Mueller and Hanson report on a continuous improvement process taking place in the Papillion-La Vista School District in Papillion, Nebraska, where a proactive stance to improved learning for all students focuses directly on the human element as the change agent. The district has implemented a systemic and systematic continuous improvement process known as IDEAL, derived from the elements of the action research mode: Identify; Describe; Evaluate; Act; and Learn, that challenges teacher's thinking, and embraces the conviction that all students can achieve. The IDEAL process requires teachers to complete three phases before establishing a classroom goal action plan. The power of the IDEAL process is its ability to reinforce, and model, what adult actions have the greatest impact on student learning, thereby taking on the form of evidence-based professional learning. Recognizing that teacher quality is a key element when it comes to improving student outcomes, and that a teacher's effectiveness stays with students for years to come, the district knew it needed to reinforce assessment literacy to support the action research taking place in classrooms and professional learning teams. The district now sees the ability of all certified staff to efficiently drill down to individual teacher and student outcomes to improve both teaching and learning as a 21st-century skill for continuous improvement.