improve student outcomes and teaching practices by prioritizing practitioners’ local needs. continuous improvement is essential to transforming education systems in support of access, opportunity, and inclusion for students and adults who have been historically marginalized.