LeMahieu 2017 Networked improvement communities

Citation

Paul G. LeMahieu, Alicia Grunow, Laura Baker, Lee E. Nordstrum and Louis M. Gomez. “Networked improvement communities: The discipline of improvement science meets the power of networks.” Quality Assurance in Education 25(1): 5-25. Emerald Publishing, Feb. 6, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2016-0084. Read 2026-10-28.

Bottom line

• The paper describes networked improvement communities (NICs), a quality improvement model from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The abstract lists six principles.
• The full article is behind a paywall. Use only what the abstract states.
• It applies to workforce programs and to network governance.

Background

Footnote 2 supports the proposal’s definition of a NIC: “NICs are characterized as a group focused on a well-specified, common aim, guided by a deep understanding of a targeted problem, and coordinated as networks to accelerate the development, testing and refinement of the interventions”.

The abstract agrees with the definition in part. It has “make the work problem-specific” and “accelerate learning through networked communities”. It does not have the words “well-specified, common aim” or “rapid diffusion out into the field”.

Key claims

All from the abstract on the Emerald article page.

• Definition (Purpose): NICs are “an approach to quality assurance in education”. The paper calls quality improvement “the science and practice of continuously improving programs, practices, processes, products and services within organized social systems”.
• Origin (Purpose): “Developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the approach is aimed at continuously improving the quality of practices, processes and outcomes in targeted problem areas in education systems.”
• Series (Purpose): “This paper is the first of seven elaborating upon different approaches to quality improvement in education.”
• Method (Design/methodology/approach): the paper presents “the historical development, theoretical foundations, core principles and adaptation of key elements of the NICs model”.
• Case (Design/methodology/approach): “A case study specifically examines the problem of fostering new teacher effectiveness and retention in large public school systems in the USA.”
• Principles (Findings): “The six principles underlying the NICs model are as follows: make the work problem-specific and user-centered, focus on variation in performance, see the system that produces outcomes, improve at scale what you can measure, use disciplined inquiry to drive improvement and accelerate learning through networked communities.”
• Evidence base (Originality/value): “Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available that examine the application of common models of quality improvement in education.”

Evidence and method

A peer-reviewed journal article. The abstract describes a conceptual paper with one case study. It reports no outcome data. The authors work at the Carnegie Foundation, which developed the model, and at partner bodies.

Limits

• Do not cite any claim beyond the abstract.
• The authors developed or work with the model they describe. The abstract gives no independent test of it.
• The case is K-12 teacher retention. It is not about computing or AI workforce programs.
• The Purpose text in the copy has a garbled phrase: “with few of the networks”. The title suggests “the power of networks”. Do not quote that phrase.