Scaling the Impact of a Networked Improvement Community - Five Strategies from the Better Math Teaching Network - Summer 2021

Oct 15, 2026

A developmental evaluation explains how the Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) used networked improvement communities to strengthen high school Algebra I teaching across New England. Partners for Network Improvement (PNI) studied and supported the NIC’s initiation, development, outcomes, and dissemination, informed by improvement science and developmental evaluation methods. The report documents aims, acknowledgements, and a roadmap for scaling network learning through five strategies, including colleague sharing, conference presentations, hub-led spin-offs, and member spread in local contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

The Better Math Teaching Network

Building a Networked Improvement Community

Amplifying the Impact of Networked Improvement Communities

Five Strategies for Scaling BMTN Learning

Informal Sharing with Colleagues

Formal Presentations at Conferences

Dissemination through Website and Newsletter

Hub-Led Spin-Off Communities

Member Spread in Home Contexts

Potential for Each Strategy to Scale Network Learning

BMTN Teachers Shared the Learning

Conclusion

References

Appendix: Data Collection

Scaling the Impact of a Networked Improvement Community: Five Strategies from the Better Math Teaching Network Summer 2021 AUTHORED BY Jennifer Iriti Jennifer Zoltners Sherer Jennifer Lin Russell Rosemary McNelis Christopher Matthis Partners for Network Improvement (PNI) is a research and evaluation group based at the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center. Led by Jennifer Russell, one of the key developers of the Network Improvement Community Development Framework, PNI both leads networks and supports network leaders in their work to design, implement, and adapt improvement networks. Developmental evaluation is one tool PNI uses to help network leaders develop strong improvement networks. Developmental Evaluation Although industries such as healthcare have used improvement science for decades, the use of improvement science and networked improvement communities is relatively new in education. Because this work is complex and innovative, and because improvement science by nature requires rapid tests of change, adaptation to context, and systems thinking, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation invested in an intensive developmental evaluation of the Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) . PNI conducted a developmental evaluation that studied and supported the networked improvement community’s (NIC) initiation, development, outcomes, and dissemination of lessons learned. PNI’s developmental evaluation of BMTN aimed to: • Infuse an evidence-based critical friend/thought partner perspective into the network development process • Track growth and the development of the NIC as a learning organization • Produce useable knowledge for the education field and specifically for other educators, policymakers, funders, and researchers interested in the NIC model as a way to organize for improvement and address high-leverage practical problems • Advance the evaluation field by testing and refining models for evaluating improvement processes and NICs in education contexts Acknowledgements We would like to thank the BMTN hub leaders and the 62 teachers who opened their practice and their learning spaces, and welcomed us in. We are inspired by their love of math, passion for students, and desire to never stop improving. Table of Contents The Better Math Teaching Network ...................................... 4 Building a Networked Improvement Community ........................... 5 Amplifying the Impact of Networked Improvement Communities ........... 6 Five Strategies for Scaling BMTN Learning ................................ 7 Informal Sharing with Colleagues ........................................ 8 Formal Presentations at Conferences ..................................... 9 Dissemination through Website and Newsletter .......................... 10 Hub-Led Spin-Off Communities ......................................... 11 Member Spread in Home Contexts ...................................... 12 Potential for Each Strategy to Scale Network Learning .................... 13 BMTN Teachers Shared the Learning .................................... 14 Conclusion ............................................................ 16 References ............................................................ 17 Appendix: Data Collection .............................................. 17 The Better Math Teaching Network From 2016 to 2021, the Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) aimed to transform high school mathematics teaching in New England. Researchers and teachers worked together to make high school Algebra I classes more student centered. Launched by researchers at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), with support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF), the network was grounded in the following five core principles: 1. Teachers are central to change. Teachers shape students’ learning experiences and beliefs about math. It is possible to

FAQs

What was the purpose of PNI’s developmental evaluation for the BMTN?

PNI’s developmental evaluation aimed to support the NIC’s initiation and development, examine outcomes, and disseminate lessons learned. It also sought to strengthen improvement-focused evaluation models in education contexts.

Which five core principles grounded the Better Math Teaching Network’s approach?

The network emphasized: teachers as central to change; student-centered teaching as complex and needing structured collaboration; continuous improvement of teaching; quick-cycle improvement to study and refine practice; and seamless integration of research and practice.

How does the report describe scaling BMTN learning beyond the core network?

It presents strategies such as informal sharing with colleagues, formal conference presentations, dissemination via website and newsletter, hub-led spin-off communities, and member spread in teachers’ home contexts. These pathways are intended to scale network learning and adoption.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West