MICIP Going Live!

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MICIP is ready when districts are ready

Schools and districts throughout Michigan are grappling with the immense challenge of supporting learning and learners during a worldwide pandemic. As instruction is being delivered in-person, through learning at a distance, or a hybrid of the two, schools are engaging in rapid cycles of evaluation and implementation with the goal of ensuring safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments during these challenging times.

When districts are ready to begin the process of continuous improvement, the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) will be available to assist districts in their efforts to improve student outcomes. In other words, MICIP is ready when districts are ready.

MICIP has been more than two years in the making and is ready for a limited rollout on October 5. A limited rollout means that the MICIP Platform may be used, at their discretion, by testing partners representing more than 46 districts and 44 intermediate school districts (ISDs). Testing partners represent diverse student populations in varied geographic areas and settings. A statewide rollout is planned for January 4, 2021.

Additional information may be found on the MICIP website.

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Simplify your login process: Get connected to the MiDataHubs now!

Are you wondering; “How will I log into the MICIP Platform? Will I have yet another username and password to remember?”

Great news! Because the answer is no! No new username. No new password. District users will access the MICIP Platform using their local district login credentials (in most cases this means their email account).

How do I make sure that I can access MICIP Platform when my district is ready to do planning later this school year?

Now this is important. Your district technology department needs to do a little technical work to connect your login to the MICIP Platform. This is done using a resource that Michigan’s public school districts—LEAs, PSAs, and ISDs—own and operate as part of the MiDataHub Initiative. The system is called MiLaunchPad and connecting to it usually takes less than an hour of work locally.

To get started, please have your district tech department go to the MiLaunchPad site and follow the directions there to connect your district.

Join the nearly 350 districts that have already connected to MiLaunchPad and limit the number of accounts that you and the rest of your staff have to remember!

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Engaging in Continuous Improvement – Determining Targets Dates

It is important when determining an interim and end target due dates that you consider the stage of implementation that aligns with your goal. There are four stages to implementation: Exploration, installation, initial implementation and full implementation.

• Exploration – Involves an assessment of assets and needs of the focus population, fit of the program or  practice with those needs and assets and feasibility of implementation.
• Installation – Involves building the infrastructure necessary to implement at the program or practice, including  practitioner and organizational capacity.
• Initial Implementation – Includes the initial efforts of staff to use the program or practice, with attention to using data for continuous improvement. Initial implementation could also involve implementation on a limited scale.
• Full Implementation – Occurs as staff use the program or practice successfully, and population-level outcomes are achieved. Full implementation could also mean moving from implementation on a limited scale to full scale.

Continuous Improvement teams will need to consider what stage best represents their starting point toward creating plans to meet a goal. Taking the time to determine the level will produce a more confident end target due date. Interim target due dates can then be used to identify the various stages of implementation leading to full implementation. This is also what, in part, makes the plan continuous. Districts should avoid haphazardly setting dates only to extend them. Using the implementation guide from the National Implementation Research Network will aid districts in determining their implementation level as well as what it would take to move to full implementation.

Next issue: Implementing, monitoring, and adjusting goals

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Your MICIP Questions Answered

Here are some answers to questions the MICIP team has received. For more information about MICIP and MICIP resources, go to our web page.

What if a strategy that we intend to use is not in MiStrategyBank (e.g., Socratic Circles)?

• Districts and ISDs are able to add their own strategies to MiStrategyBank. District added strategies are only visible to the district that added the strategy. ISDs are able to add strategies at the ISD level so that any district within that ISD can see and use the strategy. Statewide strategies will be curated by a MiStrategyBank Advisory Panel, the MDE, and/or State or National Research Partners.

How will my district Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan interface with the MICIP Mindset, Process and Platform this school year?

• MICIP is a planning tool. Extended Learning Plans can easily be built, continuously be monitored, and easily be reported based on the MICIP the process and platform.

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Fall 2020 Michigan Continuous Improvement Conference

There is still time to register for this year’s Continuous Improvement Conference, a one-day virtual event on Tuesday, October 20. Registration is $125 per person and includes a SCECH fee. Following the conference, registrants will receive a code giving them access to all presentations for 90 days.

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear:

• Opening remarks from MDE Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice.
• A keynote presentation by Dr. Seena Skelton, Director of Operations for the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center at Indiana University, on Leading for Equity: How leaders move beyond “school improvement” to school transformation toward a just, inclusive, and quality education for all.
• Remarks from MDE Deputy Superintendent Dr. Venessa Keesler on Achieving Equity Through Continuous Improvement.
• A demonstration of the MICIP process in the new platform.
• Twenty-four breakouts on a variety of topics addressing the conference theme, Equity for Continuous Improvement: Opportunities, Environments and Supports.

Breakout descriptions as well as registration information can be found at this conference information link.

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Download your PDFs from ASSIST by September 30

The window has passed for updating plans for transfer into MICIP. However, districts and schools may still download PDFs of any reports in ASSIST until September 30, including improvement plans (SIP, DIP, and SBDIP) and program evaluation tools (PET). Questions about downloading reports can be addressed to Renie Araoz at araozr@michigan.gov.

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Please Share Continuous Communication

Please feel free to forward Continuous Communication to anyone you feel would like to receive information and updates about MICIP. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please click on this link.

Previous issues of MICIP Continuous Communication are available on the MICIP web page.

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Feedback is Essential for Continuous Communication!

Have a question, an idea, a suggestion, or a compliment? The MICIP team is always eager to hear your feedback! Send us an email at mde-micip@michigan.gov.