With the U.S. Department of Education’s focus on improved K12 student performance through the Race to the Top state competition for DoE funds, there is increased interest in identifying practices that work. Some of the current focus in the press is on charter schools and teacher competency.
What about the Baldrige framework?
I recently wrote an invited guest blog for the Michigan Engineering Forum on the importance of the Baldrige framework.
http://forum.engin.umich.edu/2010/02/engineering-education-outreach-are-we.html
Baldrige has a proven track record. The school system decides what its own goals are. It is successful because it involves everyone including the students in continuous improvement and working towards the learning goals. The framework encourages the alignment of ALL relevant education processes.
The ASQ Education Division online library has a presentation on a case study of K12 Baldrige from the Grand Blanc Community school system from 5 years ago. (Creating and Sustaining the Capacity for Change by Brenda Barnes and James Van Wormer) http://www.asq.org/edu/performance-excellence-criteria-in-the-classroom.pdf
The slides show improvement in academic performance. One of the slides shows that the school system was able to reduce its K12 dropout rate from 14% to 1% in five years. Dropout is a serious problem, especially among urban school systems and nationally is about 25%. In this age where it is recognized that to get a job will require MORE than a high school education, this is a very serious concern for our school systems. When we talk about needing more college graduates, a high K12 drop-out rate is also an issue for higher education leaders to be concerned about. So a success story showing a significant decline in the dropout rate is worth highlighting and understanding how they did it. The techniques used are typical of the Baldrige framework.
In my research, I have noted that being an “independent learner” is important for success in college. The processes used within the practice of the Baldrige framework encourages students to become independent learners. This is a strength of Baldrige that is often overlooked.
In the guest blog I also highlight a report from the leadership summit for school systems leaders “In Their Own Words: Feedback from the Leadership Summit”. Yearly, ASQ holds a summit of education leaders who are interested in discussing and sharing ideas about leadership; ideas that worked for their school system. Four school system leaders answered questions on “systemic improvement, challenges their districts faced, best practices”. The discussion is at
It is worth reading to understand how school districts can move forward to improve student success.
These two papers are worth taking the time to read. We need to consider all options that can help school systems — and that includes the Baldrige framework.
Best
Cindy