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TITLE Quality Goes to School: Readings on Quality Management in Education. INSTITUTION American Association of School Administrators, Arlington, Va. REPORT NO ISBN-0-87652-204-5 PUB DATE 94 NOTE 263p. AVAILABLE FROMAmerican Association of Administrators, 1801 N. Moore Street, Arlington, VA 22209-9988 (Stock No. 21-00425). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Repolls Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Achievement; Educational Improvement; *Educational Philosophy; *Educational Quality; Elementary Secondary Education; *Excellence in Education; Higher Education; *Organizational Effectiveness; *Organizatidnal Theories; Performance; *Total Quality Management
ABSTRACT In 1991, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) published "An Introduction to Total Qu-lity for Schools" to initiate its new learning network. This second collection of readings on quality management in education offers a series of perspectives through which readers can refine their own definitions and knowledge. It contains lessons from practice within classrooms, buildings, districts, and statewide networks as well as in fields such as vocational and special education. Also included are summaries, historical overviews, lessons from other fields, and assessments of current status. The first section of the book gives the broad picture of hQw in the 1980s the United States began to listen to W. Edwards Deming and others advocating a new nonhierarchical system of management based on teamwork, empowerment of workers, and commitment to continuous improvement. The second section describes how educators interpret quality management principles in education, and the third shows how these principles are being applied in classrooms, schools, school districts, community colleges, and universities. The final section contains articles from AASA's newsletter, "Quali.4 Network News," contributed by educators who describe their own experiences with quality management. Appended are lists of further readings about quality and other AASA resources on quality management in education, bibliographic credits for each article, an author index, and a school district index. (MLF)
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E Y MIME READINGS ON QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION
American Association of School Administrators
'D I Quakty Goes to School Readings on quality management in education
Quality Goes to School is AASA's second collection of readings on quality management in education. The first, Introduction to Total Quality for Schools, was published in 1991. Both collections are sent to AASA's Total Quality Network subscribers as a membership benefit. For ordering information, see page 240. Dorothy Mulligan prepared Quality Goes to School, with assistance from Martha Bozman, Lewis Rhodes, Leslie Eckard, Katie Ross, and Florence Guyer. AASA is gateful to authors and publishers who permitted their articles to be included in tins collection.
NOTE: AASA does not hold the copyright to most of the articles included in this publication. Permission to reproduce those must be obtained from the sources. See credits on pages 241-243.
Copyright © 1994, American Association of School Administrators 1801 North Moore Street, Arlington, Virginia 22209-9988 ISBN: 0-87652-204-5 AASA Stock No.: 21-00425 Additional copies of this publication may be purchased for $24.95 each. Orders of 2- 9 copies of the same publication receive a 10 percent discount, orders of 10 or more a 20 percent discount. Please add $4.50 for postage and handling on orders under $35; $5 for orders from $35 to $50; $5.50 for orders of $50 to $65. For orders above $65, add 8 percent. For information about AASA membership, products, or services, call the Mem- ber/Customer Information Center at 703/875-0748; FAX 703/841-1543. Please tell us how useful you found this AASA collection of readings and how we might improve similar publications in the future.Call Martha Bozman, Director of Quality Initiatives, at 703/875-0754; Lew Rhodes at 703/ 875-0733; or Dorothy Mulligan at 703/875-0721. Thank you..
4 Introduction
Quality Goes to School Readings on quality management in education
But what does it mean?
Hard to define, impossible to legislate for, quality, like truth, is an attitude of mind.
Charles Handy, in The Age of Unreason. Quality...you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. But that's self contradictory. But some thingsare better than others, that is, they have more quality. But whenyou try to say what quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes pool? But if you can't say what quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know it even exists?
Robert M. Persig, in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance In 1991, AASA published An Introduction to Total Quality for Schools to initiate its new learning network. The publication included articles focusingon the concepts of Total Quality Management and W. Edwards Deming. We hoped the readingswould provide a base of learnings from applications in various fields. The fundamental questions we addressed then are still foremost in the minds of most school practitioners when they try to understand why people getso excited about the principles and practices that underlie this approach to organizational management. What does this mean for me? How does it relate to learning and children's achievement? This search for meaning has been fettered by a lack of consistent language and definitions. Old familiar terms with meanings we assumedwe knew -- such as quality, customer, and suppliersuddenly became invested with new meanings. We see quality, total quality, and total quality management interchanged as catch-all concepts, so it is easy to see why W. Edwards Deming was such a stickler for precise definitions, why he addressed quality as a result and not aprocess, and why he totally disavowed the term Total Quality Management. In education today, meaning is important, not Just for students but also for those who shape the daily environments in which they learn. Unfortunately, the shelf life of organizational conceptssuch as restructuring, site-based management, and excellencedecreases the more they become convenient ways to appear knowl- edgeable without experiencing the discomfort of thought. A real danger exists that many terms associated with the core concepts of quality management are on that same track toward relative meaninglessness. This condition can be countered (and is) in two ways. The most powerful is through direct personal experience with these principles and practices in the work setting. Few have that opportunity. however. A second way to develop comprehensive understanding of reality can be to view it from multiple perspectives. AASA publishes this volume to further that possibility. This publication offers a series of perspectives through which readers can refine their own definitions and knowledge. Three years ago, when we put together the first collection of readings, we had to search extensively for articles: most of those we found came from business and industry. This time we had the luxury of choosing from many articles within the education world. Moreover, as educators have begun to integrate theory with actual practice, the nature of their writings have shifted from whys and whats to hows. This book of readings includes experiential depth and horizontal breadth. It contains lessons from practice within classrooms, buildings, districts, and statewide networks as well as in fields such as vocational and special education. Also included are summaries, historical overviews, lessons from other fields, and assessmems of current status. For some, the down side of this publication's multiple perspective approach may be the apparent lack of agreement on the whats and whys of quality manage- ment. For others, this divergence may facilitate their own search for common underlying principles. The first section of this book gives the broad picture of how in the 1980s the United States finally began to listen to W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and others advocating a new non-hierarchical system of management, one based on teamwork, empowerment of workers, and commitment to continuous improvement. The second section describes how educators interpret quality management principles in education, and the third shows how these principles are being applied in classrooms, schools, school districts, community colleges, and universities. The final section taps a resource not available in 1991. Each issue of AASA's newsletter, Quality Network News, contains articles contributed by educators who describe their own experiences with quality management. These "Systems Leaders Speak" and "From the Trenches" columns make up the final section.
Lewis A. Rhodes Associate Executive Director
January 1994 Table of Contents
Quality Goes to School
I. Lessons Learned from Others
1. "The Turning Point of the Quality Revolution" by Gerald A. Michaelson 1 An NBC white paper in 1980 sparked Americans' interest in how Japan became successful by heeding the teachings of an American guru, W. Edwards Deming. 2. "The Cost of Quality" by Jay Mathews and Peter Katel 7 TQM has worked for some business firms and not for others, but in. this age of tough competition, some consultants believe it's a must to "stay in the game." 3. "The New Society of Organizations" by Peter F. Drucker 9 Management expert Peter Drucker says command-and-control is out, teamwork is in. 4. 'TQM: Lessons We Can Learn from Industry" by Steven E. Brigham 19 Higher education should evaluate the mistakes and accomplishments of organiza- tions that have used TQM in the past decade. 5. "Lessons from the Workplace in the Classroom" by Mark Trumbull 25 "TQM, long a buzzword among companies struggling to regain their competitive edge, can also work significant changes in the American educational system..." 6. "Deming's Ideas Changing the World" by David Kerridge 28 Too few of us understand the lessons taught by statistician W. Edwards Deming.
II.Planning Period: Thinking Through Theory and Concepts 7. "Commentary" by Richard A. Rossmiller 31 Wisconsin schools are using the Effective Schools process together with Outcome- Based Education and TQM to guide their school improvement efforts. 8. "What Do We Do To Improve?" by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood 32 Myron Tribus says quality in education is what makes learning a pleasure and a joy 9. "TQM in Education: The Theory and How to Put It to Work," by Myron nibus 37 The theory of management developed by W. Edwards Deming provides an excellent framework within which to examine proposals for improvement in education. 10. "Two Official Visions of the Future," by Myron Tribus 41 The author contrasts the Bush administration's plan for improving education, America 2000, with the Labor Department's SCANS Report. 11. "Putting Quality Management to Work in Schools: Getting Started," by Myron Tribus 47 "Teachers who pioneer in quality management in the classroom and rely on intrinsic motivation will have to deal with criticism from well-meaning colleagues, parents, school boards, and even some unenlightened employers."
12."On the Road to Quality" by Lewis A. Rhodes 54 The principles of quality management attract educators because they "resonate with something that many people already personally believe is right."
13.'Times of Scarcity Demand Cooperation" by Kosaku Yoshida 59 One of the most effective approaches in reducing variation in education is to encourage cooperation.
14."Recapturing the Spirit of Learning through a Systems Appi lach" by Peter Senge and Colleen Lannon-Kim 60 "Systems thinking is a discipline for seeil sg wholes, recogniziAg patterns and inter- relationships, and learning how to structure those interrelationships in more effective, efficient ways."
15.'The Quality Revolution in Education" by Jay Bonstingl 66 More and more educators are discovering that quality principles and practices fit with their own aspirations for the continuous improvement of education.
16."On Restructuring Roles and Relationships: A Conversation with Philip Schlechty" by Ron Brandt 72 The fundamental logic of Deming's Total Quality Management involves understanding, getting control of and improving the processes, where possible.
17."Quality Management in Schools" by Susan Leddick 76 Quality management is neither a fad nor an oxymoron; six basic quality principles and how schools can use them to improve their school systems.
18."Management Manifesto" by Yvonne Siu-Runyan and Sally Joy Heart 82 Deming's 14 principles can help restructure the education workplace.
19.'Total Quality Management" by Tyler Weaver 86 TQM is more than a philosophy. In addition to proposing new theories about the workplace, it advocates change in customer relationships, employee empower- ment, use of statistical data, and an environment that promotes unity and change.
20.'The Cost of Quality" by Jim Carras, Denny Dowd, and Betty McCormick 88 "Dollars spent in prevention are often investments that will produce savings."
21."Quality Is Not a Quick Fix" by Kenneth R. Freeston 91 "Although achieving quality is very hard work, maintaining it is even harder." 22.'Total Quality and Academic Practice: The Idea We've Been Waiting For?" by Peter T. Ewell 96 Beneath the hype, total quality seems to contain new insights about how higher education can and should operate.
23."Job One," by Lynn Olson 103 Schools in Pinellas County, Fla., have found quality management promises a more cooperative, less adversarial approach to bringing about change in schools.
24."Quality Through Preventive Management" by Bill Borgers 111 "Management's responsibility is to organize the workforce to solve problems, and to model, facilitate, and coach workers in how to produce quality."
25.'Working Smarter Together" by Gordon A. Donaldson, Jr. 112 "To work smarter, a leader faces criticism, ...welcomes self-examination, ...sets achievable goals, ...nurtures new efforts, ...and monitors and celebrates."
26."Creating Effective Schools Today and Tomorrow" by Lawrence W. Lezotte 1 17 "What our society will accept as evidence of positive school reform depends on what we believe to be the problem with today's schools."
Ill:Quality Goes to School -- Applying Quality Management
27. "Is TQM for Everybody?" by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood 127 An Ohio teacher has adapted Deming's concepts to use with her second- and third-grade students.
28. "Why Are We Here?" by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood 131 Teacher David Langford brought quality management to his students at Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska, a small state-run residential school. Now the school's students are giving presentations on changing education through quality management.
29. "Mt. Edgecumbe's Venture in Quality" by Larrae Rocheleau 134 Students at Mount Edgecurnbe High School in Alaska pursue a rigorous academic program: they also helped develop the school's mission statement.
30."Glasser Comes to a Rural School" by Melanie Fox Harris and R. Carl Harris 138 William Glasser helps a rural elementary school in Utah build a quality organization.
31."A Quality Approach to Writing Assessment" by Joanne Andrade and Helen Ryley .. 142 Centennial Elementary in Colorado collects data to improve students' writing ability.
32."A Move from Effective to Quality" by Nancy Duden I 44 "As Kate Sullivan Elementary School shifted from an effective school to one oriented to quality, the role of the principal moved from instructional leader to facilitator...." 33."Up Close: Benchmarking Produces Beneficial Results" by Mike Dalton 148 Five Tennessee schools discovered that benchmarking can bring impressive staff development benefits.
34.'Transforming Schools through Total Quality Education" by Mike Schmoker and Richard Wilson 1/1-9 "Deming's methods help us manage schools, districts, and classrooms; they can also help us manage and use knowledge."
35."One District's Quality Improvement Story" by Patricia E. Abernethy and Richard W. Serfass 156 A New Jersey high school used tools of quality to tackle problems of tardiness and attendance.
36."Getting Started with TQM" by Kenneth R. Freeston 160 The Newtown, Conn., model blends elements of Deming's 14 points with William Glasser's approach to quality. 37. 'TQM in Tupelo" by Marilee C. Rist 164 Tupelo, Miss., educators are reinventing schools, striving to be one of the top ten school districts in the U.S.
38."Quality Management for Schools" by Dorothy Mulligan 167 Teachers at McAuliffe Elementary School in Virginia say quality management has given them the skills to do their job better by minimizing "defects" and "rework."
39."If You Can Count It, You Can Improve It" by Robert H. Bender 171 Project teams in Meadville, Pa, use tools of quality to solve problems.
40."Quality Savings: Reducing the Cost of Poor Quality" by Wendy Cullar and Terrelle Buckner 174 Seven Florida school districts have documented quality savings measured in time, dollars, and better customer service.
41."Systems Thinking about Learning: The Paradigm Shift" by Ann Dinsmoor Case and Karla Baehr DeLetis 179 "When we use systems thinking to understand learning as a process of complex cause-and-effect interactions among many variables, we stop blaming one indi- vidual or one factor."
42."Quality Tools Help Identify and Solve Problems" by Peter DeDominici 185 Denver Place Elementary School in Wilmington, Ohio, collected data and used quality tools to help find and solve problems.
43.'The Grading Game" by Philip Geiger 188 Grades really should answer only one question: Did the student learn what he was taught from one point to another?
1 0 44."Changing the School System's Culture, Values, andBehavior" by David Gangel 190 Cross-functional teams in a rural school system in Virginia aretackling problems related to transportation, reporting procedures, scheduling,and security.
45."Eighth-Grade Math Students Learn New Problem-SolvingSkills" by Dorothy Mulligan 192 Virginia students used the tools of quality as theycollected data and searched for solutions to problems in their middle school.
46."Striving to Meet Customer Needs at PoquosonElementary" by Dorothy Mulligan ... 194 An elementary principal asked his School ImprovementCommittee how he could better meet teacher needs.
47."Identifying the Needs of Customers Who Are HomelessStudents" by Paul Rux 195 An action team at Marquette Middle School in Wisconsinfound a painful answer when it asked some of its customers to identify their needs.
48.'TQM: A Community College and School DistrictPartnership" by Roger Place, Tracy Kosrnan, and Katheri.re Vitale 196 A community college in Pennsylvania helpedschool districts launch TQM initiatives.
49."Blob Organizationa Non-Hierarchical Scheme"by John Helfrich 201 Kenmore-Tonawanda Union School District in New York made aradical change in how central office administrators operate: now they arefacilitators, supporters, cheerleaders, and keepers of the vision.
50."Human Resource Development: A Very High Priority"by John Helfrich 203 A restructuring of the teacher sa/ary schedulestrongly encourages everyone to get involved in personal or professional development each year.
51.'Training for Quality" by Gary George 205 Kansas City businesses helped train educators inquality management.
52.'The Total Quality Learning and Support Program:One State's Approach to Continuous Improvement" by Patricia Abernethyand Richard Serfass 206 Six New Jersey school districts, a community college,and the state's department of education have formed a pilot program in quality managementin education.
53."What Do Grades Mean?" by Mike and Jerry Stoecklein 209 A fictional third-grader and his father explore someof the reasons he does not like school: the authors of this article are a real-life third graderand his father, who is a hospital administrator.
54."Portsmouth Public Schools Productivity Initiative" byClaude C. Parent and Marion Ransom 218 The continuous improvement process in Portsmouth. Va.,calls for a collaborative school- based approach that empowers employees to identifyproblems and implement strategies to solve them. IV. Systems Leaders Speak 55."Patience, Focus Needed to Start District Transformation" by G. Thomas Houlihan, superintendent, Johnston County, N. C. 223 56. "Barrier Bashers' Welcome Here" by Jane Hammond, associate superintendent, Wake County, N. C 223 57. "Translate Quality into 'Educationese- by David M. Gangel, superintendent, Rappahannock County, Va. 224 58. "Partners in Action" by Zona Sharp-Burk, executive director, Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation, St. Paul, Minn. 224 59. "Partners in Quality: Business and Education" by John R. Reed, superintendent, Newtown, Conn. 225 60. "You've Heard of Team Xerox? Well, Here's Quality New Jersey!" by Philip Esbrandt, superintendent, Cherry Hill, N. J. 226 61. "Unlearning Old Behaviors, Learning New Ways" by Seldon V. Whitaker, superintendent, State College, Penn. 226 62. "One District's Approach to Total Quality" by Bill Borgers, superintendent, Dickinson, Texas 227 63. "Pick the Low Fruit First" by David Gangel, superintendent, Rappahannock County, Va 228 64. "Tales and Travails from the Cutting Edge" by Barbara Bell, former editor, Quality Network News 228 65. "Can the Lone Ranger Join the Dream Team?" by Carolyn Downey, superintendent, Tempe, Ariz 229 66. "New York District Wins Quality Award" by John E. Helfrich, superintendent, Kenmore-Tonawanda Union, N. Y 230 67. "Beyond TQM to TQMS" by Armand Fusco vice-president, Galileo Quality Institute, Nashua, N. H. 230 68. "Penn State Opens Center for Total Quality Schools" by Toni J. Duchi and Beverly Kline, Penn State University 231 69. "The T in TQM Stands for Teamwork" by David F. Hendrix, superintendent, Poudre School District, Fort Collins, Colo 232
1 2 1170. "Finding Funding for Quality Training" by Lew Blackford, superintendent, Sidney City, Ohio 232 1171. "Quantum Systems: Next Step Beyond TQM" by Robert Bender, former superintendent, Meadville, Pa 233
L . "Breathing Real Life into the Mission Js the Real Challenge" by Carolyn Downey, superintendent, Tempe, Ariz 234
L. "Charting Continuous Improvement in the Classroom" by Lee Jenkins, superintendent, Redding, Calif. 234 174. "How Quality Meshes with Effective Schools" by Dennis Kellison, superintendent, Clarke County, Va. 235
175."Making Processes Customer Sensitive" by Gary George and Tom Trigg, Gardner, Kan 236 176. "Breaking Down Barriers and Removing Fear" by Paul Williams, superintendent, Battle Creek, Mich 236 "Yes, Quality Can Thrive in Inner-City Schools, Tool" 177' by Franklin P. Schargel, George Westinghouse Vocational and Technical High School, Brooklyn, N. Y 237
1178. "Anticipate Obstacles to Change" by Kenneth Freeston, assistant superintendent, Newtown, Conn 238
179. "A Look Jnside a District's Quality Toolbox" by Gary C:'orge and Tom Trigg, superintendent and assistant superintendent, Gardner, Kan. 238 80. "Profile Measures Quality Progress" by Gerald L. McCoy, superintendent, Eden Prairie, Minn. 239 111
Further reading about quality 240
Other AASA resources on quality management ineducation 240
Credits 241
In remembrance of W. Edwards Deming 245
Author index 247
School district index 248
1tr.' I I I II I LessonsI I LearnedI I fromI I OthersI I I I I uality I N Ito: s t o hool I I 14 I i Quality Goes to School 1
THE TURNING POINT OF THE QUALITY REVOLUTION
Ten years ago, a television producer introduced a curmudgeon named W. Edwards Deming to American executives. Things have never been the same since.
By Gerald A. Michaelson
Zdte,
Reprinted with permission of the Conference Board
F 2 Quality Goes to School
n June 24, 1980, in Stamford, library and decided to invite Deming to Ford. Connecticut, James Sierk, now vice "Deming did a wonderful job of initiating and president of quality at Xerox agitating the thought process among a wide array Corporation, turned on his television of people at Ford." says Peterson. "That helped us set at0 9:30 P.M. to view If Japan Can...Why Can't start the introspection, all of the soul searching We? The 90-minute NBC White Paper examined and rethinking of how we wanted to function. the achievements of Japanese and American That then led to our coming to a conclusion on industries in quality and productivity and how we should apply his ideals to the specific introduced Japan's quality guru, an American elements in quality." named W. Edwards Deming. Several other Xerox For many managers, If Japan Can...Why managers also saw the program; like Sierk, they Can't We? represented the turning point in their were impressed with its message. Xerox, which awareness of the importance of quality. A decade was in financial trouble and searching for ways to later, the effects of the program are still be competitive, ordered a copy of the documentary reverberating around the country. How could a and made it part of a communications program for 90-minute television program have so much all Xerox employees. impact? A comment by Reuven Frank, executive Otis Wolkins, now corporate vice president for producer of the show, lends some insight. When quality services at GTE Corporation, saw the told that If Japan Can...Why Can't We? was being program, too. The issues it raised influenced him shown to classes at Harvard Business School, to work more closely with GTE suppliers and to Frank said, "If students are looking at a video focus on improving each individual process within intended for a mass audience, maybe American his area of responsibility. business is in more trouble than I thought." Terry Stuck, then vice president ofJ.I. Case After World War II, American companies were Company, a manufacturer of agricultural and the primary producers for the world. The construction equipment, saw a rerun the next production-driven, high-consumption environment year. "The program was a tutorial on our bred a complacent attitude toward quality and sleepiness and lack of strategy for quality productivity. As world competition increased, improvement," says Stuck. "The video confirmed American managers began looking for ways to the need to build quality into the strategic plan at increase productivity. At the same time, the J.I. Case, and we proceeded to do so." message of the need for quality was being The program's original audience, about 14 delivered to American industry by customers, who million households, wasn't exceptionally large, were switching from buying American-made goods although ratings were good for an NBC White to buying better-quality foreign products. U.S. Paper on economics. American management's managers began to realize that nowhere was it continuing thirst for information on quality and carved in stone that they were entitled to a productivity, however, has subsequently earned specific market share. high recognition for this documentary. To date, By the time the NBC White Paper was tens of thousands of scripts have been requested, broadcast, executives were beginning to search for and orders are still being received. More than answers. They sent people to Japan, went to 6,000 copies of the videotape have also been seminars, and began to read about quality. But ordered. The next most popular video from NBC is woe to the subordinate who was sent to Japan to the Frost/Nixon interview, with fewer than 2,000 find out how to achieve quality. Too often, requested. management expected a specific solution that Donald Peterson, recently retired chairman would provide a quick fix. No one making a single and CEO of Ford Motor Cqmpany says that trip to a country where the language and the several executives at Ford happened to watch the culture are foreign can bring back more than a NBC White Paper and "there was clear indication snapshot of the system necessary for that people in Japan gave great credit to Dr. implementing quality management. Deming for their spectacular improvements in the The first quality concept imported from Japan quality of their products." Peterson took a copy of in the late '70s was a miserable failure. It was If Japan Can...Why Can't We? out of the company called quality circles and involved letting groups of workers meet to suggest improvements. Gerald A. Michaelson is a senior consultant with American managers weren't properly trained to Tennessee Associates International (TAI) in direct this effort, and quality circles floundered Maryville, TN. Ind were disbanded by many companies. The Quality Goes to School 3
Looking back on the past decade of quality experimentation, one can see that the U.S. quality movement centered around three areas: management leadership, understanding people, and measurement.
In the early '80s U.S. CEOs were "kind of' interested in quality and knew that "it" was something that had to be achieved. They didn't know how to go about implementing quality, however, and few understood the importance of being personally early failures reinforced involved. Many thought that the responsibility for Deming's methods for the conviction that some quality could be delegated. improving productivity different and mysterious The classic Deming story involves a Texas characteristics in businessman who brushes past Deming's proved so successful that secretary and bursts into his office, interrupting a Japan's annual award forJapan's culture made it possible for the meeting. The guy is wearing a 10-gallon hat and a productivity is called theJapanese to achieve string tie with a bull-horn pipe slide. He slouches Deming Prize. quality and productivity down in a chair, produces a giant business card, levels unachievable in and says, "Dr. Deming, I'm sorry for being so rude America. By introducing ati American as the and breaking in on your meeting, but I just had to father of modern quality, If Japan Can...Why talk to the master. My limousine's double-parked Can't We? helped to dispel that myth. At the time, out front. My Lear jet's down on the runway at the name W. Edwards Deming was unknown in National Airport with its engines running. I've American industry. The White Paper producers just got to get some of your time so you can help asked Herbert Striner, dean of the business school us." at American University in Washington, D.C., Deming says. 'Tell me something. Have you whom they should interview about productivity. ever attended one of my seminars?" The Texan Striner suggested they go to a nearby suburb to responds, "Oh no. I'm much too busy for that." talk with Ed Deming. Deming not only knew Asks Deming, "Well, have you ever read my something about productivity, said Striner, he book?" The Texan says, "No, I'm much too busy for served cashews with his martinis. that. But I'll tell you this. Every one of my Clare Crawford-Mason, one of the producers, presidents in my divisions, and their vice recalls of her visit: "Deming kept going on and on presidents, or whomever you say, they'll come to that nobody would listen to him." Their first your seminars, they'll read your book, and they'll conversation led to five interviews, consuming understand what you're going to do." Deming more that 23 hours. The more they talked, the pauses and says, "But you're much too busy, is more impressed she was and the more suspicious that right, to learn my ideas, to appreciate what she became. Deming seemed to have all the right rm trying to do?" The guy replies, "Oh, yes. I'm answers or did he? "Here is the man who has afraid I'm much too busy." Deming tears the trained the Japanese on quality," she thought. "If Texan's big business card in half and says, "Well, his story is true, it should be on the front pages of certainly was nice of you to stop in and see me." all the newspapers." In the end, Crawford-Mason Deming turns away and that's the absolute end of trusted her instincts and wound up with one of their conversation. the most popular documentaries in television In the NBC White Paper, Deming says that 85 history. percent of the problems in quality are caused not The Deming story is a classic example of how by workers, as many U.S. executives believed, but successful people are often ignored at home, says by management. His point is not that managers Reuven Frank. In his view, Derning was "a are had, but rather that it is the systems that prophet without honor in his own country." The management has installed that produce bad NBC program gave Deming the honor he was quality. Therefore, for quality management to lacking, and slowly U.S. firms began to listen to work, the systems must be changedby top him. management. 4 Quality Goes to School
At the beginning of the decade, most you want to have teams isn't enough. Teams must American managers, like the Texan in the story, be assigned projects and then empowered to do were not convinced that they had to be personally the work. Team facilitators must be trained to responsible for quality. That changed by the help teams work middle of the '80s but management still didn't effectively. The team know how to improve quality. concept breaks down Vernal Anderson, as works manager for when managers Tennessee Eastman Company, attended internal interfere and when conferences of quality managers during that funds have not been period trying to discover how to get better quality. invested for team r, "They told me that if you tell the division training and managers you want quality, it will happen," says development. Anderson. "I said that would be easy, but I didn't Terry Stinson, realize how hard it was going to be. president of Hamilton "Many of the men who worked for me didn't Standard Division of believe in quality management as a way to United Technologies operate," continues Anderson. "You have to keep corporation, says, Mk. working on them. Once they got started, I did "We've got more than everything I could to help. I couldn't do it for 100 project teams at workDr. Gerald D. Sentell, them, but I could get the people they needed to throughout our business President of Tennessee train and coach." After years of experience in units from shop floors toAssociates quality management, Anderson says, he's found the executive offices. Mostinternational says that that "the most important ingredient of success in of our project teams are a paradigm shiftIs quality is understanding that you have to work at cross-functional. taking place within quality and believe in it." Belief and action are Employees are talking andcompanies today. most important at the senior levels of cooperating, in some cases for the very first time, management. When Anderson ordered a $490,000 with employees from various departments batch of out-of-spec chemicals burned, the action throughout the company. And these teams are signaled his belief in quality to the entire tallying tangible results. organization. "All of the people we have worked with, both The second focus of the quality movement was in and out of house, have shared the same sense understanding people. Lloyd Dobyns, who of accomplishment and pride that comes from narrated and wrote the script for If Japan working together effectively and from knowing Can...Why Can't We? says: "When we made the that your voice counts, that your ideas are documentary we didn't understand the respected, and that you can make a difference. importance of employee participation. I realized This has to be the greatest motivation available." its importance later when I did a video news The quality movement's last major focus was report on unions for the Labor Department. It measurement, specifically statistical process showed instances where management and labor control. The reasoning was that before you could worked together and dealt with each other on an improve a manufacturing process, you had to be equal basis," he says. "When I looked again at the able to measure and chart each step in that original TV program, I realized the entire content process. Too often in U.S. manufacturing, was interwoven with worker involvement." A decisions were being made by intuition. Data help manager who has made many trips to Japan you identify the real problem and make concurs: "The Japanese were trying to tell us all appropriate corrections. Furthermore, as Deming along that quality was people-based, but we commented in the NBC show, "the gains that you wouldn't listen." get by statistical methods are gains that you get To get workers involved, U.S. companies without new machinery, without new people." began setting up teams to work on projects. The Manufacturing companies slowly began to rationale was that participation leads to understand that statistical process control is a commitment and ultimately to "ownership" of the fundamental tool, and control charts began to process. And if an employee feels he owns a appear more frequently on the production line as process, then he'll care about the quality it operators learned how to measure the consistency produces. of their own processes. American managers have found that saying Quality Goes to School 5
oclay, customer satisfaction services alike, the emphasis is on empowenng measurement has joined statistical people to work in teams. process control as a valuable tool for As companies achieve greater success with improving quality. "Customer their quality efforts, they will make a transit'.on satisfaction measurement is vital to from an interest in quality to a concern about understanding how and where to focus efforts to achieving continuous improvement. Achieving a improve both product and service quality," says set level of quality isn't enough to be world Wendell Knox, executive vice president of competitive because customers' requirements and Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Abt Associates. competitors' capabilities keep changing. Only the Quality experts most often define the customer as companies that understand the treadmill of the person who receives your process. When you continuous improvement will survive. use that definition, you understand that there are U.S. management has shown that it is internal and external customers. The concept that committed to improving quality; this year, for everyone is both a supplier and a customer has instance, some 175,000 copies of the Malcolm been a major change in American business Baldrige National Quality Award brochure will be thinking during the past decade. Adding the customer to the quality equation has also changed the very definition of quality. "In the1980s Motorola Inc. thought that quality meant meeting the customers' expectations," said William Wiggenhorn, the company's corporate vice president, at a recent Conference Board conference on quality. "Then we changed that definition to say exceeding expectation," said Wiggenhorn. "Now we say that quality is anticipating customers' expectations in all products and services." How much has the quality movement affected U.S. business? Surveys suggest that it's shifted the very culture of many companies. In 1986, the Workers at Matsushita's American Society for Quality Control surveyed distributed. American plant In suburban some 600 managers. Ten percent listed some managers have Chicago discuss the culture change as the most important ingredient discovered that ifJapancompany's plans at their in achieving quality. In 1988, the society repeated can, they can. weekly meeting with their the survey with a different group of 600 Unfortunately, in too foreman. Matsushita managers. This time, 40 percent of the managers many industries bought the factory in the said culture change was the most important America is playing late 70s from Motorola element in achieving quality. catch-up. Running as and turned the failing Gerald Sentell, president of Tennessee fast as the leader won'tplant around. Associates International, says there is a paradigm be good enough to gain shift taking place. The culture changes involve the world competitive positions that win overhauling the way suppliers, managers, and customers. employees at all levels view their roles. Improving quality requires teamwork and a sense of personal * * * responsibility for the goods one produces. If the 1980s have been a time of increased The producers of If Japan Can...Why Can't quality awareness and experimentation, we can We? have scheduled a sequel, which will air as a expect the '90s to be a decade of implementation. mini-series of three one-hour programs in At the beginning of the '80s, interest in quality September1991. The program is tentatively titled was usually found only with quality assurance Quality or Else! A companion book will be people. Most understood quality as something you published by Houghton-Mifflin. The original show achieved with statistical process control. Today, is available from Films Inc. (1-800-323-4222). when talking about the future, quality experts see more emphasis on the employee as the person who delivers quality. In manufacturing and Gerald A. Michaelson Executive Vice President - Asia Pacific Region Tennessee Associates International Tel: 1-800-426-4121
F 6 Quality Goes to School
DEMING IN HIS OWN WORDS Ask W. Edwards Deming about the future there's differential pay. There's just a small of the American workplace, and lic has amount of it. But the fact that it exists is a very simple comment: "What future?" what ruins people. If you were to get 50 cents Deming, 89 years old, remains pessimistic more per month than I do, it would hurt me. that U.S. business will make the changes he If I got 50 cents more than you got, it's going thinks necessary to compete. What follow are to hurt you. excerpts from a discussion with Deming. When a company comes to youfor What do you think is wrong with current advice on how to improve their management at corporaV;Ins? management., where do you start? We are all born with intrinsic motivation, I don't say much. I just ask questions. self-esteem, dignity, an. eagerness to learn. Such as? Our present system of management crushes Where do you hope to be five years from that all out. now? Most people can't answer the question. How? They don't have an aim Or many times the By replacing it with extrinsic motivation, aim is simply to stay ahead of a competitor, or by constantly judging people. We rank people at least not get too far behind. That's all with incentive pay, annual appraisals, people think about competition. production quotas. Judging people is nt-it So Just staying ahead of the competitor helpful. We can rank people according to is not an aim? height, and of six people, one would be tallest, That's destructive. one would be shortest. So what? You knew But isn't competition where America is that before you started. That's the way losing the battle? business is run today. And it will get worse. That's right, that's where they are losing How will people know how they're the battle. Because they're focusing on performing if they are not evaluated? competition. They show diagrams and People dnn't know how they're doing? All drawings to show how we're doing compared people ask for is a chance to work with pride to the competition. We don't think much and joy. Management has taken all of it out. about anything else. Then you take quality out. Instead of working Whereas, they should focus on...? for the company, people compete with each Better service to the public und other. employees. And competition is bad? Are there any particular U.S. companies Of course it's 11:-.-..i. People then. work for that are exemplary at doing what you're the grade. In school, they studied not to learn talking about? anything but for the grade. Well now and then there is a ray of hope Is that different In Japan? in small companies. Yes, it is. They work for the knowledge. Are there any exemplary large And a child is never humiliated. companies out there? How about Japanese companies? Are Not that I know of. But make one thing they different? clear: Everybody is doing their best. And Yes. The Japanese top management were that's the trouble. Hard work and best effort willing to learn. They were willing to live by and doing it wrong. Without knowledge cooperation, not competition. there's uo substitute for knowledge. And we How great Is the lead that Japan has over don't have it. What's the aim of the school of the U.S. companies? is it widening In business, for example? They teach students management practices? how business is conducted today and how to rm afraid so, although you find some perpetuate it. Any wonder we're in trouble? practices developing in Japan that ought to They ought to be preparing students for the worry them. At some companies, for example, future, not for the past. BUSINESS Th Cost of I)lity Faced with hard times, business sours on 'Total Quality Management'
Well, maybe copying the Japanese isn't such a good idea af- terall. Consider Douglas Aircraft, the troubled subsidiary of Mc- Donnell Douglas Corp. Plagued by poor earnings and richer competitors, the aircraft mak- er three years ago embraced " Total Quality Management," a Japanese import that had be- come the American business cult of the 1980s. TQM, as it is known, depends on small teams of workersall the way down to the factory floorto clean up ML;1i poor procedures and work hab- its. That appealed to Douglas, :tyt1.9'1 which dispatched 8,000 em- ployees in Long Beach, Calif., to 4:4!:-.14111, two-week training seminars. They also spent weeks prepar- ing for TQM on the job. But . in less than two years, Doug- \ las's version of quality manage- { 1V"''.1 ment was a shambles, largely .+.7 becausetheprogram'sad- vocateshadn'tanticipated the massive layoffs that poi- soned labor-management rela- tions. At Douglas, TQM ap- peared to be just one more hothouse Japanese flower nev- er meant to grow on rocky American ground. Until recently, TQM was Eeenasthedoctrinethat .tak. would rescue American busi- ness from flabby management techniques and shoddy prod- ucts. Now many executives and their consultants have moved on to other methods, and while several firms remain true to - TQM, it has stumbled badly JAWS YANG over its early, inflated expectations. Flori-11 bankruptcy protection. Moreover, re-where management plans often have the da Power & Light, winner ofJapan's Dem- cent surveys show that most U.S. compa-shelf life of cottage cheese. " Managements ing Prize for quality management, hasnies don't think much of TQM's impact onexpect it to be instant gratification, and slashed its program because of workertheir ability to dash past competitors. that is one of the key reasons for failure," complaints of excessive paperwork. The Of course, a handful of companies, like said Joe Lutzel, a quality-management ex- Wallace Co., a Houston oil-supply com-Xerox, Motorola, Federal Express and Har- ecutive with High Voltage Engineering in pany that won the Commerce Depart- ley-Davidson, have made TQM work, part- Milwaukee. In Japan, by contrast, manag- ment's Malcolm Baldrige National Qualityly because such firms have the patienceers enjoy easy relations with labor and a Award, found the honor no protectionadvocates say is essential. But such compa- government more concerned with a stable against bad timesit has filed for Chapternies are exceptions in an American climate economy and long-term growth.
48 NEWSWEEK : SEPTEMBER 7,1992
2 1 BESTcoryAVAILABLE 8 Quality Goes to School
TQM grew from the postwar researchson, a vice president at Arthur D. Little,TQM training classes in Long Beach and and musings of American Managementsays one company was so obsessed with left many employees wondering if the com- consultants like W. Edwards Deming andimproving its inventory process that it pany cared about their suggestions. Joseph Juran. It captivated the Japanesespent a fortune on a state-of-the-art com- Some TQM programs go on short rations in the 1950s and returned to its birthplaceputer system. The result: the wholesalewhen a new cost-cutting CEO takes over. as the hot boardroom fad of the early 1980s.cost of producing a 25-cent item soared to a Kent Sterett, former director of Florida TQM demands re-examination of creakyridiculous $2.89. Power & Light's total-quality program, procedures and investigations of trouble More than anything, U.S. companiessays new chiefJames Broadhead eliminat- spots by employee teams, a bottom-up ap- have soured on TQM because it providesed most jobs related to TQM because proach that emphasizes pa- hewasn't too sure about -:. tience and distrusts obvious this quality stuff" allow- answers. A good TQM com- ing him to trim person- pany studies competitors nel. Broadhead, Sterett con- and successful noncompeti- tends, didn't embrace TQM tors to reduce shortages, de- because " it tended to pro- lays and defects. duce a significant number Two rituals are sacred to of recommendations coming the devout TQM congrega- up, which is the opposite of tion. First, managers must Braadhead's characteristic act as if they have signs on flow." Broadhead has said their backs: HOW ARE WE DO- he stepped in because work- ING? AN't COMPLAINTS? CALL ers complained that TQM's 1-800-BLAMEUS. Richard C. "emphasis on indicators, Palermo, vice president for charts, graphs, reports and quality and transition at meetings" took time from Xerox, has on his business "servingcustomersand card a throe question sur- participating in community vey seekingreactionto affairs." Xerox products and serv- Long hauls: TQM devotees ices. The second ritual is the shrug off the recent set- posseploy. When some- backs. The system, they thing goes wrong, TQM ex- say, should produce results ecutives recruit a few man- over the long haul. "Most agers, clerks, assembly-line Japanese [companies] began workers and even customers their quality-improvement to ride off, find the problem efforts in the early 1950s and and literally analyze it to SARAH FAWCETT stuck with them religiously, death. For example: Doug- although they didn't begin las Chamberlain, field-serv- to see significant payoffs ... ice spares-operations man- until the late 1970s," says ager at Xerox, spent months Jerry Bowles, author of " Be- with a team investigating yond Quality." repair delays. Friends told Many with troubled TQM him the solution was obvi- programs insist they are ous: more parts on the re- still believers. Wallace Co.'s pair trucks. But his team, chief, John W. Wallace, in- after studying a horde of sists TQM kept many cus- other companies, discovered tomers loyal despitehis a cheaper answer: using de- bankruptcy filing. And Mc- '0111 .... Donnell Douglas, Douglas livery services like Federal RED MORGAN es, 40.1,1, loft Express to rush the correctBack to the drawing board? Aircraft's parent, has urged part to the customer. its ailing divisions to "move TQM guru Deming (top), Atem. Too perfect: But few com- Wallace Co. executives forward" with TQM despite panies are as wedded to the (nght) and Florida Power & cost-cutting. TQM mystique as Xerox. A Lzght's Broadhead Bowles,echoingother survey by Rath & Strong of managementconsultants, Lexington, Mass., released JANICE RUBIN says companies may have earlier this year graded companies on TQM little protection against hard times. Pa-little choice. In this age of tough competi- efforts to improve market share, rein in tience and labor peace are the keys to mak-tion, he says, TQM is "the minimum re- costs and make customers happy; most rat-ing it work. Trouble comes when compa-quirement for staying in the game." But ed D's and F's. In a suirvey of 500 companies nies announce layoffs during economicAmerican firms may not truly embrace by Boston's Arthur D. Little, a slim 36 per-slumps. Douglas Aircraft, for instance,Total Quality Management until it makes cent said the process was having "a signifi- hoped the system would win savings and their shareholders more money than it did cant impact" on their ability to quash com- lure back customers flirting with the Euro- the seminar organizers, consultants and petitors. Some companies even complain pean Airbus consortium, but another cost- book publishers, who reaped the biggest that such management techniques costcutting movethe elimination of 4,000quality rewards of the 1980s. more than they're worth. Tamara J. Erick- jobs in 1990forced a premature end to JAY MATHEWSwithPETER KATELin Mimi NEWSWEEK SEPTEMBER 7,1992 49
Uil AVAILABLE 2' Quality Goes to School 9 In the knowledge society, managers must prepare to abandon everything they know.
The New Society of Organizations
1/41t
by Peter F. Drucker
Every few hundred years throughout WesternAmerican soldier returning from World War II the history, a sharp transformation has occurred.money to attend a university, something that In a matter of decades, society altogether re-would have made absolutely no sense only 30 years arranges itseifits world view, its basic val-earlier at the end of World War I. The GI Bill of ues, its social and political structures, its arts, its keyRights and the enthusiastic response to it on the institutions. Fifty years later a new world exists. Andpart of America's veterans signaled the shift to the people born into that world cannot even imaginea knowledge society. the world in which their grandparents lived and into In this society, knowledge is the primary re- which their own parents were born. source for individuals and for the economy overall. Our age is such a period of transformation. OnlyLand, labor, and capital-the economist's tradition- this time the transformation is not confined to West-al factors of production - do not disappear, but they ern society and Western history. Indeed, one of thebecome secondary. They can be obtained, and ob- fundamental changes is that there is no longertained easily, provided there is specialized knowl- a "Western" history or a "Western" civilization.: edge. At the same time, however, specialized There is only world history and world civilization. Peter F. Drucker is the Clarke Professor of Social Science Whether this transformation began with the emer-and Management at the Claremont Graduate School in gence of the first non-Western country, Japan, as aClaremont, California. This article is adapted from his great economic power or with the first computer -new book, Post-Capitalist Society, to be published in that is, with information-is moot. My own candidateearly 1993 by Harper/Collins. This is Mr. Drucker's thir- would be the GI Bill of Rights, which gave everytieth article for HBR.
Copyright 0 1992 by the President and Fellows of Harvard (.:ollege. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review, "The New Society of Organizations," by Peter F. Drucker, September/October 1992 10 Quality Goes to School
knowledge by itself produces nothing. It can be- ciamento or philosophy or legislation. They will be come productive only when it is integrated into resolved where they originate: in the individual or- a task. And that is why the knowledge society is ganization and in the manager's office. also a society of organizations: the purpose and function of every organization, business and non- Society, community, and family are all con- business alike, is the integration of specialized serving institutions. They try to maintain knowledges into a common task. stability and to prevent, or at least to slow, If history is any guide, this transformation will change. But the modern organization is not be completed until 2010 or 2020. Therefore, it a destabilizer. It must be organized for innovation is risky to try to foresee in every detail the world and innovation, as the great Austro-American that is emerging. But what new questions will arise economist Joseph Schumpeter said, is "creative de- and where the big issues will lie we can, I believe, struction." And it must be organized for the sys- already discover with a high degree of probability. tematic abandonment of whatever is established, In particular, we already know the central ten- customary, familiar, and comfortable, whether that sions and issues that confront the society of organi- is a product, service, or process; a set of skills; hu- zations: the tension created by the community's man and social relationships; or the organization it- need for stability and the organization's need to self. In short, it must be organized for constant destabilize; the relationship between individual change. The organization's function is to put and organization and the responsibilities of one to knowledge to work on tools, products, and pro- another; the tension that arises from the organiza- cesses; on the design of work; on knowledge itself. tion's need for autonomy and society's stake in the It is the nature of knowledge that it changes fast Common Good; the rising demand for socially re- and that today's certainties always become tomor- sponsible organizations; the tension between spe- row's absurdities. cialists with specialized knowledges and perfor- Skills change slowly and infrequently. If an an- mance as a team. All of these will be central cient Greek stonecutter came back to life today and concerns, especially in the developed world, for went to work in a stone mason's yard, the only
years to come. They will not be resolved by pronun- I change of significance would be the design he was asked to carve on the tombstones. The tools he would use are the same, only now they have electric batteries in the handles. Through- out history, the craftsman who had learned a trade after five or seven years of apprenticeship had learned, by age eighteen or nineteen, everything he would ever need to use during his life- 1i4 time. In the society of organi-
40- zations, however, it is safe to assume that anyone with any knowledge will have to acquire new knowledge every four or five L. 1::74 years or become obsolete. No. f; This is doubly important be- cause the changes that affect a , 4i?) body of knowledge most pro- . foundly do not, as a rule, come out of its own domain. After Guten- Ii berg first used movable type, there was practically no change in the craft of printing for 400 years until the steam engine came in. The greatest challenge to the rail- road came not from changes in railroading but from the automo-
96 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1992
BEST COPY MAILABLE 24 Quality Goes to School 11
bile, the truck, and the airplane. The pharmaceuti- of every process, every product, every procedure, cal industry is being profoundly changed today by every policy: "If we did not do this already, would knowledge coming from genetics and microbiolo- we go into it now knowing what we now know?" If gy, disciplines that few biologists had heard of 40 the answer is no, the organization has to ask, "So years ago. what do we do now?" And it has to do something, And it is by no means only science or technology and not say, "Let's make another study." Indeed, that creates new knowledge and makes old knowl- organizations increasingly will have to plan aban- edge obsolete. Social innovation is equally impor- donment rather than try to prolong the life of a suc- tant and often more important than scientific in- cessful product, policy, or practice-something that novation. Indeed, what triggered the present so far only a few large Japanese companies have worldwide crisis in that proudest of nineteenth- faced up to. century institutions, the commercial bank, was not On the other hand, every organization must de- the computer or any other technological change. It vote itself to creating the new. Specifically, every was the discovery by nonbankers that an old but management has to draw on three systematic prac- hitherto rather obscure financial instrument, com- tices. The first is continuing impiovement of every- mercial paper, could be used to finance companies thing the organization uocs, the process the and would thus deprive the banks of the business Japanese call kaizen. Every artist throughout histo- on which they had held a monopoly for 200 years ry has practiced kaizen, or organized, continuous and which gave them most of their income: the self-improvement. But so far only the Japanese- commercial loan. The greatest change of all is prob- perhaps because of their Zen tradition - have em- ably that in the last 40 years purposeful innova- bodied it in the daily life and work of their business tion both technical and social - has itself become an organized discipline that is both teachable and learnable. IIManagers must learn to ask Nor is rapid knowledge-based change confined to every few years, "If we did business, as many still believe. No organization in not do this already, the 50 years since World War II has changed more than the U.S. military. Uniforms have remained the would we go into it now?" same. Titles of rank have remained the same. But weapons have changed completely, as the Gulf War organizations (although not in their singularly of 1991 dramatically demonstrated; military doc- change-resistant universities). The aim of kaizen is trines and concepts have changed even more drasti- to improve a product or service so that it becomes cally, as have the armed services' organizational a truly different product or service in two or three structures, command structures, relationships, and years' time. responsibilities. Second, every organization win have to learn to Similarly, it is a safe prediction that in the next exploit its knowledge, that is, to develop the next 50 years, schools and universities will change more generation of applications from its own successes. and more drastically than they have since they as- Again, Japanese businesses have done the best with sumed their present form more than 300 years ago this endeavor so far, as demonstrated by the success when they reorganized themselves around the of the consumer electronics manufacturers in de- printed book. What will force these changes is, in veloping one new product after another from the part, new technology, such as computers, videos, same American invention, the tape recorder. But and telecasts via satellite; in part the demands of successful exploitation of their successes is also a knowledge-based society in which organized one of the strengths of the fast-growing American learning must become a lifelong process for knowl- pastoral churches. edge workers; and in part new theory about how hu- Finally, every organization will have to learn to man beings learn. innovate - and innovation can now be organized and must be organized - as a systematic process. or managers, the dynamics of knowledge And then, of course, one comes back to abandon- impose one clear imperative: every organi- ment, and the process starts all over. Unless this is zation has to build the management of done, the knowledge-based organization will very change into its very structure. soon find itself obsolescent, losing performance ca- On the one hand, this means every organization pacity and with it the ability to attract and hold the has to prepare for the abandonment of everything it skilled and knowledgeable people on whom its per- does. Managers have to learn to ask every few years formance depends.
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1992 97 12 Quality Goes to School
The need to organize for change also requires a will understand immediately what a Chinese col- high degree of decentralization. That is because the league tells him about bureaucratic intrigues in organization must be structured to make decisions Beijing. But he would be totally baffled in his own quickly. And those decisions must be based on Washington, D.C. if he were to sit in on a discus- closeness - to performance, to the market, to tech- sion of the next week's advertising promotions by nology, and to all the many changes in society, the the managers of the local grocery chain. environment, demographics, and knowledge that To perform its task the organization has to be or- provide opportunities for innovation if they are ganized and managed the same way as others of seen and utilized. its type. For example, we hear a great deal about the All this implies, however, that the organizations differences in management between Japanese and of the post-capitalist society must constantly up- American companies. But a large Japanese compa- set, disorganize, and destabilize the community. ny functions very much like a large American com- They must change the demand for skills and pany; and both function very much like a large knowledges: just when every technical university German or British company. Likewise, no one will is geared up to teach physics, organizations need ge- ever doubt that he or she is in a hospital, no matter neticists. just when bank employees are most profi- cient in credit analysis, they will need to be invest- ment counselors. But also, businesses must be free Businesses must be free to to close factories on which local communities de- close factories that pend for employment or to replace grizzled model makers who have spent years learning their craft communities depend on or with 25-year-old whiz kids who know computer replace grizzled employees simulation. Similarly, hospitals must be able to move the de- with 25-year-old whiz kids. livery of babies into a free-standing birthing center when the knowledge base and technology of obstet- where the hospital is located. The same holds true rics change. And we must be able to close a hospital for schools and universities, for labor unions and altogether when changes in medical knowledge, research labs, for museums and opera houses, for technology, and practice make a hospital with few- astronomical observatories and large farms. er than 200 beds both uneconomical and incapable In addition, each organization has a value system of giving first-rate care. For a hospitalor a school that is determined by its task. In every hospital in or any other community organization 7 to discharge the world, health care is considered the ultimate its social function we must be able to close it down, good. In every school in the world, learning is con- no matter how deeply rooted in the local communi- sidered the ultimate good. In every business in the ty it is and how much beloved, if changes in demo- world, production and distribution of goods or ser- graphics, technology, or knowledge set new prereq- vices is considered the ultimate good. For the orga- uisites for performance. nization to perform to a high standard, its members But every one of such changes upsets the commu- must believe that what it is doing is, in the last nity, disrupts it, deprives it of continuity. Every one analysis, the one contribution to community and is "unfair." Every one destabilizes. society on which all others depend. In its culture, therefore, the organization will al- Equally disruptive is another fact of organi- ways transcend the community. If an organization's zational life: the modern organization must culture and the values of its community clash, the be in a community but cannot be of it. An organization must prevail - or else it will not make organization's members live in a particular its social contribution. "Knowledge knows no place, speak its language, send their children to its boundaries," says an old proverb. There has been schools, vote, pay taxes, and need to feel at home a "town and gown" conflict ever since the first uni- there. Yet the organization cannot submerge itself versity was established more than 750 years ago. in the community nor subordinate itself to the But such a conflict -between the autonomy the or- community's ends. Its "culture" has to transcend ganization needs in order to perform and the claims community. of the community, between the values of the orga- It is the nature of the task, not the community in nization and those of the community, between the which the task is being performed, that determines decisions facing the organization and the interests the culture of an organization. The American civil of the communityis inherent in the society of servant, though totally opposed to communism, organizations.
98 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September.October 1992 Quality Goes to School 13
he issue of social responsibility is also in- Unless power is balanced by responsibility, it be- herent in the society of organizations. comes tyranny. Furthermore, without responsibili- The modern organization has and must ty power always degenerates into nonperformance, have social power - and a good deal of it. and organizations must perform. So the demand for It needs power to make decisions about people: socially responsible organizations will not go away whom to hire, whom to fire, whom to promote. It but rather widen. needs power to establish the rules and disciplines Fortunately, we also know, if only in rough out- required to produce results: for example, the assign- line, how to answer the problem of social respon- ment of jobs and tasks and the establishmentof sibility. Every organization must assume full re- working hours. It needs power to decide which fac- sponsibility for its impact on employees, the tories to build where and which factori :::o close. It environment, customers, and whomever and what- needs power to set prices, and so on. ever it touches. That is its social responsibility. But And nonbusinesses have the greatest social we also know that society will increasinglylook to power- far more, in fact, than business enterprises. major organizations, for-profit and nonprofit alike, Few organizations in history were ever granted the to tackle major social ills. And there we hadbetter power the university has today. Refusing toadmit a be watchful because good intentions are not always student or to grant a student the diploma is tanta- socially responsible. It is irresponsible for an orga- mount to debarring that person from careers and nization to accept-let alone to pursue-responsibil- opportunities. Similarly, the power of the Ameri- ities that would impede its capacity to perform can hospital to deny a physicianadmitting privi- its main task and mission or to act where it has no leges is the power to exclude that physician from competence. the practice of medicine. The labor union's power over admission to apprenticeship or itscontrol of rganization has become an everyday acc -ss to employment in a "closed shop,"where term. Everybody nods when somebody only union members can be hired, gives the union says, "In our organization, everything tremendous social power. should revolve around the customer" or The power of the organization can be restrained "In this organization, they never forget a mistake." by political power. It can be made subject to due And most, if not all, social tasks in every developed process and to review by the courts. But it mustbe country are performed in and by an organizationof exercised by individual organiza- tions rather than by political au- thorities.This is why post-capitalist society talks so much about social responsibilities of the organization. It is futile to argue, as Milton Friedman, the American economist and Noble-laureate does, that a business has only one responsibili- ty: economic performance. Eco- nomic performance is the first re- sponsibility of a business. Indeed, a business that does not show a profit Ii at least equal to its cost of capital is irresponsible; it wastes society's re- sources. Economic performance is the base without which a business cannot discharge any other respon- sibilities, cannot be a good employ- ee, a good citizen, a good neighbor. But economic performance is not
the only responsibility of a business I I
I any more than educationalperfor- -- 1'1 I -- mance is the only responsibilityof a school or health care the only re- sponsibility of a hospital.
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27 14 Quality Goes to School
one kind or another. Yet no one in the United ways carefully maintained: the godfather at the in- States - or anyplace else- talked of "organizations" fant's baptism pledges the child's voluntary accep- until after World War H. The Concise Oxford Dic- tance of membership in the church. tionary did not even list the term in its current Likewise, it may be difficult to leave an organiza- meaning in the 1950 edition. It is only the emer- tion- the Mafia, for instance, a big Japanese compa- gence of management since World War II, what ny, the Jesuit order. But it is always possible. And I call the "Management Revolution," that has al- the more an organization becomes an organization lowed us to see that the organizati.in is discrete and of knowledge workers, the easier it is to leave it and distinct from society's other institutions. move elsewhere. Therefore, an organization is al- Unlike "community," "society," or "family," or- ways in competition for its most essential resource: ganizations are purposefully designed and always qualified, knowledgeable people. specialized. Community and society are defined by the bonds that hold their members together, A11 organizations now say routinely, whether they be language, culture, history, or local- "People are our greatest asset." Yet few ity. An organization is defined by its task. The sym- practice what they preach, let alone tru- phony orchestra does not attempt to cure the sick; ly believe it. Most still believe, though it plays music. The hospital takes care of the sick perhaps not consciously, what nineteenth-century but does not attempt to play Beethoven. employers believed: people need us more than we Indeed, an organization is effective only if it con- need them. But, in fact, organizations have to mar- centrates on one task. Diversification destroys the ket membership as much as they market products performance capacity of an organization, whether and services - and perhaps more. They have to at- it is a business, a labor union, a school, a hospital, tract people, hold people, recognize and reward peo- a community service, or a house of worship. Soci- ple, motivate people, and serve and satisfy people. ety and community must be multidimensional; The relationship between knowledge workers they are environments. An organization is a tool. and their organizations is a distinctly new phe- And as with any other tool, the more specialized it nomenon, one for which we have no good term. is, the greater its capacity to perform its given task. For example, an employee, by definition, is some- Because the modern organization is composed of one who gets paid for working. Yet the largest specialists, each with his or her own narrow area of single group of "employees" in the United States is expertise, its mission must be crystal clear. The or- comprised of the millions of men and women who ganization must be single-minded, or its members work several hours a week without pay for one or will become confused. They will follow their own another nonprofit organization. They are clearly specialty rather than apply it to the common task. "staff" and consider themselves as such, but they They will each define "results" in terms of their are unpaid volunteers. Similarly, many people who own specialty and impose its values on the organi- work as employees are not employed in any legal zation. Only a focuscd and common mission will sense because they do not work for someone elsc. Fifty or sixty years ago, we would have spoken of IIEvery organization is in these people (many, if not most, of whom are edu- cated professionals) as "independent"; today we competition for its most speak of the "self-employed." essential resource: qualified, These discrepancies-and they exist in just about every language remind us why new realities often knowledgeable people, demand new words. But until such a word emerges, this is probably the best definition of employees in hold the organization together and enable it to pro- the post-capitalist society: people whose ability to duce. Without such a mission, the organization will make a contribution depends on having access to an soon lose credibility and, with it, its ability to at- organization. tract the very people it needs to perform. As far as the employees who work in subordinate It can be all toc easy for managers to forget that and menial occupations are concerned- the sales- joining an organization is always voluntary. De fac- clerk in the supermarket, the cleaning woman in to there may be little choice. But even where mem- the hospital, the delivery-truck driverthe conse- bership is all but compulsory- as membership in quences of this new definition are small. For all
the Catholic church was in all the countries of Eu- ; practical purposes, their position may not be too rope for many centuries for all but a handful of Jews different from that of the wage earner, the "worker" and Gypsies - the fiction -if voluntary choice is al- of yesterday, whose direct descendants they ne. In
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28 Quality Goes to School 15
tal," the knowledge: they owned the means of pro- ; fact, this is precisely one of the central social prob- lems modern society faces. duction. Somebody else, the organization, had the But the relationship between the organization ; tools of production. The two needed each other. and knowledge workers, who already number at One consequence of this new relationship-and it least one-third and more likely two-fifths of all em- is another new tension in modern societyis that ployees, is radically different, as is that between the loyalty can no longer be obtAined by the paycheck. organization and volunteers. They can work only The organization must earn loyalty by proving to
because there is an organization, thus they too are ; its knowledge employees that it offers them excep- dependent. But at the same time, they own the tional opportunities for putting their knowledge "means of production"-their knowledge. In this re- to work. Not so long ago we talked about "labor." spect, they are independent and highly mobile. Increasingly we are talking about "human re- Knowledge workers still need the tools of pro- sources." This change reminds us that it is the duction. In fact, capital investment in the tools of , individual, and especially the skilled and knowl- the knowledge employee may already be higher edgeable employee, who decides in large measure than the capital investment in the tools of the man- what he or she will contribute to the organization ufacturing worker ever was. (And the social invest- and how great the yield from his or her knowledge ment, for example, the investment in a knowledge , will be. worker's education, is many times the investment in the manual worker's education.) But this capital ecause the modern organization consists of investment is unproductive unless the knowledge knowledge specialists, it has to be an orga- worker brings to bear on it the knowledge that nization of equals, of colleagues and associ- he or she owns and that cannot be taken away. Ma- ates. No knowledge ranks higher than an- chine operators in the factory did as they were told. other; each is judged by its contribution to the The machine decided not only what to do but how common task rather than by any inherent superior- to do it. The knowledge employee maywell ity or inferiority. Therefore, the modern organiza- need a machine, whether it be a computer, an ultra- tion cannot be an organization of boss and subordi- sound analyzer, or a telescope. But the machine nate. It must be organized as a team. will not tell the knowledge worker what to do, let There are only three kinds of teams. One is the alone how to do it. And without this knowledge, sort of team that plays together in tennis doubles. which belongs to the employee, the machine is un- In that team and it has to be small each member productive. adapts himself or herself to the personality, the Further, machine operators, like all workers skills, the strengths, and the weaknesses of the oth- throughout history, could be told what to do, how er member or members. Then there isthe team that to do it, and how fast to do it. Knowledge workers plays European football or soccer. Each player has cannot be supervised effectively. Unless they know a fixed position; but the whole team movestogeth- more about their specialty than anybodyelse in the er (except for the goalie) while individualmembers organization, they are basically useless. The mar- retain their relative positions. Finally, there is the keting manager may tell the market researcher American baseball team - or the orchestrain what the company needs to know about the design which all the members have fixed positions. of a new product and the market segment in which At any given time, an organization can play only it should be positioned. But it is the market re- one kind of game. And it can use only onekind of searcher's i-jb to tell the president of the company team for any given task. Which team to use or game what market research is needed, how to set it up, to play is one of the riskiest decisions in thelife of and what the results mean. an organization. Few things are as difficult in an or- During the traumatic restructuring of American ganization as transforming from one kind of team business in the 1980s, thousands, if not hundreds of to another. thousands, of knowledge employees lost their jobs. Traditionally, American industry used a baseball- Their companies were acquired, merged, spun off, style team to produce a new product or model. Re- or liquidated. Yet within a few months, mostof search did its work and passed it on to engineering. them found new jobs in which to put their knowl- Engineering did its work and passed it on to manu- edge to work. The transition period was painful, facturing. Manufacturing did its work and passed it and in about half the cases, the new job did not pay on to marketing. Accounting usually camein at the quite as much as the old one did and may not have manufacturing phase. Personnel usually came in been as enjoyable. But the laid-off technicians, pro- only when there was a true crisisand often not fessionals, and managers found they had the "capi- even then.
101 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEWSeptembet.October 1992 16 Quality Goes to School
Alb
I
Then the Japanese reorganized their new product century, the only model was the military. The Prus- development into a soccer team. In such a team, sian Army was as much a marvel of organization for each function does its own work, but from the be- the world of 1870 as Henry Ford's assembly line ginning they wurk together. They move with the was for the world of 1920. In the army of 1870, each task, so to speak, the way a soccer team moves with member did much the same thing, and the number the ball. It took the japanese at least 15 years to of people with any knowledge was infinitesimally learn how to do this. But once they had mastered small. The army was organized by command-and- the new concept, they cut development time by control, and business enterprise as well as most two-thirds. Where traditionally it has taken 5 years other institutions copied that model. This is now to bring out a new automobile model, Toyota, Nis- rapidly changing. As more and more organizations san, and Honda now do it in 18 months. This, as bc;ume information-based, they are transforming much as their quality control, has given the themselves into soccer or tennis teams, that is, into Japanese the upper hand in both the American and responsibility-based organizations in which every European automobile markets. member must act as a responsible decision maker. Some American manufacturers have been work- All members, in other words, have to see them- ing hard to reorganize their development work ac- selves as "executives." cording to the Japanese model. Ford Motor Compa- Even so, an organization must be managed. The ny, for instance, began to do so in the early 1980s. management may be intermittent and perfunctory, Ten years later, in the early 1990s, it has made con- as it is, for instance, in the Parent-Teacher Associa- siderable progress - but not nearly enough to catch tion at a U.S. suburban school. Or management up with the Japanese. Changing a team demands may be a full-time and demanding job for a fairly the most difficult learning imaginable: unlearning. large group of people, as it is in the military, the It demands giving up hard-earned skills, habits of business enterprise, the labor union, and the uni- a lifetime, deeply cherished values of craftsman- versity. But there have to be people who make deci- ship and professionalism, and - perhaps the most sions or nothing will ever get done. There have to difficult of all - it demands giving up old and trea- be people who are accountable for the organiza- sured human relationships. It means abandoning tion's mission, its spirit, its performance, its re- what people have always considered "our commu- sults. Society, community, and family may have nity" or "our family." "leaders," but only organizations know a "manage- But if the organization is to perform, it must be ment." And while this management must have organized as a team. When modern organizations considerable authority, its job in the modern orga- first arose in the closing years of the nineteenth nization is not to command. It is to inspire.
102 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Scptember.Octoba 1992
3t; Quality Goes to School 17
he society of organizations is unprece- business enterprise. (This, of course, always hap- dented in human history. It is unprece- pens when the "End of History" is announced.) dented in its performance capacity both Since then, one new organization after another has because each of its constituent organiza- sprung up. And old organizations like the universi- tions is a highly specialized tool designed for one ty, which in Europe seemed to have been brought
: specific task and because each bases itself on the or- safely under the control of central governments, ganization and deployment of knowledge. It is un- have become autonomous again. Ironically, twenti- precedented in its structure. But it is also unprece- eth-century totalitarianism, especially commu- dented in its tensions and problems. Not all of nism, represented the last desperate attempt to these are serious. In fact, some of them we already save the old progressive creed in which there is only know how to resolve issues of social responsibili- one center of power and one organization rather ty, for example. But there are other areas where we than a pluralism of competing and autonomous or- do not know the right answer and where we may ganizations.
, not even be asking the right questions yet. That attempt failed, as we know. But the failure There is, for instance, the tension between the of central authority, in and of itself, does nothing to community's need for continuity and stability and address the issues that follow from a pluralistic so- the organization's need to be an innovator and ciety. To illustrate, consider a story that many peo- destabilizer. There is the split between "literati" ple have heard or, more accurately, misheard. and "managers." Both are needed: the former to During his lifetime, Charles E. Wilson was produce knowledge, the latter to apply knowledge a prominent personality in the United States, first and make it productive. But the former focus on as president and chief executive officer of General words and ideas, the latter on people, work, and per- formance. There is the threat to the very basis of the society of organizations - the knowledge base Since the Middle Ages, no that arises from ever greater specialization, from society has had as many the shift from knowledge to knowledges. Mit the centers of power as the one greatest and most difficult challenge is that pre- sented by society's new pluralism. in which we now live. For more than 600 years, no society has had as many centeis of power as the society in which we Motors, at that time the world's largest and most now live. The Middle Ages indeed knew pluralism. successful manufacturer, then as secretary of de- Society was composed of hundreds of competing fense in the Eisenhower administration. But if Wil- and autonomous power centers: feudal lords and son is remembered at all today it is for something knights, exempt bishoprics, autonomous monas- he did not say: "What is good for General Motors is teries, "free" cities. In some places, the Austrian good for the United States." What Wilson actually Tyrol, for example, there were even "free peasants," said in his 1953 confirmation hearings for the De- beholden to no one but the Emperor. There were fense Department job was: "What is good for the also autonomous craft guilds and transnational United States is good for General Motors." trading leagues like the Hanseatic Merchants and Wilson tried for the remainder of his life to cor- the merchant bankers of Florence, toll and tax col- rect the misquote. But no one listened to him. Ev- lectors, local "parliaments" with legislative and eryone argued, "If he didn't say it, he surely believes tax-raising powers, private armies available for it-in fact he should believe it." For as has been said, hire, and myriads more. executives in an organization- whether business or Modern history in Europe and equally in Japan - university or hospital or the Boy Scouts must be- has been the history of the subjugation of all corn- lieve that its mission and task are society's most peting centers of power by one central authority, important mission and task as well as the founda-
: first called the "prince," then the "state." By the tion for everything else. If they do not believe this, middle of the nineteenth century, the unitary state their organization will soon lose faith in itself, self- had triumphed in every developed country except confidence, pride, and the ability to perform. the United States, which remained profoundly plu- The diversity that is characteristic of a developed
. ralistic in its religious and educational organiza- society and that provides its great strength is only tions. Indeed, the abolition of pluralism was the possible because of the specialized, single-task or-
' "progressive" cause for nearly 600 years. ganizations that we have developed since the In- But just when the triumph of the state seemed as- dustrial Revolution and, especially, during the last
. sured, the first new organization arose - the large 50 years. But the feature that gives them the capaci-
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEWScptember.October 1992 103
31 18 Quality Goes to School
ty to perform is precisely that each is autonomous Medieval feudalism was replaced by the unitary and specialized, informed only by its own narrow sovereign state precisely because it could not an- swer these questions. But the unitary sovereign state has now itself been replaced by a new plu- IWho will take care ralisma pluralism of function rather than one of the Common Good? of political power -because it could neither satisfy the needs of society nor perform the necessary Who will define if? tasks of community. That, in the final analysis, is the most fundamental lesson to.be learned from mission and vision, its own narrow values, and not the failure of socialism, the failure of the belief in by any consideration of society and community. the all-embracing and all-powerful state. The chal- Therefore, we come back to the old-and never re- lenge that faces us now, and especially in the devel- solved - problem of the pluralistic society: Who oped, free-market democracies such as the United takes care of the Common Good? Who defines it? States, is to make the pluralism of autonomous, Who balances the separate and often competing knowledge-based organizations redound both to goals and values of society's institutions? Who economic performance and to political and social makes the trade-off decisions and on what basis cohesion. should they be made? Reprint 92503
104 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Scptember.October 1992
32 Quality Goes to School 19
TQM LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROMINDUSTRY BY STEVEN E. BRIGHAM
o other management philosophy in recent memory has captured the fancy of American business like Total Quality Management (TQM). The shining lights of U.S. industry Motorola, Proctor and Gamble, and Xeroxwitness the success that can come with effective TQM practice. The momentum of TQM has been so contagious that it swept through manufacturing, then service and health care, and now comes to government and education. Yet TQM's standing in business circles has been sullied recently by critical press reports in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The Economist. Much of the criticism origi- nates from surveys conducted by Arthur D. Little, A. T. Kearney, Ernst and Young, McKinsey and Company, and Rath and Strong that have reached similar conclusions: in more cases than not, TQM has failed to produce its promised results. Before higher education proceeds further with its infatua- tion with TQM, it will do well to ponder the mistakes and accomplishments of previous practitioners, thereby increasing the odds of benefitting from the intelligence and holism of TQM. STEVEN E. BRIGHAM is director of the Continuous Quality Improvement Project at the American Association for Higher Education.
42 Change May/June 1993 20 Quality Goes to School
The surveys do not conclude that theand of the ways it differs from the tra-overburdensome workload for partici- TQM philosophy is worthless or evenditional management paradigm. Thepants with other organizational com- seriously flawed; they suggest insteadtroubles intensify when the leaders ofmitments. When teams flounder, moti- that the implementation of TQM hasthese organizations offer only passivevation wanes, TQM cynics burgeon, been deficient, even erroneous. Onlycommitment to quality, delegating theand quality efforts quickly lose steam. 36 percent of those responding to anfundamental duties to lower levels of Obsession with process. If you focus Arthur D. Little survey could reportmanagement. This often results in fur-on the basic processes of the organiza- that TQM was having a "significantther misunderstanding of changes re-tion, some TQM champions argue, the impact." Similarly, British firm A. T. quired for TQM, both in the impru-results will take care of themselves. But Kearney found that only 20 percent ofdent selection of "off-the-shelf" TQMthe danger of such a focus is that corn- those surveyed believed TQM had pro-training and implementation programspanies take their eye off the results that duced "tangible results." Yet, despiteand in an over-reliance on outside con-the process improvements are supposed these discouraging figures, TQM re-sultants for direction and facilitation.to yield. Authors Shaffer and Thomson mains, according to many experts, aWithout executive leadershipsettingcite, in the Harvard Business Review, a minimum requirement for staying in the strategy and championing the cause,not-so-uncommon case in which one business. TQM efforts suffer, moving in fits andmanufacturing company "launched al- TotalQuality Management hasits starts that ultimately can drown outmost 100 quality improvement teams as roots in statistical process control (SPC);even those units or teams that havea way to 'get people involved.' These it was originally a manufacturing man- produced impressive results. teams produced scores of recommen- agement model. When W. Edwards Middle management muddle. Anotherdations for process changes. The result Deming and Joseph Juran traveled to reason TQM dies is that managers andwas stacks of work orders piling up in Japan after World War II to help re-supervisors either don't understand ormaintenance, production engineering, buildthatcountry'sinfrastructure, don't welcome the new roles they mustand systems departmentsmore than what they taught then did not look likeplay. The old management mindset en-any of these groups were capable of re- what we now call TQM. Like any en-couraged, even implicitly rewarded, thesponding to....Ignoring mounting during species, TQM has evolved, ma- advancement and fortification of indi-evidence that the process was actually tured, and redefined itself. There is no vidual fiefdoms. Although such behav-counterproductive, they determined to one approach to TQM; the actual prac-ioris antithetical to TQM, withoutgeteven more teamsestablished." tice of "quality" looks very different countermeasuresitwillpersist, sub-When expected results are not tied to across manufacturing concerns, andverting the change process. Middletheprocesses marked for improve- more different still in service industriesmanagers are often the forgotten linkment, the costs run high with very little and health care. When it is applied toin TQM implementation, left out ofto show for it. educational institutions, and particu-the planning phases but then com- Failure to include the customer. Fi- larly to learning, "TQM" will divergemanded to learn an intimidating arraynally, many companies have concen- even further from its original manufac- of new behaviors; when they receive lit-trated all their efforts on improving in- turing form. Slavish devotion to thetle or no training for these new skillsternal processes with little or no regard earlier precepts of Deming or Crosbyand behaviors, or subsequent rewardfor the relationships between those will, in and of itself, not be enough;for their practice, matters are madeprocesses and the organization's ulti- higher education will needits own worse. mate customers. Untold energy gets frameworks for the management of Misunderstanding of participation.spent on religiously improving process- quality. Just as managers have to learn new be-es that are obsolete, trivial, or irrele- Thisarticle,then,willhighlight, haviors and skills, so too do employ-vant to the customer's needs. A re- from the findings in TQM-related liter-ees. One mistake, however, is to bringduced cycle time for the issuance of ature, the ways in which other indus- employees in too early, providing thememployee parking permits can hardly tries have encountered success or fail-with initial training in TQM tools andbe claimed a "success" if the absence ure infashioning their versions ofphilosophy but not with an immediateof visitor parking is all the while turn- TQM. The conclusions that follow re-opportunity to use them. Because mosting away customers. flect points of agreement across surveyemployees willnotparticipateuntil It should not surprise us that TQM findings, industry reports, and the sto-months (or years) later, they'll need tohas met with limited success elsewhere; ries of practitioners, starting with thebe trained again, wasting the initial in-itflips many time-worn management common mistakes made in implement- vestment. concepts upside-down.Itultimately ing TQM. Yet even a pror ipt delegation of em-wants to flatten out the organization, ployees and managers to teams doesadvance decision making at the bottom What's Gone Wrong not prevent these teams from boggingrungs of the organization, and embrace Lack of leadership. Many companiesdown. This happens, observers report,both customers and suppliers as part of encounter early trouble because, hav- because of weak group facilitation andthe organization. As demanding as ing heard the TQM commotion and ex-maintenance skills, poor definition ofeach of these steps might be individual- citement, they leap in with little under-team objectives, an open-ended timely, they can be daunting when combined. standing of what total quality entailsframe for project completion, and an Even so, many companies have achieved
44 Change May/June 1993 34 Quality Goes to School 21
dramatic, positive results from TQM. SLAVISH effective when itis a central, planned In the next section, I will explore some partof theorganization'sforward of the strategies and approaches that DEVOTION TO THE thrust, a thrust that requires top-level haveachievedtheseresults.Once leadership, that's built around an in- again, my comments are drawn from EARLIER PRECEPTS tense commitment to customers, and many sources, and I focus on the most that emphasizes big improvements in common recommendations made. OF DEMING OR CROSBY "core" processes. Does It Work? For any endeavor, early momentum The best evidence to date that TQM WILL NOT BE ENOUGH; can mean the difference between a rap- "works" comes from a May, 1991 U.S. id sequence of successes that builds General Accounting Office (GAO) re- HIGHER EDUCATION sustained momentum and a mere plod- port that examines the impact of TQM ding along, characterized by random on the performance of U.S. companies WILL NEED ITS OWN improvement and no palpable excite- that were among the highest-scoring ment. In the case of TQM, the reports applicants in1988 and 1989 for the FRAMEWORKS say, this early momentum has to be Malcolm Baldrige Award. In nearly all triggered by top management and fol- cases, these companies "achieved bet- FOR THE MANAGEMENT low directly from their carefully drawn ter employee relations, higher produc- plans. In the companies studied in the GAO report, it was customary for sen- tivity,greater customer satisfaction, OF QUALITY. increased market share, and improved ior managers to organize and lead the profitability." How did they do this? implementation of TQM personally. According to the GAO study, their ap- Implementation only began, how- proaches were customized and "home- ever, after quality improvement had grown" but shared common features, been integrated into strategic and oper- including a focus on customers' re- ational planning. Organizations start quirements, a strategic effort through- this planning process by conducting a out the organization to promote quali- thorough diagnosis of the organization ty improvement, and the training and (this can often take several months), involvement of employees, in all cases with data drawn from customer groups, with senior management leading the(HCAB), in its 1992 report, TQM: 14employees, and middle management to Tactics for ImprovingtheQualityassess current organizational practices. way. Another useful report is the Interna-Process,maintains thatthe"singleValues, mission, and vision statements tional Quality Study (IQS)a three- most important thing a hospital can doare also reworked. Finally, a "strategic to leverage TQM results is to improve year inquiry conducted jointly by Ernst quality plan" emerges that sets com- and Young and the American Qualityproject selection ... andsecond ... pany-wide performance goals and tar- tightly focus organizational improve-gets critical processes for first address. Foundationwhichemphasizesthe importance of timing and usage of ment process on just a few key process-Two crucial factors that leaders must practices. First, it debunks the myth ofes." A. T. Kearney, in TQM: A Busi-confront are the shift to an intensive a "universally beneficial set of prac-ness Process Perspective, reports sur-focus on customer needs and expecta- tices for all organizations." It reportsvey evidence showing that "althoughtions and a candid selection and assess- that certain practices potentially bene- bottom-up initiatives have been suc-ment of critical processes that keep an ficial for beginners tend to be of littlecessful in isolated factories and divi-organization in business. use to quality veterans later on. Ad-sions, corporations have been trans- Very simply, too often, too little at- vanced TQM practiceslike "world-formed only from the top, by execu-tention is paid at the outset to the cus- tives who 'walk the talk.' " And, Ar-tomer. Most organizations have been class"benchmarking mightactually damage the efforts of a quality novice. thur D. Little, in an early-1992 survey,designed as much to meet internal bu- Its advice to those new to the qualityfound that a focus in training employ-reaucratic needs as to meet those of game: concentrate on the basics, pro- ees, problem solving, and incrementalcustomers, and most organizations as- improvement in numerous but scattered mote teamwork, benchmark immedi- sume they already know what custom- atecompetitors only,and becomeareas around the companyin theirers need without verifying those as- more responsive to the customer. words, the "essence" of TQM todaysumptions. In these cases, appropriate Looking across the other reports, the in and of itself "won't result in the sig-strategy gets shortchanged, and the re- recommendations fallin two catego-nificant improvement needed to be-sultant bustle of activity generates a ries, one having to do with organiza- come ... a high performance business." flurry of improvements, few of which tional strategy, the other with imple- Each of these examples highlights areally matter to the customer. Karl Al- mentation tips. glaring oversightin many organiza-brecht, in The Only Thing that Matters, tions: the failure up-front to develop aargues that, in contrast, "customer- Strategy strategic plan for quality tied to thecentered companies... see the custom- The Health Care Advisory Board long-term business plan. TQM is moster as the starting point, listening post,
Change May/June 1993 45 22 Quality Goes to School
and ultimatearbiterfor everything AUTHOR employees that the new approaches will they do. They start with the customer's work. In the early and transitional needs and expectationsthe attributes UPON CONSULTANT stages of TQM, however, top-down man- that are desired. Then they develop and agement practices willstill be useful evolve products or services to satisfy UPON REPORT and relevant. them." A successful TQ strategy, then, Processes and results. Terry Walker targets the teams and projects that will URGES COMPANIES reports in National Productivity Re- achieve tangible results that customers view that in TQM programs that are have already helped to define. TO AVOID SPENDING performing poorly,"nearlyallthe According to an A. T. Kearney re- process goals are being met, but the re- port, "newcomers to TQM can benefit ENERGY ON ACTIVITIES sult goals are not." Whereas it was by starting with the right business proc- once near-anathema to suggest any fo- esses: those that are key to competitive- THAT DON'T IMPACT cus onresultswhen implementing ness." Appropriate selection of the TQM, now firms find it best to strike a criticalprocessesthose havingthe QUALITY, PRODUCTIVITY, healthy balance between processes and highest impact on customers and other results.Goal-settingisessential,ac- organizational stakeholdersrequires, OR CUSTOMER cording to the HCAB, because it forces as mentioned above, the completion of teams to stretch and innovate toward an accurate, candid, and comprehen- SATISFACTION. big results. In the absence of goal-set- sivediagnosis of the organization's ting, teams have little context in which current reality. These identified "core" to judge the degree of improvement processes (no more than three or four) needed. Author upon consultant upon are the fount from which all other or- report urges to avoid spending precious ganizationalprocessescascade;yet, organizational energy on activities that having identified these processes, an don't impact quality, productivity, or organization still must be patient with customer satisfaction. its restructuring while it attempts to Customer focus. If customer focus is meet its newly defined goals and mis- important during strategic planning, it sion. Thus, the pilot projects that are is even more so during implementation. selected during the planning stagesIndeed, some consultants suggestre- For organizations unaccustomed to so- must have "high probability for quickfraining from announcing TQM to theliciting customer input and feedback, success and meaningful impact," ac-entire organization at the outset. Long-building this into the everyday business cording to the HCAB. These early suc- timequalityconsultantBrianJoinercan be much more bewildering than in- cesses on substantial issues broadcast stresses, in an August, 1992 issue of In-corporating it into a one-shot strategic the importance and value of TQM. centive, that employees, even if informedplanning activity; involving uncertainty Integrating TQM into the strategicof quality efforts early on, should onlyabout what questions to ask, of whom, planning process is crucial, then, to itsbecome involved incrementally. and about how to later use that feedback short- and long-term success.It pre- The HCAB report is the most specif-to cause process improvement, simplifi- pares*the organization to get started onic in its talk about teams, the founda-cation, or innovation. In the GAO study, the right foot and creates a new frame-tion of employee involvement. Its eval-companies reported using focus gyoups, work in which the organization, overuators often found TQM teams lan-opinion surveys, and face-to-face meet- time, can transform the way itper- guishing in confusion and inertia; an ings to understand customer needs; they forms its work. antidote the board strongly recom-created matrix charts to specify the rela- mends is that organizational leaders as-tionships between critical processes and Implementation sign deadlines, clearly define a projectships between critical processes and Getting the strategy right is only halffocus for teams, set high goals to spurcustomer satisfaction, charts that al- the struggle; the best of plans don't en-"breakthrough" results, and help withlowed employees to clarify how their sure good implementation. Effectivedata collection and analysisall thisjobs added value to the customer. The implementation has three cornerstones: until teams become accustomed to moreIQS considered cutomer input critical employee involvement, the improvementautonomous teamwork. Meanwhile, em-to a quality-novice organization, par- of processes linked to results, and anployee teams are empowered by theticularly when done face-to-face. As enduring focus on the customer. new directive to generate ideas, makethat company evolves to a higher-per- Employee involvement. TQM litera-decisions,andeffectorganizationalformance organization,its customer- ture nearly unanimously professes the improvement. input practices become more sophisti- virtue of employee participation. Or- As an organization proceeds withcated. For example, while the novice ganizations seize upon this ideawithTQM, new ideas and responsibility-might focus on gathering information genuinely good intentionsby tryingtaking come to be generated through-to improve current products or reduce to include everybody, immediately. Yet,out the organization; successes buildthe impact of current problems, the as mentioned above, this seldom works.confidence for both management andh;gherperformergatherscustomer
46 Change May/June 1993 Quality Goes to School 23
A New Aim
ames worked on a conveyor belt. what steps in the process resulted in and high schools, and in the other JHe made and inspected widgets. variation on the measures and courses in the college and her depart- He worked at the end of the line strength. They made Improvements ment. She didn't see what contrib- where paper trays were made for and reduced the number of rejected uted to each student's different levels copiers. His job was to do final trays to .2 percent. Then they went of understanding and strengths. assembly and to inspect. Each day, back to work. This time they raised Then one day, a new dean came. about 450 paper trays came to specifications. The new aim was to He said, "What if all students were James. He knew his job well. He try to make all trays "special." successful?" Melany laughed. An in- carefully inspected and tested each A new aim. A new paradigm. nevi sult to education to think that some tray to make sure it was made to ac- copier company. of these students would be rated ceptable specifications. Any tray that "successful." They didn't compre- didn't meet standards, he rejected. hend the material or complete the as- Those that were exceptional, he TOM signments. They certainty didn't marked "special" and they were used ON understand rural sociology. on demonstration models. CAMPUS "No," he explained. "We won't He knew his job was important. He change the expectations. We'll knew that customers expected quality change the process so that all and that a copier wouldn't be a qual- students achieve the expectations." ity copier if the paper tray didn't Melany couldn't do anything about work. And the specifications were the that. There was too much that hap- way to ensure it worked. He knew QUALITY pened earlier over which she had no that about 16 percent of the trays control. There was too much that didn't meet specifications, and that happened later about which she had about 10 percent were special. It was no knowledge. a guide his supervisor used to make But, suppose, just suppose, that sure that James was doing his Job QUESTIONS we could get together and develop a well. Not too many, not too few. Each process that would result in all stu- day James did that, confident that he dents achieving high expectations? was doing quality work for the Melany was a college .Nofessor. Even honors? Imagine university customers. She taught Rural Sociolow 417 to spokespersons bragging about the James never actually saw the com- third- and fourth-year students. Every achievements of seniors and the qual- pleted copiers. He never saw how the year, about 90 students came through ity of the graduating class, instead of paper trays worked in the end. He on her conveyor belt. Her job was to the SAT scores of the recruited wasn't sure how they were assem- add knowledge and test the kids to freshmen. And suppose that, every bled to the copier. And he never saw make sure they met minimum stan- year, students would learn and do a customer use one. He also never dards. Any student below minimum more than the class that preceeded saw the steps to make a tray before it standards did not graduate. Any stu- them. got to him. He didn't know what dent who excelled was labeled "ex- A new aim. A look at education as Hank, Ivan, and Elaine did in steps ceptional" and given honors and a process. Identifying what contrib- before him. And he didn't know what special opportunities. utes to the overall success of each capsed the trays to be different sizes She knew her job well. She knew student. Aiming at "success" for and strengths. that society and those who hired each person. No one "fails." No stu- Then one day, a new manager graduates expected them to have a dent is "scrapped." named Hannah came to the company. minimum standard of knowledge. And A new aim. A new education sys- She said, "What if all paper trays met tests and grades were a way to en- tem. If we can do it for widgets, why specifications?" James laughed. New sure that. She knew that about 16 not for students? Ei manager. Didn't understand that if he percent of the students In her univer- passed all the trays, some of the sity in any year didn't make it, and What Is the value of labeling on a about 10 percent were given honors. copiers wouldn't work and the curve? What Is the harm? customers would be mad and not buy It was a way she was evaluated on their machines anymore. how well she was doing. Not too len- What happens to our expectations "No," Hannah explained. "We ient. Not too tough. of those labeled "below average"? won't change the specifications. We'll Each year Melany did this, she was improve the process, so that all trays confident she was doing her job to Will raising expectations increase the number of students that are meet specifications." provide for an educated society. She James couldn't do anything about never saw what happened to the stu- above average? that. The trays were nearly done dents after her class, whether or not What kind of changes are needed when they came to him. She ex- they graduated, got a lob, or how to realize a goal of all students suc- plained that they would have to study they did in their jobs. She didn't ceeding in your class? Your the whole process of making the know whether or how they used their program? Your institution? trays, from design through comple- knowledge in their lives, their next tion, step by step. courses, and their work. So Hank, Ivan, Elaine, James, and And she never saw the steps the Source: Adapted from Maury Cotter and Daniel Seymour, Kidgets: And Other Insightful Stories Hannah got together and worked on students went through before they about Quality in Education (Milwaukee, Wl: the whole process. They found out got to her: at home, in elementary American Society for Quality Control), 1993.
Change May/June 1993 47 3 24 Quality Goes to School
ideas to identify new products or to UNIVERSITY beforeitsmanagers; another hand- customize services. pickedaquality council composed TOM ADVOCATES MAY solely of doctors. Doctors were then Where Does TQM Lead? encouraged not only to conduct some New behavior in an organization only NEED TO RETHINK of the training but to lead quality im- begins to manifest itself once project suc- provement teams, both clinical and cesses have multiplied and reinforced the THE PLACE OF QUALITY non-clinical. Skepticism was overcome usefulness of committing to TQM. Slow- and high MD involvement was achieved ly the virtues of teamwork begin to MANAGEMENT ON only after the early projects and teams overshadow independent, isolated, in- had been proven successful. dividualized work; gradually employ- CAMPUS, LEST TOM WIND Many universities have begun imple- ees learn more about the organization, menting TQM under administrative its customers, and how their jobs fit into UP BEING ABOUT leadership, and have shied away from the larger enterprise. Middle managers, classroom and curriculum issues, which if they were included in the TQM effort PARKING STICKERS. is to say from their core processes. Most from the outset, have been trained to often this aversion is attributed to facul- lead, share information, coach, and fa- ty, who are said (like MDs in hospitals) cilitate; senior management grows more to be suspicious of any new manage- confident in allowing decision making ment philosophy. Further, they (like to occur at the lower levels of the or- MDs) know their jobs and they are al- ganization, closer to the product, serv- readyprovidingquality.University ice, and customer. Throughout the or- TQM advocates may need to rethink ganization, a heightened consciousness the place of quality management on about quality, and what prevents qual- campus, lest TQM wind up being about ity, pervades; it becomes easier to rec- parking stickers and billing complaints. ognize the enormous, hidden costs of Conclusion producingsubstandardproducts and services,the"costs of non-conform- Given TQM's decade-long run, itis ance." More attuned to customer needs, surprising how scant the documented companies dismantle the old structuresmet with less success than manufactur-evidence for its best practice remains. and build in flexibility and responsive- ing thus farFederal Express and theIn some ways we've just begun to move ness. Executives still steer and navigateRitz Carlton notwithstanding. Higherbeyond anecdotes and platitudes to the the organization but receive continuous education has good reason to be wary.pleasant (and unpleasant) truths about input and feedback from all parts of the Our most salient industry model coulddoing TQM. Higher education, though organization. be health care. Two reports by the Healtha late arrival on the quality scene, still Companies that have practiced totalCare Advisory Board, TQM: The Sec-must pioneer into very new territory. quality well for a long time, accordingond Generation and TQM: 14 Tactics This is not to say industry has noth- to the.GAO survey, exhibit commonfor Improving the Quality Process,ing to teach us. On the contrary, it is features, including "widespread infor- draw conclusions strikingly similar tohelpful to see across the sectors the im- mation sharing, fewcr formal and in-those from studies done in other indus-portance of building quality principles formal barriers between departmentstries. The HCAB reports offer specialinto strategic and business plans; of and among workers, a spirit of innova-insight into the role of doctors in TQMfinding champions at every level of the tion, and a high level of employee satis- organizations (medical centers), a roleorganization, particularly at the top; of faction."Itcannot be overempha-that is analogous to that of professorsfocusing on resuits and processes; of sized, though, that these new behaviorsin universities. bringing new teams on line, only as need- are not something to mandate and im- Hospitals that have been most suc-ed; of incorporating customers early on plement; they are a natural, albeit dif- cessful implementing TQM have involved and forever. These general recommenda- ficult, result of a patient, appropriate doctors early and extensively. Hospi-tions can serve us well. practice of TQM over time. tals that ignored MDs in implementa- While other sectors like health care tion efforts found themselves incapa-are just beginning to systematize what Is There a Model Relevant ble of dealing with their critical proc-works, we in higher education have to Higher Education? essesclinical quality and doctor re-years to go before we can do the same. The problem for many industriestention, for example. Without MD par-Nevertheless, we cannot afford to go once they grasp the "quality impera-ticipation, TQM gravitated to changesslowly; the demands for quality esca- tive" is how to translate the theory into like reducing patient waiting times andlate by the month. For our long-term, reality. Translation takes time; it must billing complaints. No hospital can ad-collective success, and even as we con- be done industry by industry, organiza- dress its core processes without doc-tinue to draw lessons from industry, tion by organization. The service in- tors' involvement, the board conclud-we'll draw most of our wisdom from dustries, let it be noted, generally haveed. One hospital trained its doctorsone another. 0
48 Change May/June 1993 3E Quality Goes to School 25
Lessons From The Workplace In the Classroom 'Total quality management,' first applied in business, is being adapted for education
school superintendent who for several years has been incor- By Mark Trumbull porating TQM concepts into pro- Sinif writer of The Christian Science Monitor grams in the State College, Pa., BOSTON school district. Although the application of AT the Boston Universitythese management ideas in the school of management, aeducation world is still in its in- .transformationisunderfancy; interest is "growing expo- way. Students will increasingly benentially; it is just booming," says graded not only as individuals butJonathan Fife,director of the also as members of teams. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher "For you to succeed, the teamEducation, an informationre- must succeed," Dean Louis Lataifsource center at George Washing- tells students. Students must stillton University in Washington. pass individual proficiency tests, If this movement is to trans- but by next fall, 90 percent of theform education, however, several course work for a master's degreehurdles must be jumped. These in business administration (MBA)include teachers' resistance to DEMING:The _father of 'total quality management' (although he eschews the will involve some ldnd of teaming,change and the time and effort itterm) speaks to management-school students at Boston University in MarrA Mr. Lataif says. takes to implement TQM. leges to eiite schools such as Cor- For Lataif, a former vice presi- The basic elements of the sys-management concepts in educa- tem espoused by W. Edwardstion have been aimed mostly atnell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and dent of the Ford Motor Company the Massachusetts Institute of the growing emphasis on team-Deming and other managementadministrative performance, work is part of a broad move toexperts include a focus on "cus-rather than at curriculum, saysTechnology in Cambridge, Mass. tomer" needs, measuring per-LawrenceSherr,professorofA few institutions are trying to im- implement the principles of "total plement the quality regime uni- quality managernem.' formance and trying continuouslybusiness at the University of Kan- to improve it, and creating a man-sas and co-author of a recentversity-wide. These include the TQM, long a buzzword among University of Michigan, the North companies struggling'..,regainagement environment (includingbook,"Quality:'fransforming pay and promotion policies) inPostsecondary Education"Dakota university system, and their competitive edge, can also Pennsylvania State University work significant changes in Amer-which everyone works toward(George Washington University). conunon goals. (See story, left.) Many colleges, however, are "Nobody has been at it very ica's educational system, Lataif long," Sherr says, noting that and other educators say. Proponents emphasize teamworktrying to apply the ideas more as part of this effort. broadly,Professor Sherr says.businesses typically pursue TQM "I think it's our greatest hope," for more than three years before says Seldon Whitaker, a high To date, efforts to apply theseThese range from community col- 26 Quality Goes to School
:milts begin to show up. Schools have 'just started to scratch the sysface.- ne adds. WHAT IS how well it is functioning. Among the visible results in TOTAL QUALITY About 96 percent of prob- educauonal institutions: MANAGEMENT? lems are due to poor system Many business schools and design, not poor performance en&eering schools teach the BOSTON by the people in it, Deming W. Edwards principles of TQM. Deming is con- contends. III Teachers are being encour- sidered the father of total qual- Continuous improvement. aged to view students as "custom- ity management (TOM), yet he Alternatives to the existing sys- ers.' This may lead, for example, reacts almost angrily to the tem are planned, tested, and to more surveys asking them term. "Don't ask me obout it.I then - if they are better - im- whether lectures are easy to un- don't use it. It's not in my vo- plemented. derstand. cabulary," he said in a recent Total involvement.Every- Universities are also viewing interview. one in the system works toward students as 'inputs' arriving from The statistician, who earned the oveioll goal of the organi- other systems. "We need to work a doctorate at Yale University closely' with the grade schools zation, not toward individual or in 1928, is credited with help- narrow departmental goals. and high schools, Shea says. ing Japanese industry make Penn State'sengineeringpro- Systemic support.The sys- dramatic gains after World War tem is designed to be support- gram, for example, is working II ("at their request," he with Pennsylvania high schools to ive of the preceding principles. stresses).Dr. Deming talks improve student preparation. Too oftenpeople are still pro- Schools increasingly cooper- mostly about good manage- motedon the basis of how well ate with employers. Much of the ment, rarely using the word they do for their department, impetus for TQM in schools has quality. not how well they serve the or- ovine from businers. Sherr'sbook "TdM is simply excellence," ganization, Lataif says. qfiotes one executive who warns: says Louis Lataif, dean of Bos- Deming tells of one com- 'We'll Stop recruiting at places ton University's school of man- pany's travel department that that aren't teaching total quality' agement and a Deming disci- saw its goal as keeping travel The Penn State center was es- ple. "Excellence is not going to costs down. The result: An em- tablished with business funding, go out of fashion." ployee had to get up at 1 a.m. and 10 state high school districts Dr. Lataif describes five businesses - to catch a cheap flight to New - also aided by local facets of the system, cll of are eight months into a program York for an important after- which could apply to a school noon meeting; the travel de- tolearnquality management. Each district sends it3 superin- as easily as to a business: partment saved $138. focus. Customers tendent,the president of the Customer Lataif acknowledges that, teachers' union, one principal, didn't know to ask for a micro- while these concepts are vital and one teacher to Penn State for wave oven before it was in- to the "how" of running an a two-day seminar every month. vented, he notes. Successful organizotion, they do not pro- These small teams will then lead componies direct their efforts to vide the "what" - the sense of the Implementation of TQM in meet consumers' needs. mission or direction. "That's their school districts. Management by facts. leadership," he says. Deming ond other statisticians -M. T. BEFORE this program, Mt developed nietliuds to regularly Whitaker's district had al- test the output of a system, ready responded to local whether it is an factory assem- employers who, when surveyed, bly line or a soles force, to see said vocational educatton was not teaching enough teamwork skills. The involvement of the teach- ers-unionpresidenthas"cut through a lot of resistance' to TQM in his school district, Whita- Linda Goldstein, a student in ker says. the MBA program, says working The same resistance exists at in teams has revealed how differ- the university level, where profes- ent perspectives - from a foreign sors 'are some of the most con- student or a 'numbers person° - servative, nonchanging individ- can help solve problems. uals you'll ever find on the face of Whitaker says that in his high this earth,' Mt Me says. school district, administrators de- At Boston University Lataif Ls veloped a 'more collaborative at, asking professors to work more mosphere' when they did away closely together in their teaching with a ranking system to deter- and research. They as well as the mine pay raises. 'We still assess students, will learn the power of lindividuall performance; but not collective minds,' the dean says. on a point system," hs says.
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE Quality Goes to School 27
Deming: We've Been 'Sold Down the River onCompetition'
BOSTON cently gave him an honorary degree, aftersetts Institute of Technology's Center for Ad- which he sp9ke with the Monitor. vanced Engineering Study, Deming attri- ELDON WHITAKER, superintendent of He opposes giving out grades in schoolsbutes the problem to targets set by Sears. Shigh schools in State College, Pa., re-for the same reason he objects to the cur- But American goal-setting seems to be members meeting W. Edwards Deming atrently popular idea of "pay for performance"growing. Last month the Clinton administra- the close of one of his famous four-day sem-at companies: These approaches encouragetion announced Goals 2000, which would inars. On learning Mr. Whitaker's pro-individuals to "try hard," downplaying man-expand a Bush-administration initiative to fession, the quality-management sage asked,agement's responsibility to keep improvingset national objectives for students, teach- "Did you get rid of grades yet?" the overall system. ers, and schools. Still, Whitaker says Dem- "No." America has "been sold down the river oning's approach can mesh with a "results" fo- "Do it Monday." competition" as a way of improving per-cus, since he outlines "processes to achieve "It's not that simple...." formance, Deming says. What's needed in-those results." "Do it Monday." stead, he says, is "profound knowledge." Grades are unlikely to go out of style, ed- The exchange reveals Dr. Deming as aThis means ideas from outside that can im-ucators say, but some foresee changes in the man utterly convinced of certain ideas toprove a system. grading process. Many share Deming's dis- which many AmeriCans are opposed. Deming argues that numeric goals ortaste for grading on a curve. And some ad- Asked if any United States companiesquotas often encourage participants in thevocate more-frequent testing so deficiencies have put his ideas into practice, he re-system to fudge numbers or cheat custom-can be corrected along the way. sponds: "Not that I know of. Maybe Ford," aers to meet the goals. He cites Sears Roe- "Don't wait till the end of the year to give company that hired him as a consultant. buck's automotive-service centers, whicha test and then fail some people," says Wil- Deming's air of disappointment can bewere found last year to be selling unneededliam Hartman, director of the Center for To- taken with a grain of salt: Thousands of peo-services to customers. In "The New Eco-tal Quality Schools at Pennsylvania State ple have been reading his books or books in-nomics for Industry, Governincilt. Educa-University in University Park, Pa. debted to his ideas. Boston University re-tion," recently published by tilt? Massachu- - M. T. _
4 28 Quality Goes to School
Amer an Statisti Association March 1991 Number 173
Deming's Ideas Changing the World But How Fast the World Changes is Up to Us Commentary by David Kerridge While we have been wondenng how to make people take statistics senously a statistician has changed the world. That's the good news. The bad news is that the world doesn't know it yet, and if we don't wake up in time, it never vnll. The statistician is Dr W Edwards Deming. A.4-4111- He has developed, and is still developing, a gen- eral theory of management, based on scientific 1'0)- and statistical principles. With it. remarkable improvements in quality become possible. Defects can be cut from rates per hundred to rates per million, while costs fall at the same ume. This made the microchip possible, and also the Japanese industrial "mira: cle.- Everyone can see these results, but hardly anyone connects them with statistics: that is the first problem. The other is that many consultants are selling watered-down versions of the Deming system. They replace sta- tistical understanding by rote learning and avoid telling managers to make drastic changes in the way they think. W. Edwards Deming See DEMING, page 4
BEST COPY AVAILABLE Quality Goes to School 29
The British Deming Association and the David Kerridge was for ma»y years DEMING ,ontin Lied ,from page l Royal Statistical Society have a great deal professor of statistics at the University in common. Both are open educational and of Aberdeen in Scotland. Hc recently Probably these populanzers mean well. Sta- research organizations, not concerned with retired and now works as an indepen- tistical thinking is so hard for managers to profit, except to the community at large. dent consultant accept, that there is a temptation to treat it Both must be concerned with these new as a barrier to quality rather than the essen- developments in quality and statistics. tial foundation. Anyway, rules are easier to There have already been successful joint sell than principles: who wants to think meetings: we look forward to fruitful coop- Reprinted from the January 1991 Statistics in quality is nothing new The eration in the future Royal Statistical Society News and Notes. t-test was developed to help make better Guinness lalelclinical tnals am a standard way to improve medical treatment. These 111. dea: with improvement at the obvious level of tactics, not strategy Statistics even New Deming Center Created at this level, used throughout industry and commerce, would lead to very useful gains. at Columbia University These gains are nothing to those which come when statistical and scientific think- Columbia Business School has established the W. Edwards Deming Center for ing arc used to study complete systems, Quality Management, Dean Meyer Feldberg has announced. and management itself. Take health. drains Initial funding for the Center is a $185,000 gift to the School from the personal and good housekeeping save more lives charitable trust of David Sainsbury, Feldberg said. A 1971 graduate of Columbia than penicillin. The changes that brought Business School, Sainsbury is deputy chairman of J. Sainsbury plc, a leading British these about were based on statistics, which supermarket chain. is why Florence Nightingale was one of our "The goal of this ambitious new program is to perpetuate Dr. Deming, philosophy founders In the same way, many Japanese of effective management of quality, virtually transforming the style of management managers do not know why job security prevalent today," Feldberg said in the Columbia University Recotd (Nov. 16, 1990). leads to quality, or merit ratings destroy it. "Through the Deming Center we intend to incorporate a quality perspective they just accept the fact. into our curriculum in a comprehensive way," he said. "We want all Columbia Quality management has more to do Business School graduates o enter the business world with a fundamental under- with people than with machines. People are standing of the role of quality management in today's environment of global com- the most vanable. least predictable, and most petition." He noted that the work produced under the ausptces of the Deming important part of any system. Managers Center will be made available to other business schools as well as to business and struggling with complex problems usually indust ry. feel that science and statistics can not help The internationally recognized champion of quality management for the past them It is easy to see why Few have ever four decades, the 90-year-old Deming has been teaching a two-hour class in quality known statistics as anything but the routine management at Columbia Business School this semester. He said thatFeldberg collection of figures, or the application of "obviously believes that a school of business has an obligation to prepare students text-book formulae These are useful, but to lead the transformation or management in industry; educationand government." very limited in what they can do The Deming Center will be directed by Professor John Whitney, a former presi- The most important things in manage- ment. as Deming himself says,are dent of Pathmark Supermarkets and a specialist in business turnarounds. Research "unknown and unknowable." A blinkered director will be Professor Peter Kolesar, whose field is quality management and sta- approach, seizing on the few things that tistical quality control. Faculty members from the Columbia business and engi- can be measured precisely, and ignoring neering schools with extensive experience inquality consultation with business the rest, does far more harm than good and industry will be associated with the new Center. Many common management practices fall Five other Columbia Business School research centers will be affiliated with the into this trap What is worse, the random Denung Center, the Center for Studies in innovation and Entrepreneurship, directed processes most often met in management by Professor Martin Starr, the Center on Japanese Economy and Business, directed are nut in a state of statistical control, so by Professor Hugh Patrick; the Center for Human Resource Management, directed ordinary distribution theory does not apply Professor Ann Bartel: the Executive Leadership Research Center, directed by Pro- These difficulties make the statistician fessor Donald Hambrick, and the Strategy Research Center, directed by Professor more useful, not less. Someone must judge Kathryn Harrigan. whether standard statistical methoc 3 will When fully funded, the Deming Center will encompass a chair in quality man- work in each problem as it arises. ' Then agement, a visiting professorship by an internationallyrespected scholar, doctoral they fail, as they often do, we have Lc rely and MBA fellowships and faculty field studies. on the basic pnric 'pies of vananon. Den ng has made us realize how powerlul these ale "Companies should manage so as to optimize the system, where- lake away measurement Irom geometry and by everyone would gainemployees, stockholders, customers, you still have topology. In the same way. when probability calculation is impossible, suppliers." many print iples remain \\:c have here, not W. Edwards Deming lust a new range ol applications, Ina awhole (quoted in Best of Business Quarterly, Winter 1990-91) new held ol theoretical re,-.earc h 4') Amstat News March 1991 III
Planning Periodos
Thinking through
Theory and Concepts
uality Scoes to hool
44 Quality Goes to School 31
COMMENTARY
511 If SRI) S 1-Ms%...111
TotalQuality Management, or mix of policy initiatives that would, on Our experience with TQM here at TQM, has rapidly become one of the the one hand, decentralize education the National Center forEffective current buzzwordsineducational by assigning much more authority and Schools leads us to be enthusiastic circles. Unfortunately, it appears that responsibility to individual schools about its potential to help schools very few educators have more than a and, on the other hand, centralize become more effective. The five school superficialunderstanding ofthe education by imposing a national cur- districts that comprise the Wisconsin philosophy, concepts or processes that riculum and mandatory testing. Consortium have used the Effective are embodied in TQM. Some view Total Quality Management very Schools processtogetherwith TQNA as the yellow brick road to clearly favors decentralizing because it Outcome-Based Education and Total Utopia and others view it as the road explicitly rejects standardized tests and Quality Management to guide their toHades. Here inMadison, for performance evaluations of individual school improvement efforts for more examplei recommendation by a students and emphasizes ateam than three years and are beginning to broadly based planning committee approachinwhichallschool show some impressive results. The that the local public school system personnelteachers, administrators, Center's Effective Schools process pro- adopt TQM was Immediately attacked counselors, secretaries, cooks, custo- vided a template which guided these by teacher union representatives as a dians and even bus driversfocus on districts as they worked with their nefariousplottoundermine the creatingaschool environment in staffs to develop the conflict resolu- collective bargaining process. which students enjoy learning and tion, communication, decision-making During the last half of this century become autonomous learners. To and leadershipskillsthatareso the confluence of several trends has understand and appreciate TQM, it essentialtosuccessfulsite-based fundamentally altered the organization may best be viewed as a philosophy of management. Total Quality Manage- and operation of public schools in management that rejects a hierarchical ment provided both a philosophy of America. Reorganization and con- or "top-down" approach in favor of an management that complements the solidation of school districts led to approach in which all participants can Effective Schools process and a set of more centralization and larger central and do contribute to enhancing the tools and procedures that are helpful in officebureaucracies;theneedto quality of the learning community. As identifying problem areas and testing achieve greater racial balance and to David Langford observes, TQM solutionsthe Plan, Do, Check, Act provide for students with special needs recognizesthatstudentsarethe cycle. We have incorporated several involved the courts in the day-to-dav ss orkers and that teachers are really aspects of TQM into our School-Based aspects of school operation more managers because they must decide Instructional Leadership program and heavily than ever before; the increas- how to use the resources available have prepared a paper that is available ing reliance on state funding to both time, instructional materials and their upon request, "The Effective Schools reduce reliance on property taxes and own knowledge, know-how, wisdom Processfor Continuous School reduce disparities in funding led direct- and character to help a group of Improvement," which shows the ly to more rules, regulations and man- students with diverse talents. Interests interrelationships between and among dates; arid the emergence of collective and skills become active, engaged theEffectiveSchoolsprocess, bargaining and strong teacher unions autonomous learners. Outcome-Based Education and Total changed the working relationships of Another important contribution of Quality Management. teachers and administrators. All of TQM is the recognition that, in many The potential TOM holdstor these forces tended to divert attention cases, it is the system itself that is at transforming our schools into institu- away from the fundamental building fault, not the teacher, the principal or tions where continuous improvement
blocks ot any educational system: its the students. Langford's comments . the norm isnicely captured by classrooms and schools. Today we are about accountability are appropriate, Myron Tribus in his recounting of the beginning to realize once again that i.e., that accountability "is just a fancy statement made to him in Japan: "You educational reform cannot be ac- word for blame," and that often there promote and reward peoplefor complished by mandates alonethat is no one to blame because the system individual performance; we promote if lasting change is to occur, it must as itis currently configured is only and reward people for getting other involve fundamental changes in the capable of producing a certain level people to perform well." That is, after ulture of schools. We see a curious of performance. all, the acid test of leadership! 32 Quality Goes to School
WHAT Do WE DO To IMPROVE?
1\ \I11 H \1111. (.11 III(
Myron Tribus, a colleague of that made our students so eager to by lowering the price or by adding W. Edwards Deming, divides his time help somebody else." clever little features, but these will not between Exergy Corporation, a com- The key, to him, is simple. "If you last, because it takes quality exper- pany which is introducing a new ap- take young people and present them iences to sustain devotion." proach to electric power generation, with children such as the ones at the But how do words like "product," and his work as a consultant in qual- camp and tell them their job is to help, "service," and "customer" translate ity management. Deeply interested in they are motivated." into an educational setting? Tribus the application of quality management The results were impressive. "They placeshisdefinition of quality principles to schooling, Tribus has came up with all kinds of wonderful squarely on the shoulders of the held positions in both the private and gadgets. One boy could not use his learning process. public sectors, including Dean of the limbs, and they fixed up an electric "Quality in education is what makes School of Engineering at Dartmouth typewriter, where the letters flashed on learning a pleasure and a joy," he College, Director of the Center for Ad- the screen in front of him and by blink- responds. "Some measures of student vanced Engineering Study at MIT, and ing an eyelid he could choose a letter.". performance may be increased by senior vice ,,resident in the Xerox Cor- Tribus notes that the educational threats, by competitions for grades or poration. He also served as Assistant philosophythat permeated the prizes, but the attachment to learning Secretary for Science and Technology programsimilar to the philosophy will be unhealthy." in the US Department of Commerce. espoused by the movement known as He adds, "It takes a quality exper- Total Quality Managementwas that ience to create an independent learner." teachers must create an environment He emphasizes that the purpose that in which students want to learn, one drives the quest for quality is crucial. Thc most compelling way for where they will play an active rather "We're trying to create autonomous Myron Tribus to communicate what than passive role. learners, people who are learning he means by an education of quality "As the teacher, you have to help because they want to, because they are is to tell a story from his personal students to learn, and you have to motivated to learn. That motivation experience. "When I was Dean of teach them how to improve their comes from the satisfaction they get Engineering at Dartmouth," he begins. learning process," Tribus says. "That from a job well done." "we truly revolutionized what we were makes the student co-manager of his This means that autonomous doing by making student projects cen- or her education." learners will be motivated to seek tral to every class. Here is one thing Tribus's conviction that the prin- quality for themselves, and seek it we didalthough we had many ciples of Total Quality Management relentlessly,Tribus says, and he different ideas. canand shouldbe appliedto believes that a high degree of self- "I took a group of sixty sophomore schools is compelling, even to a skep- esteem and confidence will also result. men to a camp in New Hampshire tic. As he explains the philosophy that "When students finally decide that where they had disabled children, underpins what he prefers to call "the they're satisfied themselves, then they thalidomide victims, in those days quality movement," he draws distinc- can face the world." polio victims, blind childrenif there's tions between industrial and educa- an affliction, there's a kid there with it. tional applications of TQM's key Components of a Quality Education "I took these sophomores to visit the concepts, and laces his translation of kids, brought them back and said, 'In the TQM philosophy with forthright ten weeks you've got to come up with comments that reveal his humanistic, hat does a quality education some technique or device or gadget yet hands-on approach to schooling. comprise? Tribus believesitmust that makes it easier for the doctors and How does he define quality? "Qual- encompass four dimensions, which nursesto do therapywiththe ity in the business setting," Tribus he lists as "knowledge, know-how, youngsters. We'll solve a problem for replies, "is what makes it possible for wisdom, and character." these people. your customer to have a love affair Heexplainseachinturn. The resultsof theassignment, with your product or service. "Knowledge enables us to understand Tnbus claims, were staggering. "These "It is possible," he adds, "to produce what we learn and how to connect it kids worked all night. I had professors a temporary infatuation by telling lit- to other things we learn. It provides of religion visit me to ask what It was tle lies about the product or service, us with the ability to generalize from
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Focus in Change
our experiences. With knowledge, we looking for, and then decide what to ing in-tandem with teachers who, in can accumulate thirty years of ex- do about it. Fortunately, they're not turn, are working with administrators perience instead of one year repeated that much at variance." and parents, will produce the best thirty times." or highest qualityeducation. Know-how, he observes, is hands- How TQM Stands Apart Prizes, rankings, standardized tests, on and applied. "It enables us to put grades, and performance evaluations knowledge to work and requires the are all equally abhorrent to Tribus, integration of knowledge from many Tibus belioives that TQM differs who advocates Deming's belief that sourccs. While knowledge may be from other approaches currently they create competition, which is gained from reading, listening, and used inschools because of three destructive. "You want a bunch of discussing, know-how can be acquired distinguishing characteristics. "TQM simpletons, you give simple tests," he only by doing." is holistic," he points out. "It deals not says tartly. He defines wisdom as "the ability to only with the classroom but the But what does he suggest to replace decide what is important and what is management of the school and the them, beyond the TQM statistical not. Wisdom allows us to set priorities roles of allthe players. Another techniques used regularly by students for ourselves and helps us to decide unique feature is the insistence on and school staff? what is worth worrying about." quality, that is, defining excellence in In his answer, Tribus says that He continues, "Characterisa everything you do. And the third ele- measurement of quality is delimited by combination of knowledge, know- ment is understanding the role of the type of education desired as an how, and wisdom, coupled with statistical variation. outcome. "The education you are try- motivation." "We're saying that we have to teach ing to produce must include the four It is crucial to remember that the people the tools and techniques of components of knowledge, know- education that students receive, not quality management, but we can't talk how, wisdom, and character. If you students themselves, is the product. about the techniques without talking say, we're only going to test know- Tribus explains, "In a classroom, the about the social system in which they ledge, we're only going to benchmark students are the customers of the are embedded. And we can't talk against knowledge. I was a teacher for teacher. Together they define what about thesocial system without forty years, and I know now how makes a quality experience. Teachers discussingthe managerial system shallow that is. If that's all you test, are the customers of the administra- within which the social system is that's all you'll get, and the other tors,andadministratorsarethe embedded. And that whole thing is things won't be taught. If you say, customers of the school board. boxed in by the educational system. we're going to test know-how, we "Customers for the education that When we talk about quality manage- know how to do that. Good technical students will receive are the students ment, we talk about treating them all schools do that. You can give a per- themselves, their parents, their future at once. You can't talk about any one son a task to do and see if they can do employers, and society at large." He piece without the rest. it. But then what about wisdom and adds, "The employer wants to use "That," he says, "is unique." what about character? Are you going thestudent's education,abilities, But he is not content to explain on- to leave them out?" knowledge, know- how, wisdom, and ly how TQM differs from more Instead, he suggests that schools cer- competence. The student wants to prevalent approaches to schooling. As tify that they have taught students the rent out his education to somebody. he pointsoircitsdistinguishing four components necessary to a quality Parents want a good education characteristics, he indicts other ap- education. "If you wanted to know if because they paid for it. And finally, proaches. "The current approach to the school was doing the job right, the country at large would like to have schooling," he says, "is based heavily you'd invite a random sample of kids well-educated so the country can on ideas associated with competition students from that school to take better function. Every one of us lives and ranking. People want to know examinations anonymously, so the surrounded by other people, so we how good something is relative to students aren't being judged. Those ,.vant everyone to be educated, respon- something else. Under TQM, the would be reviewed to see if the sam- sible, and of good character so that we only question is: What do we do ple matches what the school is saying can survive. We, society at large, are to improve?" about its students. customers of that education. And this question, according to "We don't need an independent test- "If we are the supplier of the educa- Tribus, is just as appropriately raised ing agency," he notes, "but we do need tion, we have to make sure that we by a student as by a teacher or school an independent testing, a process, which find out what all those people are administrator. In fact, students work- we will compare from nme to time."
4-7 34 Quality Goes to School
Focus inChange
How do school people in the enterprise. staff and students as11111011w.i._ "If you havea realize when quality school with a hundred has been attained? teachers in it, find ten Tribus warns that and meet with them there are no simple informally to read and measures for quality. talk about this. Take "There are, however, turns reading and several measures of the 4 reporting on what you processes of learning read, go to different that indicate whether seminars, and hear the quality can be attained." different gurus." He illustrates with At the end of an ap- an example. "An exer- proximate six-month cise I urge teachers to time period, Tribus undertake is to make a says it is time to "gain list of the things that know-how," which destroy quality. Such a can be done by apply- list is best prepared in ing some of the key cooperation with the concepts at the learners. These items classroom level. "You, will define the things the teachers, perhaps that should not be N. 7.7k4,.. the senior students, done! Then, if an ef- 4 andaconsultant fort is made to do the q should do some ex- opposite, you will be perimenting for about on the road to quality." a year. At the end of He predicts that a a year, you will have typical list prepared by some evidence of what teachers and students it means to try to run together would in- with quality. Take the clude items such as resultsof that and students not doing the discussitwith your reading, the reading faculty.Afterthat not being interesting, discussion, it's time to the teacher doing all go to the school board." the talking, a competitive atmosphere to implement the concepts of TQM in- Tribus asserts that a presentation to that makes most of the students feel to a school or district? Tribus says the the school board should not be made to inadequate, the use of external starting point is similar for business gain approval for what is being done. motivators such as grades, and actions executives anxious to change their com- "Assume you have approval," he says. that reduce self esteem. pany's method of conducting business. "Tell them what you want them to do Tribus declares, "Staff will know "There are several things you have to help you improve these things you they are achieving quality by observ- to do," he states. "You have to gain have been working on. You should have ing that the students are doing their knowledge and you have to gain been able to do this all on your existing work with joy and are operating know-how. budget. This is how you get started, mostly on their own initiative. The "One of the things you could do and from there it will take off." teacher becomes an enabler, rather would be to talk with some of your The rationale behind the formation than a person who does something to teachers to see if there are some who of the initial team is that learning is a someone else." already know about it, or who are in- socialactivity,Tribus maintains. terested. Form a small group with "Learning all by yourself is very dif- How To Begin them. I use Pareto's law, which says ficult," he comments. "You need to that the number of people who count create a little social environment in How should an administrator begin is the square root of the number of which to learn. And if what you're Quality Goes to Schod 35
Focus in Change
learning involves a paradigm shift, you how they will measure the quality of they need." must try it out as quickly as possible. it. As people start to work on those Good judgment comes from bad things, the competitiveness beg;ns to What Will Students Gain? experience. You develop wisdom from fall away." your mistakes. But how do schools know a good If TQM is adopted, Tribus says that "By inviting the students, who are consultant from one who is mediocre? gainsfor studentswill include a the customers of this education, to "First of all, you have to know that recognition that systems must be participate with you, you begin to this person is competent in quality treated holistically, rather than "as in- achieve a paradigm shift. In industry, management principles. You find out dividual pieces. Another concept they the paradigm shift can be explained by if they have any other customers, and will learn is the whole idea of statistical the fact that the workers at the bot- you talk to those customers, asking variation, while another is an organized tom have brains, but it's hard for the specific things they have done. Then way of understanding cause and effect, people at the top to accept that. They you have to make sure that the always looking for causes and trying to believe the reason they're at the top is chemistry between you and this con- see them in a systematic way. that they're the smartest. People at the sultant is good." "We use the word system in two bottom are obviously there because What about the role of statistical senses," he adds parenthetically. "One they're the dumbest. variation, which is an integral compo- sense is that things are systematic, "If you organize society and teach nent of TQM? Are there particular dif- meaning you have an algorithm or a people that, they like it and it rein- ficulties in learning and applying the way of doing things. In the other sense forces itself. You have what we have of the word, you consider a collection todaypeople at the top convinced of interacting things we have isolated that they're there because they're in our minds for study to see how they superior and the people at the bottom act on one another and how the are there because they're inferior. Even ccy actions and resulting actions all create the people at the bottom begin to It takes a a dynamic. believe it. It's a very bad way to view "When we say the problemis the world, but there it is. quality exper- systemic," he continues, "we mean "So I have a rule. Whenever an ience to create that the problem arises because of the improvement is made, the lowest-level structure or behaviors of the system in person who participated should tell the an independent the second sense, not in the first sense. story of the improvement atthe learner." When we say, 'TQM is holistic,' we highest possible level in the company, mean TQM is a system in the first so that the people at the top are hear- sense, treating systems as a whole." ing things that they find incredible Students also learn to be analytic from people they really didn't believe about their own education, Tribus in before. That is part of the strategy maintains. "They learn to analyze for getting people at the top to realize keystatisticalconcepts? Tribus what they learn and how they learn it that there is a lot of brainpower at believes that the basic statistical con- so that the activity of learning itself is the bottom." cepts are not difficult to comprehend. something they become good at, and How do team members guard "We're not talking about what hap- becoming good at the activity of against competitive urges to dominate pens in Stat 101, or a course that learning is an end in itself because they the group? "Competition will hap- educators all have to take. We're talk- identify that with quality." pen," Tribus says, "and your job as ing about something that is very, very Tribus, who is convinced that TQM administrator is to ameliorate it, not simple. There isn't a single statistical is essential to transform the present eradicate it, as best you can. That's the tool that we teach that can't be learned educational system, sums up its occa- point at which I have a consultant in an hour." sionallyelusive philosophyina come in, because the consultant begins Preferring to call statistical variation sentence."Iheardawonderful to add the quality discipline that peo- "data evaluation," Tribus stresses that explanation in Japan. They said, 'You ple don't recognize they need. The children can learn it easily as well. "As promote and reward peoplefor consultant will have the group decide soon as kids are big enough to use a individual performance; we promote what they are trying to do, make sure calculator and to know what addition, and reward people for getting other. . that what they say is operational, and multiplication, and division stand for. people toperform well.That's then focus on how they will do it and Cliey can do allthe statistics that the difference." 36 Quality Goes to School
FOCUSin Change
DEMING'S ORIGINAL 14 TQM POINTS*
1 Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs. 2 Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.3 Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place. 4 End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust. 5 Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs. 6 Institute training on the job. 7 Institute leadership. The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers. 8 Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.9 Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service. 10 Eli !MIMIC slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zcro defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force. 11 A: Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership. B: Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership. 12 A: Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.B: Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workman- ship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective. 13 Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement. 14 Put everybody in thecompany to work to accomplish the transformatiol. The transformation is everybody's job.
DEMING'S POINTS MODIFIED BY STUDENTS AT MT. EDGECUMBE HIGH SCHOOL SITKA, ALASKA
1 Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of students and service. Aim to create the best quality students capable of improving all forms oj processes and entering meaningful positions in society. 2 Adopt the new philosophy. Educa- tional management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change. 3 Work to abolish grading and the harmful effects of rating people. 4 Cease dependence on testing ,to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspections on a mass basis (standardized achievement tests, minimum graduation exams, etc.) by providing learning experiences which create quality performance.5Work with the educational institutions from which students come. Minimize total cost of education by imp, ,ving the relationship with student sources and helping to improve the quality of students coming into your system. A single source of students coming into a system such as junior high students moving into a high school is an opportunity to build long-term relationships of loyalty and trust for the benefit rj students. 6 Improve constantly and forever the system of student improvement and service, tr improve quality and j roductivity. 7Institute education and training on the job for students, teachers, classified staff and administrators. 8 Institwe leadership. The aim of supervision should be to help people use machines, gadgets and materials to do a better job. 9 Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the school system. Create an environment which encourages people to speak freely. 10 Break down barriers between departments. People in teaching, special education, accounting, food service, administration, curnculum development and research must work as a team. Develop strategies for increasing the cooperation among groups and individual people. 11Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for teachers and students asking for perfect performance and new levels of productivity. Exhortations create adversarial relationships. The bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the control of teachers and students. 12 Eliminate work standards (quotas) on teachers and students (e.g., raise test scores by 10%, and lower dropouts by I 5%). Substitute leadership.13 Remove barriers that rob the students, teachers and management (principals, superintendents and central office support staff) of their right to pride and joy of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolition of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective. The responsibility of all educational managers must be changed from quantity to quality.14 Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone. 15Put everybody in the school to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's lob.
From Deming. W.E. (1986). Out ot the Crisis (pp. 23-24). Cambridge. MA: MIT Center for Advanced Engineering Study.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE Quality Goes to School 37
TOM in Education: The Theory and How to Put It to Work
By Myron Tribus
W. Edwards Deming often says, "Expe- and they deserve respect. They are not rience alone teaches nothing." If you do born mean, but can be made so. The not have a theory to provide a framework philosophy behind the Deming approach to understand your experience, you do not values the self-esteem of those who learn accumulate 30 years of experience: you and those who teach. merely repeat one year 30 times. The Deming theory of management By "theory," we mean a connected set goes beyond the historical views of man- of concepts residing in our heads. The agement in specifically recognizing the concepts represent our image of "reality." impact of the system on the behavior of We use them to make predictions about people. Deming often cites a rule he at- how our future depends on our actions. tributes to Juran: The purpose of this essay is to des- When t.0 -re is a problem, 85 percent of cribe how the theory of management devel- the time it is with the system; 15 percent of oped by W. Edwards Deming may be ap- the time it will be with the workers. plied to the educational process. The Lately Dr. Deming has suggested the theory was originally developed to improve numbers should be 95 percent and 5 per- the management of manufacturing enter- cent. To deal with a problem, therefore, prises. Over time it has been extended to Deming advises to begin with an examina- service industries, government, and even tion of the system that an overwhelming not-for-profit enterprises. It is important amount of the time, he argues, is the to consider how best to apply the theory to source of the problem. education. Concern for how people respond to By what criteria should we judge a managerial actions is crucial to the suc- theory of management in education? cess of quality management, which is why We have no shortage of proposals for Deming emphasizes the need for managers reform in education, nor a shortage of to understand elementary principles of good ideas and research results. The task psychology and the scientific basis for is not just to pick one of them, but rather these principles. to develop a comprehensive approach Deming's view takes into account within which to implement the many good statistical variation. He calls for manage- works known to us. The theory of man- ment by fact, which implies collecting data agement developed by Dr. Deming provides and analyzing them statistically before an excellent framework within which to decisions are made. examine proposals for improvement. Because Deming views systems as the Any theory of education reflects the means whereby human wealth and happi- philosophy, either explicitly or implicitly, ness may be obtained, he warns against of the philosopher. Education is the managerial actions that lead to less than means whereby adults pass on to children optimum system performance. He espe- their beliefs, values, and desires for the cially argues against managing each com- future. Whatever is done in education ponent as though it were separate from represents a philosophy and a system of the others, an approach that occurs, for values -- our beliefs regarding the good, example, when accountants try to make the true, and the beautiful. each activity its own "profit center." The Deming theory of management is Deming warns against approaches based on a humanistic philosophy. It that pit the person against the system or begins with the belief that all people are against other persons. Deming believes in educable, that they want to do a good job personal responsibility, but goes beyond
5 38 Quality Goes to School
that concept to consider the special re- 4.Is the theory holistic, i.e., does it rec- sponsibilities of those who manage sys- ognize education as a system? Does it tems. Conventional approaches to man- deal with the teaching/learning pro- agement, i.e., as discussed in Fortune cesses? With the responsibilities of Magazine, often dwell upon the rewards of leadership and management? management, e.g., by publishing annual 5.Is the theory based upon and does it salary surveys. Deming dwells upon the make explicit use of: obl(gations of management. a) Psychology of people, taken A satisfactory theory of education individually and in groups? should address the teaching/learning pro- b) Systems theory? cesses as central to the mission of the c) Statistical variation? institution, and it should bring to bear on d) A theory of knowledge? these processes tools for improvement. 6.Does it identify a particular set of tools The theory should also address the and techniques to make it practical to related issues of parental participation, reduce the theory to practice? Do school administration, and teacher train- these tools and techniques span the ing and evaluation. A satisfactory theory, activities from teaching, learning, therefore, should be "holistic." The theory leading, managing, as well as relations should take into account research in the with people outside the system? fields of education and social sciences. 7.Is the theory capable of being: The theory should have a scientific basis, a) Descriptive, i.e., provide lan- and a moralistic basis. It should be based guage and concepts that help us on an understanding of what is fair and understand what we see? Does it what is good for society, even if these de- increase insight? terminations in specific situations are not b) Predictive, i.e., enable us to pre- always easy to make. dict, with a reasonable probability, The fruits of education occur in the what will happen in the future? future. A god system for the manage- Does it help us to decide what to ment of education demands a long-range observe? Does it identify leading perspective. Long-range planning requires indicators of improvement? consistency of purpose, communicated to c) Normative, i.e., provide a guide all through a vision of what the enterprise to action without being proscrip- ought to be. tive? A really good system of management 8.Has the theory ever been reduced to will alter the goals Pnd objectives of the practice with good results? educational system, recognizing trends 9.Does the theory call for widespread and changes in the environment. In spite participation and promote continuous of change, the basic philosophies of man- learning on the part of everyone in the agement and teaching should remain con- system, not just the students? stant. A holistic approach to management Moving from the one-room school- requires concern with seven essential house to the computer-based modern elements: philosophy, vision, strategy, school should call for a change in meth- skills, resources, rewards, and organiza- ods, but not for a change in objectives and tion. The omission of any one link in the philosophy. chain renders the theory inoperable. If presented with a theory of manage- Omit philosophy, and you have no ment in education, we should ask: followers. Omit vision, and confusion 1.On what philosophy is it based? Is results. Omitting strategy produces false the philosophy explicit? starts. Without skills, the result is anxi- 2.What is the implied set of values be- ety. Without resources, you have frustra- hind the theory'? tion; without rewards, bitterness; without 3.What vision of the future motivates organization, no coordination. With all the theory? seven, you have success! Any approach to education should be Learning is more akif? to research examined to see whether it deals with all and development (R&D) than it is of these seven elements. to an assembly prv!ess. Adempts People often demand that we prove. to organize R&D as though it were ahead of time, that quality management merely an asseLubly of ideas to be will work in their enterprise. They say, managed in the style of an assem- "Sure, it works in industry. But can you bly line have been aisastrous. The prove it works in education?" same is true in education. Dr. Deming habitually responds to In industry, quality management such questions with the remark, "Survival requires every manager of every is not mandatory." He knows there are process to identify a customer. If some things one cannot "prove." To a process has no output for which "prove" is to demonstrate, by words and there is a customer, why do it? logic, that something is true. Educators are not habituated to No one can prove a theory, but we can the concept of "customer." They disprove theories in many ways. For ex- are apt to believe that a process ample, we can prove logical inconsistency, should continue because "we've or supply counter examples. But we can- always done it that way." not prove a theory. Even if we point to There are many "customers" for the years and years of social research support- product, i.e., for the student's education. ing our contentions, this does not provide In order of importance, they are: proof. 1.The students themselves, for they We can often point to experiments must live with the product for the conducted in systems that were only par- rest of their lives. tially organized for quality management, 2.Their parents, for they, too, must but these are capable of many interpreta- live with the product and they are tions and do not serve as proof. They do the ones who, in general, pay for not persuade those who are doubtful. it. In many areas of life, "proof' that a 3.Future employers, who will have normative theory works can only be expe- to pay to obtain the benefits of the riential. For example, unless you have student's education. experienced cooperative learning, or inde- 4.Society in general, as represented pendent study, in competitive-free environ- by governmental agencies, which ments, there is no way anyone can "prove" pay a large fraction of the cost of to you that cooperative education really the education and thus desire that works. The best we can say is: 'Try it. the student, as an adult, becomes Give it a chance. You'll like it." a contributing meinber of society. In adapting quality management, orig- The objective of every school or univer- inally developed for business enterprises, sity should be to provide for each student we must keep in mind certain differences opportunities to develop in four categories: between education and business: Knowledge, which enables us to un- The school is not a factory. derstand. The student is not a "product." The Know-how, which enables us to do. education of the student is the Wisdom, which enables us to set product. priorities. Successful completion of the prod- Character, which enables us to uct requires the student to partici- cooperate, to persevere, and to pate as a worker, co-managing the become respected and trusted learning process. members of society. Teaching and learning are two differ- We refer to these four components as ent processes. Teaching is the contents of the education. A theory of more akin to management than to management for education should consid- detailed supervision of activities. er not only the contents, but also the sys-
5? 40 Quality Goes to School
tem, environment, style, and processes duce the goods and services. The impor- required to deliver the contents. Because tant principle derived from industrial expe- the contents will vary from school to rience is: school and community to community, the If you want to improve a product or theory addresses how the contents are service, pay close attention to the determined. processes that produce the product Existing approaches to management in or service. Measurements on the education do pay attention to both the product or service provide, at best, contents, which too often considers topics, lagging indicators. They are too (such as mathematics, science, art, Eng- late to provide more than regrets. lish, and history) as independent topics, Measuring the characteristics of not part of a system. the process provides leading indi- Likewise, existing approaches treat the cators upon which actions may be method of delivery too often merely in taken to insure a good result. terms of the physical environment, the A keystone in the Deming philosophy schedule, and the methods of testing. is the continuous improvement of all pro- What distinguishes quality management cesses. It is not important to identify, at from conventional management are these any cne moment, the best process some- concerns: one else has developed. 1.Concern to define achievement by Rather, the enterprise and its manag- reference to the purpose of education, ers should learn to develop the habit of not standardized tests. continuous improvement. Any theory of 2.Concern for processes instead of or- management that seeks the best process ganizations, to make form follow func- for delivering a service and then organizes tion. itself to keep that process constant with 3.Concern for improvement of processes time is suspect. instead of working only on outputs. Although today much attention is paid 4.Concern to involve all players in the to "benchmarking," that obsession should improvement process, not just the be understood as a crutch for managers faculty. who do not know how to make their organ- 5.Concern that every person in the sys- izations obsessive about improvement. tem understands how the system The justification given by most managers works, what the system is supposed to for their focus on benchmarking is that it do, and how well it is doing it. supplies a motivation for the workforce. 6.Concern to optimize the performance "See how well they are doing it? We of the system as contrasted to optimiz- ought to be able to do at least as well!" An ing components of the system, i.e., obsession with benchmarking relieves the beyond raising scores in specially managers from having to lead the way in identified subjects. improvement and of having to inspire 7.Concern that ev-:iy person is educated crew ivity in the workforce. to participate in the improvement I r boards of directors understood theii process, i.e., that everyone becomes jobs, they would appoint as CEOs only response-able. Too often conventional those who have demonstrated their ability approaches to management are con- to lead people in the processes of improve- cerned only to identify people who are ment. responsible. Quality management is School boards who understand quality more concerned about fixing the sys- would look first at candidates for superin- tem than fixing the blame. tendent by asking for strong evidence of In industry we have learned to pay leadership cow,-....ed with good managerial close attention to the processes that pro- skills.
5 4 Quality Goes to School 41
Two Official Visions of the Future
By Myron Tribus
A vision for education must look SCANS report, the Department of Labor ahead to the time when the education identified the following changes as will be put to use, and must consider desirable for K-12 education: the threats and opportunities those Teaching should be offered "in con- being educated will face. The choice of text," that is, students should learn what to include under the headings of content while sclving realistic prob- knowledge, know-how, wisdom, and lems. "Learning in order to know" character will depend upon this vision should not be separated from of the future. "learning in order to do." It is not enough to have a vision Improving the match between what that relates to how the contents of work requires and what students education should change. We must are taught requires changing how also understand the changes required instruction is delivered and how for the educational system itself. Un- students learn. der quality management there is much High performance requires a new less of a focus on the curriculum. system of school administration Rather, the question is how should and assessment. the system change to adapt to, and The entire community must be possibly influence, the future? The involved. vision should not only anticipate the The vision of the U. S. Department future, but should aim to meet the of Education is basically a call for a future in the best possible way. return to older paradigms of education, Educational systems are complex. with an emphasis on testing and com- Teachers are professionals and should petition. be so treated. Teaching and learning is Within that framework, schools are what takes place when the teacher encouraged to try something new, any- closes the door and starts to speak. thing. The underlying premise of the The test of a vision for a school is the America 2000 approach 's that having extent to which it influences what hap- schools compete with one another is pens behind the closed doors. "good." The free market approach to The Bush administration produced education is "good." Developing nation- two rather different visions for educa- al testing programs, which score and tion. The Secretary of Education pub- rank one school against another is lished "America 2000," which empha- "good." sizes national testing, high standards America 2000 also calls for safe for math and science, and improved schools, elimination of drugs, and other control over the physical environment enhancements in the school environ- in schools, specifically reduced drugs, ment. It is legitimate to ask: "Why greater safety, and better preparation hasn't this been undertaken earlier? for schooling. Why are t.hese new goals for the fu- The second vision was from the ture?" Secretary of Labor and is known as "A I conclude that America 2000 does SCANS Report for America 2000." (See not begin with a vision of the future.It Table 1.) seems to be aimed only at repairing In an addendum to the original what is obviously wrong today. It is 42 Quality Goes to School
Table 1: The SCANS Report Workplace Know-How
The know-how identified by SCANS is made up of five competencies anda three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities that are needed for solid job performance. These include:
COMPETENCIES -- effective workers can productively use:
Resourcesallocating time, money, materials, space and staff; Interpersonal Skills -- working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating, and working well with people from culturally diverse back- grounds;
Information -- acquiring and evaluating data, organizing and maintaining files, interpreting and communicating, and using computers to process information; Systems -- understanding social, organizational, and technological systems, monitoring and correcting performance, and designing or improving systems;
Technologyselecting equipment and tools, applying technology to specific tasks and maintaining and troubleshooting technologies. THE FOUNDATION -- competence requires: Basic Skills -- reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking, and listening.
Thinking Skills -- thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning. Personal Qualities -- individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-man- agement and integrity. Quality Goes to School 43
certainly a step in the right direction, goals of the enterprise, it does not dic- but it represents a limited, near-term tate these aims and goals. Thus it vision, at best eight years out. seems incumbent on the local school The SCANS report, on the other boards and communities to decide for hand, presents a table of competencies themselves what to include under the that industrial representatives iden- four headings: knowledge, know-how, tified as necessary to a flexible, compe- wisdom, and character. tent work force in the future. When discussing knowledge and In my opinion it is a much better vi- know-how, it is important to define sion for the future of education and levels of competency associated with provides much better guidance to edu- each. Thus we may desire that chil- cators. The proper test of a vision dren at the fourth grade become com- statement is not how high sounding it petent in using a computer, but the is, but rather whether it helps those level of competency to which we aspire who are trying to fulfill the vision. for them should be different than for a A major strength of the American university student. system of educanon is that the U.S. The concept of level of competency Secretary of Education does not have is not new in education. Educators will much power! Educational policy is in recognize at once the relationship of the province of the individual states, these definitions to Bloom's taxonomy: and within the states often is set by Level 1: Recall, remembering knowledge counties and school districts. Acquire by: reading, viewing, listening. It seems to me that for the health of Tell, name, list, define. Who? When? the nation, we should nurture diversity Where? in educational approaches. We nurture Level 2: Understanding, comprehension "seed banks" to assure that in the fu- Develop by: explaining, developing ture, no matter what plant diseases vocabulary, reflecting what has been may arise, there will be a multiplicity of said. Demonstrate by: Giving main idea, pre- seed types from which we may obtain dicting, evaluating cause and effect. new strains. Level 3: Problem solving -- Given this, Diversity in education should be re- find that. flected in the choices made with respect Develop by: Solving "textbook type" to the balance among knowledge, problems. know-how, wisdom, and character, as Demonstrate by: Solving problems on chosen by different school districts. tests, providing relationships, formal I submit that it is healthy for the presentations of solutions. nation if different schools define these Level 4: Creative application, identify- contents differently, but I also believe ing problems in fuzzy situations. Cre- no school should omit any one of them. ating new methods of solution for new My conclusion from studying the classes of problems. two reports is that it would be better Develop by: Problem formulation in a for the country if the federal Depart- variety of circumstances. ments of Labor and Education were Demonstrate by: Original work, pub- combined. In any case, neither depart- lishable in a journal cr converted to ment, fortunately, has control over the product or service of use in the market contents of an education. or acclaimed by audiences. The main point I would make is When the school board, the super- that while quality management uses intendent, principals, parents and technitiues to assure that whatever is teachers, with some student represen- done is consistent with the aims and tation, develop a specification for the
57 44 Quality t'.ioes to School
contents, each competency must be The selection of desirable character described with reference to a level, traits will not always be easy. For ex- using an agreed-upon scheme such as ample, every community has questions the one illustrated above. regarding religious and sex education. Students should have a hand in The question of prayer in schools has developing agreed-upon descriptions of been discussed ad nauseam, but no levels of competence. Only then can matter how the courts may rule and no they become partners in improving the matter how the matter may be decided processes of teaching and learning. Of legally, proponents of various views will course the degree of participation will not be silenced easily. de-,aend upon the ages of the learners. Quality management techniques For adults the participation should be such as nominal group technique, af- as equals. finity diagrams, and other methods to My colleague, Theresa Hicks, has organize thinking about complex prob- demonstrated that students can con- lems provide methods for developing a tribute even at the level of the second consensus on difficult issues. grade. At this level, they require con- The key to developing wisdom and siderable coaching, of course, but enor- character is inquiry or project-centered mous implications for their future de- learning. Students should undertake velopment as responsible co-managers to do something they recognize as im- of their education result from this kind portant and rewarding to do. It should of participation. be fun and serious at the same time. A useful tool for specifying knowl- The project should have an output, edge and know-how is the "Quality such as a service or a product. It could Characteristics Evolution Diagram" or even be a proposal for legislation. The tree diagram illustrated in Figure 1. output could be an improvemen t in an The development of character is activity within the school. Whatever is considered to be of paramount impor- undertaken, there should always be a '.ance in kindergarten and the early customer for the output. grade school levels. As students move We visualize the quality-managed higher and higher in the educational school as developing its educational system, wisdom and character receive program around a number of student less and less attention, until, at the projects. Projects lend themselves to level of the university, only the football cooperative learning. Teachers and coach st ms to care about the develop- students can observe barriers to coop- ment of character. eration and can identify non-coopera- By character, we mean a collection tive behavior. cf traits, such as honesty, initiative, Many educators have learned that curiosity, truthfulness, integrity, coop- when students engage in a project that erativeness, initiative, self esteem, hu- serves others it brings out the best in mility, ability to work in groups, ability students. Even those who were previ- to work alone, perseverance, trustwor- ously seen to be "problems" perform thiness, conviction, principled. better. Each school district should gener- The main difficulty for most teach- ate its own list of the character traits it ers and administrators in project-ori- wishes to see in its students. The list ented education is the changed rela- should be developed with broad partici- tionship between teacher and learner. pation, including parents, representa- It is harder for the teacher to prepare a tives from industry, teachers, students, "lesson plan." In addition, methods to and the administration. evaluate what has been learned are DROP DEFINITIONS SHADOW PARADIGMS INDICATES MORE INFORMATION ON ANOTHER DIAGRAM ISHIFTS
HI STORY OF ()UAL 1TY IPIONEERS
EL EME NTARY EFFECTS PSYCHOLOGY
P AD I G-15
Unders talding Ou al I ty CHARACTERISTICS THEORY OF SYSTEMS
EVOLUTION
STATISTICAL THEORY GOING BACK TOZERO
THEORYOF rFTJTURE KNOWLEDGE
Figure 1: Quality characteristics evolution diagram.The drop shadow allowsthe diagram to deal with whatever level of detail is required without requiring a wall to display it; thus the diagram at the right shows how the topic "paradigms" would be expanded in another detailed tree structure. more subtle. the development of wisdom and charac- In the old-fashioned approach, the ter. They do not deal with know-how. students may be observed sitting silent- They are harmful to students because ly as the teacher presents the informa- half are in the lower 50 percentiles. tion. Having presented a well-defined And teaching to achieve test scores is content, the teacher then uses a stan- boring for students and teachers alikel dardized test to see what the students Students at Mt. Edgecumbe High have retained. The results of a stan- School in Sitka, Alaska, after a few dard test allow comparisons to be made years of experience with quality man- among students or with other classes agement methods, illustrated the and with national norms. changed relationship between teacher Unfortunately, though the conven- and learner as shown in Table I. tional approach is easier on teachers The development of wisdom and and provides "objective numbers" that character require different methods of may make some people feel better or instruction. This fact has been recog- worse, it does not address the purposes nized in the second SCANS report. of education. The differences are summarized in National tests do not touch upon Table 2. 46 Quality Goes to School
Table 2: Roles of Teachers and Students
Teachers Do to Do for Do with Enable Students No choice Captive Dependent, Independent Captive Passive accepting investigator, Antagonist Dependent follower seeker of knowledge; joy Let me out! I'm OK It's OK in learning
----> Direction of increasing autonomy --->
Table 3: The conventional classroom compared with the SCANS classroom From the conventional classroom: To the SCANS classroom Teacher knows answers. More than one solution may be viable and teacher may not have it in advance. Students routinely work alone. Students routinely work with teachers, peers, and community members. Teacher plans all activities. Students and teachers plan and negotiate activities. Teacher makes all assessments. Students routinely assess themselves. Information is organized, evaluated, Information is acquired, evaluated, interpreted, and communicated to organized, interpreted, and communi- students by teacher. cated by students to appropriate audi- ences. Organizing system of the classroom is Organizing systems are complex; simple: one teacher teaches 30 students. teacher and students both reach out beyond school for additional information. Reading, writing, and math are treated Disciplines needed for problem solving as separate disciplines; listening and are integrated; listening and speaking speaking are often missing from the are fundamental parts of learning. curriculum. Thinking is usually theoretical and Thinking involves problem solving, "academic." reasoning, and decision making. Students are expected to conform to Students are expected to be responsible, teacher's behavioral expectations; sociable, self-managing, and resource- integrity and honesty are monitored ful; integrity and honesty are monitored by teacher; student self-esteem is often within the social context of the classroom; poor. students' self-esteem is high because they are in charge of their own learning.
Source: Fort Worth Public Schools Quality Goes to School 47
Putting Quality Management to Work in Schools:Getting Steited
By Myron Tribus If quality management is to be suc- tern to change before they tried quality cessfully applied in schools, the trans- management in their limited areas of formation must be led by an adminis- control. They have provided us with trator, i.e., superintendent, principal, tangible evidence that the approach headmaster or headmistress, etc. What works (in a limited way) and have given does that person do? us a glimpse of how things could be. Figure 1 presents a process for To a certain extent, the introduc- getting started. This chart, called a tion of TQM in a school is more easily Deployment Flow Chart, is one of the accomplished in connection with ad- more powerful tools of quality manage- ministration and maintenance, for ment. It is not the oniy way to start, these activities are similar to many but it demonstrates some of the ele- activities already carried on in industry. ments required for success. In these applications, considerable help The chart shows how personnel are can be obtained from people in indus- deployed to accomplish a task. Deploy- try who are already practicing quality ment Flow Charting displays the work management. and how staff members interact with Locate nearby companits already one another and the process.It is the involved in TQM. Experience shows only tool that displays these elements they are often willing to help. on one sheet of paper. The arrows Introducing TQM in the classroom, leading into the boxes tell who should however, is more of a challenge. Fewer supply leadership. The drop shadow people are around to help. Although indicates that more detail is to be found the new paradigm for quality education on another related diagram. differs from the approaches mandated The objective is to bring about a by many people in authority in the state in which all elements of the school system, it is not that far re- school work together in common pur- moved from what many teachers want pose. This objective does not mean to do but cannot because the system that it is impossible for an individual will not allow them. teacher to put some of the ideas to AASA has established a network of work in the classroom until everyone people interested in TQM in education has agreed to the overall effort.If ev- and those who wish to pioneer can eryone waits for the leaders in educa- obtain considerable help from others of tion to start, we shall wait forever. like mind who have signed up for the Sometimes individual teachers have to network. All that is required is a fax begin anyway and do what they can. machine and the address list. However, unless the entire system These things characterize TQM in is changed, the individual teacher will the classroom: be frustrated.I would not advise 1. The student as co-manager of the teachers to wait until the entire system teaching/learning process. is improved before experimenting. Just The teacher and learner should, at be prepared for battles! the beginning of every session, and We should be grateful to those especially at the beginning of the se- hardy pioneers who went ahead any- mester, review and discuss their mutu- how, without waiting for the entire sys- al objectives. The teacher should re-
6 as Quality Goes to School
Figure 1: Deployment flow chart. A way to put quality management to work in schools
Parents IndustrySchl Bd Supt. IPrincipalI Admin[Teachers !StudentsConsultant
(Agree to try one school )
Meeting to discuss what is involved in starting TQM in this school. Develop consensus regarding objectives. Ask for volunteers for steering committee
Form TQM Steering Committee
Develop Statement of Philosophy, Vision, Aims, Mission of School and Core Values
Provide Training for a few teams working on projects selected incooperation with the steering committee
(Formal Presentation of the results of the improvement efforts to all stakeholders. Seek support for continuance.
One way to get started, with leadership from the top. The lines show who should provide leadership in the activities. In this example, the school principal is the leader. The small circles indicate help from the consultant. Each box represents a task. The elongated boxes with rounded corners represent meetings. A drop shadow on a box indicates that more detail can be found in another diagram. (Based on a suggestion from Larrae Rocheleau, Superintendent, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Sitka, Alaska)
view and develop class consensus on come this handicap. the knowledge, know-how, wisdom, and As one moves higher and higher in character trait he or she expects to be the system, students become less eager developed. This is the most important to learn particular subjects. "Do I have step in the process, for without a con- to take algebra?" they ask. If the an- sensus concerning what is to be done, swer is "Yes, you must: it is required," the cooperation so essential to co-man- the teacher may be asserting authority agement will not develop. but it is unlikely that the student will At the lowest levels, say in K-12, be ready to give the extra effort that teachers rarely need to argue with the leads to a quality result. clffldren about what should be learned. One of the most important tasks of Experience shows they are eager learn- a teacher is to provide a basis for inter- ers at that level, unless their home nal motivation toward a subject. This conditions have militated against it. is why the SCANS report emphasizes Head Start and similar programs pro- the doing of work as a part of learning. vide examples of what to do to over Applications of algebra to everyday life
6 r' Quality Goes to School 49
are plentiful, and a good teacher can teacher establish better discipline, self always show examples that will interest discipline, than could be achieved be- most students. fore. People learn best when they feel the The teacher may have to intervene need to know. Projects will inevitably to prevent the children from becoming deal with the need for algebraic manip- too harsh in dealing with students who ulations and these ought to be intro- disturb the learning environment. The duced before students are formally teacher may use these occasions asa introduced to algebra. With suchexpe- way to introduce elementary consider- riences behind them, students are more ations of psy chology in a practical con- likely to accept that it is a rational text. requirement. 2. Using internal rather than exter- In the end, of course, people often nal motivators. have to "take" something they do not One of the most difficult aspects to want. In a TQM-managed school, how- let go in the older paradigms in educa- ever, this forced feeding will be a rare tion is the use of external motivators to event. make the children do what is desired. An essential part of the consensus "Spare the rod and spoil the child" lives building is the definition of the levels of on in the minds of many teachers and competence required. The teacher parents, even when physical abv, _t is should have in mind some minimum prohibited by law. level to be required of all students but Teachers who pioneer in quality should not inhibit those who wish to go management in the classroom and rely beyond. on intrinsic motivation will have to deal Consensus should be established with criticism from well-meaning col- on how the competence is to be dis- leagues, parents, school boards, and played, what the students have to do to even some unenlightened employers. demonstrate they have achieved the For most teachers, the problem is level of competence agreed upon, how not so much just to let go of the old they are expected to acquire it, and ideas. Rather it is knowing what to do how the teacher will help. How the instead. So many of us are habituated teacher and learner will know thecom- to using external motivators that we petence has been attained should also often feel we are not doing our jobs if be agreed upon. we leave them out. Many teachers have had such poor Examples of unhealthy external experience with students that they do motivators include these: not believe that a consensus can be a) Competitions for prizes developed and that the students will b) Grading students "on the curve" then stick with it. Teachers have de- c) Threats regarding poor perfor- scribed their experiences in producing mance this consensus, even in inner city d) Special honors for good perfor- schools and with students from homes mance where drugs and child abuse arecom- e) Segregation of students into mon. These reports are becoming different classes by "ability" available now and are most heartening. Criticism without appreciation of Theresa Hicks, who has been exper- accomplishment. imenting with this approach in the Internal motivators are called into second grade, says the children are play when a learner understands what fascinated with the chance to help set it means to do something very well, has the rules. They will often help the had a hand in setting the rules where-
6 ;) Quality Goes to School 50
by an excellent job is to recognized, do when the eggs hatch, etc. Each knows that someone shares the joyof student investigated a different partof knowing the job was well done, and is the project and reported back tothe taught to self-assess the work as it is group. The internal motivation was ongoing. intense. Reading, listening, and pre- The key is not just to make stu- sentation skills were developedalmost dents responsible, it is to makethem as a by-product. quick- respons-able. The cooperative spirit can be When we say that . students should ly destroyed if students are set to com- be made response-able, we meanthat peting for wades. the teacher should make certain the The teacher should discuss with learner has available the tools required the students: for self improvement and for improve- a) the objectives for the class, inthe ment of processes. development of wisdom and character: Older students can profit from the b) how the teacher and the students excellent boc. by Covey. dents will know whether they are pro- Seeing self improvement when it gressing. has been documented is a pleasure. Of course this means the introduc- This is the strength of the BoyScout tion of topics not normallyintroduced and Girl Scout merit badge system. at the lowest grade levels,but the omis- The badge shows that the student sion of this emphasis on thedevelop- has been examined by someone who ment of wisdom and character is a agrees that the work done wasof good modern phenomenon. quality.It. was not part of a contest. A review of the McGuffey readers Anyone who can do the required tasks used so widely at the turn of the centu- can earn one. ry shows deep concernfor the develop- The standards are (or should be) ment of character and wisdomthat our rigorous. The examiner helps the forefathers had. For a generation of youngster if the job is not rightand youngsters growing up on farms, it provides coaching to get it right.The probably worked, for a fanner cannot badge does not signify that someone be of poor character and succeed. else has been beaten. It signifies con- Nature is more unforgiving than an quest of self. urban society. A powerful stimulant to internal I do not propose to redeem tothe motivation is to be part of a team in McGuffey readers, for they are inappro- which each member of the team relies priate to our times. Theobjectives on the output of theother team mem- remain, however: the means should bers. This self motivation, which is so change. evident in sporting events, alsotakes place in group projects. For example, a Some principles carry over, un- team of second graders decided,with changed, from industrial experience encouragement from their teacher, to Experience with quality manage- into a develop an inexpensive egg incubator ment in industry may be distilled that might be used to help protect en- few simple principles. dangered species. The Process-First Principle: With this objective in mind, the The quality of the product is de- team needed to investigate suchtopics termined by the quaUty of the as at what temperatureto maintain the process that produces it.If you eggs, how to protect the eggs,what to want to improve a product or Quality Goes to School 51
service, concentrate on improv- not just increasing the pressure on ing the process that produces it. teachers or students for the desired Assistant Principal Franklin P. result, the failure rates were reduced. Schargel of the George Westinghouse At Mount Edgecumbe High School Vocational and Technical High School in Sitka, Alaska, students were taught in Brooklyn gave me the following ex- to analyze their own study habits, after ample of the application of this princi- which the results on tests improved. ple. But more important than that, they The administration was concerned participated with their instructor in over the number of students failing examining all aspects of the teaching/ their subjects. Student failures are learning process. The teacher also extremely expensive, for they create in- changed what he was doing. By con- creased costs in money, time, and effort centrating on the process, together they in later years. At some critical value of improved the product. failure rate, the entire system will come to a halt. The role of tests and testing The process leading to success or Deming's Point #3 is "Cease depen- failure involves the giving of assign- dence upon mass inspection." ments, discussion with students, This point translates directly into homework, testing, and the general education. The change parallels what interaction of the teacher with the has been learned in industry. For class. years American managers hired inspec- A flow chart may be made by stu- tors to inspect the work of employees. dents and teachers depicting the pro- Quality did not really improve; rather, cesses that occur between the time the the poor quality work did not get out. student receives an assignment and it Costs went up and the customer saw is completed and evaluated. mostly what was just good enough to A study of students who were fail- pass inspection. ing showed that the critical problem Dr. Deming told me that when he was their failure to do the homework. went to Western Electric in the 1920s, Other problems revolved around lan- 30,000 people were making telephone guage, reading ability, etc., but a Pareto sets and 10,000 people were inspecting diagram of the causes of failure showed their work. The job of the workers was that this was by far the largest item. to get their product past the inspectors To reduce failures, therefore, the learn- and the job of the inspectors was to ing processes of the failing students catch them if they did something had to be changed. wrong. This is no way to reduce cost. The causes behind the failure to do It is no way to achieve improved tele- homework were examined; the process phones. It is no way to work. associated with just doing homework The only legitimate purpose of an was studied in detail, and several rea- examination in the classroom is to help sons for failure to do homework were the teacher and learner decide what to found. Most were beyond student con- do next. Students and teachers should trol (i.e., systems problemsJuran's agree on what is to be accomplished, principle). how it is to be judged, what level of Therefore, special time was set competence is minimally acceptable, aside during the school day and stu- and how it will be demonstrated. Stu- dent tutors were assigned. In short dents at Mount Edgecumbe High order, the failure rate declined by half. School coined the phrase, "If it isn't By concentrating on the processes and perfect, it im't done."
6 52 Quality Goes to School
This does not mean that all work is aim to develop the best list of demon- equivalent. Some students may aim for strated competencies they can. The a higher level of accomplishment. For school should describe the minimum example, one student developed a com- standards to which all students are puter program giving an encyclopedia- held. This description should include like discussion of certain plants in complete details insofar as the adminis- Alaska. So did other students. Each tration and faculty are prepared to student handed in perfect work but authenticate it. some students made much more exten- The SCANS report gives a sample sive contributions than others. dossier. This approach is much superi- Some people worry that without or to the giving of grades and the rank- grades, potential employers will not be ing of students or schools. able to judge potential applicants for employment. But grades do not bear How students help the teacher upon the competencies cited in the first Improve the learning process SCANS report. Evidence of accomplish- Figure 2 shows an adaptation of a ment should be developed by citing "Quality Function Deployment Chart." accomplishments. The rows represent the elements of The second SCANS report proposed L .Iwledge and know-how the teacher that each student develop a dossier, and students have agreed represent the with accomplishments listed and learning objectives in the class. The signed by appropriate faculty and oth- columns represent the experiences the ers who would attest to the correctness teacher has arranged for the students of the descriptions. Students should to have.
Figure 2: Quality function deployment chart. An approach to improving the teaching/ learning process
TEACHING METHOD -II"
Student's CONCEPTS evaluation of process Bar Chart Check Sheet Control Chart Ii Control Limits #2/ Histo ram Loss Functions Pareto Charts Procedures Process Capability Teacher's Common vs Special evaluation Run Chart of process Scatter Diagram Work Sam lin Quality Goes to School 53
The intersection of each row and at another. Teachers must be ever column has room for two numbers. alert to engage the students in a dis- These numbers represent the students' cussion of what constitutes a quality and teacher's evaluations of how well experience. The negotiations and dis- the experience helped the student. The cussions are never done. It takes con- numbering system should be worked stant engagement to wed a student to out (probably by a team of students) so learning. that when numbers are assigned they Once people have learned to walk, have approximately the same meaning they will not revert to crawling. Once to everyone. students have tasted the joy of learning The numbering system should be in an educalIonal institution that runs very crude, say 0 to 2 meaning "no according to quality management prin- value," "some value." to "very valuable." ciples, they will not accept something The numbers, in themselves, should inferior.I have met only a few students not be given any significance, but the who have moved from a quality learning ratings can be the basis for discussion experience to the conventional class- and improvemen room. They are so few that they have The main objective r3f the teacher is no option but to keep a low profile to put quality into education, which while they seethe in anger. They tell may be defined as "what makes learn- me so. ing a pleasure and a joy." As the quality revolution in the Some measures of student perfor- classroom catches on and more stu- mance may be increased by threats, by dents understand what quality in edu- competition for grades, or by prizes, cation can be, it is inevitable that they but the attachment to learning will be will reach a critical mass. When these unhealthy. It requires a quality experi- students enter our universities in large ence to create an independent learner. numbers, they will make a difference, Joy in learning is ever changing. for that is the nature of their training. What is thrilling at one age is infantile I look forward to that day. 54 Quality Goes to School
On the Road to Quality
Total Quality Management can provide the large have given up on their organiza- tions ever acting as if they believed it. continuing Wormation and management support too. As one midmanager, whose orga- all school personnel need to get a little nization had sent her to a Deming seminar, realized with a shock. "You better every day at teaching and learning. mean our organization might actually do this ... when now they're rewarding people for doing just the opposite?" LEWIS A. RHODES It's becoming clearer to me that the power of Total Quality Management /was halfway out the door heading Why Quality? Why Now? concepts of Deming and others derives home when the office phone rang. It's relatively easy to answer the ques- ( I ) from their psychological and "You don't know me." the voice tion, "Why has America suddenly value-driven base, and (2) from their said. "I'm a middle school civics become so interested in quality?" One "totalness." They deal with an organi- teacher in Sioux City. I read your need only listen to econom::: news zation's work processes as a single Deming articles," he continued. "and about America losing the productivity system. I want you to know that for me race to world-class competitors. As one elementary teacher wrote to Deming is the last great leader of the However, it's more difficult to find me, "Schools have a head 3tart over Enlightenment.... He's provided the answers to why these ideas are industry in implementing quality final, and missing. element of natural proving so attractive to educational concepts because we have a better law." practitioners, even before being touted foundation in psychology and human Normally a comment like that by university-based theorists or development than industry." On the would have surprised me. But this outside reformers. Why the growing other hand, it's also clear why school was one more of a series of unantici- interest and commitment when there people don't feel they can act on those pated reactions evoked by an article I are no full working educational principles. The prevailing organiza- had written six months earlier about "models" as there are in other tional paradigm has all the characteris- the acknowledged founder of the systemic programs such as Outcome- tics of a dysfunctional family. That is, quality movement, W. Edwards Based Education? Why such appeal, its members believe that their present Deming (Rhodes 1990). What was when few can even agree on a defini- roles and relationships (isolated practi- going on? For example. "For an tion of "quality"! And why such tioners, relying on little but their own administrator who just 'hung it up' seeming understanding now, after experience and expertise to respond to after 29 years of trying to influence decades of exposure to many of the children's needs) are the way things public education, I found Deming's same ideas in the writings of organiza- are supposed to be. If there's a words heartening." The most tional researchers and theorists such as problem, they not their "family" frequent reaction, however, was "I Drucker, Herzberg, Argyris. are the ones responsible aid in need of thought I was the only one who saw Maslow, and McGregor? possibilities for schools!" Apparently Deming's words and Until now, this dysfunctional condi- These, and other reactions, were ideas resonate with something that tion has characterized mcst modern different from those I'd heard many people already personally organizations not just schools. regarding other "new" ideas in educa- believe is "right." The ideas seem to Humans are born as purpose-driven. tion, and they started me on a yearlong validate long-held feelings of working trial-and-error learning, self-regulating quest to discover why. This article Individuals who know they want to be organisms. But most organizational suggest seme answers. effective in their jobs. and who by and life limits this natural behavior.
EDI C ATIONAI LEADI-RSHIP 6E Quality Goes to School 55
Apparently Deming's
Regardless of what Herzberg's (1959) ideas validate long- ball through the hoop. But imagine a research might have told us about the held feelings of working team in which the centers. forwards. power of intrinsic motivation and the and guards were each trained sepa- ineffectiveness of external rewards, individuals who know rately and each provided with opportu- we could not imagine our work they want to be nities to individually practice the settings existing without grading. eval- necessary decisions and moves for uating. and labeling the people in it. effective in their jobs putting the ball through the hoop. We could not imagine that "top" orga- What would happen when they came nizational leaders would be willing to and who by and large back together to play a real game? give up what seemed like the power of have given up on their Because of their "hoop-centeredness." problem solving and decision making each would attempt to shoot directly to those on the "bottom." Moreover. organizations ever for the basket every time he or she got with little experience to support it, we acting as if they the ball. The result: many cases of really haven't believed that total orga- individual "success" but a team that nizations could change. believed it, too. most often would lose the game. So what happened? In a way, What does that metaphor have to do W. Edwards Deming has done for with paradigms for education? management of work processes what Keeping the student foremost in our Roger Bannister did for the 4-minute thoughts has little to do with shifting mile. Deming's work in Japan centeredness has changed, and along our sense of the system. We still are provided evidence that something not with it my understanding of the poten- looking at the student. The total believed possible was possible. Total tials of TQM for education. I had quality view allows us to see with a oi, anizations could change, it could always been bothered by critics' student's eye view to understand cost less to produce quality results, declarations that education is too what the school and the world around and the brain power of the workers on process-oriented and not sufficiently it looks like to children growing up the front line could be an organiza- student-centered. On the contrary, I today.' tion's most valuable resource. had observed that student-centered- This student's eye view also allows ness already was the cause of some of us to understand that there are always A Student's Eye View education's most serious management two parallel "systems" in operation. Total Quality Management (TQM) has problems. Underlying most decisions One we control through planning and been termed "a thought revolution in in educational practice has been the operational management decisions to management" (Kim 1991). For busi- unstated belief: this is what's best for achieve the results we want. The other ness and industry, it created a funda- the kids. The separate acts of "system" is composed of all factors mental paradigm shift by refocusing teachers, administrators, and board that influence the results we get, attention on the "customer" whose members alike are driven by their whether or not we can control them. needs, requirements, and potentials personal views of what's best for chil- must now drive the work process. In dren. Unfortunately, the potential Two Parallel Systems industrial TQM, the voice of the power of this common focus has The "two systems" view of schooling customer provides the information an become instead a fundamental weak- may help explain why the work organization must have to remain ness because decisions are made in processes of the central office and the responsive. In education, our isolation. with no way to take advan- classrooms seem so disconnected. paradigm shift also involves seeing tage of relationships to others who Each is responding to a different crite- things through the eye of the customer. share the same goal. rion. As an example. the work of I started out the year thinking that The work of schools has been curriculum developers in the "first Total Quality Management could help student-centered in the same way that system" starts with what students must all those involved in schools to view the work of a basketball team might be know. This first system then provides their actions from a perspective that called "hoop-centered." The success educators with goals for general direc- had a "customer/student" at the center. of the whole team (organization) is tion-setting, as well as general support Today, my concept of student- tied directly to success in putting the for attaining them.
MARCH 1992 77 6? 56 Quality Goes to School
The work of daily instruction, on district entirely staffed by developmen- the other hand, takes place largely in tally appropriate educators. These the "second system." It starts with, and practitioners usually found in early must respond to. what students When decisions by childhood and special education already know. And much of this base teachers, admini- always start where the child "is." They of knowledge increasingly is a product do this, not because they know more of the "second system" the one over strators, and board than other educators, but because in which educators have little control. As members are made most instances they have no other Bill Moyers has noted, the popular choice. The realities of disabilities and culture is the "most powerful chan- in isolation, there is no age (try to group 2-year-olds and keep cellor. superintendent, principal, or way to take advantage them quiet) prevent them from making teacher in America" (1990). The the management compromises images and fragmented reality that of relationships of "regular" educators. operating as children confront every day and from isolated practitioners, have to make. which they evoke meaning and values others who share The daily negotiation between quanti- provide the canvas and frame on the same goal. tative curriculum requirements and the which schooling starts. And because qualitative needs of 20-30 individual this starting point on each student's children within the fixed limits of learning journey is constantly time, space, and accessible resources changing. those planning and helping leaves most isolated practitioners students make that journey must have processes that can be used to accom- grasping the most manageable alterna- access to continuing information about plish the results through continually tives. Most of the "bad" thing: Mat where each child is. adjusting the work environment. In reformers rail against lectures, stan- This continuing information education, without such processes to dardized tests, ability-level grouping, becomes necessary for appropriate and bridge the two systems, many current bell schedules, uniform texts, marking effective instruction. But until now, reform efforts have attempted instead on curves are merely practical ways districts have not had tools and to shrink the boundaries of the two for isolated practitioners to handle on a processes to support a classroom capa- until they appear as if they can both be continuing daily basis the scope of that bility for this degree of diagnosis and addressed by building personnel. management task. prescription. Information has been Applying a quality lens to schooling pulled out of classrooms to support A Quality Lens Applied allows us to see management as the others' decisions, instead of being Districtwide TQM provides, in effect, common work of the school practi- moved down and made accessible to such a bridging process: a process of tioner and of the administrator. Both those who could more readily act on it. strategic management. Building on create and manage environments in Compounding the problem. America's the context and direction-setting which others can work, and continually concern for the results of the learning provided by systemwide agreement on learn from their work. Both are deci- journey currently overshadows the outcomes. it focuses the total system's sion makers who must solve the same vital need to know where you are at all daily attention on the "other end" of basic problem: how to combine what times. While goals are an obvious the process where the students they know with the resources they direction-setter, if you're not where really are, and it brings to the work have to best meet continuing learning you think you are when you start out. setting the strategies necessary to needs. This work process is little you can totally miss your goal. continually generate information different than in industry today where, Until now, in both public and required to maintain a journey of as Shoshana Zuboff notes. the changing private sectors. systemic strategies incremental improvement between the requirements of work have made it such as strategic planning. mission results we plan for and those we're necessary for workers to become development, and visioning have been actually getting. learners and for managers to become effective ways to develop and gain One shorthand way I've begun to teachers that is. to provide environ- agreement on desired results. But we think about what TQM might be like ments where workers can learn from have lacked comparable systemic in practice is to imagine a school their continuing experience (1988).
78 EDI CATIONAI. LEADERSHIP
7IL, Quality Goes to School 57
No Substitute for Knowledge and processes in organizations with One final point I've learned this past what they intuitively "know." year has been that I am not alone in For example: my search for the meaning of TQM The total quality view His concepts aboutsystems for education. We each seem to start allows us to see with a confront what, because of our accep- out by trying to understand it in terms tance of the isolated practitioner of what we already know. This is no student's eye view paradigm, we believe about the lack of easy task because so much of what we to understand what the interdependency in organizations. know is filtered through other beliefs, His thoughts about people. as and TQM challenges many of them. school and the world psychological beings intrinsically This portends a period of time when around it looks like to motivatedto want to be effective in we all will be engaged as much in their work, force one to apply to others unlearning as in learning. It will also children growing a principle that some of us may think require that as educators, we be able to applies only to our selves. untangle our perceptions of ourselves up today. His demonstration that manage- as cognitive, purposeful beings from ment's processes are the causes of up the jumbled web of "everything- to 90 percent of the variation in connected-to-everything-else" that outcomes and results in any system comes to mind when we think of Enlightened Corporations," p. 71.) challenge directly our attempts to learning, teaching, and schooling. All This usually is a rewarding group improve schools through monitoring three are, and must be managed as, experience because it uncovers how of results. then assigning blames, and learning processes. much agreement there is about what's trying to fix individuals. Moreover, as educators and non- wrong with the ways we manage Andhis theory of knowledge educators attempt to translate into ourselves in organizations. One forces awareness of humans as cogni- schooling business terms such as important caveat. however. The 14 tive beings trying to construct knowl- "customer,- "supplier," or "product," points are not a sequential checklist. edge from experience within frames new insights may develop that illumi- Much like the "Ten Commandments," provided by theories and beliefs. In a nate the more complex work processes these 7 do's and 7 don'ts merely illus- confusing way. his four elements of of schooling. trate the ways people would behave if profound knowledgeare themselves an For instance. our "customer" may they bought into the philosophy under- illustration of this one element. not have chosen to be one. Unlike lying them. It would seem logical to enter into an industry, the "raw material" that This is why Deming subsequently understanding of the implications of emerges as our "final product" never had to develop hisTheory of Profound Deming's ideas through the portal of belongs to us at any point during the Knowledge."Hard work and best profound knowledge because it is the process. We can have no "scrap." efforts, put forth without guidance of sine qua non for long-term commit- External judgments of the quality of profound knowledge, may well be at ment. However, initially this path may an industrial product are made after the root of our ruination. There is no not provide as many easily glimpsed the development process is complete. substitute for knowledge.. .. We are signposts as the 14 points, and it can External inspectors of education's being ruined by best efforts directed require skilled facilitation to help products and processes are daily facts the wrong way. We need best efforts people "let go" of their paradigms. of life. directed by a theory of management" Current pathways to this under- (1989). But What Does It Really Mean? standing of schools as organized work As statements of what people need Finally, because TQM is a process systems and the relevance of TQM to to believe and know, each of the four designed to make continual improve- them seem to follow one of the three areas ofProfound Knowledgechal- ment a fact of organizational life, it directions. Perhaps the easiest route is lenges a prevailing mental model ha i. been natural to attempt to contrast to start with translating Deraing's 14 loaded with unquestioned assump- it with other "improvement" strategies pointsinto education. (For further tions. Each forces one to confront such as Outcome-Based Education, discussion, see also "Lessons from what he or she accepts about people Effective Schools, Accelerated
MARCH 1992 79 7i 58 Quality Goes to School
\.\\**..,:;\;:\Z`VA.k. TQM can provide a broadly applied Schools. and Essential Schools. While constructivist terms of current educational under- a point-by-point comparison may help standing is that it can provide a communication, it can blur a funda- approach within broadly applied constructivist mental difference betweenimprove- which students, staff, approach within which students, staff, mentprocesses andmanagement and the organization itself are each processes. Whether true or not. the and the organization engaged in continually creating former tend to be perceived as meaning. acting based on that ne,A processes withchangeas a goal. Total itself are each meaning, and being involved in Quality Management. on the other engaged in continually processes that increase their capability hand, connects the "where-we-are- to act again. My current definition of ness" of daily practice to the "where- creating meaning. TQM is relatively simple: we-want-to-go-ness" found in the Total Quality Management is a organization's goals. Change becomes value-based, information-driven just a natural consequence of people management process through which managing themselves in a way that tional and personal capacity to act the minds and talents of people at all allows them to get a little bit more differently. levels are applied filly and creatively effective every day. The result: What seems increasingly clear to to the organization's continuous continual growth intotalorganiza- me as I've tried to describe TQM in improvement._
'Remember. the of: .cited Copernican paradigm shift fron a view of an earth- centered universe to ort that was sun- centered was not accepted for several generations because people had to intuit the new system coneept. No one could stand on the sun, look up. and find that Copernicus' logic was immediately apparent.
References
Deming. W. E. (March 10. 1989). -A System of Profound Knowledge.- From a paper originall) delivered at a meeting of the Institute of Management Sciences. July 24. 1989. Osaka. Japan. Herzberg. F.. B. Mausner. and B. Snyderman. (1959).The Motivation to Work. New York: John Wiley. Kim. D. H. (September 1991. ) "Systemic Quality Management: Improving the Quality of DoingandThinking."The Systems Thinker2. 7. Moyers, W. (1990).America's Schools: Who Gives a Damn?PBS program. Rhodes. L. A. (November 1990). "Why Quality Is Within Our Grasp ... If We Reach."The School Administrator47. 10. Zuboff. S. (1988).In the Age of the Smart Machine.New York: Basic Books Inc.
Lewis A. Rhodes is Associate Executive Director. American Association of School Administrators. 1801 N. Moore St., Arlington, VA 22209. 7 Quality Goes to School 59
VIEWPOINT
Times of Scarcity Demand Cooperation
BY KOSAKU YOSHIDA Professor of Quantitative Methods, California State University, Dominguez Hills. California
Wtiat is quality improvement? saves money. Cooperation means shar- W. Edwards Deming teaches ing, sharing everythingresources, hat the first step toward im- knowledge, and experienceso that proving quality is to reduce the varia- the duplications in effort or time are tion in products. For example, accord- minimized. More importantly, from ing to quality standards, every car of a cooperation we can expect to achieve certain model must achieve the same synergetic results wherein the entirety approximate mileage. is always more than simply the sum of Likewise, if our students are consid- the individual parts. That achieve- ered the products of our educational ment means a higher average with system, student performance must be smaller variation. uniform for- quality education to be Cooperation developed as a guiding achieved. Reducing variation or diver- principle in Japan and other Asian sification is the key to achieving qual- countries to meet the needs within en- ity educationsomething that cur- vironments with extremely scarce re- rently is missing from the tradition of sources. For perhaps the first time in American education. American experience, resources are be- One of the most effective ap- Competition among schools can coming scarce in America. Coopera- proaches in reducing variation in ed- only widen the gap between the best tion becomes the only reasonable ucation, as in any social phenomena, and the worst schools. This must result method in times of economic hardship. is to encourage cooperation. Within because a choice program intends to To facilitate cooperation among a cooperative school environment, increase rather than decrease variation schools, we definitely need national students who progress faster help within school performance, and then standards in education. Basically we slower students. Sharing knowledge cuts off the lowest end to decrease vari- must decide what kinds of knowledge and learning from each other re- at:on. From the perspective of quality and what level of knowledge achieve- duces the variation among the management, this decision is the op- ment high school graduates must students in performance, with the posite of the action we should take. attain as American citizens in any and average level of performance often As long as the government or soci- all high schools. Fundamental to increasing. ety can afford to save the losers in achieving overall quality in education Competitiveness is a deeply in- competition and support the upward is aiming at narrower variation in pro- grained characteristic of American movement of those at the lowest level ficiency in basic subject arcas. culture. However, when individuals of achievement, competition can Cooperation within education na- are encouraged to compete with one stimulate the motivation of people, as tionally means teachers and class- another, those above the average rise the United States once was able to do. rooms can share the resources at all even higher while those below the av- However, when no one can afford to levels, from the federal and state levels erage drop even lower, widening the continue supporting those who lose, down to school districts and individual variation. Those who perform greatly those with no education and no jobs schools. In this way, the current im- below average do not have the ability are left stranded in the streets. Eventu- mense duplications in time, money, to participate fully in competition. ally, societymore specifically, every resources, and efforts can be avoided. Ask yourself this: If you know from taxpayerhas to take care of these Cooperation also could foster among the beginning that you will lose in a people. Each of us then must look American educators an enhanced focus competition, will you bother to enter? after the losers of competition. Can we on their common goals, greatly facilitat- Because school choice programs still afford to do this? Competition is ing exchanges of information regard- are based on the principle of compe- quite expensive. That's why in Japan, ing methodology, as well as sharing of tition, they contradict the concept of where the society could not afford the experience in how to make more im- quality management. Competition price tag of competition, competition provements in American education. means producing losers when some- has been discouraged historically. The guiding principle for such achieve- body takes a big piece of the pie. Cooperation, on the other hand, ment must be cooperation.
THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 60 Quality Goes to School Recapturhv the Spirit of Learning Through a Systems Approach
BY PETER SENGE and COLLEEN LANNON-KIM
i V ark, a substitute drama ., 3 teacher at the Orange ,t Grove Middle School in 1 Tucson, Ariz., is struggling with his , eighth-grade class.The regular teacher ' ..left the students a difficult assignment ,..- that involves forming small groups and F," presenting a dramatic reading. But the students have a two-day .,1 field trip planned next week to see firsthand how the court system works cr i., and to prepare for a mock trial. Mark worries that since the groups will have just begun meeting on the first pro- ject when the trip starts, the momen- tum of the project will be broken and the students will have to start over. Mark brings his problem before the weekly eighth-grade team meeting. Together, the teachers discuss his con- cerns and consider whether the field Llk trip should be postponed. The team leader asks the government teacher, who has organized the trip, whether she still plans to require the students .;iitk:,i1:1.'11,40:\.;"' ,eto write a "screenplay" of the dialogue . . ' ' for their trials beforehand. , . "Since they are studying character '4, development and conflict in litera- 1 ture class," he offers, "it might make i sense to have that be their literature ; assignment, and then have them act it :t
s, out for the drama class instead of doing the group project." . 4., ..
-,4 The other teachers accept the idea .q.;;ri i enthusiastically. Mark believes the -
8THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7e Quality Goes to School 61
A Learn- Syeaemvs. ing Orga- nization Team meetings 4 like this are an example of what the staff at Orange 444444it Grove calls a "systems W41 44/4 approach" to education. "Our goal is to in- crease the effectiveness and efficiency of our total 44(414411 system," explains Principal e4t44.4, 4444 Mary Scheetz "In order to do so, we need to break that total sys- tem into manageable subsystems 4444414.:v4- with common focuses or purposes, like teams for each grade Gi oup iti41 events help maintain an understand- ing of the relationship of the parts to &A/144;41440 the whole and address common con- cerns Orange Grove is one or a small lo 444444414 court number of schools nationwide lead- cases ing a movement to transform schools ge41% Zs,0.04 will into "learning organizations." Says make Scheetz: "Systems thinking is our con- great drama ceptual cornerstone, but it is really presenta- the combination of systems thinldng tions, and the and the related disciplines of building government shared vision, working with mental 4#44,4- teacher says the models, team learning, and personal studentswillbe mastery that hold it together." more engaged in the "Without a shared vision," she ex- court case if they spend plains, "people have no idea of what trum. re-conceiving schools as learn- some time actually "liv- they are trying to accomplish by im- ing organizations may be the overar- ing" the role of a judge or proving the system as a whole. And ching vision needed to guide the dif- an attorney. they will make little progress if they ficult changes ahead. "In a normal school situa- do not know how to reflect on their "How can we expect kids to be- tion, that substitut .. would own assumptions, especially within come committed to learning if the have been stuck in that class- their work teams. overall environment isn't committed room for a week and a half with a "Personal mastery for us is a sort of to learning?" asks Jim Daniel, presi- disaster on his hands," comments anchor. When all is said and done, the dent of the Kentucky Educational the team leader after the meeting. school must create an environment Foundation, which is playing a signif- "Those kids would have been going where everyonestudents, teachers, icant role in reforming the state's K- nuts in there. And the rest of us staffhas the opportunity to continu- 12 educational system. "The problem would have seen it in our classroom ally enhance their capacity to create has been that forces throughout the but we wouldn't have had any idea results that really matter to them, that educational system have worked to what was wrong. The problem wasn't is to learn." make protecting special interests just Mark'sit was a system-wide With prescriptions for turning more important than continually im- problem that we all had to deal around America's schools coming proving the system as a whole." with." from every part of the political spec- Turning schools into learning orga-
NOVEMBER 1991 9
7(.. 62 Quality Goes to School
Applying the Systems Approach in the Classroom Ihe five learning disciplines are for facilitating learning within Ivz tau. classrooms. At Orange Grove Middle School in Tucsonkriz., the sys- 144.0 4,44et tems approach also is used as a conceptual framework and method- ology for enhancing students' understanding of subjects. In classes, systems thinking gives cohesion to disparate facts. Inert subjects come 44. e44 alive through the use of computer simulations, as students test out their own ideas of how elements interact in a complex system. In a project called "New State Park," Orange Grove students re- searched park philosophy and management, land management, 494. recreation theory, social systems, geography, ecological community theory, and politics. "They then used their newly acquired knowledge to design a new 44,41140 park with a $100 million budget," explains teacher Frank Draper. "The park had to include land required by the park's charter, yet 4444 gm, deal effectively with a threatened lawsuit if they desecrated nearby Indian burial sites; be attractive to users, yet not cause appreciable environmental degradation." 4441edys As the students designed the park on the computer, Draper says, they used a spreadsheet to keep fiscal accountability and a simula- 44441.4. tion model of park development and environmental degradation to keep design accountability. Not only does this integrated approach engage students' interest, it accelerates learning. Through projects such as the New State Park, nizations will require some fUnda- students not only cover traditional material, but they gain ad(iitional men tal changes in the way they are understanding of the subject because of the integrative format. run. The challenge is to extend learn- Pamela Hopkins, an English teacher at Desert View High School ing to all levels of the schoolnot just in the classroom, but among teachers, administrators, and all staff. We cannot expect teachers to cre- ate effective learning environments in Five Disciplines in a group, fearing that we might re- their classrooms if they aren't being The key to transforming schools into veal our ignorance or incompetence. supported and engaged in learning learning organizations lies in under- To create fundamental change in themselves. This simple fact has standing the individual and collective our schools, we must learn new ways eluded most educational reform ef- capabilities needed to build such in- of thinking and interacting that forts, wh:ch have treated innovation stitutions. emphasize continual learning and in the classroom a s being synonymous Traditional authoritarian organiza- understanding the larger systems with innovation in education. tions are dominated by internal poli- in which we live and work rather To achieve real improvement, lead- tics, game-playing, fear, and self-pro- than protecting our "turf." This is the ers must be prepared to assume new tection. This behavior comes from significance of the five karning disci- roles and master new skills. The task is deeply-rooted habits of thinking and plinessystematic approaches to de- enormous, but so are the potential interacting. We have all been taught veloping such ways of thinking and payoffs: better-educated students who since an early age to break problems interacting. are able to synthesize disparate facts apart, to focus on symptoms rather Systems thinking is a discipline for into a cohesive framework for solving than underlying causes. seeing wholes, recognizing patterns problems; empowered educators who We have learned to avoid making and interrelationships, and learning have the guidance and support they mistakes at all costs, which has re- how to structure those interrelation- need to put innovative ideas into placed our natural curiosity and love ships in mote effective, efficient ways. practice; and overall, an educational of experimentation with a desire to "The buzzword for our activities is system that is continually improving provide "the right answer" and to 'restructuring,'" says Peter Holland, itself. look good. We are easily threatened the superintendent of Belmont,
10TIIE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 76 Quality Goes to School 63
sonal mastery is about creating what we want in our own lives. Without in- in Tucson, used a simulation model with her class to analyze the mo- dividual visions there can be no tivation of Shakespeare's Hamlet to avenge his father's death. In a shared vision, which is why a commit- group setting, the students examined act by actthe plot of Hamlet ment to each individual's personal to determine what impact each event would have onHamlet's desire growth is so important in a learning to kill Claudius. The computer then simulated the outcomeof their organization. As Scheetz explains, "We are allow- choices. "It was as though the use of precise numbers to talk about psycho- ing our shared vision to evolve logical motives and human responses had given the students through activities that help us share powera real system they could communicatewith," says Hopkins. our personal vision with each other. In a recent workshop we had people "It turned thin air into solid ground." The simulation also had a dramatic effect on the learning process. describe their personal visions, share "For the first time in the semester, I was not the focal point of the those visions with others, and then class," Hopkins recalls. "I did nOt have to filter the information from work on achieving a consensus about one student back to the rest of the class. They weredirected and in a shared vision and representing that control of the learning, instead of my having to force them to keep vision in whatever way they chose. The result was a number of extremely their attention on the task." Other schools around the country also have used a system think- creative and entertaining presenta- tions, which motivated a lot of follow- ing approach to enrich specific content areas. In the Brattleboro, up dialogue about what is really im- Vt., High School, history students developed a systems thinking framework fbr understanding the social forces that led up to the portant to all of us." American Revolution. They then studied other revolutionsboth Putting individual and collective vi- historical and currentto explore how their theory "fit" the various sions into practice requires new skills for gaining an accurate picture of cur- settings. In the Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park, Calif., the science, rent reality. No one carries a school math, and literature teachers have been working together forthe system, political system, or commu- nity in his or her head. What we carry past two years on a multi-disciplinary approach totheir subjects by collectively teaching nine-week units organized around a common in our head are assumptionsinter- nal pictures that we continually use to topic. Other schools following a systems approach are Cambridge interpret and make sense out of the School world. These "mental models" influ- Rindge and 1.atin, Cambridge, Mass.; Thomas Jefferson High ence how we perceive problemsand for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.; and the Ridgewood opportunities, idefitify courses of ac- Public Schools, Ridgewood, N.J. tion, and make choices. Peter Senge and Colleen Lannon-Kim The discipline ofworking with men- tal modelsrequires the ability to distin- guish what we have actually observed from our assumptions and generaliza- tions based on those observations and Mass., schools and part of a group of Building.shared vision isabout groups the willingness to hold our assump- superintendents exploring ways of learning to articulate compelling im- tions up to scrutiny. bringing systems thinking to bear on ages of what they truly want to create. In a team setting, working with issues of school administration. "We "Unless leaders know how to assist in mental models dictates new ways of are looking at how to change the sys- shaping the new vision for the individ- interacting. Most teachers are skilled tem to provide studen ts with better uals and the organization as a whole, at articulating their views and present- learning environments at a lower these new ideas will never get into the ing them persuasively. While advocacy cost.' classroom," warns Daniel. skills are importan t, they become Adds Scheetz: "Through a systems Building shared vision is a contin- counterproductive when we confront thinking approach, our staff mem- ual processone never "arrives" at a complex issues that require collabora- bers have become increasingly cog- shared vision. It is not an endpoint tive learning among different, equally nizant of the need to develop an inte- but a beginning, because it is the knowledgeable people. grated curriculum. We also now have source for all activities that flow outof Much of the early work at Orange a greater awareness of theimportance that vision. As one Orange Grove Grove involved developing team and power of collaborative decision- teacher described it, "I see us contin- learning skillsbalancing inquiry making. Both instructional and orga- ually growing, interacting, and chang- and advocacy to achieve collaborative nizational designs are focused on hav- ing ... not a product, but a process." docision-mzking. ing the big picture, understanding Personal masterythediscipline of "Becatis, educators are likely to systems phenomena, and considering personal growth and learningis the continue old habits even in a new potential effects of decision-making spiritual foundation of the learning structure, developing and continually reinforcing new habits is necessary," and related actions." organization. Fundamentally, per- NOVEMBER 1991 1 1
4 64 Quality Goes to Schoc4
says Scheetz. "The most effective way captain," others perhaps "the naviga- ways to do this is by developing team learn- tor, setting the direction," or the "en- in ing skills within the same groups who gineer stoking the fire, providing en- which have to work together." ergy," or "the social director, making t he sure everyone is involved and com- whole Rethinking Leadership municating." While these are all legit- system Like artistic or spiritual disciplines, imate leadership roles, there is an- can be the learning disciplines only have other which, in many ways, eclipses improved. power when people are committed to them in importancethe designer of These meet- their practice. This commitment is the ship. ings help the essence of leadership. No one has a more sweeping influ- teachers widen "I talk with people all over the ence on the ship than the designer. theirperspec- country about learning organiza- What good does it do for the captain tive to see how tions, and the response is always very to say, "Turn starboard 30 degrees," what they are positive," says William O'Brien, chief when the designer has built a rudder doing with students executive officer of the Hanover that will only turn to port, or which in their individual Insurance Co. in Worcester, Mass. takes six hours to turn to starboard? classrooms affects not "If this type of organization is so It's fruitless to be the leader in an or- only their students, '1' widely preferred, why don't people ganization that is poorly designed. but also other teacherse create such organizations? I think The first task of organizational de- and other subjects. answer is leadership. People have no sign is to articulate the ideas of pur- As one Orange Grove real comprehension of the type of pose, vision, and core values by which teacher commented, "I commitment it requires to build such people will live. The second is to cre- have a new awareness that an organization." ate the policies, strategies, and struc- everything I do or decide to do af- Creating a learning organization tures that will translate those guiding fects others." Another observed, "I will require a fundamental rethinking ideas into practice. have undergone a general change in of our concept of leadership. Our tra- This requires creating effective focus from what I am doing with my ditional view of leadersas special learning processes. Leaders are not kids to what is happening for the people who set the direction, make only responsible for ensuring that an kids." key decisions, and energize the troops organizationhaswell-developed is deeply rooted in an individualistic strategies and policies, but also for en- Leader as Teacher and nonsystemic world view. Accord- suring that processes exist whereby The role of leader as teacher starts ing to this viewpoint, leaders are they are continually re-examined and with bringing to the surface people's "heroes"great men and women who improved. mental models of important issues. rise to the fore in times of crisis. Such "The concept of leader as designer The goal is to help everyone in the or- myths reinforce a focus on short-term is paramount in our school," says ganization, oneself included, to gain events and reacting to crisis rather Scheetz, Orange Grove's principal. more insightful views of current real- than on systemic forces and collective "My assistant and I find ourselves de- ity. This approach is similar to learner- learning. signing not only the schedule but the directed learning, with the leader tak- We believe a new view of leadership organizational format and learning ing the role of a coach, guide, or is emergingone where leaders are opportunities, including what groups facilitator. responsible for building organiza- of people will be aligned together, Leaders as teachers also help peo- tions where people are continually ex- how often they will meet, and for what ple restructure their views of reality to panding their capabilities to shape purpose." see beyond the superficial conditions their future. In a learning organiza- For example, to promote a more and events into the underlying causes tion, leaders' roles will differ dramat- integrated curriculum at Orange of problems, and therefore to see new ically from that of the charismatic de- Grove, classes are scheduled in blocks possibilities for shaping the future. cision-maker. They will be designers, so that meeting times can be short- Specifically, leaders can influence teachers, and stewards. ened, lengthened, or combined to people to view realtty at three distinct These roles require new skills de- allow students to pursue more in- levels: events, patterns of behavior, rived from the learning disciplines: the depth projects, such as the "New State and systemic structure. All three levels ability to build shared vision, to bring Park" project at Orange Grove (see of explanation are equally true, but to the surface and challenge prevailing story, page 10). Teachers for each their usefulness is quite different. mental models, and to foster more sys- grade also share the same planning Event explanationswho did what temic patterns of thinking. period each day, so they can plan to whomdoom their holders to con- inter-disciplinary projects together. tinually reacting to change. Leader as Designer At an organizational level, teachers Pattern-of-behavior explanations Imagine your school or school system are organized into teams by class or by focus on identifying long-term trends is an ocean liner and you are the function (e.g., eight-grade team, sup- and assessing their implications. They "leader." What is your role? port team, electives team) that meet at least suggest how, over time, we can Many people would respond "the regularly to solve problems or discuss respond or adapt to shifting conditions.
12THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
78 Quality Goes to School 65
their personal self-help organization in fullest Williamsville, Vt., and author of The commitment. Path of Least Resistance, has observed, Those leaders who vision without an understanding of understand the distinc- current reality more likely will foster tion between vision as a set cynicism than creativity--a scenario of inert words and vision as a liv- that is all too real for teachers frus- ing force in the hearts and minds of trated with countless efforts to im- individuals recognize the importance prove classroom teaching without of a larger purpose. transforming the overall school envi- Leaders of schools pursuing the dis- ronment. Struc- The principle of creative tension tural expla- ciplines of the learning organization are working to change fundamentally teaches us that an accurate picture of nations are the current reality is just as important as most powerful, be- the way schools operate, and in so doing, to teach us all to be lifelong a compelling picture of a desired cause only they address future. the underlying causes of learners. Leading through creative tension is behavior and events, where real different from problem-solving. In leverage lies fbr creating fundamen- Creative Tension problem-solving, the energy for tal, long-lasting change. The overarching principle for leader- change comes from attempting to get Most leaders of current institutions ship in a learning organization is har- away from an aspect of current reality focus their attention on events and nessing the power of creative tension. that is undesirable. With creative ten- patterns of behavior, and, under their Creative tension comes from seeing sion, the energy for change comes influence, their organizations do like- clearly where we want to beour "vi- from juxtaposing the vision with 'cur- wise. Leaders of learning organiza- sion"and recognizing where we are rent reality. tions must pay attention to all three nowour "current reality." The gap Many people and organizations levels, but focus especially on systemic between the two generates a natural find themselves motivated to change structure. By example, they will teach tension. only when their problems are bad people throughout the organization Creative tension can be resolved in enough to cause them to change. to do likewise. two ways: by raising our current reality This works for a while, but the change toward the vision, or by lowering the process runs out of steam as soon as Leader as Steward vision toward current reality. Individ- the problems driving the change be- Stewardship is perhaps the most uals, groups, and organizations who come less pressing. subtle role of leadership. Unlike the learn how to work with creative ten- With problem-solving, the motivation roles of designer and teacher, the sion learn how to use the energy it for change is extrinsic; with creative ten- role of steward is almost solely a mat- generates to move reality more reli- sion, the motivation is intrinsic. ter of attitude, but it is critical to ably toward their visions. "People are born with intrinsic mo- learning organizations. Leaders' Without vision there is no creative tivation, self-esteem, dignity, curiosity sense of stewardship operates on two tension. Creative tension simply can- to learn, and joy in learning," writes levels: stewardship for the people not be generated from current reality W. Edwards Deming. they lead and stewardship for the alone. Many leaders believe if only The power of the learning organi- larger purpose or mission that un- people understood current reality zation resides in its ability to engage derlines the enterprise. they would surely feel the motivation that basic human drive to learn. For Stewardship for people arises from a to change. They are then disap- leaders of learning organizations, the keen appreciation of the impact one's pointed to discover people resist the challenge is to turn that collective leadership can have on others. People personal and organizational changes energy into a shared vision that is can suffer economically, emotionally, that must be made to alter reality. compelling for all members of the or- and spiritually under inept leadership. What they never grasp is that the ganization. Once that synergy is If anything, people in a learning orga- natural energy for changing reality achieved, continually improving the nization are more vulnerable because comes from holding a picture of what system will become a natural exten- of their commitotent and sense of might be that is more important to peo- sion of everyday activity. shared ownership. Appreciating this ple than what is. obligation naturally instills a sense of But creative tension cannot be gen- Peter Senge is director of the Organi- responsibility in leaders. erated from vision alone. It demands zational Learning Center at Massa- The second type of stewardship an accurate picture of current reality. chusetts Institute of Technology and Self-delusion, "white-washing," or author of The Fifth Discipline: The Art arises from a leader's sense of per- and Practice of the Learning Organ- sonal purpose and commitment to otherwise protecting ourselves or oth- ization. Colleen Lannon-Kim is editor the organization's larger mission. ers from seeing reality accurately, di- of The Systems Thinker, a newsletter People's natural impulse to learn is minishes creative tension just as much thatapplies systemsthinkingto unleashed when they are engaged in as compromising our vision does. organizational issues. an endeavor they consider worthy of As Robert Fritz, founder of DMA, a
NOVEM BER 1991 13 7r 66 Quality Goes to School
The Quality Revolution
tr-' In Education 31 V r " John Jay Bonstingl
As TQM finds its way into Suddenly, it seems, the name of
. eittIPS.1 schools, more and more W. Edwards Deming is every- L. where. From relative obscurity 4,1 educators are discovering in this country a dozen years ago, Deming's name has the natural fit that quality /NM, become synonymous with the move- 'or* principles and practices ment he calls Quality Management, have with their own better known as TQM or Total Quality Management. This movement is aspirations for the spawning a new American revolution, continuous improvement as quality becomes our watchword in every aspect of life. TQM principles of education. and practices are revitalizing busi- nesses, government agencies, hospi- tals, social organizations, home life and our own world of education. top industrial leaders that, if they would embrace the philosophy of The Birth of TOM Quality Management, they would The story of TQM, as many of us "capture markets the world over know, is entwined with the legend of within five years." Everyone was Japan's phoenix-like resurrection from incredulous! the ashes of World War II. Japanese Deming's message was familiar to industrial leaders insist this could not many Japanese industrialists of that have happened without the help of era. They had heard lectures on Deming and his fellow American quality control a few years earlier by statistical experts, Joseph M. Juran American statisticians on loan to and Armand Feigenbaum) Deming General MacArthur's staff from Bell and Juran lectured throughout Japan in Laboratories. It was at Bell Labs the years following the war, teaching where Deming's teachings had their manufacturers how to reverse their genesis in the work of his mentor, well-established reputation for shoddy, Walter Shewhart. Shewhart's research cheap goods by designing quality into focused on improving the reliability of their work systems. An increasingly telephones by building quality assur- sophisticated global marketplace ance into the entire system of design demanded higher quality goods, they and manufacture, rather than relying proclaimed, and would no longer on end-of-the-line inspection to tolerate Japanese "junk." At the time, remove defective phones before they war-ravaged Japan was desperate for entered the marketplace. foreign trade, the proceeds from Deming's quality crusade in which would enable the country to Japansponsored by the Allied occu- feed its people. pation force and supported by Ichiro At a decisive meeting in Tokyo in Ishikawa, the leading industrialist of 1950. Deming pledged to the nation's Japan's powerful Keidanren (Federa-
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IQuality Goes to School 67 use111111se,... 410--
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"the way we do things around here." Its greatest benefits come about as a natural part of the evolutionary process of implementing a program of continuous improvement, over time, in v- a consistent manner. 111 The benefits of TQM are tangible:
s.. People feel better about themselves and their efforts on the job, and they take greater pridetheir work. Rela- tionships among people in the organi- \I zation are more honest and open. ' Administrators often teel less isolated, misunderstood, and burdened. Produc- Camesy ci Emeipbse Schco Psnct Reochng tivity goes up, as work processes are tion of Economic Organizations) be applied externally in a Band-Aid improved continuously. With organi- was virtually unknown in the United fashion, he maintained; it has to be zational change come opportunities States until the 1970s. It was at that developed. Deming urged Americans for personal and professional growth, time that American manufacturers' to learn how to "work smarter, not along with the pride and joy that come bottom lines began to bleed red ink, as harder" by adopting a new quality- with getting better and better every customers the world over registered focused way of approaching the day, and helping others to do the same. their preference for Japanese goods processes of production, the systems Although the philosophy of Total over American products. The reason in which those processes take place, Quality Management springs from for this preference was, in most cases, and the interaction of people within the world of business, it transcends a simple one: Japanese items had those processes and systems.3 the tiarrow commercial imperatives consistently better quality at competi- of increased productivity and prof- tive prices. TOM and Education itability. TQM, at its heart, is dedi- It was not until three decades after As leaders in education begin to adopt cated to bringing out the best qualities Deming's first lecture tour of Japan TQM as their operational philosophy, in ourselves, in others, and in the that Americans finally "discovered" they are discovering the good news work we do together. It is, in many our then-octogenarian native son. On and the bad newsabout TQM. The ways, a natural fit with the hopes June 24, 1980, in what must now be bad news first: Total Quality Manage- and aspirations of educational leaders one of the most famous television ment is neither a Holy Grail nor a in their work to improve schools documentaries of all time, "If Japan magic silver bullet. TQM cannot be and communities. Can, Why Can't We?" focused on the successful if it is viewed as the flavor growing disparity between U.S. and of the month or as "our project for this The Four Pillars of Total Quality Japanese industrial competence. This school year." Total Quality Management, whether NBC "white paper" introduced The good news is this: The real viewed through Deming's 14 Points, Deming as the man whose message rewards begin to emerge when TQM Juran's Trilogy®, or Kaoru Ishikawa's had transformed Japan. In the film, ideas and practices become so Thought Revolution,' can best be Detning advised Americans to resist embedded in the culture of the organi- understood as an integral set of funda- the temptation to simply copy what zationthe day-to-day work of its mental tenets. I call them the Four the Japanese had done. Quality cannot people and systemsthat it is simply Pillars of Total Quality Management:
NovEmesk 1992 111 Si 68 Quality Goes to School
1. The organization must focus. first own work and in that of others, and ourselves to the continual improve- and foremost, on its suppliers and how to invest in their own lifelong and ment of our own abilities and those of customers. In a TQM organization. life-wide learning processes by maxi- the people with whom we work and everyone is both a customer and a mizing opportunities for growth in live. Total Quality is, essentially, a supplier. It is essential to identify every aspect of daily life.5 win-win philosophy that works to one's roles in the two capacities to In another sense, the student is also everyone's ultimate advantage. better understand the systemic nature a worker, whose product is essentially 2. Everyone in the organization of the work in which all are involved. his or her own continuous improve- must be dedicated to continuous In education, we are particularly prone ment and personal growth. The improvement, personally and collec- to personal and departmental isolation. school's stakeholders and secondary tively. The Japanese call this ethos "When I close the classroom door, customers=including parents and kaizen, a societywide covenant of those kids are mine!" is a notion too family, businesses, members of the mutual help in the process of getting narrow to survive in a world in which community, and other taxpayers better and better, day by day. teamwork and collaboration result in have a legitimate right to expect In Japanese companies, employees high-quality benefits for the greatest progress in students' competencies, meet regularly in "quality circles" to number of people. characters, and capabilities for discuss ways to do their work better, In the classroom, teacher-student compassionate and responsible citi- often by modifying existing processes. teams are the equivalent of industry's zenshipnot for the direct and imme- Some American companies and front-line workers. The product of diate gain of the stakeholders but, schools are also setting aside valuable their successful work together is the rather, for the long-term benefit of the time for kaizen discussions that foster development of the student's capabili- next generation and of generations to the collaborative development of a true learning environment. As Peter Sr& - pe4g- .ty Senge has suggested, those organiza- sad ,see sa4 that tions most capable of surviving and .5o :kat Sornetiwig was prospering are "learning organiza- some tUt fe,ctir9s she hurt 90ur tions"where people, processes, and ifut- sointehini to say Lko YOU lad systems are dedicated to continuous but noone,Itst learning and improvement.6 9et &turn If schools are to be true learning You cbdit help but organizations, they must be afforded 05kei -For the resources, especially time and You 'tort you rtoOP1L money, needed for training, quality fatlef tout circles, research, and communication 'Jou was notun Tke. ciao. with the school's stakeholders: °thustidn't parents, students, businesses, colleges, bectose rules. community residents, taxpayers, and 4:Wowfit others. Schools must also rethink prac- tices that focus narrowly on students' limitations rather than their range of innate strengths. Howard Gardner has pointed out the self-defeatirnature of ties, interests, and character. In one come. Total Quality in education, as in a narrow academic focus, et ouraging sense, the student is the teacher's life, is essentially generative. educators to acknowledge the exis- customer, as the recipient of educa- Within a Total Quality school tence of multiple intelligences and tional services provided for the setting, administrators work collabora- potentials within each student and to student's growth and improvement. tively with their customers: teachers. help students develop their many intel- Viewed in this way, the teacher and Gone are the vestiges of "Scientific ligences more fully day by day.' the school are suppliers of effective Management" popularized early in Deming suggests that we "abolish learning tools, environments, and this century by Frederick Winslow grades (A, B, C, D) in school, from systems to the student, who is the Taylor, whose watchwords were toddlers up through the university. school's primary customer. The school compliance, control, and command. When graded, pupils put emphasis on is responsible for providing for the The foundations for this system were the grade, not on learning."1 True long-term educational welfare of fear, intimidation, and an adversarial dedication to the continuous improve- students by teaching them how to approach to problem solving. Today it ment of all students will require learn and communicate in high-quality is in our best interest to encourage educators to reexamine current prac- ways, how to assess quality in their everyone's potential by dedicating tices of grading and assessment. The
6 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP Quality Goes to School 69 At Glenwood, 7111r9"-ralltal Maryland, Middle School, Quality Circle "S-Teams" take students into the community for public service and town 6, improvement efforts.
bell-shaped curve, still considered the processes are set up. Individual processes will replace the outdated ideal outcome of aggregate assessment teachers and students, then, are less to "teach and test" mode of instruction. in many schools, is ultimately destruc- blame for failure than is the system The quality of teaching/learning tive of learning environments and the the seemingly immutable pattern of processes is mirrored in learning spirit of mutual improvement. The bell expectations, activities, perceptions, outcomes. Therefore, we must curve (and some other grading resource allocations, power structures, acknowledge that to focus our atten- systems) has the effect, perhaps unin- values, and the traditional school tion onresultsis premature or even tended. of setting up unnecessary and culture in general. Therefore, it is the counterproductive, without a prior and counterproductive scarcities of student system that deserves our greatest overarching focus on theprocesses success in competitive, win-lose envi- attention. that bring forth desired results. ronments.' It doesn't take long for Schools that have adopted TQM 4. The success of Total Quality children to find out where they fit in principles and practices invest Management is the responsibility of the five pigeonholes of the bell curve, substantial resources to discover new top management.Without concerted, and the students' narrow academic and better ways to help realize visible, and constant dedication to self-image becomes, all too often, everyone's potential. Every system is making TQM principles and practices intertwined in self-fulfilling prophe- made up of processes. and the part of the deep culture of the organi- cies played out throughout life. improvements made in the quality of zation, efforts are doomed to fai!. Educators must examine the wide those processes in large part determine Leaders must, according to the first of range of effects that externally the quality of the resulting products. In Deming's 14 Points, "create constancy imposed assessment has on students' the new paradigm of education, of purpose for improvement of product capacities to grow, to learn, and to continual improvement of learning and service." In business, this means assess the quality of their own work as that company leaders must establish well as the work of others. Many the context in which the company stays schools axe already implementing new in business and provides jobs through assessment strategies as part of their research, innovation, and the continual Total Quality plan, including process improvement of products and services. portfolios, '.xhibitions, and even cele- Increased profits are less important brations of students' progress than this focus. throughout the year. In education, school leaders must 3. The organization must be viewed focus on establishing the context in as a system, and the work people do which students can best achieve their within the system must be seen as potential through the continuous ongoing processes.Deming and others improvement of teachers' and suggest that more than 85 percent of students' work together. Educational all the things that go wrong in any leaders who create Total Quality organization are directly attributable to school environments know that how the organization's system and improving test scores and assessment
NOVEMBER 1992 El 70 Quality Goes to School viaallo4.041. t ..e The presence of their mascot, the Koala, is a constant reminder that every kid is a
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symbols is less important than the applied TQM principles and practices In neighboring Columbia, Mary- progress inherent in the learning not only to the work of teachers and land, Wilde Lake High School has processes of students, teachers, admin- students in the classroom, but also to practiced a philosophy of continuous istrators, and all of the school's stake- the establishment of a successful student progress since its inception holders."' student-operated salmon export busi- more than 20 years ago. There is no ness with Japan. In nearby Haines, failure. Students perfect their school TOM In Action Alaska, teachers and school board work until they deserve at least a C Educational organizations around members have also convinced their grade, a practice that gives the school the countryin fact, around the superintendent to support TQM an exemplary reputation among worldare recreating their work throughout the district. college admissions officers. processes, systems of human interac- In Erie, Pennsylvania, leaders of At Central Park East School in tion, mission statements, and their the town and the schools have joined East Harlem, grades are unknown. long-term vision and strategies, all forces to create a communitywide Student projects, demonstrations of with the tools and philosophy of Quality Council to generate a renais- learning progress, and descriptive Total Quality Management. sance in all aspects of citizens' lives. evaluations of students' work, have Hungary's first private, teacher- Long the butt of jol:es about its stodgy with strong administrative leadership operated secondary school, the Inde- image, Erie recently established the and vision--contributed to the pendent High School of Economics in World Center for Community Excel- creation of a Total Quality culture in a Budapest, is applying TQM and a lence as a helping hand to other challenging environment. process orientation to its pioneering communities who would like to imple- Redwood Middle School in Napa, work with faculty, students, and the ment quality improvement programs. California, is solving its problems of community. The school's efforts to a In Glenwood, Maryland, the an unwieldy (and growing) population create a new educational context for middle school has instituted New and concomitant tendencies toward democratic citizenship has provided a England-style town meetings for the impersonalization by creating cohort breath of fresh air in a brand-new student body. Befoot attending the groups of teachers and students. republic struggling to understand and meeting, every stude It works in one or Teachers are given time every day to catch up with the post-industrial more quality circle "S-Teams" with meet in their groups, to discuss the world. The school's process of devel- fellow students. S-Term (or Support progress of students, to monitor their opment, in which I have been privi- Team) is a play on the word esteem. In individual and collective learning leged to participate, focuses on the the teams students discuss how their processes, and to plan learning oppor- continuous improvement of all the work, individually and collectively, tunities for students based on analysis school community's citizens. Their can be ir proved. They pledge specific of diagnostic data. Learning at motto, "We are for the tadpoles!" efforts to help bring about the planned Redwood is a team project. reflects the school's profound under- results in their "house" or grade, or In Virginia's Rappahannock standing of the inherent value of being even the entire school. S-Team County schools, TQM training has the best possible tadpole, before projects take the students into the paid off in virtually every aspect of the becoming the best possible frog. community as well, for public service district's functioning. Report cards School leaders in the well-known and town improvement efforts at have been designed by a parent- Total Quality experiment at small nursing homes and hospitals, at home teacher-student team. Serious disci- public, residential Mt. Edgecumbe to improve family life, and at school plinary problems on bus runs have High School in Sitka, Alaska, have for campus beautification." been solved as a msult of the efforts of
nEDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP Quality Goes to School 71
a Quality Improvement Committee, advance some of the potential pitfalls with whom you work to do the same. composed of parents, bus drivers, the and obstacles. Above all, don't give up! When does it transportation supervisor, administra- a Total Quality is a long-term all end? As Deming says: "Forever!" tors, and students. In addition, results commitment to a different way of A decade after the publication of A of diste.ctwide customer satisfaction perceiving, thinking, and acting. Nation At Risk, educators today have surveys have shown remarkable gains "Quality First" will become your way the opportunity to combine efforts in the three years since the district of life at work, at home, and in the with each other, with business and began implementing Total Quality community. Without such a transfor- government leaders, and with all principles and practices. !nation, TQM will be just another stakeholders in our common future. a Quality-conscious companies such project to do while you wait for the We must transform our Nation at Risk as Corning Incorporated are actively next hot item of salvation to come into a Nation of Quality, beginning supporting Total Quality transforma- down the pike. with the creation of Schools of tion in the schools in their eommuni- MI Workers, acting alone, cannot Quality. ties. The Koalaty Kid Program, hrain- create a Total Quality organization. The top leadership must acquire the 'Although Feigenbaum never lectured in child of the spirited staff of Carder Japan, his writings were highly influential Elementary School in Corning, New resources, inspire the troops (espe- in the Japanese transformation. York, is now vigorously supported by cially when the going gets tough), and, 'M. Walton, (1986), The Deming Corning Incorporated, the commu- most important, demonstrate openly Management Method, (New York: nity's chief employer, and by the and decisively an ongoing personal Perigee), p. 14. 'Walton, p, 19. American Society for Quality Control. commitment to Total Quality Manage- 6iCacru Ishikawa, son of Ichiro Ishikawa, The presence of their mascot, the ment and its application to the contin- was one of Japan's most highly respected Koala, throughout the school and in uing improvement of schools and their quality experts. assemblies celebrating the continuous people. 'Professor Jost Reischmann of the improveinent of students, is a constant Training is essential if the University of Tubingen, Germany, shared his concept of life-wide learning with me. reminder that every kid is a Koalaty meaning of Total Quality is to tran- T. Senge, (1990), TheFifth Discipline, Kid. The program, says David Luther scend the level of buzzwords. Busi- (New York: Doubleday). of Corning Incorporated, "is based on nesses that have experienced success 2H. Gardner, (1983),Frames of Mind, the assumptions that children want to implementing TQM can provide guid- (New York: Basic Books). ance and training. However, their 'J. J. Bonstingl, (March 1992), "The learn in acceptable ways and will Educational focus and mindsets are often attuned Total Quality Classroom," make a real effort to do so if the envi- Leadership49: 70. ronment they're in promotes their self- to a world holding differera values and W. E. Deming, (January 1992), seminar esteem and stimulates their desire to practicing different norms than those readings. achieve attainable goals." The of educators. Therefore, schools must UJJ Bonstingl, (1992). "Deming's invest resources in training by educa- Fourteen Points Applied to Companies and program works, adds Luther, because Schools," privately published. Also in it "is a systematic process for tors who can build bridges of linguistic (April 1992),Resource Guide for Total achieving the desired outcome and for and conceptual understanding between Quality Management in Texas Schools, continuous improvement."' business and education. (Austin, Tex.: Texas Association of School The Arlington Independent Know, bethre you start, that the Administrators), pp. 7-10. Introduction to School District in Texas has united the road to Total Quality in any "learning "J. J. Bonstingl, (1991), the Social Sciences,3rd ed., (Englewood community to recreate their school organization" is not a smooth path. No Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall). Chapter 10, "The system as "an open organization that magic plan, externally applied, will Future," details the process of S-Teams. actively listens to customers and assure an efficient or painless process. '2(1991),Koalaty Kid Manual, employees and then acts positively Outside experts can show you models, (Milwaukee, Wis.: American Society for teach you useful tools, and offer Quality Control), p. upon what it learns. Our communica- "(n.d.), "20120 Vision: Total Quality tion process will be marked by cour- encouragement, but they cannot and School District," Arlington, Texas, Inde- tesy, responsiveness, and follow- should not do the work of transforma- pendent School District, brochure. through." The key to success will be tion for you. A "yearning for learning" the implementation of a districtwide comes, ultimately, from within the © Copyright 1992 John Jay Bonstingl. vision as a "total quality school district individual and within the organization. John Jay Bonstingl is a consultant to permeated with a commitment to Take a pledge, personally and schools and communities who want to continuous improvement throughout with your colleagues, before you begin apply TQM principles and pract.ces and the organization." ' your Total Quality transformation, to founder and director of The Center for help and support one another Schools of Quality. He is author of throughout the ongoing process of Schools of Quality: An Introduction to IlfSckools It Quality Total Quality Management in If all this sounds good and you would improvement, no matter what! Make Education, to be published this year by like to promote Total Quality in your the principle of kaizen one that works ASCD. He may be contacted at P.O. schools, it's important to know in in your own life, and help the people Box 810, Columbia, MD 21044.
NOVEMBER 1992 n 8F 72 Quality Goes to School mis New Roles, New Relationships
On Restructuring Roles and Relationships: A Conversation with Phil Schlechty Imumnpm., Ron Brandt
A new role for the teacher is as inventor of engaging work. The school board's role is to educate the community about the conditions of schools. And the superintendent's role should be not so much to make decisions as to cause decisions to be made.
hil, what would cost. The promise was, "We'll get you say is implied your mail there some time, and it in the term won't cost much." After World War II, "systemic businesses began to ask for fast, time- change"? certain mail delivery. They wanted to It means changing the know exactly what time a letter was system of norms: the going to get there. regular and patterned I think that's where we are. We're ways of doing things being expected to teach every kid how how power is to do algebra and we're still trying to distributed, how deci- make sure that most kids know how to sions are made, what add, subtract, multiply, and divide. our business is. "Schools are organized If we say our business is selecting You spoke of the way schools are on the principles of and sorting students, which is what "structured." You seem to be saying Monopoly while our kids our present schools are designed to do, that systemic change and restruc- live in a Nintendo i.vorld.'' we structure the system one way. But turing arc the same thing. Phil Schlechty told educa- if we say our business is developing They're synonyms. It doesn't make tors at the ASCD Annual the capacities of all students, we sense for people to say, "Restructuring Conference last year The design the system another way. One is failing: let's try systemic reform." president of the Center for reason many innovative curriculum Restructuring is changing the system Leadership in School materials of the 1960s didn't work of rules, roles, and relationships that Reform. Schlechty very well was the way schools were govern the way time, people, space, believes strongly that the structured. knowledge, and technology are used rules for schools must and deployed. That's what systemic change. In this conversa- Are you saying there's been a shift in reform is, too. tion withEducational what people see as the basic purpose Leadership, hespells out of schools? I'm sure that's right in theory. In how teachers, principals, Yes, we're struggling with that. We're practice, though, we've seen efforts superintendents, and being asked to serve a purpose we at the state level to encourage school board members don't fully understand, and because restructuring at the school level, must become more we don't understand it, we're trying to with the idea that "We don't have fOcused on developing the respond to it in terms of the old to change; they have to change." capacity of students. purpose. For example, when a state would I call it the Post Office effect. The mandate teacher and parent partici- postal service was designed to be a pation in decision :nuking, it was reliable deliverer of the mail at low considered restructuring. But then,
flEDUCA I IONA! LI AtH liSH Quality Goes to School 73
It's not what the teacher does that's important; it's what the teacher gets the child to do that's important.
observers began saying, "You know, have more authority. And we've still What are some other things that need without broader change, site-based got the same dumb decisions being to be restructured at the level of decision making isn't making a made. We've got to focus our attention teaching and learning? difference; we have to change the on the things that need to be restruc- People, and how they're organized. whole system. The state has to start tured. For one thing, we should totally reor- by changing its own policies, its regu- ganize schools in the sense of grades. lations, its incentives." I think that is What things? The nongraded primary is not enough; what's implied in the new language Things that make a difference in what we should have nongraded schools. of systemic change. happens to kids in classrooms. Another thing is the size of the basic I agree that's how some people are unit the student belongs to.don't using the words. It's like Humpty Such as? care how big theschoolis. I want to Dumpty; "When / use a word, it As I said before, time, people. space, know how small theunitis. There are means just what I choose it to mean." knowledge, technology. Take time, for a number of ways you can take a But such terms have special, technical example. You've got to restructure the I,500-student high school and turn it meanings that can be very powerful. rules, the roles, and the relationships into a place where 1,500 people of Take restructuring. A great deal of that govern the way time is used. The different ages are grouped into small, restructuring has occurred in the last students are our '..ustomers: what we cross-age units. five years, but it hasn't affected do is design work activities that We need to see every person who anything. because we restructured the engage our customers. And we have to comes into the school as a part of the wrong things. For example. there's no use time flexibly in order to do that. instructional environment, and that question that local boards of education You can't do it by saying, "Everyone includes the kids themselves. And we has e less authority than they had 10 must do this within the next 50 need to think of students as part of the years ago; state education agencies minutes." instructional staff. OcTOIWR1993 74 Quality Goes to School
pvi.t Restructuring is . , changing the
system of rules, 411r- roles, and relationships that govern the way time, people, space, knowledge, and technology are used. 1,19.3 W ^.e.
Most of the things you're talking In that connection, let me ask about a don't understand. A lot of the charts about aren't totally new, are they? topic that's attracting a lot of atten- and so forth used in TQM are just Most have been done somewhere, tion these daysTotal Quality ways to get some understanding of haven't they? Management. Is that something what might be going on. Then, how Yes. But I don't know of any school different from what you've been much of those things can you control? where all of it is being done in a talking about? Sometimes we try to over-control systemic way. To do thatto put it all It is as some people talk about it. things. But it doesn't work because togetherschools need to be a part of TQM will be nothing more than MBO some variance is normal; it's built a total system committed to these (Management by Objectives) warmed into the system. things. It takes a supportive systema over unless we change the funda- school districtto do it. mental paradigm we use to think about What's an example of a process schools. If we continue to think about you can control? Is that why you recently entered into students as products, and test scores as A very important one is decision an agreement with a few school significant measuresas the qualities making. Actually, we know some of districts to work with them over a that we are trying to controlwe're the variables in effective decision long period of time? just going to beat ourselves to death making. One, for example, is whether Yes. I formed the Center for Leader- again. If, however, we think about the the group that makes the decision ship in School Reform because I student as customer for work, and we knows what results the group believe that school districts need to think about the work itself as the members want the decision to have access to a single-purpose product, and we talk about variance in producebefore they make the deci- outside source of consultation, help, the quality of the work provided to sion. If you have clarity of results, you and advice. At this point, we have a kids, that's different. are going to get a better decision than relationship with Tupelo, Mississippi; Then we understand the funda- if you don't have clarity of results. Lake Washington, Washington; Cedar mental logic of W. Edwards Deming's And you can measure the degree to Rapids, Iowa; Hammond, Indiana; and Total Quality Management, which is which a decision was made on the a couple of school districts in very simple, really. Basically it basis of a clearly specified result or Connecticut. Basically, what they are involves just three things: understand outcome. Related to that is asking buying into is the notion that you have processes, get control of processes, those in the group to articulate how to develop district-level capacity to andwhere possibleimprove they'd know that the result had been support and sustain school-level those processes. Deming is saying producedwhat indicators they would change. that you can't control something you accept as evidence.
10EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 8E Quality Goes to Schod 75
1K1 ;10.6,25 tirc
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will do, and to lead them dent: to be called on not to solve all to do it. It's not what the the problems, but to decide which teacher does that's impor- problems are worth solving, and then tant; it's what the teacher create conditions in which those prob- gets the child to do that's lems get solved; to be a decision C c3 n*. important. That's why causer rather than a decision maker. That's just an example of the kind we need to see the teacher as a leader of thing you can do. If you begin to and inventor. Another role that people are train teams to think that way about And if teachers are leaders, then the concerned about is that of board their own decision making principal is a leader of leaders. I don't member. processesto understand those consider the principal as instructional They should be concerned. Board processes and get controi of them leader; instead, I see the principal as member is one of the most critical they begin to understand the power leader of instructors. Now, that's more roles we have. Unfortunately, the way of statistical process control. than just semantics, because instruc- things are now, board members cannot tional leadership and curriculum lead- afford to be thoughtful. You mentioned that people are ership are embedded in the job of I'm not blaming board members, confused about the role of students. teaching. But you still have to have though. I watch what happens when I've heard about "student as worker," leaders of leadersthat's where the boards of education and superinten- but I'm afraid I don't understand principal comes in. dents are communicating with one "customer for work." anotherwhen the superintendent is I am very much with Ted Sizer; I have really listening to the board and the no trouble with seeing students as I don't consider board is really listening to the superin- workers. But from the school's point tendent. The consequence is that every of view, the student is our customer the principal as Monday night when they have votes for work. Big people populate the of 7-0 or 5-0, the newspaper says, school all the time; little people pass instructional "They're a rubber stamp board." through it. The big people have to be They're supposed to be rude and customer-centered. Students must be leader; instead, I nasty. And if they're not that way, the focus of all our activities. Our job the community will get someone to is to design activities that meet our see the principal run who will be. customers' needs. But that's not how it should be. The as leader of role of the board member is to under- I think of work as what the students stand the issues deeply and to educate do, but you're thinking of it as what instructors. the community auout the conditions they are assigned to do. of the schools. Board members must What they are encouraged to do, And you must have a leadership learn to carry on a dialogue with the inspired to do. system. I think of the superintendent community. Too many board members as the Chief Executive Officer of what see their job as simply representing the Can you make that a little more is typically the largest single knowl- constituency that elected them. That's specific? edge-work enterprise in the commu- only half the job; the other half is to Well, for example, encourage students nity. The Jefferson County school educate that constituencybecause to use mathematics to solve real prob- district in Kentucky employs a higher board members ought to be the wisest lems. not just do numbers. You see a proportion of college-educated people in the community. The job of similar emphasis on connection with employees than any other single the board paraphrasing John the real world in many writing employer in the community. And all Deweyis to ensure that what the projects and in the best science those people work with and on knowl- wisest parents in the community want curriculums. edge. Go to a small rural community for their children is what all children and you'll find that half the college- receive. O. Let's turn, then, to the teacher's role. educated people in the town are Phil Schlechty is President of The Center The teacher has to be viewed as a employed with the schools. for Leadership in School Reform, 950 leader and an inventor. The job of the So the superintendent should be Breckenridge Lane, Suite 200. teacher, often working with other viewed as the CEO. Now, that is a Louisville, KY 40207. Ron Brandt is teachers, is to invent work that kids very different role for a superinten- ASCD's Executive Editor. ocroiwR 1993el 76 Quality Goes to School
Not an oxymoron... not a fad Quality management in schools
Susan Leddick Profound Knowledge Resources, Inc. Quality management in education runs the risk of being the next fad if its principles are not understood and used as the basis for practice. This article describes six basic quality principles and how schools are using them to improve their school systems.
We'retalking about quality management in What of the many existing reform propos- school systems because it holds promise for help- als? We could catalog approaches to improving ing schools transform. Just as American business education that range from restructuring to has learned in the last quarter of the 20th Century entrenchment, but they all lack comprehensive- of its vulnerability in a changing world economy, ness: American education is also learning that it, too, They have no language for defining the context in must change to meet new demands. which the school exists and, thus, its purpose. Why education and why now? Expectations They have no language for describing the school of the organizations who will employ our stu- as a whole organism. dents, the parents and taxpayers who support They lack a theory of knowledge a way to our schools, and the citizens who depend on know if changes really lead to improvement. today's youth to lead the nation tomorrow have never been higher. And the gap between those They lack a method to make improvements to expectation; and perceived school performance any and all parts of the school or district. may never have been lower. Books, magazines, And they lack a means for engaging all the people television, special congressional reports continual- in the school and the district in continually ly remind us that schools are not performing as improving it. well as we need them to, if our nation is to retain its position as a world economic power. It is not Quality management provides the comprehensive enough to educate our best and brightest. We view school reform has been lacking. must find ways to help every child learn. It is the Foundation principles of quality manage- majc ity who pose the challenges. ment Quality management can best be But isn't education different? We are talking described as a system of thinking and acting. From a set of key terms come key principles. about quality management because schools are systems whose intended outcome is learning. The principles form a unified whole or theory. Teachers and administrators and bus drivers and Although we can examine each principle separate- kids work in those systems. All those people can ly, together they form a unit. Understanding quali- achieve more and achieve it better if they learn to ty management means understanding how the manage their own work according to certain sim- principles work together. Together they form a foundation on which transformation can be built. ple but profound principles.
Journal for Quality and ParticipationJan/Feb 1993 Quality Goes to School
The foundation principles of quality Mt. Edgecumbe strives to provide quality educa- management tion for youth in order to add value to society I. Customers have dynamic needs and expectations. through a program, which i,: addition to a basic 2. Customers are satisfied by purposeful activities or curriculum, focuses on: systems. Pacific Basin studies 3. AU systems exhibit variability. Entrepreneurship 4. Knowledge comes from rotating the PlanDoStudy--Act cycle. Computer technology 5. Continuous improvement of systems occurs Total quality management techniques. through planned change. Tools for a multi-customer supplier... Like 6. People drive change. Mt. Edgecumbe, schools applying the customer principle are planning with an eye on multiple cus- The customer principle in schools tomers: A clear view of the customer is essential to estab- They are writing clear mission statements that lishing the purpose of the school. Without pur- help clarify decision making for all members of the pose we cannot understand the school as a single school community. entity, nor all the elementary schools and sec- They are applying site-based decision-making to ondary schools in totality, nor the support ser- a!sure that customers, both internal and external, vices and the schools as one organization. have a voice in how the school is managed. Without purpose we cannot explain why one course of action is appropriate and another inap- They are working on community consensus to propriate. align the political forces that nse when mu[tiple interest groups are affected. Which customer do you mean? Defining cus- tomers has been a very difficult task for educa- The system principle in schools tors. Is the customer the employer who will hire To understand a very simple mechanical system, our graduates? Is it the next grade or next school watch a child assemble a Lego truck She may first to which our students pass? Is the customer the grab the wheels things that roll. She will snap taxpayer? How about parents? Or how about together the long, flat pieces to create the frame kids? An argument can be made for any one of something that provides a base. She will them, and for many more. No one answer is right assemble the cab and attach the windshield to and the other wrong, but any answer chosen has house the driver and provide visibility. When unique implications for dealing quality of educa- she's finished, she has a system called a truck. It tion. combines all the related entities (wheels, frame, Schools grappling with the customer principle are cab, windshield, and so on) to reach a common raising these issues: purpose of helping imaginary people carryobjects from place to place. No single part of the truck I. Who's thecustomer? can accomplish what they can accomplishtogeth- 2. What's the customer need we serve? er, yet each is functional to a limited extent on its 3. What's our aim? own. When we fragment any system to study its These issues, seemingly simple, are difficult parts, we lose connections and lose sight of the because so many customers and competing needs whole system. It's Humpty Dumpty all over again! exist. Looking at an example may help. Hence, our definition of a system is: a system is a set of related entities that work together to The customers and purpose at Mt. accomplsh a common purpose. Edgecumbe... The purpose of Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Alaska's only public boarding school, Schools working on the system principle are rais- is to provide for parents the assurance that their ing these issues: children will live and leam in a balanced social and I. What is us? academic environment, work to friely cooperate 2. What is our common aim? with others, to cause positive improvements, 3. What is nccountability? adjust and participate in a changing global society, and gain enthusiasm for lifelong learning.
Journol tor Quality and PoliclpationJon/Feb 1993 9 78 Quality Goes to School
What is us? It is often hard to tell where the Taking a pattern view over a point view school system's boundaries are. As social services Despite how obvious the answer "it varies" are increasingly delivered in cooperation with and in education we seem conditioned to behave as if through the schools, for instance, it is hard to tell there is a correct, accurate, and one right number what's education and what's social service. to answer any such question. Dr. Deming often reminds his audiences at seminars that "There is What is our common aim? A common aim no true value of anything. There is only a number depends in part on a consensus among cus- that corr:Is from the application of a certain tomers. Yet without a common aim we are hope- method." If the method is applied repeatedly over lessly locked into competing structures: schools time, the number will certainly vary. competing against other district schools for scarce funds or special programs; children com- The point view... Even when we have looked at peting against each other for grades and attention. distributions in education, we have used the nor- mal curve (bell curve) to sort and select the best What is accountability? The popular concept from the worst so we could reward one group "There is no true of accountability (which, in the words of quality and punish the other. This is a point mentality: value of anything. consultant Peter Scholtes, may be a fiftycent people react to individual points or pieces of data. There is only a word for biame), is threatened when we under- number that comes stand that the interrelated nature of a system The pattern view... There is a better way to frJR1 the application makes individual performance impossible to quan- use measures. If we apply control charts and of a certain tify. other statistical tools that take into account varia- method." tion over time, we begin to see the changing per- Some beginnings in using the systems W. Edwards Derning formance patterns of dynamic systems. This is a view... Schools understanding the system princi- pattern mentality: with it, people react to charac- ple are working hard to picture the school and its teristic patterns, not to single data points. community as a system. For example, Jackson Community College in Jackson, Michigan, has cre- The point view in Texas... This approach ated a system map that identifies major subsys- challenges many current practices. In absence of tems and the interrelationships that exist among understanding the variability principle, the them. They are using the map to communicate Governor of Texas proposed an education SWAT among the college staff and to guide improve- Team of aboveaverage educators. Their mission, ments. Other schools are breaking down barriers should they accept it, was to Pnter lowperforming between functions. Teachers at Catalina Foothills schools to accomplish a qui,. turnaround. The in Arizona are working together to design and findings and recommendations of the team would deliver interdisciplinary courses that emphasize be binding. Current administrators could be taken linkages or connections among subject areas. All to court for failure to implement the team's plan. schools who are beginning to understand the sys- But what is an aboveaverage educator? What tem principle are finding frequent and creative is a lowperforming school? Statistical proce- ways to communicate the aim of the system to dures assure us that we always have a bottom people who work in it and people who receive its half, even among Olympic athletes. Should we go products and services. to the half of Olympic competitors who lost their The variability principle in schools races and give them special help? We have ignored performance over time. Conti-ol charts Ask any system manager any question about how will help us tell if any school in the district really is the system performs, and you'll get the same in need of special help or if the variation among answer. them is simply a result of random differences. Q: How many kids are enrolled in your school? Taking the pattern and variability view... A: It varies from week to week, month to month, Schools working on the pattern and variability year to year. principle are raising these issues: Q: What's your school district dropout rate? I. How are we doing over time? A: It varies from school to school and from year 2. What shall we measure? to year. It also depends on how you count 3. Where does the variation come from?
Journal for Quality ond ParticipationJon/Feb 1993 94. Quality Goes to School 79
What shall we measure ond how are we The knowledge principle in schools doing over time? Schools are drowning in data A pundit once said, "It ain't so much what you "A pundit oncesaid, and thirsting for information because their mea- don't know as it is what you do know that ain't 'It ain't so much sures are often dictated by accrediting or funding so." The knowledge principle calls into question whatyoudon'tknow bodies that operate on annual cycles. Of course just how it is that we come to say that we know as ttiswhat you do these bodies need data so they can fulfill their something. The knowledge principle is about the- knowthat ain't so." own purposes or aims, but data are also needed ory and prediction and practice. What may seem to fuel local improvements. Both kinds of mea- impossible in practice with one theory may be sures need to be taken. easy with another. Where does the variation come from? Columbus could never have reached the West Beyond measure is interpretation, understanding Indies by sailing west as long as he operated where the variation comes from. fn education we under the theory of a flat world. It was possible have tended to blame teachers and students when (except for the intervention of other continents) learnine, outcomes are disappointing. The variabili- under the theory of a round one. What accom- ty priiciple reminds us that variation comes from plishments seem impossible to us in schools many sources continuously. Sorting it out is the today? Perhaps a new theory is required. key to using the data for improvement. Schools working on the knowledge principle are Beyond finger pointing in Houston... The raising these issues: superintendent and assistant superintendent of I. Whattheories will lead to improvement? Pasadena Independent School District in the "Thevariability 2. How do we create a culture of learning for all Houston, Texas, area knew about the variability principle reminds us the people in the system? principle. When they sat down to study the stan- that variation comes dardized test data that came from the state, they What theories will lead to improvement? from many sources asked a different question from the usual one. Several hundred improvement initiatives of one continuously. Sorting This time they asked "Judging from this test data. kind or another may be afoot in a school system it out is the key to is any school in our system in need of special at any given time. New legislation and innovative using the data for help?" practice are continually adding more. improvement." A control chart quickly told them that six schools Washing machine management... School had, in fact, produced scores that lay outside the personnel often feel as though they are caught in calculated control limits. They could now move the agitator cycle: swishing first one way and then surely, commissioning the district office's special- the other. To push the metaphor, they are spun ist teams to give help where it was really dry of energy and enthusiasm for trying new required. For the others, whose scores fell within things by the sheer magnitude of keeping up. the limits, they commissioned other teams to How do we create a culture of learning for work on the common causal factors that would all the people in the system? Creating what affect all schools in the same way. Peter Senge calls the learning organization means The superintendent carried the handdrawn allowing time to let experimentation happen. The charts to each school. Principals got the idea right typical cry of school people is, "I don't mind try- away. "We ought to be looking at the datafor ing something new, but what should I stop doing our school like this. How did you do that?"Such to allow me to work something else in?" of requests for help were forwarded to the team Progress is being made on this principle by trained facilitators developed throughout the dis- schools who are integrating quality planning with trict during the prior year. their district and campus planning cycles (the Like Pasadena, other schools and districts work- PDSA cycle, shown on the next page is an exam- ing on the variability principle are not assigning ple of such planning). As they improve the data blame to people when the system is the source of ana analysis in the variability principle, they also variability. They are asking to see control charts improve their ability to generate knowledge that of school data of all kinds from the warehouse drives planning. to the bus barn to the classroom. They are ceas- ing to use the data to find the best or worst and beginning to use it for system improvement.
Journal for Quality and PadtlpallonJan/Feb 1993 93 80 Quality Goes to School
The planned change principle in for daily work. Choosing what to work on is part schools of the district and campus planning processes. The way to improve is through the seven steps There are explicit methods for improving existing for improvement or standardization, using the systems and for stabilizing new or erratic systems. tools of quality management. The methods have evolved and have been refined during the 1980s through the work of many con- How shall we improve? lmplenn of The PDSA cycle sultants and thousands of improvement teams. planned change have taken on a range of pilot The PDSA cycle has The improvement method is an outgrowth of the improvement team projects. Here is a sample list four parts: PDSA cycle; the standardization method is based from a large suburban district whose objective Plan a change on the SDSA (standardize, do, study, act) cycle. was to get experience in all aspects of the district: Do it carry it out The two models appear below. Administration, classroom, and support services... on a small scale Schools working with the planned change princi- Improving speech referral turnaround time Study the results with ple are talking about these issues: use of theory Improving warehouse delivery time I. The common misconception that planned Act to standardize an change is already going on. Improving use of state learning objectives in ele- improvement, aban- mentary curriculum don an unproductive 2. What shall we work on? theory, or run the test 3. How shall we improve? Improving student learning through students mon- itoring their work with control charts again under different The common misconception that planned conditions. change is already going on... People some- Improving teacher and student attendance By rotating this cycle times confuse serendipitous improvements with Improving phone service at central office over and over in multi- the planned change principle. Just as species ple settings, people in Improving communication between central office evolve over time through rAndom mutations, schools can participate and buildings: between buildings and community improvements may eventually evolve in organiza- in creating lezrning that (The communication projects were difficult to tions. But the implementer of planned change is matters to them. quantify) more like the biological engineer who carefully selects preferred characteristics and experiments The project team members agreed that they purposefully to produce them. Purposeful change would not recommend that a firsttime improve- resulting in improvement is the goal. ment team take these on without very close mon- itoring and assistance of a technical assistant very What shall we work on? There is no shortage familiar with the improvement process and tools. of improvements to work on: planned change occurs for the entire organization, for subsystems and processes that cut across departments, and
TQT standardized procesen TQT improvement process'.
Journal tor Qua Iffy ond ParticipationJan/Feb 1993 Quality Goes to School 81
The people principle in schools Current research on educational change, howev- System improvement and the transformation er, indicates that the professional preparation and toward a quality orientation as the driving force in development of educators rarely includes the the organization must come from people. skills for collaboration, even though collaboration Leaders, teams, and individuals all have a role. among administrators, teachers, and students in Improvement is not addon work; it is the work. planning and improving teaching practice is nearly always associated with more effective schools. Above all, people must understand the school's Work harder versus work smarter in edu- "Improvement is not purpose and how their work contributes to it. addon work; it is cation... Fullan and Stiegelbauer argue that This includes students, who are often ignored as the work." having a stake in the improvement of their own there are two forces for change operating on schools and learning. education today. The first, represented by stan- dardized testing and demands for accountability On stealing joy... Dr. Deming teaches that and back to basics, is entrenchment into the work school is the first of our social institutions that harder approach. The second, represented by sys- "The more we give robs people of their intrinsic motivation for learn-tems thinking, cooperative learning, and other gold stars andlor A's ing, for accomplishment, for the joy of doing. such initiatives, is restructuring to support work- and F's, the more By emphasizing grades and rewards we accultur- ing smarter. The values and principles of quality difficult it will be ta ate our children to an environment of fear of fail- management are more in keeping with working tap the inherent ure. Research is clear on the point: in an environ- smarter. capacity of our stu- ment of fear, where threat is prevalent, people dents to learn for the revert to more primitive behaviors controlled in Final thoughts pure joy of learning." the older centers Of the brain. In such environ- Quality management in education is neither a fad ments, extrinsic motivation takes over. that will pass nor an oxymoron schools really can be of high quality, providing students the The more we give gold stars and/or A's and F's, opportunity to create meaning that has value in the more difficult it will be to tap the inherent their lives. The value of applying quality manage- capacity of our students to learn for the pure joy ment to education will be seen in the resulting of learning. economic, social, physical, and emotional The people principle leads to process improvement. Schools analysis, instead of finger pointing Education can be a place where people are Susan Leddick is a cc-.st.' working on the people principle are finding ways allowed to take pride in their work because they tont in quality improvement to align their people to organization goals and to work in systems that encourage them to succeed encourage them to take action. They are using rather than assuming that a third or more will fail. and president of Profound Knowledge Resources in control charts to help distinguish the sources of Quality management can help by providing an Dallas. Texas As both on variation in measures of performance, to avoid integrative theoretical framework that makes internal ond external con- laying blame solely on the people who work in sense of other improvement initiatives. thP surrounding system in which they are embed- sultant she has worked with ded. The combination of humanistic philosophy and variety of firms in the hard science reflected in the foundation principles pubk and private sectors Teachers in Pasadena, TX, for example, can make is unique in its scope and applicability to any sys- to improve quality through control charts to see if they should work on com- tem, large or small. team projects Leddick has mon causes of variation irl the class test scores, assisted with severul of Dr or whether some students should be singled out But it will be hard work that will take decades if W. Edwards Deming's sem for special help. we are to uproot old practices that flow from theory as outdated as Columbus' flat world. It is oars at Dr Deming's request Leddick holds ci Cooperative learning... Cooperative not a job for the faint of heart, but it has great ikxtorate in outrun learning and interdisciplinary curriculum, when promise. approached as methods that really engage stu- iesource developmel t from dents in constructing their own meaning, are also References and resources: Western Mfrhip.an jn,versity compatible with the people principle. The work Fullan. Michael C, and Su7anne Stiegelbauer (1991) The of William Glasser on control theory is also com- New Meaning of Eaucationo, Chang:, leachers College patible, and many schools have found Glasser's Press. Columbia Un lversay reality therapy useful as they think about creating Total (24,,b1y Trip Ain rrrt,,r,Da.ton Ohro Q1P ir);and a school environment where everyone can do P0 Sys ;erns. lnc quality work.
Journal (or Quality and ParticipationJan/Fea 1993
rz , MANAGEMENT MANIFESTO
By Yvonne Siu-Runyan and Sally Joy Heart
Deming's 14 principles have revitalized Japanese industry, and they can form the basisfor restructuring the education workplace as well
EDWARDS DEMING, THE AMERICAN utives are looking to Deming's management model genius who revitalized Japanese indus- for help. try, is unequivocal: "Workers are re- The Deming model is a useful tool for analyzing man- sponsible for only 15 percent of the agement systems in public schools. The approach, first problems, the system for the other 85 used successfully in Japanese industry and business, has percent." And the system, he says, is worked well in a growing number of the responsibility of management. American companics that needed to Deming's view of attacking prob- change their organization systems to lems in industry parallels what many thrive. Rather than viewing managers reformers say about schools: Improv- as "bosses," Deming's approach is ing the quality of public education, based on teamwork and collaboration they maintain, requires making struc- among managers and workers. The tural changes in the system, rather process is governed by the principles than targeting individual workers for of constancy of purpose for everyone reform. According to these reform- in the organization, quality of prod- ers, most school problems originate uct or service, and cooperation at all from the system itself, and manage- levels of the organization. ment is responsible for the system. Under the Deming model, 14 es- So, the way to generate improve- sential principles must be considered ment in schools is to reform school when restructuring the workplace en- management. vironment. We'll outline those princi- But how do you, as a school ex- ples for you in a moment. For each of ecutive, reform your profession? the 14 points, we will describe how School executives, admittedly, often the principle is currently used in a arc reluctant to use a private-sector school setting or offer suggestions for management approach in public ed- how that principle might work in ucation, arguing that business is dif- schools. ferent from education and that we 1. Create constancy of purpose cannot successfully run schools as if for improving the product or ser- they were corporations. In fact, ed- vice. It's easy to "stay bound up in thc ucation is different from industry. But managing people tangled knots of the problems of today," says Dcming. and resources is largely the same for any organization "But no company without a plan for thc future. ..will stay whether in business or education, the private sector or in business." the public arena. And g.wing numbers of school exec- The same is true in education. School systems func- tion best whcn workers, mid-level managers, and top- Yvonne Siu-Runyan is an associate professor in the College of level managers agree on goals and priorities for the fu- Education, University of Northern Colorado. Greeley. Sally Joy ture. Trouble is, in most schools, the goals and priorities Heart is a free-lance writer with Creative Communications. of staff members extend no further than token agree- Boulder, Colo. ment that schools should educate children.
The Executive Educator/January 1.992 Sc Quay Goes to Schod
"School administrators are often concerned primarily I izcd testing. It's the measure by which wc determine with fiscal constraints," say Samuel B. Bacharzch and the quality of what we do. But standardized testing by Sharon C. Conley in a 1986 article on educational re- its nature diverts us from the true purpose of educa- form in Phi Delta Kappan. "School boards oftcn focus tionwhich is to enhance the ability of each studcnt to on broad ideological goals. Meanwhile,teachers tend to learn and think constructively, critically, and creatively. focus on 'micro' issues related to their own students and Mass testing fails to get an accurate measure of stu- classrooms." Although such differences in purpose arc dents' abilities to use diverse strategies, skills, and in- understandable, they often result in a lack of unity. A formation. system cannot flourish when groups arc pulling indiffer- Mass testing also judges teachers according to their ent directions. students' performance on testsand thereby diverts What's needed is a common visiona goal all teachers' attention from creating cooperative communi- groups agree on and feel good about mirommi ties of effective learners. Jane L. David working toward. An example of what puts it this way in a 1991 Educational can happen whcn schools develop a Lzadersbip article on restructuring edu- common vision based on sound peda- What's needed is cation: Teachers arc "caught in a time gogy can be found in six North Car- a common warp between the old and the ncw." olina schools. This innovative under- They're asked to develop new methods taking, called Project Design, uses visiona goal all of tcaching students to think, yet "they permanent steering committees to arc still judged publicly and privately by improve instruction, according to groups agree on standardized tests that e.nphasize iso- Bettye MacPhail-Wilcox and her col- lated facts, rote learning, and content leagues in a 1990 article in Educa- and feel good coverage." tional Leadership. The only way to get an accurate, Thc committeesmade up of the about working complete picture of what students know and need help with is to ob- superintendent, various central office toward staff members, principals, teachers, and serve and interact with students. Ef- school board mcmbersmake instruc- forts are under way in a number of tional improvement thcir constant pur- states to make assessment more close- pose. Preliminary results of Project Designreflect a ly match what we want students to know. California, strong commitment to improving education on the parts Illinois, and Michigan, for instance, are developing of teachers and administrators, as well as improved per- techniques for evaluating student literacy that involve formance by studcnts and a high level of involvement the whole process of reading. These testswhich use and support by parcnts and the community. narrative materials selected from children's magazines, 2. Adopt the new philosophy. Adopting a ncw ap- trade books, reference books, and textbooksaim at proach means changing perspective- and breaking from matching the kinds of reading materials studcnts actu- tradition. In schools, says Psychiatrist William Glasser, ally read each day and assess students' ability to use that means moving beyond a fiagmented instructional appropriate strategies for reading different kinds of approach and moving toward challenging studcnts to material. think and defend their ideas. To make this happen, These new approaches to assessment do not constrain Glasser says, what's required is not "boss management," teachers' efforts to teach creative and critical problem which relies on coercion and turns workers and man- solving. In fact, thcsc approaches can help schools move agers into adversaries, but "lead management,"which toward crelting an environment that engages students in relies on cooperation between managers and workers. active, reflective learning.. Teachers and school executives must work together to 4. End the practice of awarding business by price rethink what they do, how they "lo it, and how they tag alone. "Price," emphasizes Deming, "has no mean- measure it. ing without a measure of the quAlity being purchased." Barry S. Raebeck, principal at Thomas Harrison Mid- But in business, as in education, decisions often are dle School in Harrisonburg, Va., reports in a 1990 Edu- bascd on cost. Pressured to reduce costs, managcrs often cational Leadership article that staff members collectively purchase services and products according to what is implement policies and ictivities they believe will make cheapest. But schools are far morc likely to ensure high- their school a better learning environment. They're us- quality education by hiring excellent teachers, buying ing team teaching, paiitive public acknowledgment and top-quality education materials, and designing effective recognition of staff members and students, and "unsatis- learning environments than by shaving costs. factory" (U) grades rather than F's for failure. The over- Indeed, sacrificing quality in the namc of cost-saving riding theme is cooperationwhich means everyone can be costly in the long run. Jonathan Kozol, in his from principal to custodian is working together in a spir- book Illiterate America, says individuals who lack the it of mutual respect toward a common vision. skills and options provided by a sound education are 3. Cease depending on mass inspection. In indus- more likely to turn to crime and substance abuse. And try, says Dcming, mass inspection cannot solve the prob- thc cost of incarcerationaveraging S17,000 a ycar per lem of poor quality. The people who makc the product inmate in state prisons in 1988, according to thc 1989 are the only oncs who can ensure high qualityand they Corrections Yearbook of the Criminal Justicc Institute must do it at each stcp of producing every item. far exceeds the costs of schooling. Education's version of mass inspection is standard- 5. Constantly improve the system of production
The Executive Educator/January 1992
9 7 84 Quality Goes, :4.1 School
and service. Quality, says Deming, "must be built in at land, all school administrators teach as part of thcir regu- the design stage, and teamwork is essential to the pro- lar assignment. When Siu-Runyan asked tcachers, "What cess." Given the option, most school people would agree: are the qualifications for being an administrator?" the Working as a team member committed to delivering top- universal response was, "You must bc a good teacher, of quality instruction is more effective than working alone. course." Siu-Runyan probed further with, "Are there any And for school managers, working collaboratively with special courses you have to take to be a school adminis- staff memberswho are striving to improve their own trator?" The resounding response was, "Of course not; performance and contribute to the overall systemis you learn on the job. But first you must be a master more likely to bring positive results than is managing by teacher. That is the No. 1 criterion for being a Head coercion and intimidation. [principal]." Grant W. Simpson, in a 1990 Educational Leader- 8. Dispel fear. "It is necessary for better quality and ship article on sustaining innovation, productivity that people feel secure," describes one of the increasing num- says Deming. Fear is a motivator, he bers of school leaders who take this adds, "but it does not motivate toward approach. Cheryl Snell, principal of In schools, as in constructive action." Learning and De Keyser Elementary School in the many industries, riSk-taking cannot take place in an at- Utica (Mich.) Community Schools in mosphere where people are afraid to suburban Detroit, tries to inspire ac- the distance ask questions, take a stand, or make tive participation and collaboration suggestions. among her staff members. Her aim is between managers To inspire learning in their students, to engender collegiality among teachers must be learners themselves. teachers and encourage them to re- and workers is That means recognizing firsthand that flect on what they do, take responsi- learning entails making mistakes. And ble action, and strive to improve in- a plague on school managers must provide teach- struction. By supporting teachers and ers, students, and staff with an environ- encouraging school personnel to take effectiveness ment in which they feel secure enough the initiative in solving problems, to challenge the status quo, explore Snell helps move her school toward new ways of teaching and learning, and high-quality education. use mistakes as feedback rather than punishment. 6. Institute training and retraining. "It is very diffi- North Carolina's Project Design offers an example: cult to erase improper training," says Deming. And that The project leaders understand the necessity for building certainly applies in schools. Consider the treatment of trust. They encourage teachers to say, "This isn't work- new teachers: Generally, they're on their own, learning ing," or "I don't know exactly how to do this"and about procedures, policies, and curricula by word of they encourage teachers to try new approaches. moutha hit-or-miss approach, at best. If you want to promote new approaches to learning in In Holland, one of us (Siu-Runyan) observed an ex- your schools, you must honor people, support and en- ample of an efkctive support group fbr new teachers. In courage them to take risks, and help them break from a meeting fbcusing on discipline and management tech- traditional forms. niques, the principal and teachers discussed a trouble- 9. Break down barriers between staff areas. Whcn some student at length and told about discipline tech- managers and workers collaborate and function as a niques that had worked for them. The beginning teacher team, says Deming, the result is a high-quality product. jotted down the suggestions and said she felt much bet- In schools, opening communication among staff areas ter knowing that others had trouble with the same stu- certified and classified, as well as instructional areasre- dent. She said she would try out the suggested remedies duces competition between individuals and departments and report back at the next meeting about how her week and adds to the overall energy needed to create high- had gone with the student. quality learning environments and experiences. This kind of open communication and support in a Some school executives put this concept to work by nonthreatening setting helps make for effective teaching having what they call "alignment meetings," where the right from the beginning. entire school staffinstructional, counseling, custodial, 7. Provide leadership. "Leadership is thc job of food services, secretarial, transportation, and so on management," says Deming. "It is the responsibility of meets to celebrate victories and work toward solving management to discover the barriers that prevent work- problems. ers from taking pride in what they do." 10. Eliminate slogans and exhortations. "Slogans In schools, as in many industries, the distance be- never helped anyone do a good job," Deming says. In- tween managers and workersthat is, between adminis- stead, "they generate frustration and resentment." Slo- tration and actual classroom experiencesis a plague on gans and exhortations suggest that the worker is to effectiveness. Most school executives would find it blame if things don't gct better. much easier to stay current and understand classroom True commitment to improving performance comcs problems if they taught frequently and worked regularly from the internal motivation of individuals. And people in classrooms. This kind of participation makes you arc more likely to achieve the organization's goals whcn aware of the problems, challenges, and complexities they're involved in sctting those goals. If workers want teachers face. to put up slogans, that is their prerogative. Thejob of Again, the Dutch schools provide a model: In Hol- management is not to coerce, but to generate support,
The Executive Educator/January 1992
.9E Quality Goes to School 85
cooperation, and leadership for a process that brings to- perception usually based on the treatment they had re- gether the energy of everyone for a common vision. ceived from their teachers in school. They had learned As teacher Dan Brickley and Principal Tim Wester- the value of conformity. To discover their own potential, berg describe it in a 1990 Educational Leadership article, they needed a learning environment that nurtured self- the move toward restructuring at Littleton (Colo.) High confidence, creativity, and adventurousness. School has involved teachers and administrators in ongo- The same is true for school executives: You need to ing discussions of the school's strengths and its needs for remove obstacles and make teachers' jobs easier. Sit change. Together, staff members have created common shoulder-to-shoulder with teachers, and solicit informa- goals and a vision statement that says, ". . . asworkers, tion about what's not working and how you can help. parents, citizens, and individuals, members of the next Then act on the information you receive. generation should know how to question, invent, antici- 13. Institute a vigorous in-service training program. pate, and dream ... sothat Most people believe that they [are]...prepared to when they've completed their make a living, make a life, formal education, they've and make a difference." learned all they need to 11. Eliminate numerical iivitcovitigi4okiwkv:Atoxifakt know. In fact, we constantly n/41**k00,009414tif the need new skills, techniques, quotas. "A system that fos- Appre,04 tet 0,11!1a6.#,,,irtbsklpali ters an atmosphere of recep- and information just to keep tivity and recognition is far up in our changing world. As nre.-erable to one that mea- AvayotItsatitol,**upg, theAme* Deming says, "Education and sures people by the numbers eat, ';itho lboght the'tiajaaraiSeJtheut gualitm. retrainingan investment in they turn out," says Dem- cang:$1)111*4 peopleare required for ing. Nothing dehumanizes tSapitg, W. *ironic Out Aktite *lox long-term planning." people more than being re- cataxidio. Stoise.. irskatituta of The opportunities should duced to statistics. Looking Technology 5et*rtit,,Adiii#00 tring be many and varied: credit for quick ways to improve Stutly 1989; course work, seminars, work- test scores rather than work- gafxtity shops, independent study, ing to foster creative prob- ttotk and VoirreitimPoitiktoy-Copixidgt, mentor programs, informal lem solving, critical think- Mass*, Measatiaiselts institute orreeimology discussion sessions, and ing, and higher-level learn- CenterIor aim** EriOneeting Study.; 1902. leaves of absence for travel or ing defeats the purpose of OaMr, Mairit.40100,an WhoPtixow other professional experi- education. oed ciftsalitik *ow YO*, Waticir4 *Me Times ences. Such experiences not As Rafael Aguayo puts it Book, 1990, only enhance teachers' pro- in Dr. Deming, the American Wakt14avy,Ille mrinalge- fessional capabilities but also Who Taught the Japanese meat Mditod, Now York, Dodd, MeadCo., contribute to overall well-be- About Quality, numerical MO. ing, vitality, and spirit. quotas are more likely to 14. Take action to ac- serve as ammunition for frus- complish the transforma- tration and jealousy than to tion. The process of institut- engender the cooperative teamwork that nurtures pro- ing change begins with management. In other words, it ductivity. bcgins with you. Individual workers are helpless to Making state-by-statc comparisons of standardized change the system. To chart a course for change, you as test results is a good example of how not to use numeri- manager must be willing to forgive past mistakes and cal quotas. If teachers end up teaching to the test to raise learn from errors. Deming points out it's hard for man- scores, we have no idea of what students actually agers to acknowledge their mistakes when they've "been learned. Deming puts "incentive pay" in the same cate- paid high salaries to be right." But without that kind of gory as numerical quotas. Both incentive pay and nugre-r- learning, you can't move forward. ical quotas encourage people to turn out numbers rather Beyond this, all the personnel in your school must than quality. In schools, which have limited budgets for make a commitment to moving toward the shared vi- teacher salary, incentive pay results in many losers and sionwith you as a manager guiding and serving as a few winners. model for the change process. You must build support 12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship. for change into thc systemso enough people arc com- People want to do a good job, and teachers are no excep- mitted to transformation that. it won't be derailed by tion. Consider the barriers that get in the way: arbitrary staff turnover. goals that serve the nccds of administration; outdated, A final comment: The process of change never cnds. faulty, or insufficient equipmeat; curriculum materials Restructuring schools is never finished. You, your teach- that arc old or no longer relevant. These obstacles can crs, and your support staff members must continue tak- discourage people and crush thc spirit. In such an envi- ing risks, learning from mistakes, and using the informa- ronment, says Deming, mediocrity is the safest response. tion you gather to adjust thc proccss so it continues In teaching adult writcrs, onc of us (Heart) discov- working in thc most effective way possible. Whcn you ered many people werc unaware of their ability to ex- create this kind of honest, mutually respecting attitude press themselves artfully and passionately. They consid- among staff members, you have the makings for a pow- ered themselves mediocre writers with little to saya erful learning environment in classrooms.
The Executive Educator/January 1992
9r BEST COPY AVAILABLE 86 Ouality Goes to School ERIC DIGEST AUGUST 1992 NUMBER 73 EDO-EA-92-6
organizations to turn nearsighted, top- employee involvement. Since workers Total Quality down management "on its head" by know more about their jobs than involving both customers and employ- management does, their input is vital to Management ees in decisions. This second tenet, improving the system. It is a by Tyler Weaver that management needs to listen to manager's responsibility to continually nontraditional sources of information in train employees in the methods of order to institute quality, is based on TQM, involve them in management In the years following World War the belief that people want to do quality decisions, listen to their suggestions for II, W. Edwards Deming, an work and that they would do it if system changes, and work to imple- American statistician with a new managers would listen to them and ment those changes (Schmoker 1992). management theory, took his ideas to create a workplace based on their ideas Continual Gathering and Use of Japan. The Japanese, devastated by the (Deming). Statistical Data: Most companies effects of the war, were looking to Managers, in the TQM view, need monitor the quality of their products by restructure their economy, and to become leaders who "not only work doing mass inspections that determine Deming's principles became the in the system but also on the system" how many low-quality items are being blueprint they needed. Now, more than(Rocheleau 1991). A company will see produced, but Deming calls for four decades later, Japanese products continuous improvement in products monitoring of the ptoduction process are in demand worldwide. only when managers realize all systems by continually gathering statistical data The Japanese success story has consist of interdependent parts and so that problems can be identified as made Deming's management theory, work to aim all those parts toward a they are happening instead of when it is which some call Total Quality Manage- vision of quality, proponents argue. too late to solve them. When problems ment (TQM), a phenomenon that is This type of leadership is needed to are identified, they should be the focus getting renewed attention in America. ensure that product quality improves of discussion, and the groups discuss- With its focus on customer satisfaction, "constantly and forever" and truly ing them should rely on the data to employee empowerment, and product satisfies the customers (Deming). institute change instead of randomly quality, it has stirred interest among assigning blame to individuals or American managers, from car manufac-How Does TQM Create an departments (Deming). turers to hospital administrators, and Environment that Promotes Quality? Create an Environment that most recently, educators. This Digest TQM is more than just a philoso- Promotes Unity and Change: People looks at the tenets of TQM and their phy. In addition to proposing new need to feel comfortable discussing application to schools. theories about the workplace, it problems and suggesting solutions. Managers need to work at breaking advocates specific changes that managers need to make if they want to down barriers between departments so What Is the Philosophy of TQM? that interactive discussion can take Although no two businesses use improve the system. These changes are best described in Deming's "14 place. Fear must be eliminated. Also, TQM in exactly the same way, its managers are urged to do away with Points," which are condensed under the theory rests on two basic tenets. The slogans, quotas, goals, and otoectives first and most important is that custom- four categories below: Customer Relationships: Custom- since they encourage competition ers are vital to the operation of the between workers and put the focus on organ:zation. Without customers, thereers can be either internal or external to an organization. Just as a customer is individual results rather than process is no business, and without business, (Deming). there is no organization. Consequently,the person buying a product in a store, it should be the primary aim of any an employee is the customer of group to keep customers satisfied by management. Managers need to realize How Does TQM Translate to providing them with quality products that quality work will not be done Education? (Deming 1986). unless they provide employees with Considerable effort has gone into These ideas are not foreign to most quality products to work with translating ideas generated by TQM to organizations; what makes TQM (Blankstein 1992). education, and adaptations of Deming's unique is its call for a restructuring of Employee Entpowerment: TQM fourteen points pepper recent educa- management methods to create that starts at the top but should permeate thetional journals. Most of the points, quality. TQM proponents urge workplace; it fact, it will fail without such as the dissolving of bathers
I ERIC I .CLEARINGHOUA ON EDUCA TIONAL MANAGEMENT UNIVER!.,ITY OF OREGON Quality Goon to School 87
between departments, are essentially salmon smoking business, which brings performance rather than teamwork and the same in education as they are in the in thousands of dollars each year from customer satisfaction (Fuchsberg business world. Some TQM advocates, east Asian countries (Rocheleau). 1992). however, call for changes in education Mt. Edgecumbe also downplays The current state of TQM is that may seem radical to educators. grades and standardized tests in favor perhaps best summed up by Schmokec The Role of Students: TQM of continuous evaluation, which makes Some "has been written about [it]; little recognizes students as both customers comparisons to other schools difficult. of it has been absorbed, believed, and and employees of the educational The percentage of Mt. Edgecumbe implemented in American schools or system. Administrators need to involve students who enter and stay in college businesses." This might be explained students in their own education by is approximately twenty times the norm by the fact that systematic change training them to question the learning for Alaskan students with similar requires time, but it might also be an process, and once the students have backgiounds (Olson 1992b). indication the quality movement is not questioned it, administrators need to Other schools have been slower to achieving its vision. seriously consider student proposals foradopt programs that are as comprehen- It is doubtful that interest in TQM change (Olso: 1992b). sive as Mt. Edgecumbe's. Educational will simply fade away, especially since The Role of Teachers: TQM calls TQM is so new that most efforts to TQM in education has received support for changes in teachers' relationships institute it are still in their infancy. In from both business and government. with both students and administrators; the words of Olson (1992b), "while Several districts have received training teachers need to view education TQM has generated a lot of talk in from such successful TQM businesses through students' eyes, and they need schools, it has produced less aztion." Ifas Toyota of America (Schmoker), and to work with administrators as a team. schools do use TQM, they usually at least twenty states are considering This teamwork is largely the responsi- implement it in areas that most closely awards for quality, several of which bility of administrators, who need to resemble TQM in business, such as will be open to educators. In addition, delegate some of their responsibility contracting out custodial services and national award programs for quality and power to teachers (Rhodes 1992). processing purchase orders. Another business management, such as the Testing and Evaluation: Instead comma practice is to use TQM Baldrige Award, are considering of using standardized tests and grades methods to a specific problem, opening their application processes to to measure students' progress, schools such as str:tat absenteeism, instead of educators (Olson 1992). that embrace TQM often try to assess attempting to apply TQM principles to With this type of interest and student progress regularly throughout the school or district as a whole. support, the educational quality the school year. By doing so, they movement will likely generate continu- avoid bringing problems to students' Is TQM a Fad? ing it terest. TQM may not hold all the attention at the end of the year, when it The novelty of TQM and the fact answers for an ailing educational is too late to do anything about them. that there are so few comprehensive system, but it does shed some new light The same sort of process is used to TQM systems in education have causedon educational management. evaluate teachers and administrators as many people to label quality as a fad. well; instead of basing teacher evalua- They argue that TQM, like so many RESOURCES tion on one classroom visit, teachers management theories before it that Blankstein, Alan M. "Lessons frail Enlightened are evaluated throughout the year educators tried to borrow from the Corporations." Educational Leadership 49, 6 (Blankstein). (March 1992): 71-75. EA 526 563. business world, is destined to fade into Deming, W. Edwards. Out of the Crisis. obscurity. Cambridge, Musachuseus: Massactmsetts Where Is TQM Used in Education? Indeed, there is some indication that Institute of Technology, 1986. 507 pages. "Quality Programs Show If there is a comprehensive, well- even in the business world quality is ShodResults." Wall Street Journal (May documented, and relatively given lipservice more often than it is 14, 1 ): B1, B9. longstanding educational TQM applied. A 1992 study for the Ameri- Olson, Lynn. "Quality-Management Movement Spurs Interest in New Awards for Education." program, it is the program at Mt. can Quality Association revealed Education Week 11, 26 (March 18, 1992a): Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, widespread interest in quality. But the 8. Alaska, where it has been a way of life study also turned up many companies "Schools Get Swept Up in Current of Bunness"Quality' Movement." Education since 1988. Mt. Edgecumbe has that have instituted TQM practices Week 11, 25 (March 11, 19926): 1, 24-27. involved students to the same degree without understanding that it requires a Rhodes, Lewis A. "On the Road to Quality." that it involves teachers. Students at gradual transformation. This steady Educational Leadership 49, 6 (March 1992): 76-80. BA 526 564. the school track their own progress, improvement happens only when an Rocheleau, Larrae. "Mt. Edgecumbe's Ventum have input into the education they organization's managers have long- in Quality: How One Superintendent Learned receive (in one instance, the class term vision and dedication to the Difference between Managing and Leading." &hod Administrator 48. 9 schedule was altered in response to systematic change. The primary (November 1991): 14-16, 18. EJ 434 405. students' evaluations of how teachers emphasis in most businesses is still on Schmoker, Mike. "What Schools Can Learn spent class time), and operate their own short-term profits and individual from Toyota of America." Education Week 11, 34 (May 13, 1992): 23, 25.
A Product of theERIC Cleadnghouse on Educational Management College of Education, University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97403
This publication was prepared with fuming from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Dep t. ment of Education, under contract No. OERI RI88062064. The ideas and opinions expressed in this Digest do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI, ED, or the Clearinghouse. This Digest is in the public domain and may be freely reproduced. EA 024 116 The Cost of Quaky by Jim Carras, Denny Dowd, and Betty McCormick The Cost of Quality (COQ), as defined by business, is essentially a way of looking at the cost of conformance vs. the cost of non-conformance.
Across the country, schools are exploring the use of Total external failure costs (e.g., test scores, dropout rates, loss Quality Management (TQM) as a means of implementing in confidence and support of schools). There is also much site-based decision making and improving student per- evidence to support the fact that education has spent more formance. Yet, little attention has been given to the Cost on appraisal than on prevention. Now, as schools begin of Quality a TQM tool that may well be a vehicle to 'zo implement the concepts of TQM, it is essential that the assist school board members and other interested stake- concept of COQE become a part of that implementation. holders in communicating educational issues and deter- mining budget priorities. The standard elements of cost To apply the COQ elements to education, it may help first quality include: to define and identify some of the educational activities that would fit into each of the categories. Costs include Conformance Costs. Prevention costs include all activities time, effort, and expenses associated with the cor duct of done to prevent errors of defects from ever occurring, e.g., the activities. developing procedures for error avoidance. Appraisal costs are those spent in testing and checking products Prevention Costs before they are moved to the next level of production. Development and administration of hiring practices Selection of qualified teachers and teacher screening Non-conformance Costs.Internal failure costs involve Curriculum and instructional staff development finding and fixing problems or errors before the product Research for improved training techniques and systems reaches the customer. External failure costs are those thlt Pilot programs to verify training materials result after the manufacture and release of the product, Development of procedures and policies for e.g., product recalls. Externil failure costs can be substan- administrators and teachers tial in that they involve not only the loss for repairs, but Conducting needs assessments for new programs and also the potential loss of goodwill and product confidence course changes with the customer. Health screenings/substance abuse and sex education Problem prevention counseling for students Businesses spend a considerable amount of their budget on Preschool and parent-education programs COQ issues in the creation of their product. Often, too much Special education programs is spent in failure costs and not enough in prevention. Full-service schools However, if prevention costs are increased, savings can be School-to-work transition programs realized in appraisal, internal, and external costs. In other School improvement planning words, dollars spent in prevention are often investments Wellness programs that will pr xiuce savings in all other categories. Health care and nutrition services for low-socioeconomic students Cost of Quality in Education Appraisal/Inspection Costs Teacher performance evaluation Just as with commercial businesses, education must be Teacher evaluation of student performance Achievement testing concerned with the cost of quality in education (COQE). Education must examine ways to ensure that the money Student attendance monitoring is being spent in the most cost-effective manner for a Teacher certification product that will meet the needs of the learner and the District self-assessment Audits community. There is already much evidence to support Compliance activities the fact that education has experienced great internal and
14 Fall 1993 Quality Goes to School 89
this may take the form of offering get. One of the issues identified was Accreditation activities the failure cost associated with a School-performance monitoring classes and preparing students in technical or vocational skills no student who must repeat a grade Internal Failure Costs longer relevant to the job market. level. This information was then Remediation programs contrasted with preventative issues Dissatisfied patrons and students The process of identifying costs as (i.e., What could have been done earlier to prevent this and future Disciplinary activities prevention or failure causes one to Retention and observation of realize that many educational pro- failure costs?). non-performers (students and staff) grams ...nd activities maybe charac- Reteaching after forced terized as either.For example, a Research has shown that at-risk stu- promotion or retention litera...y program for secondary dents who participate in a quality preschool program show improved Correcting curriculum materials errors school students may be seen as a failure cost as a result of previous scholastic achievement and are External Failure Costs more likely to graduate Dropouts unprepared from high school, attend If schools achieve 90 percentgraduation college, and attain pro- for employment ductive employment. Graduates unprepared for rate, the increased taxableincome employment or Such students are less higher education would generate over three billiondollars. likely to require special Welfare costs for the education, and for girls, unskilled and unprepared there is a reduced likeli- Prison costs for the unskilled performance or it may be seen as a hood for teen pregnancy. and unprepared cost of preventing future failure, In the Arlington ISD, for the 1991-92 Lack of support from dissatisfied just as the provision of meals may school year, the cost per student to patrons and community be viewed as the failure of the com- Costs of GED, adult literacy, and munity to send students to school repeat a grade level was $3,940. The cost of the prekindergarten program post-school programs properly fed, or as a prevention pro- for the gram that assures that studentshave was approximately $.C70 same period. In terms of COQE,it is All of these costs impact upon theschools the proper nutrition to help make external them successful learners. As busi- easy to picture the scenariowhereby and, just as with business, the $970 is invested in providing a qual- failure costs may extract the heaviesttoll. ness has demonstrated,however, Though these costs are not found in the the costs and effects of focusing on ity preschool program for an at-risk four-year-old student. Due to the typical school budget, it is easy to seethat prevention affect change in all other boost the child is given at that time, these figures divert needed fundsfrom dimensions. education. IBM has developed a setof $3,940 is saved when the child does im- Education can use COQE to exam- not have to repeat the third grade, tools. designed to assess the economic Data gathered from ine school budgets and determine and another $3,940 may be saved if pact of dropouts. the child does not repeat seventh Texas schools, state agencies,research, those areas impacted by failure and non-profit corporations were used to costs; then, by redirecting and tar- grade. The student graduates from high school and therefore does not demonstrate this impact. geting dollars to prevention activi- ties, failure costs and the need for incur the cost of the GED program. These data indicate that if the present appraisal costs can be reduced. All The student finds productive em- ployment and does not end up un- dropout rate continues, nearly twobillion of which results in greater cost sav- ings to the schools, taxpayers, and employable or in prison at a cost of dollars in incremental annual tax revenues approximately $30,000 per year. will be needed to cover the welfare,prison, society as a whole. and crime costs of dropouts in the year Though such a scenario contains speculation, the reality is that by 2007. However, if schools achievethe 90 using the COQF process, a d istrict percent graduation rate called forin the Applying COQE National Educational Goals, by the year is better able to look at its programs 2006 the increased taxable incomewould in a School District and expenditures and communicate generate over three billion dollars in new that information to its members, the public, businesses, and taxpayers. tax revenues per year. The Arlington Independent School District, in collaboration with The Many programs in a school system An additional aspect of externalfailure Carman Group of Dallas and the costs is that of producing aproduct for Texas Governor's Office, identified can benefit from a COQE analysis. which there is no market. In education, examples of failure costs in its bud- For example, special education pro-
INSIGHT 90 Quality Goes to School
gramming for the district averages $8,390per student per COQE also may facilitate communication andcoopera- year. Viewed from a preventative perspective, it is pro- tion with patrons, businesses, and the community. Par- viding the individualized education and support needed ticularly as schools explore partnership relationships, to ensure that the student is educated to his or her fullest many businesses may be willing to share information and potential, thus providing the skills needed to becomea expertise in the application of COQ. The concept of COQE successful, functional member of the community. can aid school districts in making the decisions on where to invest time and resources that will ensure that every The Arlington ISD Success Class is an alternative educa- child receives a quality education at the least cost of tion placement of elementary students with severe behav- failure and at the greatest cost benefit to the community ioral problems. This program has a minimum placement and society as a whole, of 12 weeks and the cost for 70 students for the 1991-92 school year was approximately $234,212. Yet, in view of the potential for future and community related problems. the prevention costs far outweigh the internal and exter- Jim Carras is president of the Carman Group, Inc., in Richardson; nal failure costs. Denny Dowd is executive director ofpersonnel in Arlington ISD; and Betty McCormick, formerly with the Education Policy Divi- Supporting Quality Education sion, Office of the Governor, is president of Critical Linkages Consulting in Austin. As a new technique, Cost of Quality in Education needs additional research and study, as well as a better means for determining specificity of costs associated with activi- ENDNOTES ties.However, COQE does offer a process by which (Sources for data and cost of quality procedures) schools can examine every activity in relation to its sup- J. Carras, "The Carman Group," Dallas, Texas; port of a quality education for its students. The process (214) 669-9464 can be applied across the system, including: direct in- B. Gholson, IBM Customer Business Development, struction, maintenance and operations, business and ad- (303) 924-0670 ministration, and facilities construction.
104 Quality Goes to School 91
Quality Is NotaQuick Fix
KENNETH R. FREESTON
Remernber when problem solving was the rage in improvement. Obstacles block desired paths; they are not educationaljournalsandworkshops? We all reasons to stop movement. Educators who spend the time thought if we could just teach ourselves and kids how to finding the problems, the obstacles, will have a better un- solve problems, our schools and our world would be bet- derstanding of' how to achieve quality improvement. ter places. We produced students and teachers who could generate a multitude of solutions. Regrettably, many of The Word Quality Itself us forgot the importance of problem finding, the critical The first hurdle is often the term quality itself, which is first step to the problem-solving process. seen by many as a platitude, a hollow phrase with no sub- The quality movement is gaining popularity as a solu- stance or meaning. Regarded as laudable, quality is widely tion. Signals of the pursuit of quality now appear.in jour- perceived as being as unobtainable as are truth, beauty, nals, popular media; and a smattering of national organi- and justice. The word is used freely by advertisers for zations ready to train people in the latest solution. While everything from sophisticated electronics to second-rate thereis mounting evidence that only quality-oriented products. As a result, the term has no meaning to people organizations can survive in the future, unless we go who hear it applied to management theory for the first about our business of change in dramatically different time. fashion from our past attempts, the quality movement in When applied to organizations,qualityis difficult to schools will be doomed to the same familiar failings of define. Those who understand and apply quality know other annual trends and quick fixes. Well-meaning edu- that slogans and supeiliciality have no place in a quality cators will adopt quality as a solution before spending setting. To gain educators' acceptance, we have to move time articulating the problems it addresses. beyond the notion that quality is undefinable and that theworldare Organizationalleadersthroughout "we know it when we see it." The essence of quality is achieving significantly improved results by applying the substance. A consensus is now emerging on the definition quality sciences to their organizations. Each leader would of quality as a clear system of continuous improvement tell us that this process is, simply put, hard work. Once that meets customer needs. Only after training and appli- understood, the work of Deming, Jurand, Crosby, Glas- cation do these terms carry their intended meaning. ser, and a host of other experts substantially improves After displaying an initialinterest in quality, many organizational culture and outcomes. Often, when these people quickly give up trying to learn more about it once quality science tenets are applied to the educational set- they confront the bulky and difficult-to-understand lan- ting, they are mistakenly seen as quick fix solutions by guageemanating from management theory writersthat superintendents, school boaxds, teachers, and parents currently describes the quality sciences.Prematurely, and are not recognized as the core element necessary to many decide that the idea cannot be applied to schools. restructure our schools. Although achieving quality is very hard work, main- A commonly used phrase applies here: people who taining it is even harder. Workers, whether in schools or know where they are 20i112 are more likely to get there. corporations. work harder and smarter when the work When going in the direction of quality, educators need to meets their needs. anticipate the forniidable obstacles that block the way. This process reveals as much about the deep resistance to Corporate World as the Model change that is present in schools as it does about school Skeptical of a school improvement model that comes from faltering American corporate structures, educators are reluctant to apply quality to schools. Many of us do Kenneth R. Freestonis assistant superintendent for not look at corporate life in America as an example of curriculumandinstruction,Newtown,Connecticut, success, either in terms of results or of ethics. On closer public schooLs. examination, however, we find that itis that failing of 92 Quality Goss to School
corporate culture that the theories of W. Edwards Dem- Deming asserts that 94 percent of the problems that ex- ing and others address (Walton 1986). istwithin an organizationarewithin management's Joel Barl...tr has popularized the work of Thomas Kuhn power to solve. Yet those who occupy leadership posi- regarding the importance of paradigms in the way we tions in our schools are perhaps the single greatest obsta- think about change (Baxker 1989). One of the reasons so cle to implementing a quality approach to the teaching many American corporations fail is that they do not rec- and learning process. School leaders are so overwhelmed ognize that marketplace paradigms have changed (Dobyns by imancial, political, and statutory constraints on their 1992). A generation ago, the company that won was the actions that they perceive themselves as powerless to ef- company that made themostproduct; now the winning fect real change in schools. company makes thebestproduct. In conventional mar- Over the past decade, schools across the country devel- ketplaces, the seller retained power over product design oped mission statements. Generally in narrative form and and manufacturing. In actuality, the buyer always had the written by broad-based committees,these statements power, and therein lies the paradigm shift. The buyer now tend to be characterized as a rational link of platitudes. expresses that power through the desire to purchase qual- Once written, these well-intentioned efforts often play no ity. Companies that have understood the paradigm of continuing role in schools. Specifically, school and in- customer satisfactionwhether a low-technology com- structional practices remain unexamined for consistency pany such as Lands End or a high-Lechnology company with the mission. In a quality school, constancy of pur- such as Motorolahave achieved remarkable successes. pose is the critical factor. Whether in Sitka, Alaska; John- What is the American response to foreign companies son City, New York; Madison, Wisconsin; or Lajoya, that embrace quality first? We bash them. We blame Texas, schools that are serious about quality have a con- them. We think they are the cause of economic down- stancy of purpose. The leader articulates that purpose turns. endlessly to all internal and external customers. Through the direct leadership of W. Edwards Deming Early systems of management theory that were based in the 1950s, Japanese governmental and corporate lead- on inspection of workers failed because the inspection ers adopted the notion of quality and propelled them- model assumed that fear would motivate the workers to selves into a leadership position in the world market- higher levels of productivity. Someone was watching, rat- place. At the same time, American corporate leaders re- ing, and ranking. In a quality school, leaders drive out jected Deming's thinking and concentrated on issues that the fear by eliminating inspection for staff and program were tangential to quality.In a classic example of wrong- evaluation. Collecting information is important to mak- headed thinking, some American corporate leaders now ing better decisions, but that information cannot be gath- blame Japan for the failing American corporate struc- ered usefully in a culture characterized by fear and mis- tures. This kind of blaming is wrong-headed because trust. To optimize the school's mission, every aspect of limiting the import of quality products will not help the its work should be critically self-evaluated. In schools, the American corporate structure, the economy, or consum- obstacles to a self-evaluation process are considerable, ers. Even tax cuts, as psychiatrist William Glasser points ven the public's concern over student performance and .out, are not the solution (Glasser 1991). Given the choice, the widespread political pressure for school improvement. American consumers will spend their new-found dollars These changes hold interesting consequences for recent on quality products, thus deepening recessionary trends initiatives in our profession, such as school-based man- for countries that do not make thebest. agement. Such efforts at collaborative decision making Deming's ideas work, but they encounter resistance in schools are good. but taken alone, they are short- when applied to schools. Some of that resistance resides range, quick fixes without a leadership commitment to in the language used by him and ocher management theo- constancy of purpose and self-evaluation. rists to explain quality; some of it comes from perceived weakness in the American corporate structure. Much of Just Another Change the resistance, however, resides in two areas: leadership We are the victims of our own scattered and disjointed and change. attempts to change. We read an article, attend a work- shop, or hire a consultant and get excited because we mis- Leadership takenly think we have found the answer. In reality all we Leaders of quality organizations must live and breathe have found is a short-term solution, one that lasts only the essence of quality. In every action they take, every de- until the next workshop. Unless schools shatter the cision they make, they are role models for the rest of the norms that work against quality, we will continue to use organization. Although a quality school is not a top- impulse reactions to ill-defined problems. down setting, such a school will not come into being un- Schools across the country are staffed with educators less the school leader is the champion of quality. In my who think we do not need to change. By conventional view, two of Detning's fourteen points are critically irn- measures, their students perform well. Our past successes portanttoleaders:constancy of purpose andself- guarantee us nothing, however, wheri change occurs evaluation. (Barker 1989). Remember that the Swiss are the ones who Quality Goes to School 93
invented the quartz watch, but because it did not meet statement of wants that is then filtered through beliefs their definition of a watch, they gave the patent away to and profound knowledge before the action-planning be- Texas Instruments and Seiko. gins. This plan-do-study approach characterizes the dif- Judy-Arin Krupp and other experts on adult develop- ferences between continuous improvement and a blitz of ment provide valuable insight into the effects adult devel- quick fixes. opmental stages have on school culture (Krupp 1981). Schools that expAnded during the giliwth-oriented era of I Know That Already the 1960s now fmd themselves with a majority, in some Deming asserts that we need to base decisions on pro- places as high as 75 percent, of teachers over the age of found knowledge. When first applied to schools, this is fifty. Adult development theorists have a lot to say about interpreted as gathering an understanding of existing re- how these older professionals approach change: they wait search. Through effective avenues such as the Educa- it out. Annually, these teachers experience the unbridled tional Research Service in Arlington, Virginia, educators enthusiasm of younger teachers and new administrators can access current research syntheses on a wide range of who attempt to win support for the latest trend. How of- topics. However, conducting data searches is only one ten have we seen them greet new ideas with a mellow, sea- way of building a knowledge base.Ir. schools, we are soned response of "this too will pass." Look at back vol- now gainingbettertechniquestomeasurestudent umes of educational journals, and you will discover that performance. Portfolio and performance-based assess- itis the rhetoric that we frequently associate with change ment devices will enable teacheis and administrators to that has caused the skepticism of our senior and experi- collectbetterinformation,a canon of thequality enced faculties. sciences. Veteran teachers have a wealth of experience that dis- One Year At A Time tricts mistakenly discount when consulting a knowledge The conventional planmng process for schools has al- base. Schools need to look inside, as well as outside, ways been limited to a year-to-year basis. Schools every- when gathering knowledge. Data searches and research where are funded on annual budgets and, therefore, on syntheses are valuable, but when consulted and engaged, an annual basis have to justify the existence of programs senior educators can also be excellent resources to the and changes. Statelegislatures convene annually and change process. change the bureaucratic requirements thatreign over Collecting the right information and using it to plan local school systems. Boards of education require annual and evaluate improvement is essential. Expertise in this reports and other rituals based on a year-to-year ap- area often exists, untapped, in a school's community. In proach to planning. Even something as pedestrian as a Newtown, Connecticut, community advisory groups are teacher's planning book contains only enough space for a regular part of the improvement process. When bring- one year ing its mathematics curriculum in line with NCTM stan- Partly because of this onentation and a ten-month dards, the school district contacted area corporations and year, time passes too quickly for teachers. Shortly after asked them to nominate to an advisory group people the frantic rush of concluding one school year, we begin whose jobs required a high degree of mathematical com- tne frantic rush of preparing for another. The symbolism petence. Experts emerged infields ranging from laser of this short-range planning is obvious; its effects are dis- technology to statistics. Once convened, the advisory astrous. This pattern of thinking leads well-intentioned goup validated the need to alter mathematics instruction people to quick fixes. We mistakenly seek closure as a and assisted the district in making the changes. goal. Rernediation and special education practices perpet- "I know that already" is the death knell for change in uate this idea in their emphases on short-range instruc- a school. With information doubling every two tothree tional planning. As quality-onented educators, we can years (Roberts and Hay 1989), we can't possibly "know beran to make improvements in our schools when we drop that already" very often or for much longer. Once we de- the year-to-year pattern of thinking about our problems. velop expenence in basing decisions on profound knowl- edge and shared values (constancy of purpose), we will Think of a goal or want that you achieved recently. move schools forward. What was your immediate reaction? For most people, a void or emptiness follows the short-lived satisfaction. Students Don't Value School New needs, wants, and goals surface.Itis this flow of goal/achievement/new goal thatcharacterizes contin- In the fashion of Lake Wobeeon, many schools uous improvement, a long-ranee approach to planning throughout the country meet traditional expectations that is a core concept of quality. well. However, good enough is no longer good enough. Although similar to elements of strategic planning and In quality schools, the entire bell-shaped curve shifts to other problem-solving models, continuous improvement the right, with learners at all levels of performance im- of isa cycle of planning, doing. studying, and planning proving their achievement through the establishment again. The process never stops.It begins with a valid higher standards once quality is embraced.
107 94 Quality Goes to School
Phil Schlechty, president of the Kentucky-based Cen- TABLE 2 ter for Educational Leadership in School Reform, sends Children in America a wake-up call to senior faculties and educational leaders throughout the country when he observes that high Every 26 seconds a child runs away from home. schools are places where young people come to watch Every 13 seconds a child is reported neglected or abused. oider people work (Schlechty 1989). Students, whom About every minute an American teenager has a baby. Schlechty refers to as knowledge workers, take on a dif- Every 9 minutes one of our children is arrested for a drug offense. ferent posture in quality schools. The problem becomes Every 40 minutes one of our children is arrested for drunken defined as: how do we convince students that learning driving. adds quality to their lives? Every 3 hours a child is murdered. Following the research done by psychiatrist William Every 53 minutes one of our children dies from poverty. Glasser in American high schools (Glasser 1990), the fac- ulty and students of the Newtown, Connecticut, High Source:Children's Defense Fund.1992.The state of Anterrca's School surveyed its student body on issues of quality children 1992.Washington, D.C.: Children's Defense Fund. (Freeston 1992a). Alarmingly, students in Newtown are similar to students in Glasser's research. Like students everywhere, they know when they produce quality work. changing techniques based on new information. Infor- Ask them, and they'll tell you they don't do it very often, mation is not feared, hidden, or manipulated. and when they do, it's on the field or in the orchestra It's Not My Fault (table 1). We have not been effective at teaching students that learning adds quality to their Lives. Educators everywhere in America are bombarded by Deming asserts that we have to drive the fear out of or- complaints of diminishing student achievement. These ganizations. One way of driving out fear is to reduce or attacks have led many of us to respond in a defensive way eliminate inspection-driven, coercive models of evalua- by pointing CO the changed nature of the learner. Citing tion, for students and staff, and replace them with the Ihe good demographic data of Harold Hodgkinson, we power and validity of self-evaluation. often present a compelling list of factors that make teach- Recent assessment developments, such as the New ing more difficult today. The changed nature of the fam- Standards Pr.ct, willprovide more comprehensive ily and the deplorable conditions in which children live measures of student accomplishment because they call (table 2) do indeed shatter the American myth of the Nor- for the student to self-evaluate. Schools that embrace man Rocicwell family. continuous improvement collect information and regu- Growing numbers of schools now understand what larly use it to make better decisions. There is an openness changes are necessary to restructure. These changes have to data, not a fear of it.There is hunger for ever- little or nothing to do with the student or with family or personal problems. We have to see these deplorable social TABLE 1 conditions as context, not product. Unless we are truly Student Survey Results going to restructure, when we say all children will learn, we probably should add a footnote:unless you happen to Student response come from a broken home.We need to recogdze the (mean score; scale 0 to changed nature of the student and forcibly change the Question 10; 0 is low, 10 is high) way we teach (Freeston 1992b). A quality perspective helps us make those changes. How would you characterize 6 Teachers can no longer consider themselves to be self- the level of effort you employed entrepreneurs, hanging their shingle on the normally expend in your hallway door and teaching in isolation from others (Free- class? ston 1992b). In how many schools do we together openly What level of effort are you 8 capable of maintaining in debate a collective belief system? In how many schools your class over a marking do we publicly commit to the achievement of high-risk, period? high-stakes standards forallstudents? In how many How many students do you 4 schools do we acknowledge that all people, teachers, know are doing their best students, and parents choose behaviors to rneet their possible work most of the time? basic needs? In how many schools do we meet or exceed Looking at other students, how 5 those basic needs as the heart of our mission? hard do you think most of them are working? A Question of Culture? In what activity or class is your Over 5007o cited Introductory economics classes traditionally examine a best effort demonstrated in music/athletics the present school year? nation's or region's natural resources as a predictor of economic success.In truth, countries such as Japan, Quality Goes to School 95
South Korea, and Switzerland are stai ding examples of societal'? The debate about whether schools have internal countries with few natural resources that, nevertheless, or external customers is specious because we have too enjoy enormous world-wide economic success (Dobyns many customers. To start the process, pick one. Collect 1992). That is a paradigm shift, fueled by a focus on information to determine the needs, collect more infor- quality, which, ironically, is an American perspective. mation to see if the needs are being met, then identify the Popular media commentaries suggest that Japanese areas of improvements to be undertaken. Start. workers and American workers come from radically dif- What lies behind the obstacles? Although certainly not ferent cultures. These cultural differences,itisoften a quick fix or panacea, quality management holds an- argued, explain the difference in performance between swers to questions that are at the center of the school re- the Japanese and their American counterparts. Although form debate. By establishing, together, a system of core clearly there are cultural differences between America beliefs, teachers, administrators, students, and parents and Japan, as there are bemeen most countries in the can ask themselves, when faced with difficult choices, world, if we continue to see culture as the reason for dif- "What do we believe?" and use the answer to make bet- leteiiii;i1 Achievement, we miss the point-of the quality tet choices. Ihrough the concept ol continuous improve- sciences. Quality is cross-cultural. The greatest irony in ment, schools will less frequently be in a defensive posi- this debate is that we taught the Japanese to produce tion, reacting to external criticism. Instead, educators can quality and we now buy it. work together to establish and maintain a constancy of Certainly cultural issue' bear on motivation. In our purpose and break the cultural nonns of autonomy and culture, and many others, unernal motivation is a well- independence that impede collaborative decision making. documented catalystfor action. Yet, schools still treat When educators collect information and understand the people as though external motivation were art effective statistical importance of variance, they use knowledge means of eliciting desired outcomes. Glasser has convinced and beliefs to make better decisions. Through the estab- many leaders that the reason Deming's fourteen points lishment of higher student achievement outcomes, which work is that they are actually rooted in what psycholo- results from a quality orientation, performance increases gistscall"controltheory."Oversimplified,control are more likely for all students. theory holds that, as individuals, we seek CO satisfy wants We must acknowledge the psychological reality of in- that we define as important to us (Glasser 1984). These ternal motivation and use it as an accelerant for school wants come from our desire to meet basic human needs improvement. When a school system works together to as Glasser and others define them. In "stimulus theory," establish a constancy of purpose, openly operates to con- by contrast, the stimulus sets the standard and is an exter- tinUOUS.:t improve the teaching and learning process, col- nal focus for change. People and organizations change lects information to make decisions, and strives daily to best -,hen they are internally motivated to do so. Leaders meet or exceed the needs of its students, it achieves qual- who cor-Inue to behave as though stimulus response ity improvement. theory were effective face insurmountable obstacles to REFERENCES quality. They just can't get there. Barker,.1. A. 1989. The business of paradigms. Burnsville, Minn.: Summary Chart House Learning Corporation. Videotape. Dobyns, L. 1992. Quality or else. PBS Special Broadcast. Inherent in all of these obstacles is the issue of attitude Fnmston. K. R. 1972a. Other People's Theories. Education Week 10(23):22. change and the difficulties it poses for school improve- 1992b.Getting startedin TGM. Educational Leadership ment. There is a fundamental resistance to the term cus- 50(3): 10-4 3. Glasser, W. 1984. Control theory. New York: Harper and Row. wmer, common in business, asitapplies to schools. -. 1990. The quclity schooi. New York: Harper and Row. Teachers do not readily perceive themselves as suppliers -. 1991. The quality society: The ecou,:z...... s .31 control theory. of a service(teaching) or a product (learning) to a Institute for Reality Therapy Newsletter (Winter):3-6. Hay, L. E., and A. D. Roberts. 1989. Curriculum for the millennium: customer base. Trends shaping our futures. Southport, Conn.: Connecticut ASCD. The customerorientation,althoughdifferentin Krupp, .1. A. 1981. Adult development. A manuscript available from schools from business, holds that we do what we do in Judy-Min Krupp, 40 McDivitt Drive: Manchester, Conn. 06040. Schlechty, P. C. 1990. Schools for the 2Ist century. San Francisco: schools in order to meet someone's needs. Why else lossey-Bass. would we teach, if it were not to fill a need, individual or Wahon, M. 1986. The Deming management rnahod. Ncw York: Putnam. 96 Quality Goesto School
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&ICA 1 El 1,1CPRACTICE THE IDEA WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR? BY PETER T. EWELL
In the academy, where doubt is a foundation of discourse, few things arouse more suspicion than the obviously fashionable. And when the fashionable is accompanied by demands to change time-honored prac- flees, and those demands are delivered with a rhetoric of messianic convictionas is often the case these days with Total Quality. Managementinstinctive distaste quickly turns to rejection. Much oi the academy's initial reaction to Total Quality (TQ) has been gut-levei and negative; until this stage is passed, what good will come of TQ is hard to determine. Yet, there is undoubtedly something to the movement. Beneath the hype, TQ does seem to contain new insights about how we can and should operate in higher education. Just as importantly, these insights seem tailored to the times. Hard as they may be to digest, TQ's root concepts intrigue growing numbers of professionals in higher educa- tion, if only for their raw transformational power.
PETER T. EWELL issenior associateat the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) in Boulder, Colorado. Chang, May/Jum 1993 la; Quality Goes to School 97
To those of us who, for the past linkage with the issue of public account-the ideas were surely there but too little eight years or so, have watched ability. Assessment thus evoked the at-in the structure of incentives facing in- and pushed along the develop-tention of institutions but, apart from astitutions induced many of them to take ment of assessment with similar hopesvague appreciation that something oughtnew directions. Is the nascent "quality of achieving real change, the dynamic isto be done to improve undergraduatemovement" in higher education fated to familiar. A novel set of reform-oriented teaching airl learning, assessment itselffollow a similar path? concepts suddenly, against all expecta-did not appear to most campus parties as An adequate answer,Ithink, de- tions, tal:es off as a high visibility topic a needed response to a visible problem. pends on our response to two related of discussion; at the same time, it en- The problems Total Quality presumesqueries. First, are the times really differ- genders profound intellectual discom- to address, in contrast, are palpable andent and if so, do they in fact require a fort. Like assessment in its early years, urgent. The soaring attendance at "qual-new way of managing? Second, is the many of the acrimonious debates aboutity" conferences in higher education"it" of Total Quality really any differ- the merits of Total Quality occur amonglast year was motivated less by a general ent from the many ideas (including as- people who infact know very littledesire to improve than by institutionalsessment) that have been advanced over about it. And like assessment in its earlyneed to cope with an increasingly des-the years to "fix" higher educationor days, the claims of both proponents andperate set of fiscal circumstances. Partlyindeed, from many of the academy's critics appear overblown. as a resultand this is a second impor-current practices, whatever they may be Strikingly similar,too, are the at-tantdifferenceinstitutionalinvolve-called? If the answer to both of these tempts to limit domain. The commonlyment with Total Quality has often beencomplexquestionsis"yes,"Total heard canard that Total Quality is "allstimulated from the top. Assessment inQuality may indeed be the idea we've right when applied to the administrativeits early years only rarely enjoyed the been waiting for. side of the house but it's inappropriateactive sponsors' .p of presidents and Bad Times or Changing Times? Cer- for instruction," for instance, echoesprovosts, but those are the very peopletainly there islittle disagreement that earlier assertions that while assessmentchampioning the TQ movement. Simi-colleges and universities face difficult techniques might fruitfully be applied to larly,theinstitutionsfirstidentified times, perhaps the most difficult in five basic skills or professional study, they with assessment were widely recogized decades. But though everyone will agree could hardly be used to examine the in-as innovative but were otherwise notthat things are tough, not all concur that effable outcomes of traditionalaca- well known. In contrast,the Totalthey are different. A great many aca- demic disciplines. Quality movement counts in its frontdemics believe that higher education's Equally familiar is the mad scrambleranks a large proportion of unive ;idescurrent fiscal woes, however deep, are to get started. Exponential growth oc- standing high on the reputational peck-temporary, and can be managed by the curred each year in the proportion of in- ing order. usual combination of judiciousbelt- stitutions reporting assessment activities The mostimportantdifference,tightening and vigorous budgetary lob- on ACE's Campus Trends survey (a pro- though, is that the reach of TQ is frombying until the inevitable recovery occurs. portion that topped 90 percent two years the outset more comprehensive. While At least on the public side of higher ago). The same appears to be happeningonly a few engaged in assessment reallyeducation finance, much of the evidence now for claims of TQM efforts; a re- feltitshidden potentialtoradicallynow suggests otherwise. First, we ap- ceni BusinessWeek survey reported 61 transform teaching and learning, TQ'spear to be up against a fundamental percent of college presidents averringchange agenda is up-front from the be-structural condition. In growing num- involvementinTotalQualitythis ginning. A major stumbling block to thebers of states, 80-85 percent of the bud- compared with at best a dozen or soeffectiveness of assessment as actuallyget is now tied up in entitlements, court- campus implementation efforts as re-implemented by most institutions, forordered spending, and restrictions of cently as two years ago. instance, was the fact that the results ofone kind or another; in this context, Both movements rest ultimately upon evidence-gathering often went nowherehigher education has become the "bud- a similar image of knowledge-driven, because a structure of utilization was as-get balancer"the last-in-line piece of continuous improvement. Unlike earliersumed, not created. But TQ claims todiscretionary spending remaining after management adventures such as MBO operate on all parts of the system simul- mandatory expenditures are accounted and Zero-Based Budgeting, which weretaneously; in the compelling monosyl-for. A second element of the problem is applied to the academic enterprise, To- labicsyntax of the Shewhart Cycle,that taxpayers simply will not support tal Qualitylike assessment before it"plan, do, check, act"a scheme thatfurther increases, however worthy the demands fundamental change in aca- not just welcomes but demands informa- causea fact demonstrated convinc- demic structures and in the way the ac- tion about performance. ingly by a series of bleak state electoral tual work is done. resultslastNovember. These condi- But the two stories also show reveal- tions, together with more general trends ing differences. For one, the stimulus What should we make of thesein the economy, suggest strongly that for involvement is different. Initial in- two stories? As historians ha-higher education will need to do what it stitutional reactions to assessment in the bitually remind us, significantdoes for less for the foreseeable future. mid-'80s were decisively colored by therealignments require both new ideas and The logical cutback strategy of doing concept's early (and partly coincidental) altered circumstances. For assessment,less by limiting access is increasingly un-
Change May/June 1993 lii 98 Quality Goes to School
Why, Jimmy, Why?
immy had never been a great for himself. He just wasn't prepared. have an orientation session for new Jstudent, but he did try. He usually Why? hires. The part-timers were never ac- got C's, sometimes a B, and occa- Because the professors of those quainted with the curriculum or pro- sionally a D. Still, as he looked down prerequisite courses were recently gram objectives or the mission of the at the grades he'd just received for hired part-timers. They had been department. They didn't know where the last semester, he was shocked given a time slot, a classroom, a text- they fit in. one C and the two F's. "What do I do bookand a hardy "welcome Because policy did not allow pad- now?" he asked himself. aboard." That was it. They worked timers to attend department meet- He had loans and grants. They hard to develop a syllabus that ings. That was just for the professors. wouldn't pay for F's and he had no Because the part-timers taught money himself. He would have to TOM mostty night classes and the profess- take some time off, drop out, and ors mostly day. There wasn't even hope that he could come back in a ON much of a chance that they would few semesters. He looked again at CAMPUS bump into each other in the hallway. the grade card. Two F's? Sometimes a single "why" is not Why? enough to really explain things. One He knew why. Because he didn't "why" suggests that Jimmy failed, have time to study. He was working two and three "whys" suggest that four nights a week at a local motel the teachers failed. Four "whys" and waiting tables on the weekends. QUALITY make it clear that the system failed Every extra moment he spent study- them all. 0 ing. He was bleary-eyed most of the time. Exhausted. When we have a problem, what do Why? we often think of first? Solutions? Because his school workload this IIESTIONS What might be more useful? semester was much tougher than be- fore. The one class was pretty much covered the textbook and allowed What problems are you facing? what he had expected. But the other them to discuss issues that they, What do you really know about the two had overwhelmed him. They were through their own work experiences, situation? Hunches or facts? What both courses in his major. Unfortu- felt were important. Unfortunately are the root causes? nately, he wasn't prepared for either none of their quick-study preparation of them. From the very beginning the involved meeting with other profes- You may want to ask "why" several professors were discussing things sors. The part-timers didn't know times until you get deep into the that had not been covered in the what the teachers of the next-in-line problem. prerequisite courses the semester be- courses expected their students to fore. Jimmy found himself doing ex- know. Source: Daniel Seymour, Once Upon a Campus: tra reading, asking other students for Why? Storiea about Quality Concepts in Higher Education help, or just trying to figure stuff out Because the department didn't (Palm Springs, CA: Avalon Press), 1993.
available.Itrarely goes unnoticed indressed by funding protected classes ofcalls vividly, of course, the operating hard:hit states like California, for ex-potential students directlythe so-calledenvironment of U.Z. industry over the ample, that attempts to reduce access in "high tuition/high aid" strategy nowpast decade. Fundamental to this milieu the name of financial exigency occur atbeing visibly pursued as a policy optionis a demand forquality servicedelivered precisely the time that large numbers of by many states. atreduced provider costalinkage minorities are poised to enter higher But the evidence is equally unkind tothat, for higher education, has been vir- education. Politicians have been unusu- this alternative, at least in the long run.tually unimaginable. Butitwas just ally sensitive to the charge that "effici-The "high aid" component of this strat-such a linkage that spawned industry's ency" or "belt-tightening" achieved thisegy is subject to the same dynamics ofwidespreadengagementwithTotal way is merely another name for discrim- state budgeting noted earlier; its "highQuality, less out of complete conviction ination. tuition" component will rapidly makethan through a growing awareness that Some people in public higher educa-public institutions aware of what thetraditionalalternatives would forever tion maintain that while these fiscal con-privates have known for yearsthatremain inadequate. Budget shortfalls in ditions are real and permanent, they doconsumer choice in higher education isthe l5-to-20-percent magnitude were the not in fact require massive changes in increasingly unpredictable but ever moreminimum required to get industry's at- the ways colleges and universities do demanding. Pursuing such a policy maytention in the '80s; we have them now and business. Under their scenario, expectedmean accepting major changes in whatthey will be increasingly hard to ignore. funding shortfalls can be made up forpublic higher education offers and how New Ideas or Just New Words?Closely on the revenue side by shifting costs to it delivers it. following the typical academic's initial students and by developing more vigor- Thiscombinationstructurallyin-rejection of TQ's language is a second- ous alternative fundraising approaches. duced fiscal stringency in the face of anglance flash of recognition: when suit- Inevitable threats to access can be ad-increasingly demanding customer--re-ably translated, most of these things we
Chong. May/Juns 1993 112 Quality Goes to School 99
appear to do already. If the first reactionments do often function as work teams,basic unit of the analysis. And many moves us to righteousness, the second in-and are given broad latitude to do sohave seen in this an apparent reversal of duces smugness; the rest of the world, af-when it comes to such activities as theassessment's prior focus on outcomes ter all,is only just now catching up. "production" of disciplinary majors ora perceptionreinforcedby Total Smugness or no, there is more than a lit-graduate degrees. With respect to re-Quality's vocal rejection of an "inspec- tle truth to this contention. Many of the search, though, despite a vague commu-tion" route to quality assurance. Yet core ideas of Total Quality do have com- nity of interest, they function more asTotal Quality depends critically upon a pellingacademiccounterparts.But administrative conveniences or holdingknowledge of outcomes, whether at the things are also not that simple, as even acompanies. And with respect to suchend--the resulting market reaction and brief analysis of some of TQ's ideas willcross-cutting functions as undergraduatecustomer satisfactionor on the "shop attest. Consider, for instance, how somegeneral education, they function polit-floor," where results are continuously of these ideas fare when viewed in theically, or not at all. monitored by workers themselves at context of traditional academic culture. Hence the role of management. Be-every step. Assessment occurs at all lev- Decentralized Management and Em- yond creating broad organizational vi-els but is rooted in actual processes, for powerment.Perhaps the most visible as-sion, management explicitly comes intoonly there can you realize what's needed pect of Total Quality is its call for a newplay in TQM organizations when an in-for better outcomes. kind of management. Instead of relyingdividual work team either lacks the re- What exactly is a process? Consistent on traditional hierarchical structures thatsources to address on its own a localwith TQ's industrial origins,its basic optimize regularity and control, TQ'sproblem or, more significantly, when itsmodel is a production line consisting, in philosophyemphasizesmanagement'sprocess bumps into the interests and op-essence, of an ordered sequence of de- roles in setting broad direction and facil-erations of another work team with afined operations resulting in a specified itating processes while decentralizing op-different agenda and mode of opera-product or service; critical features of a erational decisions to the level at whichtion. In the latter case, a "cross-func-process are that it is replicable and can the work is done. Ideal managers be-tional team" is created with authority tobe documented. If it cannot bedescribed, come "coaches"able to motivate con-address the mutual problem. it by definition cannot be improved; certed action by communicating the big At first glance again, this looks a lothence a major preoccupation of TQ picture while at the same time creating an like the way we handle topics like gen- practitionersliesinidentifyingcore atmosphere of openness that legitimizes eral education. But is it really? One ma-processes and determining exactly how new ideas and allows the c:eativity of alljor difference is that TQ's "cross-func-they work. to come forward. tional work teams" never stray far from This notion of process surelyfits One of the appeals of this "new" phi-the operational level; unlike the rotating, many administrative operations in col- losophy to the academy, quite nat- generalistcommitteesthatnominallyleges and universities. The interesting urally, is that it appears on the surfacepreside over collegiatefunctions, TQquestion is whether the notion can help to be quite close to what we do already. teams are built around collaborative re-improve our central business of teach- Participatory management is obligatorysponsibility-taking among the doers of aing and learning. Though loosely in- in academic settings, and faculty consti-function. tended as "learning plans," most cur- tute what is arguably the most "empow- Another difference with teams is thatricula are not really specified as such. ered" workforce on earth. they typically begin with data. RatherFew, in fact, meet TQ's critical test of a But surface parallels can be deceiving.than conceptualizing general educationprocess: the ability to flow-chart key The "empowerment" of Total Quality isfrom first principles and negotiating itsevents by noting the specific points in not about individuals but about workconsequences, as faculty committees arerequired course sequences at which par- teamswho for the most part are directly likely to do, they begin with a particularticular skills will be acquired and rein- engaged in productionthe people who empiricalproblem and trace its implica-forced. But the analogy is intriguing, cooperatively make a particular producttions upward through the system. Suchand a number of campuses have found or who own a specific process. Decen-an approach to general education, again,such attempts at "mapping" worth the tralized decision making in this context ismight start deep inside the curriculumeffortespecially when they uncover not driven by any notions of right or en-with an analysis of how specific prereq- placeswherepresumedconnections titlement but by the eminently practicaluisite skills are built, and how they do oramong courses are not happening as in- insight that team members are the peopledo not transfer effectively into the con-tended. Given typical curricular organ- who know best what's wrong and whotexts where they are later required. Andizations in which faculty are dispersed should have the ability to fix it. With thisit might rest heavily on a prior look at ac-across discrete classrooms with little in- conceptual grounding, TQ's seeming af-tual course-taking behavior and studentcentive to cooperate, such an exercise at fumation of traditional notions of indi-performance. least provides a way to start conversa- vidual faculty autonomy begins rapidly In short, for Total Quality, organiza-tions about improvement. to fade. tionfollows processes and existsto Continuous Improvement.Arguably, How well does a focus on "teams" fitserve them. Empowerment, though aa belief in "continuous improvement" our own principal unit of academic or-basic value, is a means, not an end. lies at the core of all scholarship. And ganization, the disciplinary department? Focus on Core Processes.As this dis- indeed, organized research practice in For some things, quite well.Depart-cussion suggests, the "process" is TQ'smajor university settingsespecially in
Chang* May/June 1993 100 Quality Goes to School
220 Sullivan Hall honda loved her work in the before he went into a meeting. That and that meant five signatures and Rgrants and contracts office. It left the vice presidents. She got her probabry two weeks' worth of time. was exciting, challenging, and reward- boss's signature before 10 a.m., then She didn't have two weeks. ing. As an administrator she worked swung by the vice president for aca- So Esther did the only thing she with professors throughout the uni- demic affairs' office just before lunch. could do"walk it around." She versity in developing proposalsfrom There was only one stop left-220 managed to get three signatures a $2 million grant for AIDS research Sullivan Hall. The vice president for quickly. But the last one had been a to $5,000 for studying the costs and administation's office. problem: the person had been in benefits of debeeking poultry marathon meetings. chickens. Now there was just one more But today, Thursday, it was any- TQM stop-220 Sullivan Hall. thing but exciting. Instead, it was .ON Jody came back from lunch a little draining and debilitating. She had after 1 p.m. She turned the comer to been working with Professor Joseph CAMPUS walk into her office and bumped into Di Bello for the last six months on a a tired-looking Rhonda, the woman major grant proposal for the National who worked In Grants and Contracts. Cancer Institute. Professor Di Bello, a In addition to Rhonda, there were cytopathologist, was the principal in- three other people. She recognized vestigator, but there were five other QUALITY oneEsther from housingin the professors Intimately involved in the hallway. Esther and one of the research study from three other de- women were seated In chairs, the partments. The research methodology others stood. was extremely complex and it had As Jody pushed open the door taken them two months just to work labeled "220," she knew exactly what through the details of the final draft. QUESTIONS to expectpeople seated in the The problem was the deadline: it two chairs inside the office. was Friday. It had really become a problem. All In spite of working almost around Esther had worked in the housing these people trying to "beat the the clock for three weeks, it had office for 15 years. When she had system" by walking around papers come down to the last few days. On started, there were only three dormi- and reqs to be signed. Her boss, Tuesday morning Rhonda ran a quick tories. Now there were six. They be- Kathy Jurasky, hated a cluttered of- mental inventory of the people who gan working on the final one In fice area and had mentioned it to her had to approve the proposal. There January of this year. on two or three occasions during the were the four department chairs and The contractor had assured every- last few weeks. two deans. There were also the vice one that the dorm would be ready in Jody decided to take action. On a presidents: her boss (the vice presi- July. Well, here it was September notepad she scribbled a reminder to dent for research and graduate one week before freshman and new herself to order two more chairs for studies), the vice president for aca- student orientationand there were the hallway. That should just about demic affairs, and finally, the vice still dozens of details needing atten- do It. 0 president for administration. tion. In some cases doors still needed to be hung and in others touch-up Nine signatures. How and why do systems and paint was needed. Cenpus mail was completely out of processes become more complex For Esther, though, the biggest the question. It would take three over time? weeks. The pony express could do problem was the keys. Last week the better. contractor had dropped off the room What are the costs of complexity In There was a work study student in keysfour sets for 85 rooms. She terms of efficiency? What about the office on Tuesday, so Rhonda had called up university stores to get the human costs? sent him on a mission: track down another key rack but had been told the department chairs and get they were out of stock. That meant Do you have processes that can be signatures. On Wednesday another she would have to requisition one simplified and streamlined? from a local office supply work study student had gotten one How can you identify them? dean's signature, the other dean in- warehouse. sisted on taking the materials home The real problem, unfortunately, with him on Wednesday night. wasn't the requisition, it was the Source: Daniel Seymour, Once Upon a Campus: Rhonda made It a point to come In cost$27. Everything over $25 had Stories about Quality Concepts In Higher Education early on Thursday and met the dean to go through the requisition process, (Palm Springs, CA: Avalon Press), 1903.
"big science"seems at first glance toin essence, is the principles of academiccore value., appear quite different. De- embody fully the pattern of ongoing cri- inquiry applied to ourselves and what wespite the occasional ripples of the "con- tique and resulting refmement that TQdo. tent of the canon" debate, these values proponents call for. It often proves use- But itis hardly research that needsremain for most faculty essentially, and ful as a point of departure for facultyfixing. Our central preoccupation withoften deliberately, conservative. For bet- conversation to point out explicitly thatquality has instead been in undergrad-ter or worse, instruction at the under- TQ's core philosophy (like assessment's), uate education, where the establishedgraduate level is viewed by most as the
Change May/June 1993 Quality Goes to School 101
transmission of a delimiteddomain,students around its own mean of per-cussion become so heated as around the whether this be conceived straightfor-formance. Instructors unconsciously re-word "customer." Partly, of course, wardly as a body of knowledge, or as hasinforce the assignment of such variationthis is because the term itself vividly sig- become more lately fashionable, as a setto "special causes" outside the processnals TQ's commercial oriens. More sub- of outcomes to be achieved. Ironically,of instruction itself. The ascribed specialtly, it is because knowledge "ir. service" in fact, assessment may have helped tocauses tend to be attributed to the stu-to anyonewhatever theirlabeldi- reinforce this conservatism by reifyingdent in the form of presumed variationsrectly threatens the academy's core myth the notion that teaching and learningin ability, motivation, and effort. Exam-of independent inquiry, conducted on its should be viewed from the perspective ofination of the resulting grading patternown terms and for its own sake. Particu- a fixed set of instructional goals rathermay tell us something about individuallarly when applied to instruction, the than, as was the movement's original in-students as indeed, it was designed toterm also suggests a surrender of exper- tent, inducing ongoing examination ofdobut it is virtually useless for inform-tise and authority by those assumed to both goals and practices in the light ofing the instructional process. have both, to patties who by definition obtained results. are unaware of what they do not know. Applied to undergraduate education, As the latter point suggests, it is when the term "customer" gets applied to therefore, TQ's notion of "continuous AT FEW POINTS improvement" can help open the door students that things get sticky. In some cases, certainly, the label applies per- not only to an investigation of potential DOES TO cONVERSATION changes in instructional technique in fectly. Students are the direct customers of such campus services as parking, food pursuit of fixed outcomes, but also to BECOME S the question of exactly what those out- services, registration, or the library. As consumers with particular wants and comes should be. But while questioning HEATED of this kind is surely healthyand is not means, they (and their parents) also make theinitial"purchase decision" entirely unknown to usTQ provides a AROUND THE WORD very definite picture of what "improve- about which college to attend or whether to attend at all, and they will continue to ment" ought to look like: "quality is "CUSTOMER." conformance to requirements." In this make such choices as long as they are en- context, "conformance" means reduc- rolled.In both these areas, TQ logic tion in variation, while "requirements," seems to fit, and its admonition to know of course, are principally shaped by cus- Together with a more general view ofand meet customer needs is good advice. tomers. Both of these concepts have in-the negative consequfmces of evaluatingIn cases where the student "customer" teresting academic implications. individual performance, this is a reasonmay be badly informed about what he or Reducing Variation. Often overshad- why Deming, for one, would have usshe actually needs and how best to get it, owed by the more popular "empower-eliminate grading entirely. It is also asuch TQ notions as "leading" or "de- ment" dimensions of Total Quality is its major reason why assessment arose ini-lighting" the customer can come into original grounding in the technology oftiallybecause current academic evalua-playthe objective being less to react statistical quality control. An important tion practices provided no good way toblindly to customer demands than to root concept hereand the principa:obtain needed data for the improvement shape or anticiPate them. object of this technologyis the distinc. of group performance. Criterion-based But once inside instruction, the "cus- tion between "special" and "common" assessment schemes like those proposedtomer" label no longer fits. From the causes of variation. For proponents ofby assessment are of value precisely be-perspective of traditional instruction, the Total Quality, processes are "in con- cause they can be used to identify andstudent then becomes the "raw ma- trol" when outcome variations occur address common causes of variation. terial" of a specified process of produc- withinpre-specifiedstatisticallimits, But is reduced variation really whattion(a point thatrecalls the earlier and a primary objective is to bring suchwe want? In the development of a wide"value-added"metaphorofassess- systems in control through the gradual variety of basic, prerequisite, or profes-ment). In cases such as basic skills in- elimination of myriad "special causes" sional skills, the answer surely is "yes":struction or technical training where the that are largely unrelated to one an- we want all students to learn fully what"raw material" analogy does apply, TQ other. Until this occurs, improvement needs to be learned. But in the realm ofpractices such as mapping the process, of the underlying process itself is impos-higher-order thinking and the traditionaldeterminingitsconnections and how sible, because we are unable to deter-domains of liberal educationwhere thethey fail, and bringingitinto control mine systematically what is wrong. development of individual voice andmake considerable sense. And because a This is a powerful insight, but in thestyle becomes a paramount valuethecollege can apply TQ concepts in the context of improving teaching and learn- answer is far from clear. What is impor-presence of what production engineers ing, where exactly does it belong? Con- tant is to sort out these issues from theterm an "intelligent product"one able sider, for instance, the way we typicallybeginning, before we automatically at-to provide us with ongoing data about its assigngrades.Mostcurrentgrading tempt to apply TQ technology. own condition while remaining a part of practices rest in essence upon the varia- Serving Customers. At few points inthe process these techniques can in fact tion within a given non-random body of the Total Quality conversation does dis-work even better for us than in industry.
Change May/June 1993 1 1 E 102 Quality Goss to School
An obvious application of this logic isby celebrating these echoes too loudly,mentare instead rolled out as high- .:Jassroom research. or by picking and choosing among them,stakes,hard-pointobjectivesagainst In most instructional settings, how-we run the risk of unknowingly makingwhich unit and individual performance ever, students are more than just rawof Total Quality something that itiswill be judged. The result is a predictable materials. Cooperative learning settings, not. Evidence of this kind of transmuta-return to control-oriented management, active learning strategies, and independ- tionisvisiblein some specific syn-countered by statistical gamesmanship ent work outside the classroom renderdromes of early implementation thaton the part of those assigned to attain them a part of the "workforce" as well, I've recently observed, and that can putsuch targets. Instead, TQ proponents re- "constructors" of their own knowledge the institutions that exhibit them badlymind usthatstatisticalvariationis who participate decisively in the "man- off track. natural and that individuals cannot be agement" of their own learning. Though One is a "Planning as Usual" syn-heldresponsible and sanctionedfor advisedbycollegepersonnel,they drome that confuses Total Quality withthings over which they have no control. typically make most of their own curric- old-fashioned linear goal-setting and stra- A fmal trap is the "Pleasing the Cus- ular choices and remain free to allocate tegic planning. Though this approach ef-tomer Syndrome," which fabricates a their own time and level of engagement. fectively picks up TQ's .emphasis onstrictconstructionistversion of TQ's So what exactly is a student from thestrong leadership and the creation of or-core injunction about customer service Total Quality perspective? On the one ganizational vision, it fails to appreciateand applies it directly to students. The re- hand, lack of a straightforward answer TQ's essential link with operational proc- sultisa narrowly reactive approach suggests that TQ concepts don't fit well.esses and the empowerment of workwhere the recognized bottom line is im- More compellingly, it suggests that anyteams that own them. The danger here ismediate student satisfaction or, as one "answer" depends upon the particularfamiliar: effective things happen in thehorrified faculty member recently put it, student role and piece of the processshort term through the constant inter-"where the inmates are running the asy- that we are talking about. vention of committed dynamic leader-lum." While we surely do need improve- If students are not in all cases "cus-ship, but TQ's critical "infrastructure"ments in service to students, this ap- tomers," then who are our customers?of cross-functional teams nevergets proach neglects the key TQ concept of Again the answers depend upon the lev- created at the level where the work getsactively shaping customer reaction by an- elat which the question is posed. At theLima:. The rcnoll Is itlw himito- lieiiltning and exceeding curlew require- highest level, for public institutionses- tional"planning" at the top nevtrcon- meats. It also fails to recognize and de- pecially, one viable answer is society it-nects to the dozens of operational deci- velop the multiple roles of students in the self. More particularly, it is the taxpay-sions made daily across campus. learning process as a guide to improve- ers who pay the bills and who increas- A second trap is what might be called ment. ingly expect a demonstrable return onthe"Touchy-Feely OwnershipSyn- Each of these scenarios suggests the their investment. Much of the escalatingdrome." Here TQ's insistence upon de- folly of direct translation and fragmen- accountability debate in higher educa-centralization and empowerment is con-tary application. The key to avoiding tion can usefully be seen in this light. Ar- fusedwithsixties-styleoarticipatory them, of course,is to recognize that guably, our accountability agenda mightmanagementusing such mechanismsTotal Quality istotalitspieces must be better served by a proactive perspeoas Quality Circles, T-Groups, and thefit together. Many of the piecesare tive on our part that consciously recog-like to directly foster a sense of organi-familiar; the "total" is what's new. nizes society's rights as a customer. zationalmembership and empower- Making such varied pieces in fact fit Internally, at the operation?: level, ourment. The difficulty here is a failure totogether as part of a transformed phi- customers are one anotherwriether ex-recognize that TQ's notion of empower-losophy of practir.e and a new organiza- change occurs among entire institutions,ment is intended less to serve the workertional vision is st_ nething that will not as in the case of articulation and trans-than the processand its customers. Ascome easily to the academy. If we are fer, among academic units within institu-a result, institutions pursuing this pathserious, we can neither adapt TQ prac- tions, as in the case of service course in-fail to connect these attempts to createtices piecemeal nor import them whole- struction and prerequisite policies,ororganizational loyalty to the bottomsale from others. As every industry has among individual faculty as teaching col-line of actuallyacting ondata or sugges-learned before us, the challenge will be leagues. Indeed,itis often surprisingtions for change. We've seen this syn-to grow our own version of quality when talking with faculty how quicklydrome before in things such as programmanagementa task that involves a far brick-wall resistance to the term "cus-review: people feel good about the proc-more comprehensive process of concep- tomer" evaporates when the term is ap-ess for a while, but soon cease to investtual development than has up to now plied not to students, to potential em-their time when it fails to deliver. marked our engagement. ployers, or to society in general, but to A third difficulty can be labelled the Butarewe serious? Certainly the themselves and one another in a network"MBO Syndrome": an institution adopts stimulus for change is present, and To- of customer-supplier relationships acrossTotal Quality's statisticaltools wholetal Quality ideas seem rich in potential a curriculum. hog, but falls into the trap of using theminsight. But an uncertain track record As these brief musings may suggest, ato create fixed targets of performance.with innovation in the past makes it far number of core elements in TQ practiceTechniques such as "benchmarking"too early for us to declarethisone, at indeed have echoes in things we do. But intended to guide continuous improve- last, to betheone. 0 Chang* May/June 1993 1 1 1 Quality Goes to School 103
JOB ONE Reformers
hen Steve Iachini speaks about W. Edwards Deming, hope that his voice takes on the slight tremor of the initiate. But it hasn't always been that way. When Iachini, assis- Total Quality tant superintendent for ac- countability in the Pinellas County (Fla.) School Dis- trict, first heard about Deming through a seminar, Management his reaction1 was anything but positive. "I remember sitting there feeling de- fensive at what was being presented," he recalls."I felt that it contradicted every- will do for thing that I had done for the past 20 years as a manager, that I had treated people badly, that I didn't take into ac- count their needs." American The 92-year-old Deming has a habit of making administrators feel uncomfort- able. Merit pay: Malarkey, he scolds. Student grades and the ranking of schools by test scores: Disastrous. education Teacher evaluations: Eliminate them. Instead, what Deming and his fellow management gurus preach is an ap- proach to transforming large, complex what it did organizations known as Total Quality Management. Initially viewed as a way to make big businesses more productive and efficient, in the last decade TQM has been for postwar sold as a generic approach that can work for any large-scale organization -- includ- ing school districts. Japan. BY LYNN OLSON
Teacher magazine MAV/ILINE 192 117 104 Quality Goes to School
Although experts on "quality" differ consultants as Joseph Juran and Philip on specifics, they all embrace a set of core Crosby, no one is better kmown than values. These include a strong focus on Deming. It was primarily Deming who customer satisfaction and doing things taught quality management to the Japa- right the first time, executive-level leader- nese at the end of World War II. And it is ship, and greater investments in employee Deming who is widely credited with the education and training. In quality com- turnaround in Japanese industry that so panies, empowered workers made deci- many Americans now wish to emulate. sions based on data that help promote "Deming's philosophy is like a religion," "con'inuous improvements" in products says Lewis Rhodes, associate executive and services. director of the AASA, "because it's based Now, the holistic approach that has on a belief system." already surged through U. S. manufactur- At the heart of the system is a theory ing and industry, government agencies, called "statistical control." According to and health care providers is finding its Deming, any process is subject to random way into the schools. Last year, the variation that leads to waste, errors, and American Association of School Adminis- faulty products. Statistical control helps trators created a Total Quality Network, determine the reasonable limits of such which has attracted more than 300 pay- variation, so that employees know when ing members who sign up to receive a and where to intervene to make a process newsletter, attend seminars and work- better. Although Deming maintains that shops, and get discounts on Deming vid- zero defects are impossible, narrowingthe eotapes. The National Alliance of Busi- range of variation will lead to improve- ness has launched a project to help apply ments in the quality of products and TQM to schools. And scores of school services. districts are either trying to implement The theory of statistical control was quality techniques or are considering developed by an American named Walter doing so. Shewhart and used widely in this country With nearly 96,000 students, Pinellas during World War II. But it was aban- County is one of the largest districts to doned soon after as too costly and time jump into the quality movement. Over consuming. Under Deming's tutelage, the next few years, officials in this balmy however, the Japanese adopted methods Gulf Coast community that includes the of statistical control with a passion. And city ef St. Petersburg have made a com- Deming developed a holistic philosophy mitment to integrate quality principles for managing change that, while rooted in into all aspects of their school system: statistical techniques and theories, goes from how students are taught to the de- far beyond that base. livery of maintenance services. Rather Deming hardly looks like the savior of than dealing with pieces of the puzzle -- modern industry. An elderly man with a like how to reform the curriculum or wattle like a turkey's, his blunt criticisms downsize the central office -- TQM focuses of management have often caused corpo- on systemic change. rate executives to storm from the room lachini has gone from a skeptic to during his talks. At a recent workshop spending much of his time trying to sell sponsored by the AASA in Alexandria, others on this comprehensive approach. Va., and attended by Iachini, Deming told "What we're looking for is the buy-in," his audience: "Evaluation today isn't says Judith Westfall, associate superin- worth a hoot." tendent for curriculum and instruction. But when asked how he would instill In Pinellas -- as elsewhere -- Deming public confidence in the schools without and quality management have become evaluations or measurement, he shot virtually synonymous. back: "I don't know. I'm not a public Although advocates of quality schools opinion expert or in public relations." include such prominent management Despite such confrontations, his human- Quality Goes to School 105
istic philosophy reverberates for many Pinellas began moving toward decentral- educators. ized school governance in the 1980s. It Deming starts from the belief that all also created an extensive system of mag- people naturally want to do well at their net schools and became a demonstration jobs, contribute, and experience "pride site for the National Education Associa- and joy" in their work. The fault lies not tion's Learning Laboratories initiative. with workers, but the system. Deming But when the state mandated last year estimates that workers are responsible for that all schools shift to school-based only 15 percent of an organization's prob- management by 1993-94 -- including lems, the system for the other 85 percent. substantial parental involvement -- Pinel- It is management's responsibility to las officials knew they had to do some- institute a quality system; as Deming thing to ward off chaos. likes to say, "Quality cannot be delegat- Pinellas is the seventh largest school ed." But it is workers -- working in con- system in Florida. It takes more than an junction with management -- who are the hour to drive from one end of the 389- best source of ideas and suggestions for square-mile district to the other, winding how to improve the processes in which over causeways and down streets whose they are engaged. names change with every curve. The To equip them for this task, TQM sprawling county spans 24 municipali- emphasizes employee training in a wide ties, 125 schools, 14,000 employees, and range of statistical techniques and deci- students from a wide range of racial, sionmaking tools. It functions largely ethnic, and economic backgrounds. through the use of decisionmaking teams "Our teachers and our community that represent everyone affected by a want to be empowered to be able to make particular process -- ranging from the more decisions," says J. Howard Hines ley, suppliers of the raw materials, to the the district's superintendent. "But in a supervisors, the workers on the line, and system our size, how do you meet that the product's recipients. challenge?" In contrast, practices that create The answer, they decided, was TQM: barriers and competition between one an approach that would encourage part of the system and anotheror be- schools to make decisions based on data, tween people -- are rejected by Deming. force everyone to focus more on customer Ranking people, gades in school, pay for needs, and help create a tighter link be- performance, exhortations, and slogans tween one part of the system and anoth- are counterproductive, he argues. Such er. practices instill fear in individuals that Perhaps the most prominent feature prevents them from doing their best work. of quality organizations is that they are And they encourage fudged numbers and "customer driven." Their goal is to stay in short cuts rather than bona fide improve- business by meeting -- or even exceeding ments. -- customer demands and anticipating To Beth Ziecheck, a 1st grade teacher what customers will want in the future. at Ozona Elementary School in Pinellas But an organization's "customers" are County, TQM promises a more coopera- not limited to people outside the school tive, less adversarial approach to bringing system. They also include "internal cusA about change in schools. 'This is a com- tomers" -- or anyone inside the system munity of learners," she remembers who relies on another part of the system thinking, on first reading about Deming's to do his or her job well. For schools, the ideas. "This is building respect for indi- most obvious "external customers" in- viduals, building trust." clude businesses and institutions of high- For her administrative colleagues, er education, parents, and other taxpay- TQM represents a rational, coherent way ers. Within the schools, students might of dealing with the changes brought be considered the "internal custome.s" of about by school-based decisionmaking. teachers; teachers, the customers of grin- 106 Quality Goss to School
cipals; high schools, the customers of the integrity of the work they ask stu- middle schools; and so on. dents to do. Among the most common tools used "What a school should teach," Dem- by quality organizations are flow charts ing says, "is a yearning for learning. that spell out for the system as a whole -- We've been successful in crushing out the or for any given process -- who the sup- yearning for learning, intrinsic motiva- pliers are, what the raw materials are, tion, self-esteem, dignity -- exactly what who the customers are, and what the we need." In places that are applying TQM, Deming believes that grades, students are taught to evaluate both the ranking people, and pay for per- quality of the schoolwork they are asked formance instill fear that prevents to do and the quality of their own perfor- indivirh Lois from doing their best: mance. One such place is Mount Edge- they encourage short cuts rather cumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. than bona _MP improvements. Mount Edgecumbe is widely viewed as one of the educational leaders of TQM, having applied quality techniques since product is. The effect of thinking through 1988. such relationships can be a more clearly In one instance, students at the defined mission for the schools and a school used statistical techniques to dis- greater understanding of how everyone cover how teachers spent their time. contributes toward that goal. They found that most of it was spent "It ties all of our departments into the lecturing, even though teachers thought process of understanding that what they they were promoting active learning. The do is important, and how well they do it data prompted teachers to lecture less has a direct impact on what happens in and to use more hands-on experiences. the school," says Edward Kelly, superin- Classes were also rescheduled from seven tendent of Prince William County Public 50-minute periods to four 90-minute Schools, one of eight Virginia districts periods to provide more time for experien- working with Xerox Corp. and the state tial learning. department of education to implement a Students, faculty members, and the quality system. It also turns traditional, administration have also worked to devel- top-down management on its head, forc- op a consensus about the purposes of the ing superintendents to ask what princi- school. And students help set priorities pals need to do their job, principals to ask for purchasing supplies and equipment. the same of teachers, and so forth. Some faculty members remain ambivalent Quality management "combines a about quality management. "(But) I'll tell theory of internal motivation with a sys- you what," says Superintendent Larrae tem of decision-making that can be useful Rocheleau, "we have pretty near 100 per- to both teachers and students," says cent buy-in from the kids." Doug Tuthill, president of the Pinellas Although students from the small, Classroom Teachers Association. 'The state-run boarding school come from goal is to create an educational environ- rural areas and belong to minority ment that's going to best enable us to groups, a follow-up study of its graduates prepare children for a 21st-century econ- found that 47 percent had either complet- omy and society. We think that the ed a postsecondary program or were still learning environment that we're creating enrolled in one. Their unemployment rate will also be the work environment of the was only 2 percent, in a region where the future." average unemployment rate for that age By looking on students as customers group is 20 percent. -- or as workers who are engaged in a But the small size of Mount Edge- quality processeducators like Tuthill cumbeit has only 215 students -- and say they have been forced to re-examine its status as a public boarding school Quality Goes to School 107
make it a hard example to emulate. If a ported by the rest of the system, the large, urban district the size of Pinellas whole ecology falls apart," explains Ship- can make TQM work, the lesson will be ley. more compelling. Two sites in the district have also Like many districts that have ven- been targeted to provide what Hinesley tured into the quality arena, Pinellas first refers to as "hard copy" evidence that the heard about TQM from an outsider. In school system is serious about quality: the summer of 1991, John Mitcham, chief When Rawlings Elementary School executive officer of AT&T Paradyne, invit- opens next fall, its entire staff will be ed Hinesley and a management team, versed in quality management philos- consisting of his chief cabinet officers and ophy and techniques. The school will Tuthill of the teachers' union, to come to have total control over its budget. It corporate headquarters for a two-day also will serve as the test site for training session. customer surveys nd other quality "We went there fat, dumb, and hap- tools, as the school needs them. py," recalls James Shipley Jr., associate Simultaneously, the district's central superintendent in the division of planning maintenance department is shifting and management information services. to the use of quality management They left, if not apostles, at least novi- techniques and theories. Teams of tiates. mechanics, foremen, supervisors, and Since September, a design team of representatives from other depart- union, school district, and business rep- ments are tackling such problems as resentatives has spent hundreds of hours cost overruns, delays in work orders, fleshing out a plan for 'Total Quality and glitches in procurement and Schools." One goal, they acknowledge, is inventory control that cause mechan- to win funding from the New American ics to spend days waiting for parts, Schools Development Corp. -- the private, instead of making repairs. Every non-profit entity established by American foreman has also been asked to turn business people last summer, at the urg- in a list of cost-saving ideas, which ing of President Bush, to provide up to will be researched to determine $200 million for a massive research-and- whether they should be implemented development effort. and how. "Historically," says Charles But even without that money, Pinel- Lambeth, director of maintenance, las officials have pledged to go forward "we've made decisions based on some with what they view as a way to make crisis situation. But it was not data- their district more responsive and effi- based, and it very often created a cient. greater long-term problem..." Last fall, school officials created a Outside of Pinellas, many of the at- District Quality Council - - consisting of tempts to integrate TQM into education the superintendent, the associate super- have focused on areas like maintenance intendent, two deputy superintendents, and custodial services, where the paral- the president of the parent-teachers asso- lels to the corporate sector are most obvi- ciation, and the executive director and ous. But the lessons that educators can president of the teachers' union. The learn from big business are limited. Cor- council will integrate existing components porate officials warn that few industries of the school system and help drive its have applied Total Quality Management quality initiative. zealously enough to make much progress. School officials also hope to establish In 1990, the American Society for a Community Quality Council, through Quality Control teamed up with the Gal- which businesses, the public sector, and lup Organization to survey 1,237 employ- the schools can advance the quality agen- ees in both manufe.,,turing and service da in the entire community. "Regardless industries. More than half of those who of how far a school gets, if it's not sup- responded said their companies talked a
121 108 Quality Goes to School
good game, but only 36 percent said their is also preparing its own cadre of princi- employers backed up that promise with pals, teachers, parents, and central office solid performance. And only a quarter personnel to provide assistance to individ- said their companies really trusted em- ual schools and school divisions. In addi- ployees to make good decisions about tion. the division of curriculum and in- quality. struction is being reorganized to move School districts like Pinellas are being "from the managers of the mandates to bombarded with literature from quality the facilitators of the change process in management consultants, some of whom schools," Westfall says. Employees within promise to fix their problems overnight. the division -- including more than half of In contrast, most experienced chief execu- those affiliated with federal or state cate- tives describe quality management as a gorical programs -- have been paired with grueling, long-term effort. individual schools to serve as friendly According to Myron Thbus, an inter- critics and advisers. Eventually, the dis- nationally known quaLty consultant, trict would like to establish a "Quality "there are no good educational resources Academy" within its professional develop- out there." So educators must be cau- ment center that could become the focus tious about how they adapt the concepts for quality training communitywide. for themselves. 'The school is not a facto- How quickly Pinellas will be able to ry," he says. 'You can take over the fun move without the NASDC money is uncer- tain. Donald McAdams, an adjunct con- sultant at the American Productivity and TQM turns traditional, top-down Quality Center in Houston, who has management on its head.: forcing worked with the district, warns that "it is superintendents to ask principais rlulcultI'd be inclined to say impossi- what they need to do their job, ble -- to implement quality management principals to ask the same of in an organization without some consult- teachers, and so forth.. ing." But it's hard to find a quality con- sultant who will work for less than $1,000 a day, and the going rate is $1,500 to damental ideas of quality management, $2,000, a steep price for school districts but they must be changed rather dramat- strapped by the recession and state bud- ically." get cuts. "Motorola does it differently than For Pinellas, there could hardly be a AT&T Paradyne," notes superintendent less auspicious time to launch such a Hinesley of Pinellas County. 'We will massive effort. The state is facing one of borrow anything anybody legitimately the worst financial crises in its history. In knows how to do. We'll take the best of the past two years, the school district has all of it. But you can't take the total in- cut $23 million from its budget. This dustrial model and apply it directly to winter, the district slashed another $32 education." million, cutting 914 positions in the pro- To help support Pinellas's quality cess. initiative, the district is designing what it Like many of the corporations that refers to as "just-in-time" training. Begin- embraced Total Quality Management ning this spring, every school will be as- during the 1980s, Pinellas has its back sessed to determine the type and level of against the wall. "We don't want people training it needs. to associate continuous quality improve- If the district receives funding from ment with layoffs and retrenchment," NASDC, trainers from Qualtech, a subsid- worries Tuthill. Initial plans to integrate iary of Florida Power and Light -- the first quality management techniques into the American company to win Japan's presti- collective bargaining process have been gious Deming Award -- will provide train- temporarily scrapped. And although ing in pilot schools. 'The school district labor and management say their relation-
.19 r Quality Goes to School 109
ship is the closest it has ever been, they school, was openly skeptical about doing are proceeding cautiously. away with grades, as Deming has advo- So far, the reactior from school peo- cated. "For this coming year," she says, ple has been mixed. 'We have a lot of "we will have grades, and we will have people who are eager and interested," standardized tests." says Clide Cassity, director of thePinellas For now, Pinellas officials are empha- Technical Education Center. 'We have a sizing the theoretical underpinnings of lot of people who say it will disappen. Deming's approach to quality manage- And then we have a lot of people wi.o just ment. "We're not going to beat them over don't care." the head with statistical tools," says Ship- The vocational education center has ley. Sessions like the one for school prin- been working to implement total quality cipals tend to focus on Deming's 14 ideas on its own since July 1990. A points for managing change and his over- Quality Research Team has spent the all philosophy. past six months purchasing books, video- But there is a growing recognition tapes, and other training materials that it that quality management will require a can share with the rest of the staff. And a much different use of data than the school improvement committee has used school system now practices. Mary Ann quality techniques to improve the efficien- Sanchez, principal at Ozona Elementary cy of the program's registration practices and its food services operation. The experience has turned around Observers caution that TQM is a Philip Wey, an air conditioning instructor generic process to help run any at the school and, as he puts it, "probably business. It can support good the most vocal union hothead that you curricula, qualified teachers, and can imagine." For the past five years, improved pedagogy, but it cannot Wey had refused to serve on school com- substitute for them. mittees because he was convinced they were "do-nothing, impotent." But,he adds, "the four committees I'm on now, School, a pale pink structure at the they're all real powerful." northern end of the county, says most of At a meeting at Gulfport Elementary the school system's emphasis, to date, School, however, teachers remain wary of has been on end results. "Evaluate your the district's sincerity. "What do we do if teachers at th e. end of the year. Evaluate three years down the road, it's a bomb?" your students at the end of the year. asks one teacher. Evaluate yourself at the end of the year," Says Hines ley: "Some people are she states. "And it's not only evaluating skeptical, and we've given them no reason people; it's evaluating goals. not to be skeptical other than to hang "We looked at test data," she adds, with us." "but the data we looked at was frequently Even among the district's converts, too narrow. I think we need to look at a there is uncertainty and disagreement wider variety of data, but it's one of those about exactly how far to go with Deming's areas I'm not sure of." philosophy. At a recent training session In corporations that have adopted about TQM for school principals, lachini quality techniques, like Toyota, individual told the audience: 'There are a lot of employees, small teams, and larger problems with the evaluation process. I groups routinely gather data and check think I am supportive of getting rid of and report on progress as measured evaluations." But his supervisor, Shipley, against daily, weekly, and monthly objec- quickly added: "Don't go out of here say- tives, notes a recent article in The Execu- ing I said that." tive Educator. But unlike many school Mary Catheryne Athanson, principal "outcomes," these goals and targets are of Rawlings Elementary, next year's pilot often employee-determined, the article
1 2. 110 Quality Goes to School
states. They represent what is most partment of education and Florida State meaningful and motivating to those clos- University to implement a quality system, est to the job. Instead of mandating based on international quality standards. goals, management makes sure the num- Other state-sponsored initiatives are un- bers, percentages, and data are routinely der way in Ohio and Virginia. discussedand consistent v.ith the cor- But some observers worry that TQM poration's broader aims. could become just another educational In Pinellas, it is still too early to tell fad -- or that its merits could be oversold. how such practices will translate to the David Osborne, co-author of Reinventing schools. "I think that the statistical tech- Government: How the Entrepreneurial niques are complex enough that many of Spirit Is Transforming the Public Sector, the people at the school level are not notes that TQM was developed within the going to want to be involved heavily with competitive climate of the business com- them," says Iachini, the assistant super- munity. In contrast, public schools are intendent for accountability. Instead, he monopolies. TQM, he says, may not go predicts that the focus of his own division far enough to address the status-quo will shift from program evaluation to tech- nature of such public bureaucracies. nical assistance for individual schools. Others caution that TQM is a generic "I think that wewillabandon our process to help run any business. It can traditional evaluation schedule," the ad- support good curricula, qualified teach- ministrator says, "that we will act as con- ers, and improved pedagogy, but it cannot sultants to schools in developing school substitute for them. "If you just went out improvement plans, help them design and did total quality, but you never studies to improve processes, and develop looked at setting standards and new ways school-based data.I don't think that of assessing kids, if you never looked at we're going to play that role for several looked at developing exciting curriculum years, but I think gradually we're migrat- or how to involve parents, you still would- ing to that kind of responsibility for the n't get there," says Norman Deets, a Xe- department." rox executive on loan to the National The district's decision to embrace Center on Education and the Economy to Total Quality Management parallels a help schools implement quality manage- similar move at the state level. Gov. Law- ment. "But I think if you did those other ton Chiles has directed the Florida de- things, and then did quality," he adds, partment of administration to make train- "the sum of the whole would be greater." ing in Total Quality Management avail- For now, what Pinellas needs is time, able to all state employees. And many of argues Hinesley. "I think that's where we the ideas behind quality management -- need to be on the defensive," he notes. such as its customer orientation and its "We're not working with widgets, and focus on decentralized decisionmaking -- you've got to give us some time to make are reflected in the state's School Im- this happen." provement and Educational Accountabili- Cautions Shipley: "TQM is not the ty Act. end-all.It's the method by which we're In addition, as part of the state's going to approach rational decision- School Year 2000 initiative, seven school making. It will be the conunon.language." districts are working with the state de- From Teacher magazine, May/June 1992
124 Quality through Preventive Management
By Bill Borgers
to manage an organization, whether busines,school, or state government: management by detection, and management through prevention. Both kinds of management focus on the output of a something to or for them. This theory system the results or product then set goals or gained popularity with Pavlov's dog standards to compare with the results. Problems arise not salivating when the dinner bell rang. 4 from the comparing of results with some.target, but from If Pavlov had had a cat, the theory what management does with the information. One prob- would have been in trouble, as a cat chooses to eat only lem faced by America's businesses, schools, and state when good and ready. Along came B. F. Skinner and his governments is that management by detection is the rats-in-the-maze experiment. When Skinner's rat went prevalent method used. Managers who believe in man- down the wrong path, it received an electric shock; when agement by detection use the results to exhort, cajolerand it chose the right path, it received cheese as its reward. blame workers for the discrepancy. Management by Today our businesses and schools are full of cheese and detection uses averaging to show who is an above-aver- shocks to entice people to do quality work.What's age producer and who is below average; the above-average missing from the process is the concept that people make are rewarded while the below-average are punished. their own choices according to what they believe is qual- ity. People are motivated from within and will not pro- Management by detection tends to produce small spurts duce quality unless it satisfies their needs. The manager of improvement followed by a leveling off as the incen- who gives the workers meaning to their work, allows tives and punishments lose their effectiveness. Manage- them to assess their own work for quality, and then joins ment responds by increasing the rewards and punish- with them to plan how to improve the work will achieve ments to get another jump start. Over the long haul, more quality than by using fear. however, this management style produces only "good enough" at best, and poor quality at worst. Under fear of Another assumption of management by detection is that punishment or going unrewarded, the workers do only most defects are caused by the workers. In truth, at least well enough to be rewarded or avoid punishment. Fear 93 percent of defects are the responsibility of the manage- reduces risk-taking al tcl cooperation which are essential . ment, notthe worker. The manager controls the factors in improving the quality of a product. Worse still, work- that can eliminaie most defects. Management's responsi- ers will misrepresent the numbers in an effort to escape bility is to organize the workforce to solve problems, and blame. Quick fixes are used to get the quick results to model, facilitate, and coach workers in how to produce demanded by management. If there is improvement, it is quality. Those closest to the problem have the best chance not significant, and more often the results are poor. of solving it if given the needed information, authority, and training. The key is trust between management and Management by detection needs mass-inspection meth- the workers. ods such as mass-testing, extensive accreditation visits, and other costly accountability measures. By focusing The final assumption in management by detection is that only on results, the processes producing the defects con- competition within the organization improves productiv- tinue, with the emphasis on rework and recycling as ity. Competition works wonders in the world of sports, corrections rather than focusing on improving the pro- but it is badly misplaced when used as a motivation tool cess. It is a wasteful style of management that has caused within an organization. Learning whether it be in America to fall below Japan, Germany, and other countries school or in the workplace is not a game with winners that have embraced a better system of managing people. and losers, and should never be represented as such. Competition prohibits cooperation between the schools, Management by detection relies on several faulty as- workers, and managers. Instead, management should sumptions.First, people can be motivated by doing emphasize teamwork as the best way to obtain quality. INSIGHT 20Fall 1993 12F 112 Quality Goes to School
Working Smarter Together
Gordon A. Donaldson, Jr.
Leading collaborative change n What's Worth Fighting fundamental change. Teachers and For? Michael Fullan principals commonly compare their in schools means helping and Andrew Hargreaves restructuring efforts to "rebuilding a staffs become mare productive compellingly argue that 747 while it's in the air." working collectively Principals, teachers, and other staff without substantially depleting inschools is the best way have responded to the criticisms of their resources. tOimprove them (1991). their schools by working longer and Yet throughout the book harder. They have added new programs they weave cautions about the hazards and spent hours planning change. of collective action. Faculties can These efforts are well intentioned, but develop groupthink. They can balka- we are beginning to realize how little nize. They can stop at "contrived they are changing what teachers do collegiality" and never arrive at true daily, and thus what students learn collaboration. Threatened principals (Toch 1991, Sizer 1992). can undermine efforts at working together. Working Smarter, Not Longer Simply working longer and harder will
otA4 not significantly change our perfor- mance; we must learn to work smarter. Peter Vaill persuasively argues that "working smarter" requires shifting our habits of work "collectively, reflectively, and spiritually" (1989). What does working smarter collec- tively look like in schools? At first glance, it's easier to see what working smarter collectively should not be. It should not involve every teacher in more meetings that identify problems without showing promise of resolving some. It should not add more responsibilities onto teachers' already heavy workloads. It The transition from traditional should not expect educators to patterns of faculty problem solving instantly function as a team without and decision making to more collabo- the group skills to do so. rative ones is fraught with difficulties. Working smarter means monitoring As Fullan and Hargreaves note, ,the efficiency of faculty work from "Building collaborative cultures two standpoints: (1) how productive involves a long developmental it was in reaching desired student journey; there are no shortcuts." For outcomes. and.(2) how much it the principal bent on supporting this depleted important resources, includ- type of restructuring, the challenge is ing the human ones. The goal of to lead a faculty that may not wholly working smarter is to be more produc- support. understand. or have the tive without substantially depleting energy and time to navigate this resources. That means devoting time
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and energy, both individually and bility" and "danger." The possibility Stage 2: Self-examination. If criti- together. to activities that demonstrate is for potential growth and positive cism is faced and defensiveness held true benefit to children and that do not outcomes; the danger describes what to a minimum, staff can objectively threaten, over the short or long haul, to can happen to the faculty if its new examine the student outcomes in ques- exhaust teachers, principals, children, efforts come close to depleting its tion and how its own practices affect parents, or physical resources. store of resources. Schools attempting them. Teachers can collect and use Instrumental to "working smarter" to improve pass through these stages. evidence to pinpoint what is working is developing the ability to monitor Whether they emerge with gainful and what is not. what we do. We can only know if our change depends on the staff's The danger in this stage is discord. efforts are wisely directed if we can collective success at maximizing The source of the problem could be step back and see what they produce the possibilities while minimizing identified as "the math department" or and what they deplete. Every school the dangers. "the cross-age grouping team," and staff must learn to reflect on its daily Stage I: Criticism. Externally or other staff members may disassociate work in the light of student outcomes internally expressed dissatisfaction themselves from those sources. This is and its bank of resources. What came with the school's performance particularly dangerous for a staff whose from that three-day unit on tropical launches a period of criticism. From resources are "running on empty" rain forests? What time, energy, every substantial criticism, the school already and who is consequently wary talents, and materials went into it? staff can learn what may not be func- of sharing responsibility for all students. Was it worth it? What came from tioning well. The "possibility" is for Stage 3: Goal Setting. Once a staff those workshops on cooperative staff to use the criticism to identify succeeds at objectively appraising learning? What went into them? ways to improve performance. The outcomes and practices without Were they worth it? "danger" is that the faculty will feel feeling overcome by discord, collec- overwhelmed and unappreciated. For tive goal setting can occur. The data Where We Are? Where We Are Going? staff whose resources are nearly from Stage 2 can help identify specific To help school staffs judge their new depleted, defensiveness can spread goals. and the absence ot' discord efforts and whether they are paying rapidly; blaming others both exter- enables everyone to support the off. Figure I provides a five-stage nally and internally seals off the criti- proposed goals. Stage 2 data will model of the cycle of progress. Each cism. the facts underlying it. and often also reveal staff successes that can stage is characterized by both "possi- the critic% as well. he celebrated.
Oc I R 19,)1 1?7 114 Quality Goes to School
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Miss ONO ami Raw .S : eines** That goals will be too grandiose or numerous to be achieved is this stage's danger. In this case, defeatism among the staff is practically inevitable. Working smarter in this stage means choosing goals that can be attained in a reasonable time frame with the resources available. 01611 Stage 4: New Efforts. The school staff that emerges from Stage 3 with achievable goals will enter into plan- ning and implementing new efforts without wondering, "oh, what's the %wow, use?" or feeling "here we go again!" -
To realize the possibilities of the new 1- practice, however, requires that collec- tive energies be focused on specifying that practice, the people responsible for it, the training they need, and the time required to plan and assess implementation. Most important, the entire staff needs to commit itself to helping it work, as any new practice on the problems.they or their that exists between the potential for will draw down resources and energy colleagues experience, lose sight of gain and the depletion of resources. from the whole system's "bank." the goals of the new practice, and This awareness keeps a school staff The danger in this effort is that staff grow impatient with the costs, from feeling it's spinning its wheels or commitment will wane, leaving only a disorder, and slow pace of change. falling into the "we-tried-that-once- small group to effect the change; the Conversations in corridors and and-it-didn't-work" syndrome. In collective effort will disintegrate. The parking lots grow cynical, and staff contrast, a staff beset by the "Killer effects of disintegration can be devas- members mutter about "what new idea Ds" is stuck in a cycle of hopelessness tating as the staff divides itself we'll be forced to try next." and routine work. Theirs is not a cycle between "true believers" and "foot A staff that works smarter together of progress but an endless revolving draggers." Staff members take sides, can use this five-stage model to ask, around halfhearted attempts at change. and innovations become the target of "Where are we in this cycle now? Are Staffs that are working smarter can arguments over resources. we realizing the possibilities? Or are adjust their plans, activities, and even Stage 5: Consolidation. New efforts the dangers taking over?" The group their ambitions to see that progress backed by an "integrated" faculty and needs to share evidence of positive occurs. As they live through the cycles based on careful goal setting and developments to create the affirmative of renewed effort, each cycle builds on honest assessment are most likely to spirit needed to sustain progress. On the previous one, and a spiral of succeed. With effective monitoring, the other hand, if the human resources collective progress is born. the success or failure of the new prac- are being depleted more rapidly than tice becomes plain to all. Adjustments the possibilities promise to bring bene- Redefining Staff and Leadership can be made, and its consolidation fits, the staff will wisely heed the Principals and teacher leaders play into the school's patterns realized. The danger signals. important roles in the development of entire staff needs to be privy to this A school faculty that continuously faculties that work smarter together. monitoring, celebrating the successes monitors its own progress through They act very different, however, from and solving the difficulties that will collective reflection becomes self- the "strong leaders" of the Effective accompany consolidation. aware, permitting course corrections Schools era. A strong leader who is in If some staff members are excluded, before the five dangers or "Killer Ds" control, who must direct traffic at all the school flirts with the danger of take over. Even if that course correc- the crossroads of decisions, has no disenchantment. The collective tion means abandoning a mak *effort, place in a school where all adults "resource meter" begins reading "not the faculty can make that decision share responsibility in these areas worth the effort." Staff members dwell with full recognition of the imbalance (National LEADership Network 1991).
EDUCATIONA1 LEADERSHIP 14 1 ?E Quality Goes to School 115
TN- School staffs that seek creative solu- tions, that feel stewardship for the institution, and that shoulder a share of ri the toughest decisions facing the school will constantly chafe under the limits of leaders who must control, direct, and ultimately decide. Such leaders, however well intentioned, will soon be driven beyond their own human limits by their desire to support and monitor their staffs. Eventually they will sanction only those activities that will not depletetheirpersonal and professional resources (Donaldson 1991). responsibility for deci- ples. Are we willing to This pattern is all too familiar in our sions unequally, reservedTeachers and be responsible for the schools. At first, such leaders work "final say" for the prin- actions and decisions longer and harder to keep up with all cipal, and expected the principals we will have the the initiatives spawned by eager principal to ride herd on authority to make? Are attempts at improvement. As they "quality control" cannot commonly we willing to confront discover the incredible size and overnight share responsi- our own blind spots variety of activities and people, they bility as a community. compare theirand see out colleagues, learn to work "tougher"denying They must start by students, and their their own personal needs and some- setting in placetogether restructuring parents as important times those of their colleagues as they the groundwork on resources for our drive for excellence, asking more and which future collective efforts to learning? Are we more from themselves and from action can occur. willing to set aside others. Such leadersand there are The principal's and "rebuilding a what might be best for many that seem caught between teacher leaders' first task me or for "my" paradigmsare finding that they is to shift the group's 747 while it's students to build some- eventually deplete their own resources compact. Three oper- thing better for the and come dangerously close to ating principles form thein the air." entire school? depleting those of the faculty. Many foundation of a new retreat behind governing councils, compact to work smarter collectively: Leaders Who Work Smarter behind office doors. to the central I. Responsibility and authority go If principals and teacher leaders are to office, or unfortunately. out of the hand in hand: help staff make these significant shifts, profession altogether. When the 2. Children and adults learn best in they, too, face personal and profes- dangers outweigh the possibilities for trusting communities in which every sional challenges. They must ask: the leader, the staff has little chance of person is both a learner and a resource Am I willing to cede both authority working smarter collectively. for learning; and and responsibility to others? Am I The cycle of progress requires that a 3. All adult members of the school willing to reveal my blind spots. to school staff redefines itself as a staff care for the institution and appear unknowledgeable and vulner- community responsible for setting and community as a whole as well as for able? Am I able to trust the group to reaching its own goals and capable of their primary roles in it. accept responsibility and to exercise managing its own resources. Such These principles make good intu- power? Am I capable of sharing infor- redefinition means nothing less than itive sense, and decades of experience mation about the many aspects of establishing new working relation- in schools and other group settings the school that the staff needs to know ships among all players. As the formal support them (Rost 1991, Sergiovanni in order to understand and make leader of this group. the principal must 1992). As a staff considers taking effective.decisions? not control, monitor, and direct, but responsibility for all five phases of its Until these question% are answered must treat this group as a responsible own progress. leaders must first help it in the affirmativeand acted uponby community of adults. Staffs and prin- assess each member's understanding the leaders, working smarter together cipals who have historically divided of and commitment to these princi- cannot succeed. Not only must leaders
OclolilIt 1993El 116 Quality Goes to School a_ Figure 2 Ds Leader's Me la the Cycle et Proven principalmust ask: What is the Worlds. "Wow balance between my productivity and Pease el Cycle aid Meeker Weddle Smarter the depletion of my own resources? Criticism Accept blame and move Listen and ask for evidence. In the mid-1990s, the dangers of rapidly to fix the problem. depleted resources will not diminish Self-Examination Shoulder the responsibility; Assemble those responsible for school staffs and leaders. Physical target the culprits. and ask them to identify the successes and the prob- and human resources will continue in lems. short supply; good will and optimism, worn down by a decade of diverse Goal Setting Cover all fronts; assign Identify goals that can be "task forces" to repair the achieved by those available reforms, may be hard to come by. If problem. to achieve them. school staffs are to build on the progress they have begun, working New Efforts Lead the charge (all of Facilitate frequent and open them!). Set deadlines and monitoring and adjustment smarter together will be more impor- "drive" the teams. (do not usurp authority or tant than.ever. They will need to know responsibility). where their efforts are paying off and Consolidation Convince the rest Celebrate; continuously whether their resources will permit to adopt the change; monitor, and when appro- them to sustain those efforts. Most hope it lasts. priate, ask: What will we school staffs have the capacity for tackle next? such collective reflection and action. Leaders in both administrative and teacher ranks must redefine their facilitate public commitment to these Sets achievable goals: The leader purposes and relationships to tap and principles initially, but they must also helps the staff to meet the challenges build on this capacity. find ways to revisit them as the group of self-improvement by celebrating moves along. Commitment to the ideal strengths and setting achievable goals. References of working together requires constant Assuring a proper balance between Donaldson, G. (1991). Learning to Lead: attention and discussion. How the seeking improvement and depleting The Dynamics of the High School Princi- palship. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood. principal and teacher leaders respond available resources fends off Fullan, M., and A. Hargreaves. (1991). to each phase of the cycle of progress defeatism. What's Worth Fighting For? Working can spell the difference between Nurtures new efforts: The leader Together for Your School. Andover, success and failure for the whole staff. involves the entire staff in imple- Mass.: Regional Laboratory of the Figure 2 describes some strategies menting a change or monitoring its Northeast and Islands. National LEADership Network. (1991). for leading a "smarter working" staff progress, building collective steward- Developing Leaders for Restructuring and contrasts them with commonly ship, and minimizing disintegration at Schools: New Habits of Mind and Heart. observed "harder and tougher" work this crucial point when new efforts Washington D.C.: OERL U.S. Depart- strategies. Each is keyed to a phase of require changes in everyone's work ment of Education. the cycle of progress and can be used patterns and resource distribution. Rost, Joseph. (1991). Leadership for the 21st Century. New York: Praeger. by principals and others as a device Monitors and celebrates: The Sergiovanni, Tnomas. (1992). Moral Lead- for monitoring how they are func- leader celebratesstaff andstudent ership: Getting to the Heart of School tioning. Each of the "working successes and acknowledges the many Improvement. San Francisco: Jossey- smarter" strategies directs the leader adjustments necessary in school Bass. improvement. The leader enables the Sizer, Theodore. (1992). Horace's School: back to the three operating principles. Redesigning the American High School. To work smarter, a leader: staff as a group to acknowledge what Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Faces criticism: The leader listens works and what needs to be tackled Toch, Thomas. (1991). In the Name of and asks for evidence in the face of next. The disenchantment with change Excellence: The Struggle to Reform the criticism, placing responsibility on the that schools often experience is offset Nation's Schools, Why It's Failing, and by a sense of collective efficacy. What Should Be Done. New York: critic for specifying problems and Oxford University Press. helping to resolve them. Defensive- Leaders play essential roles in Vail!, Peter. (1989). Managing As a ness and blaming are avoided, and developing collaborative cultures that Performing Art: New Ideas for a World trust grows. "lie within the control of those who of Chaotic Change. San Francisco: Welcomes self-examination:The participate in them. [where] teachers Jossey-Bass. leader involves the responsible players and members together make their own schools" (Nias. quoted in Fullan and GordonA. Donaldson, 1r. isDirector of in examining teacher practices and the Maine Academy for School Leaders student outcomes. Stewardship for the Hargreaves 1991). In a culture where and Professor at the University of institution grows. and discord is mini- all staff members work smarter Maine, 5766 Shibles Hall, OronoME mized. together, each leaderincluding the 04469-5766.
ElFin cArioN Al 1_1.11)1.16MP Quality Goes to School 117
We can't use yesterday's standards anymore Creating effectiveschools today and tomorrow
Lawrence W. Lezotte Effective Schools Products, Ltd. The solution to a problem is determined in large measureby how the problem itself is framed. What our society will accept as evidence of positiveschool reform depends on what we believe tobe the problem with today's schools.
Thus, to understand the issues and challenges Our changed expectations of schools... associated with creating more effective schools During most of the industrial period, it was for today and tomorrow we must first ask the expected that the school's educational outcomes question, "Why do schools need to reform?" would form a bell curve. This means that students were arbitrarily sorted into low, average, andhigh We must consider t!lat question because, by most achieving categories, with about a quarter of the of yesterday's standards, schools are actually students expected not to meet minimum mastery. doing a better job than they ever have. However, But we cannot be satisfied with this bell curve of they're doing a pretty good job of preparing our outcomes in today's information age, becausethe young people for a world that nolonger exists! United States needs more well educated people Bklt education is abOut the future and about for the growing number of hightech jobs. At the empowering our young people to live meaningful same time, the number of lowskilland unskilled and productive lives in that future. jobs are fast disappearing.
Why do schools need to change? Our society cannot compete in world markets Basically, schools need to change for three rea- unless we educate more students to a much high- sons: er level. Fortunately, the knowledgebase from effective schools and effective teaching research, I.They need to change because our society is changing in so many ways. coupled with what we now know about how human learning occurs, means that our schools 2. They need to change because the nation's if we have expectations for the schools have changed. can meet these higher expectations the will to do so. 3. Schools need to change because the popula- tion of public schools is changing dramatically. Our changing population... The demograph- Our changing society... The most dramatic ics of our nation clearly indicate that our schools face a twoedged problem. On the one hand, change we are experiencing is the transformation schools have been more successful in meeting the from an industrial society to a hightech, informa- educational needs of the children of the middle tion society. This change alone requires schools a group whose numbers aredeclining to alter the structure of the classroomtoward a class rapidly because of the lower birth rate among the more democratic, teamorientedlearning envi- middle class. On the other hand, the public ronment; to incorporate available technologyinto schools have never been very successful with the the delivery system; and to emphasize higher order thinking; to mention just a few of the children of the poor (minority or nonminority), and this group is growing fast. reforms that are needed.
Journal for Quality and ParticipotionJan/Feb 1993 118 Quality Goes to School
Three strategies to school improvement. Initially, effective schools advocates improvement thought school improvement should focus exclu- The current reform movement, which began in sively on the individual school, largely ignoring the the early 1980s, essentially has tried three differ- central office and larger district and community ent strategies. context. The local board of education and the central office staff were largely bypassed. New training in teacher colleges First, in response to the call for school reform, colleges The current model incorporates the school board and universities, especially the teacher training and the central office staff in a much more realis- institutions, asked themselves the question, tic model of how schools and districts operate. "What ought to be our role in K-12 educational Experience over the last eight years has demon- reform?" Their primary role has been that of strated that leadership, support, collaboration, staffing the enterprise of the public schools, since and help of the board of education and the cen- every teacher and administrator has to pass suc- tral office is essential if school change is going to cessfully through the gates of higher education to occur and be sustained over time. receive his/her teaching credentials. This leads to An historical perspective of the effective a major discourse on how to reform preservice schools movement The story of the effec- teacher education. But trying to reform schools tive schools movement began in July, 1966, with by restaffing them with new kinds of teachers as the publication Equality of Educational Opportunity positions become available can only be a by James Coleman and his colleagues. The con- longterm, developmental approach to school troversial findings reported in that document reform. became widely disseminated and debated. This Topdown mandates for improvement excerpt from the Coleman study summarizes the The second major approach to school reform of issue of effective schools: the 1980s involved topdown state mandates. In "Schools bring little influence to bear on a child's at least 40 of the 50 states, either the governor, achievement that is independent of his back- the legislature, the state board of education, or ground and general social context... this very lack the state superintendent called for a set of educa- of an independent effect means that the inequality tional changes and has fired those educational imposed on children by their home, neighbor- innovations into their local schools and districts hood and peer environment are carried along to through a topdown, outsidein, mandatesdri- become the inequalities with which they confront ven approach to school reform. The history of adult life at the end of school. Equality of educa- school change is replete with failed attempts to tional opportunity implies a strong effect of try to change the schools in an enduring way by schools that is independent of the child's irnmedi- this approach. ate social environment, and that strong indepen- Bottomup change (one school or district dence is not present in American schools." at a time) The third major approach to What is an effective school? part one school improvement involves both district com- Coleman and his colleagues brought into sharp mitment and schoollevel team building and focus the question of whether.student achieve- action. Throughout the United States, educators ment derives more from the homes from which in a large and growing number of schools are ask- children come or the schools to which they are ing, "What is the possibility of reforming schools sent. Because of the centrality of the Coleman by going straight to the individual district and the hypothesis, any discussion of school improvement individual school and using an internal, bottom up, must begin with the question: "What should we renewal model (an organizational development accept as observable, measurable evidence of model) that involves planning and implementing school effectiveness or school improvement?" programs of school improvement from inside?" The issue of acceptable evidence of school improvement is addressed in the following con- The Effective schools model ceptual definition of an effective school: The evolution of the effective schools model An effective school is one that can demonstrate the (described in the next section) occurred during joint presence of quality (acceptably high levels of the 1970s and 1980s, as effective schools research achievement) and equity (no differences in the dis- demonstrated that the individual school is the tribution of that achievement among the major sub- strategic unit for planned change and school sets of the student population).
Journal tor Quality and Participation'. JantFeb 1993 1,3 " Quality Goes to School 119
What's been working? A review of the avail- Many processes launched themselves able research literature produced several guiding With these guiding principles, the task of creating principles for successful school change. They are: school plans to take the school from its current level of functioning toward the vision of effective- The single school must be preserved as the ness as represented in the research was under- strategic unit for the planned change. taken. Literally hundreds of schools launched Teachers and other members of the school com- their effective schools processes. Some did it with munity must be an integral part of the school help from the outside; some chose to proceed on improvement process; principals, though essential their own. Some followed the guidelines of the as leaders of change, cannot do it alone. lessons that had been learned, even without School improvement, like any organizational knowing the research per se; others chose to try change, is best approached as a process, not an to implement change and ignore what the event. Such a process approach is' more likely to research on successful change has reported. create a permanent change in the operating cul- Lessons learned As a result of the diversity ture of the school that will ac ommodate this in approaches, we can say that effective schools new function called continuous school improve- research worked for some and not for others. ment. Fortunately, it has worked for enough schools so The research would be useful in facilitating the that a growing number can proudly claim that change process, but it would have to include sug- they have the results to prove more of their stu- gestions of practices, policies, and procedures that dents are learning, and learning at a higher level. could be implemented as a part of the process. These schools feel empowered to commit their Like the original effective schools, these improving professional energies to the proposition that even schools must feel that they have a choice in the more students can and will learn in their schools matter, and, equally important, they must feel that in the future. they have control over the processes of change.
Journal for Quality and ParticipationJan/Feb 1993 120 Quality Goes to School
These criteria must be operationalized at both What does the research say to us now? the state and local level and be demonstrated in First, schools where students master the intended outcome terms, reflective of the school's learning curriculum do share a describable list of institu- mission. tional and organizational variables that seem to Are there any doubts? Criticisms of effective coexist with school effectiveness. Second, these core factors seem to be robust in that they have schools research have been many and pointed, endured across the various studies. Third, the but one fact remains incontestable: Some schools effective school can, and generally does, stand are able to achieve these extraordinary results. alone, even among its counterparts in the same As long as one such school exists, the effective local school district. schools debate is not a discussion of theory but a discussion of commitment and political will. One school at a time can work... The major impli- What is an effective school? part two cation of those studies is that the institutional and organizational mechanisms that coexist with effec- During the second major period of the effective tiveness can be attained by individual schools, one schools movement, the attention of researchers school at a time. This suggests that effective turned toward the internal descriptions of these schooling is within the grasp of the teachers and effective schools. During this period, researchers administrators who make up the teaching com- sought to answer the following general question: munity of the individual school. "In what ways do effective schools differ from their less effective counterpartsr As school practitioners began to discover that the Five effective school factors... Certain char- effective school could be characterized by a rela- tively short list of alterable school variables, some acteristics seemed to describe how these schools educators began to see new possibilities for their were able to maintain their exceptional status. schools. Their reasoning seemed to proceed These descriptions began to appear in the profes- along the following lines: sional literature. Five factors were described in 1979 by Edmonds in his early research: If these individual schools had the wherewithal to I. The principal's leadership and attention to the make their schools effective, as suggested by the quality of instruction original effective schools descriptions, then individ- ual schools ought to accept the responsibility for 2. A pervasive and broadly understood instruc- doing so. tional focus 3. An orderly, safe climate conducive to teaching Knowing what is effective isn't enough... and learning Unfortunately, the original research provided lit- 4. Teacher behaviors that convey the expectation tle guidance as to how the effective schools that all students will obtain at least minimum became effective. In the more common language mastery of the 1980s, the effective schools research pro- vided a vision of a more desirable place for 5. The use of measures of pupil achievement as schools to be but gave little insight as to how best the basis for program evaluation to make the journey to that place. More recent studies have described additional factors, which sought to make the original Progress; even though there was no Edmonds' factors more explicit and more opera- roadmap... In spite of this major shortcoming, tional. Recent studies have also taken the charac- the effective schools movement survived and teristics of the effective school to the secondary flourished. The zurvival seems to have depended level. heavily on the implementation strategies used by schools. In addition, the researchers have now document- ed the existence of the correlates in other The following overview focuses on the processes schools in addition to those that primarily serve used by Edmonds and Lezotte as they responded economically poor and minority student popula- to the numerous invitations to work with schools. tions. Finally, the research has been expanded to Their experience was repeated by many other include studies in other countries, particularly facilitators of effective schools research, with Great Britain. some variations in the processes.
Journal for Quality and Participation Jan/Feb 1993 Quality Goes to School 121
Two major prerequisites... Two major con- When taken together, these assumptions describe clusions can be drawn from the lessons from this the changes occurring in the districts that are cur- period of the effective schools movement. rently planning or implementing an effective schools process. I. While researchers do not have all of the answers, the literature on successful change When these assumptions (described below) are clearly establishes that some strategies of transformed into reality they change the culture of planned change do indeed work better than the local school and district. Cultural change others. takes time, tends to occur in a million little 2. The process of school improvement based on actions, and is clearly incremental. Building on the effective schools research takes time, these notions, school improvement can be involvement, and commitment. described as an endless succession of incremental Whenever one tries to gloss over any one of adjustments. these essential prerequisites, the results are soon IIn the future, even more than in the past, all diminished. Clearly, when effective schools schools will be expected to focus on learning for processes are followed appropriately, school all as their pnrnary mission. improvement results. However, when effective Throughout history, the public school has been schools processes are not implemented properly, expected to serve the needs of society. Today's they fail to produce more effective schools. public schools are expected to successfully fulfill Eventually the larger system has to change three basic missions: t o o ... More recent experience indicates that The school is expecte i serve the community schools can indeed change but to sustain the as an institution of custodial care. improvement over the long haul, the local school Schools are expected to serve the community as district has to change as well. There are two an institution that sorts and selects stuat. -Its and important challenges in the district planning prepares them for vanous roles in a highly process. differentiated society. I. The plan must address the necessary changes in Schools are expected to serve the community as distnct-level policies and programs to ensure an institution of learning. that school-level change can occur. 2. The plan must not go so far as to mandate Learning first The effective schools process what each school must do in its improvement asks schools to commit to learning for all as their primary institutional mission. However, two plan. major forces seem to be operating to make it dif- District level challenges... The first set of ficult for the local school to maintain a primary challenzes, when handled successfully by the dis- focus on the teaching for learning mission. trict planning group, gives guidance, direction, and provides the human and financial resources to the Challenge to putting learning first: custodi- school-level improvement process. However, if al care is needed... The changing nature of this plan goes too far, the sense of ownership and the American family structure, with more chil- empowerment leading to the essential commit- dren being raised by single parents and the prolif- ment at the school level gets lost. Early efforts at eration of the two-parent working families, implementing effective schools produced an means that more and more of the custodial expanded list of individual schools that benefit responsibilities for child rearing are shifting to the from these efforts. But as each preceding phase school. builds upon and adds to what has gone before, This would not be a problem in and of itself the fundamental belief that all students can and except that the demand for additional custodial will learn is reinforced. services has tended to reach the school well ahead of the financial and human resources neces- Nine strategic assumptions about sary to provide these services. The prospects for the future of education the future are going to be a continuing challenge Like any vision of an alternative and, it is hoped. a to educators, for as far as one can see, the better future state, the effective schools process American public school is caught in a rising tide of makes assumptions about schools of the future. expectations around the custodial mission.
Journal for Quality and Participation Jan/Feb 1q93 1 3 F 122 Quality Goes to School
Challenge to putting learning first: the If schools take seriously the curriculumbased public still expects us to sort students... and criterionreferenced measurement sugges- The seccnd force that distracts the school from tion, teachers and administrators will have a much its primary teaching for learning mission is the broader view of the outcomes of instruction. demand that schools sort students. The public 3. Educational equity will receive increasing has been unwilling to accept schools that teach emphasis, as the number of poor and minonty all children. In many ways, intended or not, many students continues to increase in proportion to the of the innovations that have arisen from the rest of the population. Excellence Movement, such as higher standards and stricter graduation requirements, are having the Educational equity One of the principal rea- effect of increasing the sorting and selecting func- sons why the effective schools process is receiv- tion of the schools. ing such favorable attention is that the process emphasizes educational equity. The client system A struggle over putting learning first is is changing, and educational equity in student out- inevitable... The implications are clear: If comes is going to be a major political issue for the schools commit to the learning for all mission, future. that act is tantamount to engagement in a political struggle against these other powerful forces. If Aggregate measures cloak deficien- schools are going to live up to the American cies... The effective schools process asks Dream, they must be prepared to engage in that schools to analyze their measured student out- political struggle. comes through the process of outcome disaggrega- tion. That requires going beyond the aggregated 2. In the future, even more thon in the past, schools data which simply indicate whether the total stu- will be held accountable for measurable results or dent population have mastered the essential cur- outcomes. riculum but does not reveal whether students We must be accountable The call for from all socioeconomic levels, different races, and accountability that has had a major impact on the both genders have achieved mastery. public school for the last two decades is largely a The disaggregation process seeks to identify the movement that asks schools to be more account- percentage of students in various subsets who able for measurable results. At this time, there is achieve mastery of the essential learnings at each no indication that the pendulum is likely to swing grade level by program, course, school, et cetera. back in the other direction. In fact, the evidence suggests a further intensification of the call for Disaggregation is a prr -tical, handson process evidence of outcomes. that allows a school's faculty to answer the two critical questions: "Effective at what? Effective for If we accept this continuing trend as being the whom?" It is a process for finding problen:s. not new truth to which schools must respond, then for solving them. this important question must be addressed: "For which outcomes, results, or consequences. should Sometimes a school staff is pleasantly surprised schools be held accountable?" because the results look better than they had The new measure for school success... anticipated. More often the staff are disappointed because the results are worse than they had Our standard should be: "Did our students learn feared. Whatewer the response, the analysis helps what we taught them in our program of curricu- to stimulate a productive discourse among the lum and instruction?" This is the gauntlet ol staff about the impact of their program on all accountability tint should be thrown down. But if their learners. schools are going to move toward this standard, a major change will have to be made in the mea- 4. Decision making will be more decentralized os the sures of school effectiveness. individual school is recognized as the production center of public education and, therefore, the Schools will have to become less dependent on strategic unit for planned change. standardized, normreferenced tests of achieve- ment and, at the same time, increase their use of Decentralized decision making The story curriculumbased, criterionreferenced measures of public education in this century is the story of of pupil mastery. increased centralization. Clearly, more and more
Journal for Quality and ParticipationJan/Feb 1993 1 3 C Quality Goes to School 123
of the decision making, both with respect to collective knowledge to make collective judg- expected outcomes as well as prescriptions of ments and take collective actions toward school process, have moved further from the individual improvement. classroom and school. Challenges to empowerment... In part, the In the private sector, corporate leaders have major problem has been that boards of education "Empowerment begun to act on the belief that the next incre- have told school faculty not onty what to do, but should not mean ments of increased productivity in their organiza- haw to do it. To empower any group in which that each teacher, tions will only come if decision making is moved the goals of the group are not clear is really not acting as an indWld- back to the shop floor of the industry. We hope an act of empowerment. It is more likely to cre- WA is expected tO that public sector organizatieAs will quickly see ate a milling crowd. It's desirable for the local behave as if herlhls the virtue in this strategt. board of education to seek the advice of the pro- fessional educators before establishing the ends of classroom were a Robert Waterman in his popular book. The education. However, once these are in place, it freestanding, one Renewal Factor, says that the people who are in becomes the obligation of the school community room schoolhouse." the best position to improve the organization's to strive to meet these goals. productivity are the people who currently do the work of that organization. The keys are involve- 6. School empowerment processes must emphasize ment and decentralization. the utilization of research and descriptions of effective practices as a major source of input to Decentralization requires 'leadership' from school change. the center... Decentralization should not be The effective interpreted by either the state or local authoritiesContinuous learning for staff schools process starts with the sensible assump- as an abdication of their responsibility. The legiti- tion that teachers and administrators are already mate authorities have a duty to clarify and give doing the best they know to do, given the condi- direction to the schools. That is, the state and tions in which they find themselves. If one accepts local authorities have a responsibility to articulate this assumption but still wants to improve the clearly the goals and priorities of the schools and current outcomes of schooling, then it becomes what they will accept as evidence of progress clear what must happen. Tne professional educa- toward those goals. Beyond that, each school unit tors need to add to what they know and proceed should be given as much discretion as is possible to change the current conditions in which they regarding how the available resources will be work. deployed to achieve those intended outcomes. 5. Collaboration and staff empowerment must New knowledge for teachers can be found both increase if building level staff are going to become in research, and in case descriptions of practices meaningfully involved in the planning problem that have proven effective elsewhere. In order to solving and evaluation of their schools programs. assure that the best available practices are known to all, the local district needs to invest resources One of the most popular Empowerment in staff development and continuing education to terms in the educational community today is be sure that their professional community oper- empowerment. Many administrators fear it; many ates from a state-of-the-art knowledge base. teachers seem to want it, while many others seem to be frightened by it. In the context of this Make no mistake, research and knowledge of best article and the effective schools process, it is the available practices do not provide all the answers. individual school which is being empowered Much remains to be done, but research tells us accepting responsibility for its actions. that some things do tend to work better than others, and it thereby identifies places to begin The educators who constitute the teaching com- the improvement journey. munity of the school are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for their collective 7. Technology must be used to accelerate the rate actions. Empowerment should not mean that of feedback currently available in instructional each teacher, acting as an individual, is expected monitoring systems used by teachers and to behave as if her/his classroom were a free administrators. standing, one room schoolhouse. Rather, the Just-in-time feedback to support re-teach- whole faculty should be empowered to use their Ing One of the major shortcomings prevalent in schools today is the absence of re-teaching.
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29
Here, reteaching is meant to include a wide When this research is coupled with much of the range of strategies that the teacher can usewhen contemporary research in the general area of some of the students in the class have not mas- leadership, it seems clear and compelling to think tered an essential concept or skill after the initial that our local school and district leaders need instruction by the teacher. both knowledge and demonstrated skills in man- aging a visiondriven organization. Reteaching prerequisites... To effectively and efficiently use the powerful concept of The implications that can be drawn from this reteaching, three conditions must exist research are farreaching, indeed. Local districts are going to have to accept more responsibility I. Theschool mission and core values must cre- for inservice training of administrators. ate the expectation that the first obligation of Currently, the opportunities for practicing admin- the teacher is to assure mastery of the intend- istrators to involve themselves in academy pro- ed curriculum. grams are increasing rapidly, and organizational 2. Teachers need to feel empowered to use time encouragement and support must be forthcoming and other institutional strategies (e.g. regroup- as well. ing) to be sure that each student has ample opportunity to learn for mastery. One suggestion that seems to be working well for admin- 3. Teachers need timely feedback on student per- many local districts is to offer prospective forrnance so they know who to move forward, istrators preleadership training opportunities. who to reteach and what reteaching areas Such experiences will allow the prospective administrators to develop skills and also provide demand special emphasis. the opportunity for the candidate to be observed It is to this third point that the use of new tech- in realworld settings. Such programs should be nology seems immediately most promising. able to reduce the number of misplaced adminis- Technology now exists, and is in operation in trators in the future. some places, that permits the teacher to receive 9. By emphasizing student outcomes, schools will be nearly instantaneous analysis of student work. able to loosen the prescriptions of process, thus Why is this so crucial to reteaching? If there is leading to fundamental school restructuring. one strategy of learning that is undervaluedand Restructuring If empowerment is one of the underutilized by the typical school today it is most popular terms in education today,school reteaching to assure student mastery. restructuring is the other. Scholars have spoken 8. School administrators will be expected to about the need for significant change in the cur- demonstrate skills both as efficient managers rent school organization, role definitions,and and effective visionary leaders. administrative procedures as both desirable and Leadership One of the strong messages that even necessary prerequisites for lastingschool comes from the effective schools research isthe improvement. Little disagreement e.;:ists that cer- critical role that leadership plays in initiating and tain aspects of current school culture make it tiff- sustaining the processes of school improvement. ficult to serve students effectively.
i Nine strategic assumptions about the futureof education of I. In the future, even more than in the past. all scriools will be expected 6. School empowerment processes must emphasize the utilization to focus on learning for all as their pnmary mission research and clescnptions of effective practices as a major source of input to school change 2. In the future, even more than in the past, schools will be held accountable for measurable results or outcomes 7. Technology must be used to accelerate the rate of feedback currently available in instructional monitoring systems used by teachers and 3. Educational equity will receive increasing emphasis, as the number of poor and minority students continues to increase in proportion to the administrators. 8. School administrators will be expected to demonstrate skills both as rest of the population. efficient managers ond effective visionary koders. 4. Decision making will be more decentralized as the individual school is rpcognized as the production center of Public education and, merefore.. 9. By emphasizing student outcomes, schools will be able to loosen the the strategic unit for planned change prescnptions of pmcess. thus leading to fundamental sctool 5. Collaboration and staff empowerment must increase if building !eve' restructunng. staff are going to become meaningfully involved in the pianning Prob lem solving and evaluation of their scnoois proirrams
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The question is how to begin this needed restruc- unless they, too, can be convinced that better turing in a way that is feasible. results are forthcoming. Challenges to restructuring efforts... Final thoughts Schools are not likely to be able to begin the busi- We have been very prescriptive of the processes ness of restructuring unless the school is within a of schooling in the past because we did not know Dr. Lezotte earned his dot_ safety net to assure that students are not unfortu- a better way. Today, the call for evidence of wrote from Michigan State nate victims of failed restructuring. results provides educators with a new way of University inI 969 Dunng One way to establish this safety net around a thinking about the instructional processes. hisI 8 year tenure at MSU. school is to make certain that student outcomes Lezotte served as chair of Perhaps we can truly test the Jeffersonian notion or results are closely monitored in a way that the deportment of educa- that the greatest inequality occurs when unequal indicates the levels of student mastery of the tional administration, and people are treated equally. We need a delivery intended curriculum. Parents are not likely to as associate director. with system that differentiates student needs if more allow schools to be at variance with the norms of Ron Edmonds, of the of our students are going to be brought to other schools unless they can be shown convinc- Center for School Improve- expected levels of curriculum mastery. ing evidence that the new processes are working ment. Lezotte was a mem- as well as, or even better than, the old. Creating more effective schools schools where ber of the onginal effective all children learn is both an achievable task and schools research team with Teachers and buildinglevel administrators will be a moral imperative. To assure success, all of us Ronald Edmonds and Dr energized by the opportunity of doing things dif- must stand and deliver! Wilbur Brookover. Dr ferently, but they will not be willing to risk much Lezotte is currently senior vice president with Effective Schools Products, Ltd. in Okemos, Michigan. III.
Quality Goes to School: Applying Quality Management
1% uality to 4Celslool Quality Goes to School 127
IS TQM FOR EVERYBODY?
stickers, the rankings, the ways that Theresa M. Hicks, a second-grade grade they were in," she explains, "and it didn't marter if they were classifed teachers subjectively give prizes or teacher at Denver Place Elementary punishments, the consequences that School, Wilmington, Ohio, is pas- as learning disabled or if theyhad are positive or negativetheir motiva- sionately committed to the principles severe disabilities. They were the same tion to learn is slowly ripped away. of W. Edwards Deming and the Total as other kids who had sought me out when I was working in retail. They Eventually students will end up as Quality Management movement. For workers in our society who do not the past two years she has worked to were just kids. I didn't like the fact that want to learn something new." implement the central concepts in her I had to classify them and put them That realization, Hicks claims, was classroom, first with third graders into special categories." Inaddition, Hicksfelttension an epiphany for her. "At that pointI and, this past academic year, with said, 'The buck stops with me.' If I second graders. In 1992 she was the between the way she had been taught to teach and the way she wanted to believe what Dr. Deming is saying, recipient of a $10,000 research grant and if I gather evidence as to how it from W. Edwards Deming. In this teach. "A lot of the things I was taught has worked in Japan and for other article, she describes how she began to in terms of setting up my classroom structure and basic teaching methods companies, I must take faith in that implement the quality movement's evidence and believe it can work to concepts in her classroom andthe didn't seem human. It didn't seem to change education. And if I can't wait manner in which studentsresponded. me that I would relate to thekids as well as I would ifI could just for my system to agree with me, then be myself." I have to do something about it in my classroom." Long before Theresa Hicksknew As she began to read and study more widely, she found affirmationfor about any of the theoretical and First Steps Toward Quality philosophical concepts of W. Edwards her intuitive beliefs about education. Deming and what is now called Total "I found that learning is not just Fascinated by her own reading of Quality Management, she was com- something that takes place in the Out of the Crisis,she mitted to teaching in a manner that classroom. It's a part of life. I became Deming's classic, brought the book with her into her placed students squarely at the center more and more interested in trying to third grade classroom. "I brought it as of their own education. She also fierce- make my material have some meaning when they went home, some sort of a personal reference, morethanas ly believed that students should not be something I would teach the kids," sorted, separated, carryover into their lives." ranked, she recalls. or classifiedandrejected a conven- Without realizing it, Hicks's first tional teaching role for herself as step toward a TQM classroom was to But her enthusiasm about what she read prompted her to select concepts sole content authority and dispenser reconceptualize her own role."I started to see that I could break down and consider how they might work in of knowledge. her classroom. She began with Originally educated in horticulture, barriers and remove myself from an Hicks became aware of her rapport authority position to a position where Deming's equilateral triangle about quality. As she explains it, "At the top with children while she was operating the students would be co-teachers with she puts it, "I kept me." She adds, "I wanted to be a of the triangle is the product. The left- a retail nursery. As hand corner of the triangle represents finding so much pleasure in trying to facilitator and coach." how the customer is trained to use the relate to kids that I decided to change Out of the Crisis product, and the right-hand corner my career altogether." represents how the customeractually After receiving a master's degree in the product. All of that has to education, she began teaching in a At the point where Hicks was uses come together to make aperfect classroom for children who had been reframing her teaching role and learning disabled, approach to the learning process, she triangle or you won't have quality." categorizedas She remembers the moment she grades one through six. began to read Deming's work. It had profound personal meaning for her. began a discussion about quality. That first teaching experience con- Walking to the board, she told the herinstinctive approach She remembers, "Deming says that firmed students about Deming's triangle and toward working with children. "The kids start out with great self-esteem, facilitated a lively discussion about the more I got to knowthe kids, the more but through all the things we have in elementary schoolthe gold stars, the relationship of the triangle's concepts Irealized that it didn't matter what
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Focus in Change
picture, and we could to companies. "I had a put it up on the wall sharp group of kids," and think about it. Hicks says, "and after We could talk about it I asked how they saw as a group, much as the triangle working we would if we were for us in our class- an art class looking room, they told me at pictures." that they saw what Her class was en- I taught them as thusiastic. "Two of the product." the kids brought in Thatfirstyear, their own jacks and Hicks limitedthe balls.I had them amount of quality stand up in front of concepts that she the group and start introduced into her taking turns. I plotted classroom, although it, explaining to the she attests that her kids what would go students "bought into on the horizontal axis it all the way." Assign- and what would go ed to second grade the on the vertical axis. following year,she Isaid that these admits that she was charts are things that uneasy about con- their parents probably tinuing to implement saw all the time in quality concepts. "I their companies." was absolutelyter- Afterthetwo rified,"shesays, students had played "because I was sold for ten bounces of the that this was the way ball, Hicks stopped to go, but I wondered the game and asked haw I could possibly the class to concentrate on the chart do it with little kids." that second graders were already com- that recorded the data from the game. Her approach was to tell the class "I told them that if I were going to hire at the beginning of the yearthat she mitted to the system that ranked them. "Seven-year-olds are used to stickers, somebody to represent my company, was working with Deming, a contact and if my company produced jacks, that she had initiated. "I told them that certificates, reading groups, everything that I don't do or that I don't like we would be selling the toy ortrying he was trying to teach me about what to convince people to play morejacks. was going on in industrythat was doing, such as ranking and separating the kids." I asked which student the class thought positive. I said that I would be work- I would want to hire." ing with the students to share some To illustrate some of the quality ideas and to get their ideas throughout movement's key concepts, Hicks told the class she wanted to show them Predictably, the class chose the child the year." with the higher score. Hicks then She decided to give grades only how to record numbers or information asked the class if they believed she had when absolutely compelled, and to on a graph. She suggestedthat two enough information to judge. administer tests solely to diagnose students play jacks while the others "I asked if they thought I was really weaknesses in her own teaching. "If I watched. "I told them the purpose basing my decision to hire on some gave a test, its purpose was to try to was to give us information, not subjective reason, such as stopping at look at myself, how I could improve to compete." After showing the class how the two ten drops or thirteen dropsof the ball. my teaching." Who's to say that it's right for me to Part of her apprehension about in- scores could be recorded onto apiece judge even at twenty drops of the ball troducing concepts from the quality of chart paper, she demonstrated to grade them how the chart could be used. "I who I would want to hire?" movement into her second The two children picked up the classroom stemmed from her belief told them they would see it as a
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game again and not surprisingly,the about systems, how does she function be second grade. They would say, other child began to do better. At by herself? In her answer, she differen- 'You're not supposed to be teaching another, arbitrary count of bounces of tiates between interactions she has vocational skillsto regular the ball, Hicks stopped the game for with the children in her classroom, and mainstreamed kids.' " the second time. interactions with teachersatthe Her peers frequently construe what "I said, let's stop right here and talk building level. she teaches as vocational, Hicks ex- about this. If I had hired this one boy "At the classroom levelitis plains, and place other restrictions to represent my company, Iwould extremely successful," she says, "and upon content as well. "I received all have been suboptimizing my chances the children are free to learn, have a kinds of flak about teaching upper- with this other child because he was good time, and share with each other. level math, about teaching fauna. equally as good. He could have had I explain that I'm there as a coach to "Teachers would say, 'You're sup- other skills that would have enabled try and help things along. I am hired posed to teach about dinosaurs, not him to represent my corporation bet- to make sure that they learn what I fauna.' They thought what I was doing ter than the other child.I asked: teach them and that they teach each was too hard for the kids. SoI 'DidI have enough information to other properly, but I'm also hired to be wondered what Iwas doing that hire anybody?" sure that everyone in the room is safe was wrong." She encouraged the class to think and happy." But now she reassures herself. "If it's abolt how this might relate to them Safety and happiness inthe not in the textbook that doesn't mean in the second grade. "The kidsreplied classroomtranslateintorulesof it's wrong," she says. "I told myself not that the scores on jacks were similar mutual respect and equity that Hicks to talk about it as much, and we co- to how they might do on a test on a will enforce if necessary. "I tell the kids exist peacefully." given day, that there might be a reason that if they ever feel that their freedom outside of their control that caused or happiness is in jeopardy they need Why TQM? them to do well or very poorly. There to come to me because I am the per- could be some reason outside of their son in charge. I am the one who can But how much of Hick's success is control altogether that caused me to listen and hear both sides of the story truly related to the concepts of the judge them." and then make a judgment." quality movement, and how much is Hicks explained to the class that the She isquick to point OM that connected to her innate ability as a same reasons could apply to her as children must be free of fear. "They teacher? Hicks admits that her basic well. "If I happened to be in a really have to feel that the barrier is broken attitude toward teaching would be the bad mood someday, I could choose to down to where they can come to me." same, "whether I'm involved with manipulate the standards by which I Although she reportsthather Deming's work or something else. I am would judge a child. I explained that classroom experience with TQM has constantly looking for what research I had rwo things for us to look at: their been nothing less than positive, is telling me, and I'm constantly look- actual performance and the variations operating as a soloist does present its ing at myself as a lifelong learner." She in it, plus my standards and the varia- own, special sorts of problems. Hicks adds somewhat plaintively,"I'm tion in my standards. describes it as "difficult," but points to finding that not everybody is like that." "That," she says with satisfaction, support that she receives from promi- But TQM, she maintains, gives her "got us into a discussion of common nent figures in the quality movement. a discipline to apply to her activities. dnd special causes of variation." "I have had tremendous support from "It gives me a pathway to follow and Dr. Deming and Myron Tribus.I keeps me directed in the mode of con- Barriers to TQM sought people out, the people that tinuous improvement. It has redirected have skills. I would ask if they thought and structured me so that Irealize Such a sophisticated discussion of I was on the right track.I would that you must adopt something variation may seem amazing at the explain that I was working at a logically, you must do it through data second grade level, but Hicks is not second-grade level and they would give and analysis." surprised that it took place. What me feedback." It has also helped remove her own distresses her, however, is her position The feedbackhas shapedher fear of making mistakes. "I'm not as a soloist within her school and philosophy, Hicks says, but the sup- afraid to say I really messed up. I can districtthe only teacher applying port she received did not extend to her go back and look at what was positive TQM concepts. building. "Teachers were absok:Lely and what was negative and then try to Since the concepts central to the appalled that I was teaching things improve the negative points. Because quality movement require thinking outside of what is typically thought to of that, I'm not wasting as much time."
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Given her personal commitment to Additional Reading on TQM applying TQM concepts to education, what does Hicks believe is needed to These readings were selected from a wide variety of literature on TQM that make TQM work systemwide? Her is available in business, education, and the sciences. answer comes without hesitation. "A lot of work," she replies. "It Deming, W. E. (1986). Out of the Crtsis, Cambridge, MA: MIT Center takes true commitment. The first thing for Advanced Engineering Study. that has to take place is breaking down thebarriersbetweenpeople, Hendricks, C. F. & Triplett, A. (1989, December). TQM: Strategy eliminating whateverisstanding for '90s management. Personnel Administrator, 34(12), 42-48. between two people or two groups or two levels within the system. You Koons, P. F. (1991, Summer). Getting comfortable with TQM. must break that down, talk about it, . The Bureaucrat,20(2), 35-38. and rework it so those barriers don't exist anymore. After you break down Melvin, C. (1991, November). Translating Deming's 14 points the barriers, you really must educate for education. Educational Leadership, 48(9), 19-23. everybody as to what's going on and what was learned, day to day." Olson, L. (1992, March 11). Florida district vows to infuse quality Are some teachers more amenable principles into schools. Education Week, pp. 24-27. to implementing TQM concepts than others? Hicks's answer is surprising. Patten, T. J. (1991/92, Winter). Beyond systems: The politics of managing She says thoughtfully, "The more in a TQM environment. National Productivity Review, 11(1), 9-19. creative a teacher is, the more likely it is that she will not hear the whole The quality imperative. (1991, October 25). Business Week [bonus issue], message. Frequently teachers like a PP.7-29, 131-145. projectthatI've done, but they don't want to hear about understand- Rocheleau, L. (1991, November). Mt. Edgecumbe's venture in quality. ing and appreciating a system. They Educational Leadership, 48(9), 14-18. want to hear about the hands-on kinds of things. If they finally do listen, Rose, F. (1991, April 22). Now quality means service too. they may realize that it is a creative Fortune, 123(8), pp. 97, 100, 102, 106, 110-11. way to run a classroom, so they willlistento that part.But then Schargel, F. P. (1991, November/December). Promoting quality comes statistics." in education. Vocational Education Journal, 66(8), 34-77. School staff frequently balk at the statistical component of TQM, she Stampen, J. 0. (1987, Winter). Improving the quality of education: comments. "If teachers buy into all the W. Edwards Deming and effective schools. Contemporary Education other parts, they don't want to buy the Review, 3(3), 423-433. statistical part." Or, conversely, some teachers like the statistical tools and Scholtes, P. R., et al. (1988). The team handbook. Madison, WI: techniques, but resist systems thinking. Joiner Associates Inc. Although Hicks realizes that the road to full implementation of TQM Tribus, M. (1987, November/December). Applying quality management will not be smooth, her personal com- principles. Research Management, 30(6), 11-21. mitment to its key concepts has not wavered. She explains that she sees Tribus, M. (1988, January). Deming's way. Mechanical Engineering, TQM as an inclusive movement, one 110(1), 26-30. that ideally must involve everyone in a district at all levels. "TQM should Walton, M. (1986). The Deming management method. New York: not be saved for the gifted, and it The Putnam Publishing Group. should not be reserved for the kids who arc disabled or dysfunctional. Walton, M. (1991). Deming management at work. New York: TQM is for everybody." The Putnam Publishing Group. Quality Goes to School 131
"WHY ARE WE HERE?"
I t. \I t II
David Langford joined the staff at had been the lead negotiator for the retest the school's administration, he Mt. Edgecumbe High School inSitka, teachers' union, was demoralized by says they weren't interested. Reluctant to give up, Langford Alaska,in1985 as the .school's a negotiation process that had dragged technology teacher/coordinator. In on for three years. shifted his thinking. "I decided that 1988, he introduced and began to im- He describes the negotiation process perhaps I was at the top of something, plement the concept of Total Quality as adversarial and destructive. "It was such as my own classroom. If I was Management, first within his own rendering the administration ineffec- really going to make a difference, what classes and eventually schoolwide. tive because the faculty was no longer I needed to do was start managing my Students from his classes have given interested in working with them. The classroom in a whole different way." presentations throughout the United point was to try to discredit them, to He started on a small scale, choos- ing one of his best classes. "Every clay States,England, and Canada on try to make them look bad so thatwe changing education through quality could look better, so that we could get I would ask questions like, 'Why are management. Presently Langford leads a contract. In three years of negotia- we here?' The kids would say, 'To get Ins consulting firm; Langford Quality tion,welost 40%ofthe original fif- good grades,"Because so-and-so made Education, which is headquartered in teen faculty." me,' those kinds of answers." Billings, Montana. Discussions about the purpose of Applying Qua/ity Concepts: education continued for some time as The Beginning Langford explained Deming's fourteen Three years ago David Langford points to the class. "I asked if they might not have shown his growing Disenchanted to the point of con- would be interested in helping me dissatisfaction with teachinghe had sidering a career change, Langford understand and work through this received various teaching awards for returned to Arizona for a visitwhere process, because I didn't think that the his work as a technology teacherat he attended graduate schooland way I was teaching and the way we Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, responded to a fellow teacher's invita- were operating were the most effec- Alaska. Yet a gnawing discontent with tion to meet with a senior vice presi- tive. The only way I knew to change working conditions and lack of stu- dent for qualityatthe McDonnell would be to manage things different- dent motivation prodded him toward Douglas Corporation. "I thought I ly with their help." change, even though Mt. knew quite a few things," he says, And he was persistent in his ap- Edgecumbeprior toits TQM "and in an hour and a half Jim Mar- proach to change. "Every day I'd ask, dayswas recognizedinAlaska as tinatMcDonnell Douglas slicedmeup 'What have you learned?' Very quick- ly we started defining the system of "oneofthe answers to the educational and then started puttingmetogether problem," according to Langford. by giving me materials, books, tapes, education, and thenwestarted think- "We had all the money thatwe articles, and directions. He said, 'Don't ing about whatweneeded to study needed to do anything we needed to quit the system; go back and make a about the system." do," he saysina down-to-earth, easy change. Here's how you can do it." manner. "We hand-picked our facul- Although Martin stressed that he ty out of a thousand applications, we did not know how to apply quality im- "Why Are We Here?' had a new site thatwespent $22 provement concepts to education, million remodeling, and we were Langford felt renewed by theen- To acquaint students with some of asone of the best counter,and began studying and con- the statistical tools and techniques of already being touted TQM, Langford sent the seven schoolsinthe state." tacting corporate people nationwide But the quality of work life was who had been active in the quality members of the class out on a mission poor, Langford says, so poorthat movement. to collect information about their teachers had health problems related "Everyone kept tellingmethat the fellow students and other teachers. "They randomly selected classes and to stress, suchasbleeding ulcers. process has to start from the top, that Many dreaded coming to workinthe you have to get the top involved," he collected information thatweanal- morning. And Langford himself, who snys. But when he initially tried to in- yzed.Welooked at how many minutes
14F 132 Quality Goes to School
Focus in Change
for the learning but also for planning were spent listening to lectures versus faculty vote secured additional train- participating in hands-on activities, ing,although theinitialtraining it, directing it, and moving dirough it. what percentage of students were late, was mandatory. They were able to come into new situations and assess them, look at how many kids were sleeping in class Langford reflects that he would not situations and assess what needed to per day. Before we had alwayslooked make training in quality management at individuals and we were only con- mandatoryif he were instituting be done, make changes, learn to use the graphical charts, and so on. They cerned with individual performance. change now. "1 also wouldn't call it TQM. If we're into quality manage- became very good at giving presenta- Now, my students started counting tions, karning to persuade other the number of people per classroom, ment now, what were we doing and that allowed us to begin to before? Was that poor quality people and change ideas. "Suddenly we had a new kind of stu- think systematically." management? We were doing the very Meanwhile, Langford continued the best job that we knew how to do at dent who was looking five, ten, fif- dialogue about educational purpose the time, but here are a whole new set teen, even twenty-five years ahead. Before, I hardly had a student who with his students and decided to stop of things that will help us do an even assigning them grades. "I told them better job." could look past this Friday's dance. that Deming says grades take away Now we had people making plans for themselves and the state and their rela- from intrinsic motivation. The only tionship to that. They were seeing the way I knew to get out of a grading en- vironment while we were still in a tcy interdependent role that they play. grading environment was to give L also wouldn't This was exactly what all the corpora- tions I talked to were saying that they everyone 'A's'. They asked, 'If we don't call it TQM. If do anything we still get an 'A'?', and needed in employees," I took alittle hop of faith and we're into quality No More Testsand Why said yes." Langford also told students that management now, they did not have to attend class and what were we Testing, ranking, and grades remain they would still receive 'A's'. Inex- anathema to Langford, who maintains that test scores are basically mean- orably, he then led his somewhat in- doing before? Was ingless within the quality movement credulous class back to the question: schema. "Test scores don'ttest "Why are we here?" that poor quality the things that this kind of a process As students became more skilled at management?" studying the educational system fosters, such as intrinsic motivation, life around them, they raised money to drive,vision,purpose of and organization." visit the McDonnell Douglas Corpora- tion as Well as several other cor- He remembers that prior to porations that were using quality Expectations and Results schoolwide initiation of TQM con- cepts, grades and tests were used improvement concepts,including Motorola, which had won the Langford says that his expectations always in a limited context, such as Malcolm Baldridge Award the prior to initiating work in quality im- how students performed compared to their performance the previous year. previous year. provement were shattered by the Langford explains, "The corporate results. "I expected to see higher test "That's what Deming calls driving people rolled out the red carpet and scores, and I expected that the kids your car by looking through the rear- view mirror," he comments wryly. did a great job explaining what they would follow directions better and "We couldn't see testing as a process, were doing. The kids came backand work more on the things we wanted nor could we see the problems we were did a presentation for the whole school them todo. What we got was as anything except in which they explained what they had something totally different." dealing with learned." The superintendent, im- He adds candidly, "I wasn't able to isolated situations. We didn't under- stand the interrelation of things to the pressed by the students' level of com- cope with it for a long time." whole system, that when you change mitment and independence, became a Implementing the concepts of the believer in the quality movement. quality movement resulted in a much one factor that single change affects "At that point," Langford recalls, more independent student, heclaims. everything else." earlyattcmpts to "we started training for all faculty." At "We got students who wanted to take He recollects that,while well- the end of the training, a unanimous the responsibility themselves, not only achievequality Quality Goes to School 133
Focus in Change
Langford adheres to rigorously. "You of accountability? intentioned, were ineffective. "Ac the Langford pounces on the word "ac- beginning, we started attacking all the must develop constancyof purpose. Why are you in this class? Why are we countability," saying, "Accountabili- normal things that usually plague ty is just a fancy word forblame. schools, trying to remove what is bad learning this information? How is it going to benefit me? We call it 'Station You're trying to find out who you're in an organization. We tried to remove going to blame. Once you get over that tardies and discipline problems. But WIFMWhat's In It For Me,' and constantly return to that, so thathurdle, you start to say, 'There's the real power of the movement is not nobody to blame; the system is giving in working to get rid of whar isbad students see a relationship between the work that they're doing and us a certain level ofperformance." but in learning how to measure, pro- However, school staff can learn mote, train,andwork towards what their future." Langford returns to his point about from the system's level of perfor- is good." difficulties independent, self-motivated mance, Langford believes."What can w learn about that levelof perfor- Total Quality Learmng students can present to teachers ac- customed to a more authontarian role. ,ance? How can we move the average level of performance up and at the Langford sketches an example to il- "As a masm teacher, I was rated on same time shrink the variation?You lustrate what he means. "We worked how well I controlled the c' assroom, how well I put down discipline pro- have to understand alittle about on the tardinessproblem for a long the theory of variation and how time and got it to a verylow rate, but blems, how well I could keep kids out of student of the principal's office, how well I that applies." one of the root causes More than the tools and techniques tardiness was that the classes were garnered resources, used them and built my program. I was not rated on of TQM, however, Langford explains boring. understanding systems, on realizing the quality movement as 'a different "You can get your tardiness rate way of viewing the world. "It's a way where you want it to be, but you still that building my program might be all of thinking about what you're doing haven't done a thing to change the root achievedatthe expense of other programs." and how you do it. It's a willingness problem, which is the learning process to exceed expectations ofthose that itself and how that functions. It's really Langford uses his own experience to of years that we predict problematic areas for teachers. you work with." in the last couple He admits thatthe processis recognized, as a system, that if we It's going to be difficult," lie foresees, "for teachers to suddenly assume these simplifiedby a thorough under- have a tardiness problem, it's not standing of the tools and techniques. It'sthe concepts and then continue tobe because of the individual. "And the more you understand the in- managed inasystem that fosters system, and what weneed to do is teraction of people in teams and study why students would want to be the opposite. "That's why it'scritical that the groups, the more successfulyou're tardy. That's when I coined the phrase going to be." 'total quality learning.' What you try whole system understands the con- force of will, to do is turn thewhole organization cepts. I did it from sheer and started without the blessing of ad- intoalearning organization through ministration. A lot of teachers that I'm constant experimentation andstudy of what you have done." working with across the country have And dramatic results, he says, can a significant advantage.They already only come from involving thepeople have superintendents and principals who are doing the work. "A lotof who are giving them license to experi- educators think that those people are ment and change. They don'talways teachers. I look at teachers as middle know what that means, nor are they management. The peopledoing the prepared to manage the situation that work are the students. Unless you start might be evolving, but at least they involving them in the management know enough to know that they need planning, analysis, and change process to be doing somethingdifferent." within the classroom, everything that How does he respond to critics who ou do is going tobe teacher or might like the basic concepts of TQM administrator-directed, and you're but who argue that there is a need for student hack in the old system of tellingpeople some kind of assessment of achievement apart from the statis- what to do." Constancy ot purpose is a creed that tical tools of TQM for the purpose
147' 134 Quality Goes to School Mt. Edgecumbe:s Venture in Quality How One Superintendent Learned the Difference Between Managing and Leading BY LARRAE ROCHELEAU Superintendent, Mt. EdgceumbeHighSchool, Sitka, Alaska
've been in educational New students are tested administration for 20 before they actually start the years, but until three academic year for proper years ago I didn't know the class placement. No strictly difference between a man- academic classes are held ager and a leader. for the first seven days the students are on campus. It's now very dear. A man- *el agerworks in a system and a Our participatory man- leader not only works in the agement system attempts system but also on thesys- tobuild consensus for tem. major decisions in the cur- I've learned this in what ricular, budget, and capital which vocational some might consider an un- "Edgerumbe Enterprises,' the collage industry through project areas. Students, education is taught, exports smoked salmon to Japan. likely setting for a novel ex- teachers, dormitory staff, periment in participatory manage- A case in point is the grading sys- administrators, and others fill out pri- men t: a state-run boarding school tem. Few of our students or staff favor ority lists throughout the year in where most of the 215 students are letter grades. We have worked for two order to give the superintendent the Alaskan natives. years to come up with a better system participation and buy-in needed. We Opened as a state residential school involving portfolios. But portfolios seldom vote on issues. We strive for no in 1985 after years as a Bureau of In- aren't inclusive enough since colleges surprises. dian Affairs school, Mt. Edgecumbe won't accept our graduates without I used to operate as a benevolent High School has developed over the grades, grade point averages, and dictator as superintendent. Now I past few years a culture and climate class rankings. In the end, we haven't would consider myself more as a team that is different from any school that significantly changed our grading facilitator and trainer of staff and I have ever seen or read about. system. students. We believe students are our cus- We also have attempted to remove Steven Covey's book,The 7 Habits of tomers and we continually attempt to fear from the workplace and to open Highly Effective People,is taught to stu- improve their academic and residen- up communication lines. dents and staff alike. During the past tial lives. school year, this contributed to an un- We're doing this by incorporating Building Consensus usual school cry: "Response-able." some of the teachings of W. Edwards The school year begins witha Students were held at least partly re- Deming. We've rewritten Deming's 14 week-long course on team- and es- sponsible for their own education. We points from an educational perspec- teem-building called "ropes." Students stressed intrinsic motivation. tive. One critical item we learned early get to know each other, along with the We teach vocational education on is not to throw anything out until faculty, and learn to trust one another. through a cottage industry called you have something to take its place. An esprit de corps is nurtured. "Edgecumbe Enterprises." This is a
14THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 1 4E Quality Goes to School 135
student-run business that has ex- ning. A manager demands and a needed in education we need to ported small amounts of smoked leader facilitates. A manager evaluates change our educational paradigms. almon to Japan over the past three by incident and short time-frame ob- We need to have a vision and explain years. servations and a leader works hand- that vision with mission and goal state- The concept is a cross-curricular in-hand with the staff to improve the ments that are credible and worthy. approach to teaching vocational edu- system. We need to quit our internal bicker- cation by incorporating marine sci- A manager uses extrinsic mo ivation ing and get on with the task of teach- ence, computersiapanese language, ing kids. geography, Pacific Rim culture, art, Teacher contract negotiations re- science and technology, and other mind me of presidential elections. BY classes. The material taught in these the time we go to vote on the candi- classes has much more relevance dates none of the choices are very ap- when it's being directly applied to an pealing because they have beaten up operating business. on each other for months. During conu-act negotiations, school Ongoing Training boards and administrators take shots Iused to believe teachers and at teachers who return ti e volleys and administrators were sufficiently trained to accomplish their jobs. If people were not trained, then we al- ways had t h ree days of i n se rvi ce dur- ing the beginning of the school year, two days during the school term, and an additional two days at the end of the school year. That's all we need, and a leader fos- right? ters intrinsic moti- I now firmly believe you must allow vation. A manager staff time for training during the reg- makes new rules ular work week. Excellent teachers when one of his _Maas need the extra time the most. You staff does something cannot expect people to work longer. wrong and a leader bu must train them to work smarter works through individ- and give them the time to do it. ual problems with indi- The weekly training has opened vidual people. the communication lines, leading to new cooperative ventures. Fixing the System Still,it's taken a tremendous Everyone needs to take .e amount of training to develop our systems approach to their culture and climate. We had to re- workplace. We need to quit structure our school day in order to blaming people for prob- provide two 90-minute training ses- lems and start fixing the sys- sions each week for teachers, office tem. Most people work ex- workers, students, dorm staff, main- tremely hard at their jobs tenance staff, and administrators. but many do not accomplish Most groups are trained separately. much. The major reason is a To provide release time for the staff dysfunctional system, not in- competent people. it goes on and on. Whatever confi- trai»ing, we bring in community dence the puhlic might have had in people to teach the students such in- If a school system has been dysfunc- the school system in the beginning of formative lifestyle skills as AIDS edu- tional for years then all the people the negotiations is wiped out. We love cation, personal hygiene, career guid- within that system, including stu- dents, will be dysfunctional. Parents to shoot ourselves in the foot. ance, and timber industry issues. When we negotiated our last con- While we do not have 100 percent blame teachers, teachers blame ad- tract, a few teachers and I worked ev- buv-in of all students and staff, I have ministrators, administrators blame teachers, and the cycle goes on. It's erything out amongst ourselves in slept better since we began to change three days. The previous contract our culture. I used to feel like a "lone easier to blame problems on people took three years to finish. The teach- ranger" and felt the existence of the because we have not been trained in a ers did not call in their "heavies"and school was on my shoulders. I no system approach. Remember, when you point a finger at someone,three neither did the administration. longer need to feel that way. Another paradigm myth is that I now recognize a manager puts out other fingers could be pointing back at the real problem. teachers have easy jobs. Teaching is fires and a leader does preventive hard work. It's up to the leaders to maintenance and long-term plan- To bring about the massive changes NOVEMBER 1991 15 14 136 Quality Goes to School
make it emotionally and intellectually rewarding. When the system is right and the teacher is trained, it is joyous work. Not having been a classroom Mt. Edgecumbe's Mission teacher for a number of years. I re . cently started teaching management Editor's Note: Students and staff at Mt. Edgecumbe High Schooldeveloped techniques, life cycle skills, and other the school's mission statement. Exce7pts follow. college classes at night. i had forgot- ten how much work teaching really was. Not only extremely physically tir- t. Edgecumbe High School is a paradigmshift in philos- ing, there's also a lot of mental stress ophy to the usual high school program. Eachcurricular involved. area offers innovative teaching methodsthat not only en- hance opportunities for Mt. Edgecumbe High Schoolstudents, but Shared Responsibility serve as models for other high schools. Deming believes 85 percentof Mt. Edgecumbe High School provides new and importanteduca- change must come from the top. I did tion opportunities for Alaskan students. Theschool places high ex- not originally believe in that theory. pectations upon students, administrators, and staff. probably because it meant I had been Program and curriculum are based upon a convictionthat stu- operating in the wrong paradigm for dents have a great and often unrealized potential. Theschool pre- years. pares students to make the transition toadulthood helping them to Now I firmly believe it. The top does determine what they want to do and develop the skillsand the self- not have to do everything, in fact quite confidence to accomplish their goals. the contrary. You have to empower Mt. Edgecumbe High School students are required to pursuerig- people to share responsibility and giNe orous academic programs that encouragestudents to work at their them guidance. Those who report to highest levels. Administrators, teachers, and other staff arerequired you have skills and competencies wait- to keep current on educational advancesand to initiate innovative, ing to be tapped, if only you can bring challenging, and stimulating classroom programs andactivities. yourself to do it. Once top individuals Teachers and staff analyze issues to anticipate futuresocial and are trained in the new way, you have to economic needs of Alaska, such as Alaska's economicposition get out of the way and let them run. among the Pacific Rim nations, and tointegrate an educational ap- This includes students. proach to these issues into the curriculum. A strongcurriculum in Why we have always believed that English, social studies, mathematics, science/marinescience, com- the higher you are in the pecking puters/business, career exploration, Asian languages, andphysical order, the smarter you are, is beyond education is provided. me. Many of us place employeesin a Special emphasis is placed on the study of both historicaland con- total "you" mode. You do this, you do temporary topics specific to Alaska. Studyof the history, culture, and that, and check your brains at the languages of the Pacific Rim are a major curricular areaand to the door. We need to go beyond "you," or extent possible Pacific Rim studies areapplied across the curriculum. dependence, to "I," which is indepen- Vocational education is stressed through entrepreneurshipand dence, and eventually to "we," or in- work study. Cottage industries are run by students.Traditional terdependence. vocational education is offered on a limited basis. "I" mode superintendents take all Opportunities for leadership, public service, and entrepreneur- the heat, carry everything on their ship are integrated into the program, both duringand after re? ular shoulders, attempt to be all things to school hours. The school prepares students forthe academi( de- all people, develop ulcers at an early mands of being away from home and managingtime effecti age, and die young. Superintendents Some students are selected for admission who arehaving a difficult need to get to the "we" level where time with their local environment. Staff workwithin available re- everything is shared; both victories sources to help those students becomeproductive citizens. and defeat. Synergy needs to be nur- Mt. Edgecumbe High School as a boarding schooloffers students tured. a wide range of supportactivities in both academic and residential For years we have taken knee-jerk programs, to assure the successof all students. To facilitate personal reactions to problems. Because we do growth and decision-making skills, each student isassisted, guided, not allow enough time for training and challenged to make choices about futureacademic or technical and cooperation, educators typically schooling and alternative methods of making a living.Students are do not do much research. We need to respected for their cultural background anddiversity. Students and listen to our customers. We need to teachers are encouraged and expected to offerinsights to increase do five- and 10-year surveys of our the effectiveness of the school. graduates to find out what kind of product we put out such as what did continued on page 18
I t; llll.(llt)l. .\ l)N1lNISl'll.VD )11 Quality Goes to School 137
continued from page 16 team of three individuals consisting of teams many times do not look at the we do right, and what skills.didn't we a high school senior, our accountant, right things. Instead of counting the teach that graduates needed. Are we and myself decided to determine why volumes of books in the school's li- afraid of the answers? the state procurement codes made it brary, they should examine how many so complicated and expensive to books and which books are being Preventive Medicine order a copying machine. We were checked out. I was a firefighter for years and believe able to show graphically, through Educators should be measured for I was fairly good at it. But for every eight pages of flow charts, how the their synergy, not "lone rangerism." fire I put out, it seemed like five more purchase of a $20,000 copying ma- Programs need to be cross-curricular were started. Fire prevention is a chine ended up costing $30,000 and and not independent units of instruc- much better way of doing business. required 20 months to process. tion. Teacher certification rules need Research can be a key element in Has the state changed its anti- to change. The best individual to fire prevention. We need to under- quated and costly procurement sys- teach high school business may be stand that work gets done horizon- tem? No, but we at least feel we have someone who has owned a business tally and not vertically. Being a silo done our part in researching a prob- and not someone with 30 creciits of rmnager and standing at the top of lem. The fix could take three years. educational methods classes. The sys- the silo and shouting orders to the Instead of verbally complaining, we tem needs flexibility. worker bees below just doesn't cut it. graphically identified the problem. Students and parents have become Leaders understand their systems. I have complained about what the so indoctrinated by grades they cannot They understand the internal and ex- executive and legislative branches of see any other way to measure progress. ternal customer relationships and government do to schools for years Colleges should review students' port- how things really work and also how with no results. Now I know why. I was folios, attitudes, attendance, and com- the work gets done. never able to graphically show the petency-based progress, not grades Doing simple work-flow diagrams waste. and SAT scores. It's potential that mat- shows all the steps in a job process. If Legislatures, as our suppliers, can ters, not what you did in the past. you are going to improve a system cause immeasurable grief, time delays, That's like trying to drive a car by look- then you must understand how it re- and waste. We need to train our sup- ing in the rear-view mirror. ally works. If it costs $50 to process a pliers with facts about the problems S5 purchase order in Your central of- they can cause and how they can help The Joy of Learning fice, then you need to understand us get cut of our current dilemma. Kids need to be taught at an early how to make that process more effi- lf Honda Motor Co. has a problem stage the joy of learning, not the joy of cient. with a supplier, they send a team of an A. Kids in early elementary grades Quality does not cost more, it saves experts to train their suppliers to are all fired up about learning, but we money. Many of our processes are bring about a total quality product. remove a good share of that fire by hand-me-downs from previous admin- The educational community needs to the seventh grade, and by the time istrations. We just allow antiquated do the same thing. they graduate from high school, we procedures to remain in place be- are lucky if we find any burning em- cause we do not take the time, nor do Adding Flexibility bers left. we train central office staff, to learn Another paradigm educators and the You can"ap a horse and he will how to do their work more efficiently. public have had for years is that if our run for you for a while. Eventually the By training staff to do charts on pro- schools become accredited then they horse will quit. That is extrinsic moti- cesses, we can cut costs tremendously. must be good schools. That paradigm vation. Learning, teaching, and ad- Here's a case in point. A quality is not necessarily true. Accreditation ministration have to be intrinsic. Quality is not more costly, it is cheaper. All the high school gradu- ates that schools put out with ex- tremely low academic and social skills are causing rework by the greater sys- tem. We need to do a better job the first time. A parent remarked to me once, "My child only has one chance for a good education." Does everyone buy in to this kind of system? Can you put the system in place in a short period of time? Is this system easier? Does it take less time? The answer is no to all of the above. You always will have lone rangers, Rome wasn't built in a day, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and be pre- pared to work smarter, not longer.
18TIIE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 1 5 138 Quality Goes to School
Glasser Comesto a Rural School
Melanie Fox Harris and R. Carl Harris
In its quest for quality, a As a result, we work on a continuing situations? Are we taking responsi- Utah elementary school basis with university professors in bility for a student's misbehavior? Are preparing new teachers, promoting the we continually aware of children's is making thoughtful professional development of our own five basic needs: survival, freedom of improvements in every area staff, reforming the curriculum, and choice, power, love and belonging, inquiring through action research into and fun? Some of the ways we've of the school's operation, questions that we generate with our acted on our new awareness are to including communication, university partners (Harris and Harris make control theory charts for our 1992). classrooms, to discuss the quality curriculum, and assessment Over the last three years, our faculty school bulletins at faculty meetings had begun such practices as multiage (Glasser 1992), and, in every area of grouping, experiential and cooperative the school, to explore the idea of It's better to know some of the ques- learning, thematic study, and global quality with our students. tions than all of the answers. awareness. These changes were inter- James Thurber esting to Glasser, as they were living Big Friendly Groups examples of the principles he For 12 years Chris Roberts had n August 1990, William Glasser suggested in The Quality School: successfully taught his special educa- visited our small, rural elementary Managing Students Without Coercion tion students in self-contained classes. school in central Utah to answer (1990). However, he realized that his students questions about improving our After Glasser visited with parents would progress better in a more real- school. He came at the request of and teachers at our school, we were all istic environment. After reading about one of our innovative teachers, Chris motivated to learn more about such multiage grouping (Clark 1986), Roberts, who had attended his work- quality principles as lead management Roberts enlisted the aid of teachers shops and initiated a telephone and site-based management, control who shared his concern. With parent dialogue with him. Based on what he theory (Glasser 1986), and noncoer- input and consent, our school grouped saw and heard, Glasser invited us to cion. Some innovations were already special education students with 3rd, be one of the first six schools in his in place, but our vision for doing even 4th, and 5th graders. Quality School Consortium. more unfolded as we joined the Although multiage grouping Quality School Consortium. Since that appealed to teachers of the younger Expanding Our Vision time, we've made changes in how we grades, they did not feel ready to At Rees Elementary School, 15 as teachers approach our work, in the convert their entire classrooms to such teachers serve 300 students, ranging school setting, in parent involvement, an arrangement. Instead, they from handicapped preschool to K-5. and in curriculum, assessment, and designed a brief multiage experience The socioeconomic and ethnic mix discipline. (about 20 minutes) for 1st through 5th includes predominantly lower middle- graders. At the beginning of each day, class Caucasians and a few Hispanics, New Outlook tor Teachers these youngsters came together in blacks, Native Americans, and Poly- As teachers, we knew that change small cooperative groups, which we nesians. The 75-year old structure is must begin with us, so we donated one call Big Friendly Groups or BFGs. bordered by several mobile class- week of our summer and raised funds Each adult in the school, including the rooms and a spacious playground. to receive training through Glasser's principal and the resource teacher, Our school has a growing reputation Reality Therapy Institute. Through leads aBFG.After a while, we for self-examination and change. that training we've become sensitive reduced the size of the groups from 18 Because of the principal and faculty's to the language we use as we speak to 6 students to promote more interac- initiative, we were invited to become a about ourselves, our school, and our tion and collegiality. We call the partner school in the Brigham Young students. For example, are we smaller groups Little Friendly Groups University-Public School Partnership. choosing to show anger in frustrating or LFGs, and the same teacher works
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 152 Quality Goes to School 139
After a teacher works with a Big Friendly Group, students move into their Little Friendly Groups for cooperative tasks. Coots,' ol Rees ben,
with these. In other words, One BFG any discipline problems had surfaced. (Shoemaker 1990), as well asEduca- of 18 students contains three LFGs of we sent forms home asking their tional Leadership'stheme issue on 6. A teacher works with the BFG views of what their child needed most integrating the curriculum (October developing social skills and then to succeed in school (fig. 1). Of all the 1991). directs students to move into their educational goals on the survey, To begin the process. each of the LFGs for continuing dialogue. parents most often named self-esteem five teachers selected a theme for a Each BFG selects a name and and self-confidence as the number-one six-week unit. The classes then rotated exchanges addresses so that members priority for their child. so that, by the end of the year, students can contact one another outside of Second, we arranged parent-teacher had explored all six themes: power, school. Some of the awareness-raising conferences. At these twice-a-year communities, change, interactions, activities the groups have engaged in scheduled meetings, teachers learn of form, and systems. Reading novels, include: making wall banners to illus- parents' specific concernsperhaps a preparing portfolios, and writing with trate quality work, creating advertise- health problem or the adjustment of the process approach are some of the ments for building school quality, the child to a death in the familyand whole language activities the children selecting group goals. planning service parents come to understand teachers' engaged in. In mathematics, teachers' projects, and organizing volunteers to goals and expectations. In addition to use of a self-paced program call and offer help to absent students. these formal conferences, parent- contributed to our 5th graders scoring Even our PTA uses the groups to teacher teams meet whenever neces- 25 points higher on the Stanford rotate students through a reading cele- sary throughout the year as specific Achievement Test than our expected bration activity. In short, BFGs have needs arise. range. brought a sense of unity to the entire school, simplified schoolwide activi- Thematic Curriculum Assessing Quality ties, and encouraged the use of more To change a fragmented, lock-step The next big change was in our assess- multiage settings. procedure to a thematic, integrated ment process. Our school has accepted curriculum, we've used several Glasser's definition of education as Getting Parents' :nput resources:The World as a Total "the process through which we Next, we sought to involve parents. At System(Boulding 1985),Education discover that learning adds quality to the beginning of the school year, 2000: District 4J Integrated our lives" (Glasser 992, no. 11). before any work had gone home or Curriculum and Planning Guide Although we still administer the Stan-
NOVEMBFR 1992 CI 140 Quality Goes to School
Figure I Panel Priorities Serves ford Achievement Test and end-of-the- year tests, self-evaluation is our Priorities tor the education of primary means of assessing quality. (student) We emphasize how quality is reflected for the school year in the life of each child by asking: "Is this quality work?" Please rate the following educational goals 1 through 10, according to your To assess quality, we have designed child's needs, in terms of what you feel is most to least important for the school to specific observation tools for both help you accomplish: teachers and students. For example, on a particular day a teacher may say to students, "As you do your writing Health aid Physical Develeameet Nutrition habits; physical fitness; strength, endurance, agility, and skill today, I will walk around the room in sports, games, and life activities. looking for active, interesting verbs. Check your work for quality in active, Human Heinen and Commenicatiee interesting verbs." To evaluate their Getting along with others, leadership, cooperation, courtesy, respect, reading, students keep Super Silent listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Reading logs in which they record the books they read, the time spent, and hieility and individuality their assessment of the quality of their Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline, responsibility, moral reading for that day. Students rate their character, and the development of individual talents, gifts, interests, reading on a scale of 0-3: and abilities. 3 = focusing on reading the whole bolts, Thinklug, Learniug time and not disturbing others, Curiosity, eagerness to learn, study skills and habits, problem solving, 2 = focusing most of the time, if it is creativity, and decision making. your very best effort, I = reading some of the time but Science and Math disturbing others and not doing your Knowledge and slOI in mathematics and the physical sciences. very best, 0 = not reading at all and being Ms totally off task. Knowledge, skill, and appreciation for literature, music, dance, and If a teacher does not agree with a the visual and performing arts. student's score, he or she will ask the Work student to justify the rating. If the Initiative, self-motivation, self-direction, persistence, following through, student does not judge fairly, the and evaluating work; understanding of attitudes, knowledge, and abilities teacher will ask the class for a needed for various vocations. response. Occasionally, a teacher will ask the whole class to report their Resueisible Citizuship participation scores in Super Silent Respect for and understanding of the workings of a democracy, Reading in order to initiate discussion appreciation for political processes and free enterprise. of expectations of quality. At our school, portfolios have taken Wannest the place of letter grades. Students Respect and maintenance of personal and public properly, enjoying assemble samples of their quality and protecting nature. work in every subject area. Included in Other (describe): the portfolios is a one-page report describing such aspects as participa- tion (for example, the number of Source- Stoddard, L (1992). Redesigning Education: A Guide for DevelopingHuman Greatness. poems a student memorized in each Tucson, Ariz : Zephyr Press, p. 32. thematic area), math levels, and the completion rate for each area in the form of a narrative. The choice of how tion, present a class report to the school, the setting produce,: a climate to display their learning about a theme younger grades, or prepare an art for democratic discipline. As our area is up to the students. For instance, project. desire is to build an educational for the "power" theme, students may community, we have villales instead decide to make a poster about a Denscratic Discipline of classes. Instead of a sthool, we call famous person who used power in a The final area of change for our school ourselves a nationa learoing nation. unique way, create a video presenta- has been discipline. In a quality Instead of rules, we agree to respect
20EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP / 54 Quality Goes to School 141
As we stretch in our reach for ourselves, others, and property. school, students must write a plan for quality, we remember this quote from Instead of boss-management, our their behavior and bring their parents Oliver Wendell Holmes: teachers participate in lead-manage- to school for an appointment withthe ment. Teachers are the lead-managers, principal. Man's mind stretched to a new and students are the workers. idea never goes back to its original Radio tor Quality dimension. Lead-managers understand that consis- Quality is a topic about which we still tent, quality performance cannot be 'See also the March 1992 issue of forced. If is only achieved by workers have a lot of questions. Glasser Educational Leadership on "Total Quality who are treated in the way all human suggests four conditions and four Management" (Bonstingl 1992, Blankstein beings want to be treated, which is to procedures for building a quality orga- 1992, Rhodes 1992). be able to satisfy their basic needs as nization (1992, no. 18).' they work. Lead-managers understand References what these needs are and that they must Conditions: be continually kept in mind as they I. Quality is always useful in some Boulding, K. E. (1985). The World as a manage (Glasser 1992, no. 1). way and is never destructive. Total System. Beverly Hills. Calif: Sage. 2. Quality is the best that everyone Blankstein, A. M. (1992). "I Jim from Displayed in every classroom is a in the organization, working both Enlightened Corporations." Educational sign that states: "All problems will be separately and together, can achieve at Leadership 49, 6: 71-75. solved by the staff and students talking Bonstingl, J. J. (1992). "The Total Quality any particular time. with each other without anyone threat- Classroom." Educational Leadership 49, 3. Quality can always be improved. 6: 66-70. ening or hurting anyone else." When 4. Quality always feels good; it is Clark, B. (1986). Optimizing Learning: The discipline problems arise, a student or never destructive. Integrative Education Model in the a teacher, following themethod of Classroom. Columbus, Obi.o: Merrill. Procedures: Glasser, W. (1986). Control Theory in the Glasser's Reality Therapy, asks: 1. Education is a continual process. "What are you doing?" "Is that Classroom. New York: Harper and Row. 2. Lead-managing is practiced as Glasser, W. (1990). The Quality School: keeping our agreements?" "What's taught by Deming, Juran, and others. Managing Students without Coercion. with your plan?" "How can I help you 3. Understanding is stressed, and New York: Harper and Row. your plan?" If students cannot come Glasser, W. (1992). The Quality School control theory is practiced. up with a plan to make theirbehavior Training Program. Bulletins 1-18. 4. All those who work in the organi- Canoga Park, Calif.: Glasser Institute. consistent with quality standards, they zation are treated as professionals. before Harris, R. C., and M. F. Harris. (1992). are given time to formulate one As our small, rural elementary "Preparing Teachers for Literacy Educa- they resume their activities. school moves toward quality, we are tion: University/School Collaboration." No matter what they do, the message pleased with what we are experi- Journal of Reading 35, 7: 572-579. Harris, M. F., C. Roberts, B. Beyal, S. from the staff has to be as follows: we encing. A special education student run a caring school; teach usefulskills Creer. and J. Ballard. (October 3-5. and knowledge; give all a chance to wrote in his journal: "1 am doing 1991). "Helping At-Risk Students improve what they do and therefore, to more in school than I ever thought Succeed Through Cross-Age Grouping succeed; talk to all students in a warm possible!" This statement applies to and Collaboration." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Northern and friendly way; teach them and all of us. encourage them to work together; Rocky Mountain Educational Research We are also having a pleasing Association, Jackson, Wyoming. demonstrate that we know what we are impact beyond our own school. doing and that we believe it is good Rhodes, L. A. (1992). "On the Road to both tor them and for us, and try as Because of partnership with the Quality." Educational Leadership 49, 6: hard as we can to persuade them to university, our faculty has been invited 76-80. Roberts. C., and M. F. Harris. (October 29. begin to do quality work (Glasser 1992, to make presentations at other partner 1991). "Change Through Informed no. 17). schools as well as regional and Choice." Linking Workshop. Partner However, a quality school is not a national conferences (Harris et al. Schools, BYU-Public School Partner- permissive school. Students who are 1991, Roberts and Harris 1991). ship, Provo, Utah. in school This dissemina6rm has not only Shoemaker, B.J. (1990). Education 2000: not in good order cannot be District 4J Integrated Curriculum and until they are orderly. When students enhanced our own professional self- Planning Guide. Eugene, Oreg.: School misbehave, a time-out area is desig- images but has also resulted in District 4J. nated. When students are ready to numerous inquiries and visitations rejoin the class, they must have a plan from more than 70 educators. Other for their future behavior and share the schools in a neighboring district are making plans to implement a similar Melanie Fox Harrisis Intern Coordi- plan with the teacher and class, if nator, Rees Elementary School, 185 necessary. If students are totally model. In addition, our principal E. 400 No., Spanish Fork, UT 84660. unwilling to respond with a plan after recently won a state award as the Most R.Cart Harrisis University Coordinator, being in time-out for an extended Innovative Principal of the year, and Brigham Young University/Public period, they are suspended and put in our school won a $10,000Governor's School Partnership, 210-V McKay, BYU, Provo, UT 84602. the care of their parents. To return to Grant for Excellence in Education.
NOVEMBER 1992in
1 5 F 142 Quality Goes to School
A Quality Approach to Writing Assessment
Joanne Andrade and Helen Ryley
An elementary school hen teachers report strategies, emphasizing used the TQM technique student progres- in how staff could look at writing at Centennial information. of data gathering Elementary in In one instance, she to improve its school Evans, Colorado. showed teachers how to the faculty meeting starts to connect writing progress writing program. look like a rally. Cheers go to their action plans. She up as groups plot improve- asked teachers to make a ments on the graphs and charts posted around list of all the factors that the room. Colleagues share high-fives because kept students from they have not only reached goals, but they've becoming good writers. also exceeded them. Staff members share an She then asked them to enthusiasm and focus that simply did not exist circle one or two items in the school before. they could control and to incorporate them into their daily plans. She also explained how teachers A Quality Perspective could track progress on these goals through Centennial began its Total Quality Management graphic displays. (TQM) work about a year ago after several staff Centennial's teachers agreed that they did have a members participated in an IBM Leadership good evaluation tool, a holistic writing assessment Training Program, which addressed applications that could be used formatively. The district had of the theories of W. Edwards Deming and TQM. adopted a seven-point rubric, based on one devel- With the help of an IBM consultant, the faculty at oped in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. This holistic Centennial began to discuss assessment and data writing assessment evaluates students on a scale of from a quality management perspective: one to seven. A score of four is a demonstration of What do we really do with assessments and competency, but it reflects high competency, not the data we collect? minimum skills. It was decided to use this assess- How do we report assessment information ment to test students monthly, report results at to parents? meetings, evaluate progress toward goals, and plan How do we use the data we gather in our new instructional strategies. school improvement planning process? In the past, Centennial had taken a writing How will we use the data to help students sample in Api il and sent it to the central office for meet intended learner outcomes? raters to grade. Some writing assessment was also Staff members decided that part of their problem done before parent-teacher conferences. But was that they did not collect any data often enough teachers at Centennial did not track student for it to be really useful. In addition, they knew progress together, nor did they share information they lacked useful tools for collecting data and or ask for help from one another. reporting what was happening in the classroom. Now, Centennial has a schoolwide goal of Everyone needed concrete information, not just getting 95 percent of students on or above grade impressions. level in writing by the time they leave elementary school. Each month, teachers assess students and Getting Help report the results at the faculty meeting so all can A business consultant from IBM, Patricia Smith, see how progress is being made toward the goal. was very helpful in describing the task, creating The graphs and charts generate enthusiasm and a the conditions, and guiding the work. She encour- picture of improvement for everyone to see aged tlstaff to build a "House of Quality" for including parents and the community. Because this assessing progress, and she explained many TQM work requires teachers to expose their productivity,
IIEDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
1 5 Quality Goes to School 143
Centennial has a schoolwide goal of getting 95 percent of students on or above grade level in writing by the time they leave elementary school.
Increased collegiality and regularly has also offered cross-grade collaboration insight into what other ars two basills of ibe new students in other grades 7iritillgassessment are doing. A culture of collegiality continues to grow at the monthly meet- ings. The process has encouraged cross-boundary, cross-grade collaboration that had not regularly occurred before. Now it's not uncommon to hear comments like this: "Some of my accelerated kids are ready for work on research skills. Are you teaching that yet? If I take some of your kids who need work on basic editing, would you take some of my students and give them the expanded opportunities they need?"
414. . Teachers agree that it would be too much right now to gather data in every subject. Within a few months of starting the project, though, we discov- ered we had useful assessment instruments for successes, and failures regularly and publicly, the student behavior, attendance, and a program inte- experience needed to be put into place in such a grating the work of the library/media center and way that it produced as little anxiety as possible. research skills. It's clear that our data gathering has Data are reported and recorded by grade levels to benefits beyond assessment: empowerment, collab- relieve some of the pressure on individual teachers. oration, cross-grade planning and teaching, and a The reporting, recording, and assessing focuses on renewed energy for teaching and achieving results. continuous improvement with end results in mind. As we add new assessments, we will find ways to manage the workload because of its benefits for What's Different? faculty and students. The new reporting and recording progress has Joanne Andradeis Principal, Weld County School operationalized outcome-based education for District #6, Centennial Elementary School, 1400 37th us at Centennial; we can see results. Teachers test, St., Evans, CO 80620.Helen Ryleyis Consultant, regroup, teach, test, and regroup again. Program Design and Development, 7123 Four Rivers Collecting and sharing writing assessment data Rd., Boulder, CO 80301.
NOVEMBER 1992I El 1 5 's 144 Quality Goes to School
A Move fromaEffective A Principal Describes Her School's Application of the Deming Approach
BY NANCY DUDEN Principal. Kau. Sullivan Elementary School. Tallahassee. Florida
At Kate Sullivan Elementary School, we are in the midst of a transformation. Using W. Edwards Deming's quality principles, our 44-year-old school which serves inner-city children and suburban children in Tallahassee, is shifting from a 20th century "effec- tive" traditional school to a 21st cen- tury "quality" school. We are learning to think and act differently. We are be- ginning to make instructional deci- sions based on questions such as "will this help our students become life- long readers,.writers, and problem- solvers?" One Kate Sullivan parent describes the contrasting experiences her two tforlwri children received from the same teacher: "Three years ago, the focus in my child's classroom was on 11-11 preparing students to face the chal- lenges of middle school. Three years A third-grade student at Kate Sullivan Elementary School reads to his kindergarten buddy as part later, the focus has shifted signifi- of the school's collalvrative approach to learning. cantly. Now you see students learning to set goals that are personal to them and to their success, and the teacher management concepts with those of tained and heterogeneous, in which serving as a facilitator rather than di- our school four years ago, you would the teachers of each grade level rector." find evidence of his first point: "create planned together. Yet despite this ini- The older child experienced the ef- a constancy of purpose." However, tial cooperation, once back in the fective school paradigm, whereas the this constancy of purpose was devoted classroom the teacher became an is- younger enjoyed the benefits of a to the old effective school paradigm land unto herself. quality classroom. rather than to the continuous quality "Adopt the new philosophy," Dem- improvement paradigm. ing's second point, was missing. At Looking Back Under the old system, our structure the time, curricula and end results If you were to compare Deming's for teaching was primarily self-con- such as criterion-referenced and stan-
18THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR BEST COPY AVAILABLE 1 5s Quality Goes to School 145
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Third graders at Kate Sullivan Elementary School are participating in an archeological dig this year The project involves active learning in which the students compare and analyze bone fragments uncovered in their digging
on inspection," our The school's yearly expectations, which yearly school improve- were shaped around effective school ment plan focused on research, did little to "dnve out fear in objectives with mea- the work place," Deming's 8th point. .4} surable outcomes -445/ Clearly, our school im- First Steps provement process For the past three years, we have been sw. was focused on end re- changing from a good effective school sults rather than on to a quality learning organization. AIM' Deming's continuous The first step in oui U ansformauon AL.... improvement model 'was learning how to change. A task While Kate Sullivan force, made up of teachers, the PTA did have a school im- president, the principal, staff, and dis- provement team with trict and university personnel began representatives from studying Deming's quality pi inciples various constituen- and developing a plan for restructur- cies,it did little to ing based on them This team recom- "break through the mended a plan for developing a barriers," Deming's shared vision and provided leader- 9th point. Although ship in writing the collective group's there was a real com- vision and mission statements. mitment to school im- The current vision statement for dardized testing were the focus of our provement based on shared decision- Kate Sullivan is as follows: "The Kate Sullivan school family will demonstrate efforts. The classroom was directed by making, the process was not clearly the teacher, who managed through defined. Furthermore, staff expressed quality actf,evement and performance the assertive discipline process and frustration over the amount of time in a safe, nurturing, and caring educa- tion environment where each individ- made use of extrinsic rewards. and number of meetings such an ap- These elements of the classroom, proach required. ual is valued and involved." plus the direct teacher model for In 1990, teachers were beginning to The team approach provided a framework upon which a culture for teacher observitionevaluations, indicate their discontent with this placed great emphasis on an inspec- model of leadership. This discontent continuous quality improvement tion-type system. In contrast to Dem- stemmed from the lack of a shared vi- could develop. The following "core values" were established to help main- ing's third point, "cease dependency sion and a directive leadership style. JUNE 1993 19 146 Quality Goes to School
tain a "constancy of purpose" for all the custodians were not doing an ad- that help us to know if we are meeting restructuring efforts at Kate Sullivan: equate job of cleaning the student our aim of developing life-long read- Individuals are valued. restrooms and replacing supplies. ers, writers, and problem-solvers. Teachers are professional educa- The students were asked to collect tors. data by charting the condition of the Parent's Role Parents are partners. restrooms at different points during In many schools, parents may serve as Decision making is shared. the day. Once the data were analyzed, barriers to a paradigm shift. At Kate Teachers are team members. the Student Council realized it was Sullivan, they have been vital partners The task force's efforts focused on the students who were not properly in the change. enhancing student learning by pro- caring for the facilities, and the prob- We view parents as valuable cus- viding a quality learning organization lem was remedied. tomers and suppliers, as well as mem- for teachers as well as students. Apply- bers of our learning organization. ing Deming's "Theory of Profound Changing Climate Since our respect for parents and our Knowledge" and management point Teachers at Kate Sullivan have recog- credibility with them have been part No. 6 to "institute training," we began nized the need for an environment in of our culture for a long time, it was an intensive inservice plan in the which students help each other and easy to include them in our decision- summer of 1991, developed by the feel successful. One fourth grade making process. We have involved our principal and a team of teachers. teacher says of this new atmosphere: parents in activity nights, open The overall goal of this inte;ive in- "The students now use children's lit- houses, a weekly newsletter, and a service plan was to establish a talture erature in place of basal readers and PTA board of more than 50 parents, of continuous quality improvement choose the books that interest them. teacher representatives, and me. that is student focused and based on They no longer are stereotyped as The PTA president has an office at learning principles. The faculty now high, average, and low readers. They Kate Sullivan and actually serves as a feels encouraged to take risks within think of themselves as successful read- volunteer adviser to me. The number the classroom, to use innovative edu- ers. They have evolved into coopera- of recorded volunteer hours has in- cational practices they know to be ef- tive groups of self-reliant, confident creased from 2,848 in 1979-80 to fective, and to use their knowledge children who take responsibility for more than 11,000 hours during each and experience to improve the their own learning in all subject areas. of the past three years. delivery of services both to the stu- Competition has been replaced with dents and the community. cooperation among the students. The Principal's Role Today, our actions are guided by a environment in our classroom is a Perhaps one of the most significant long-range strategic plan. As a school place where children nurture and en- aspects of this transformation is the we created a flow chart of our entire courage each other in attaining skills change in the principal's role. operation, which helped us to under- and strategies for learning." As principal, I took the risk of mov- stand our interdependency and to In order to create this new class- ing from the effective school's model break down barriers between staff. room environment, we needed to of an instructional leader to become Teachers, parents, staff, community shift away from grading students. In a facilitator of the change process. representatives, and the principal are kindergarten through second grade, I moved from an arena in which I engaged in activities that enrich the teachers use informal observations, was recognized as being very compe- whole schooling process. ongoing anecdotal records, and port- tent to an arena about which I knew As a result, 85 percent of our teach- folios to evaluate student progress. In very little, but I was willing to spend the ers now feel strongly the school re- one fourth-grade classroom we have time learning how to change because flects "a high level of respect, trust, implemented a pilot program in it was so important to Kate Sullivan. collegiality, cohesiveness, and caring," which students use a computer to My role will continue to shift from and more than 95 percent of the par- track their own language arts progress the instructional leader to the leader/ ents and teachers feel positive about based on portfolios, self-appraisal, manager of the continuous quality the school's climate for learning. and pupil-teacher conferences. improvement process. It is already ap- We also developed a process for As we move away from a paradigm parent to me I need less time for su- helping students to set their own based on curricula and "end results," pervising and evaluating teachers and learning goals, to develop an action we find we must face the challenge of making and enforcing rules. plan, to keep track of their progress, developing alternative assessments. We For example, we are moving away and to make adjustments when neces- are learning how to establish a quality from the old evaluation paradigm by sary based on this collected data. For system in which processes are stable. In removing requirements for specific example, a fifth grade class has our systems approach, outcome data written lesson plans and taking advan- learned how to use flow charts and no longer are viewed as "end" data. In- tage of a new system that allows teach- pareto charts to understand a process stead, the data are part of the continu- ers the freedom to plan in ways that and to track their own progress. ous improvement process. are meaningful to them. Teachers The Student Council also has We are confident as we continue now are active.participants in discus- learned to approach problems in a our systems approach, focused on a sions about implementing the quality systematic way by collecting data. Re- continuous quality improvement pro- principles in the classroom. I spend cendy, council members complained cess, we will develop measurements more time as a facilitator and commu-
20 THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
1 6 Quality Goes to School 147
t.% How We Applied Deming to Our Reading Program
. . a. . , . ', . : & N,
At Kate Sullivan, students and teachers learn to use total quality tools to chart progress and Studying W. Edwards Deming's Theory of Profound Knowledge develop systems for decision-making, above. A helped us begin an extensive study of the reading process we buddy program matches older and younger were using at Kate Sullivan Elementary School. pupils to facilitate learning, right. We were anxious to identify the key components and the systemic strengths and weaknesses of that process. We want our study to seek nity networker while maintaining a consensus on the methods to be used to develop lifelong readers. constancy of purpose by understand- The qualitative data resulting from our interviews and observa- ing the continuous quality improve- tions are documenting that specific key components needed for a inent process and working with others culture for continuous quality improvement are, in fact, transferring to develop and maintain stable sys- to the classroom. tems. We found these components to be most evident: a child-centered orientation; elimination of fear; teaming of teachers with each other Unifying Framework and with parents; and tracking progress with performance data for Since undertaking this major shift each individual. from an effective to a quality-oriented Here is a summary of the steps used by a team of graduate students school, the teacher approval rate has (including a parent) in our study of the reading process: increased 20 percent, the parents review literature; have become even more involved in teachers and principal meet to clarify goals for process study; their children's education, and the develop interview protocols; standardized tests scores have re- preliminary interviews with 12 teachers to identify important issues; mained high. develop further the protocols and instruments for data collection; Even more importantly, Kate Sulli- collect data by (1) interviewing teachers to develop survey ques- van has a new unifying framework tions; (2) meet with teachers to discuss reading process; (3) observe within which its community of learn- reading instruction; (4) analyze existing student information; and ers can constantly move toward a (5) survey teachers, parents, students; common aim. analyze data and issues of the reading process. develop protocols for synthesis of first seven steps; The author acknowledges the help of synthesize first seven steps by (1) conducting a focus group of Alan M. Blankstein, president of the teachers on changes to the reading process and (2) conducting a National Educational Service, and focus group of parents on issues in the reading process; and Heather Swain, corirdinator of the Na- analyze the findings of the study. tional Educational Service Founda- Nancy Duden tion, in preparing this article.
JUNE 199321 16i Up close: enchmking produces beneficial results
By Dr. Mike Dalton 10 faculty members spent two days part of the benchmarking grant. Superintendent, visiting and studying the successful "Every aspect of benchmarking was a Maryville City Schools programs. Vans were rented to use travel team decision-making activity," another time for final planning and debriefing. participant said. "Traveling with a group Each of the five groups traveled together, constantly allows team decisions to be ate together and stayed up late discussing made," echoed a companion. ne of America's largest copier what they learned. Team decision-making, as opposed to manufacturers discovered that Following the trips, many changes individual decision-making became the foreign competition could sell a occurred at all five schools such as: norm. Teachers accustomed to focusing on 0machine of equal quality for their students, their room, or their grade, initiating portfolios for all advanced what it cost them to make their product. students; teaching language through suddenly took a broader view and found it Drastic improvement was needed to writing; a more "hands on" approach in workableeven when controversial. survive. To compete, this manufacturer math and science; and allowing students to "A number of sticky issues were turned to benchmarking and the logic that embark on independent projects. brought to the surface and discussed maximum improvement was attainable Other changes include: establishing a with maturity and tact," remarked one only when each of their procedures mentorship program for "at-risk" students; benchmarking veteran. equaled or exceeded the best known in the initiating summer reading and writing The benchmarking trips provided an world. programs; and incorporating more environment for teams to function Today, this manufacturer, the Xercx computer use into classroom activities. independently. Team decisions had to be Corporation, has reclaimed its position as In addition, an evaluation survey of the madeand they were. a leader. At the same time, benchmarking benchmarking effort revealed these Finally. "It was interesting how each studying the best in an attempt to be the impressive staff development benefits: 1 1 person assumed a leadership role at some besthas become a familiar practice in Involvement in the decision-making time. I think we all had a chance to lead business and industry. process; 2) Opportunities for team and follow," commented another Could benchmarking be applied decision-making; and 3) Leadership benchmarker. successfully for school improvement and development. No doubt that happened in each would benchmarking facilitate shared "Every teacher was instrumental in the groupand continues today. From these decision-making? decision-making process," said one groups have come stronger and more These were questions the Maryville participant. We listed priorities as to what contributing leaders at each of our schools. City School System asked two years ago. we needed to benchmark, ...places we Benchmarking produced tangible, Using intbnnation from Xerox, training could visit, ...what we were already doing beneficial results for all the schools in our and support by Aluminum Company of that was successful and what we needed to system. But more importantly, it promoted America at Alcoa and a $9,829 executive change as a result of information and encouraged a new attitude in our improvement grant from the State of gained on the trip." faculties. Tennessee, we initiated a benchmarking From the beginning , these They became actively involved in project at each of the five schools in the benchmarking trips belonged to the people decision-making. They participated in system. making the tripsnot the school board or teams allowed to make decisions affecting Each school faculty identified an area central office. Because they were directly a school or the entire school system. And of need and then found the most success- and personally involved in the decision- finally, they provided leadership for ful program in that area to visit. Eight to making process, they literally owned a making improvements in the system. 20JouRNAL TSBA JANUARY 1993 1 6 r, Quality Goes to School 149
Transforming Schools Through Total Quality Education
slibraalMa.moMorl Anyone who knows anything about public education kr -ws AL that, in general, what Deming preaches and what Toyota does is not happening in `FINE our schools, Messrs. Schmoker yr ..M1r . and Wilson assert. The good 0 news is that Deming's principles can easily be adopted. It\
BY MIKE SCHMOKER AND RICHARD B. WILSON
ABOUT A YEAR and a half ago, we decided to visit the Toyota plant in Lexington, Kentucky. Our school dis- trict's move to site-based management was in full swing, and we went to Lexington hoping to learn more about implementing that change. Neither our experience nor the research coming out at that time indicated that site-based management, by itself, held much prom- ise for raising levels of achievement.' Something was missing. We assumed that whatever accounted for the widely touted effectiveness of decentialized management at Toyota would apply to schools as well. We got far more from our trip than we bargained for. We believe that what we learned from Toyota could transform MIKE SCHMOKER is a research analyst for the Amphitheater Public Schools, Tucson, Ariz., where RICHARD B. WILSON is su- perintendent. They are the authors of Total Quality Education, to be published by Phi Delta Kappa in March 1993.
illastratum by Mano Noche JANUARY 1993 389 167 150 Quality Goes to School
pubic education and make "equal oppor- employees in Lexington-area bars, weing, paint a picture of work especial- tunity" more than an empty phrase. Itlearned that this approach is not only ef-ly routine labor as "doing violence" to would enable America finally to reachfective but appealing. It is no overstate-human beings.5 What conditions ensure that "forgotten half' of the student popu- ment to say that employees seem to lovenot only pleasure in work but productivi- lation that has traditionally been deprivedtheir jobs. We found their enthusiasmty as well? of a high-quality educationthe group startling. This is factory work, mind you. Deming's first and perhaps most im- that economist Lester Thurow tells us isAnd yet we heard many comments likeportant point is that "constancy of pur- 1 pivotal to a nation's ability to compete inthis one from an ex-jockey: "On Sundaypose" is critical to quality and innovation. an international marketplace.2 nights, I look forward to getting whit my Similarly, Csikszentmihalyi's studies re- Employees at Toyota work and thinkteam and hitting the ground running onveal that people have to feel that their together in teams. To a surprising extent, Monday morning. No kidding." work is purposeful, that it has some mean- these teams are self-managing: they meet The combination of management strat-ing beyond collecting a paycheck. He also regularly to identify areas for improve-egies used by Toyota, widely known asdiscovered that people work with more ment, to set many of their own goals, toTotal Quality Management (TQM), iscommitment toward collective goals than gather and interpret their own data, and based on the work of W. Edwards Dem-toward merely individual ones. In addi- to check progress and adjust efforts made ing, the statistician and management the-tion, at work as at play we need to see toward attaining their goals. In this way, orist whose success with Japanese in-that we are getting better at what we do. they do their own quality control. dustry has been so widely celebrated.Because of this focns on constancy of Most of Toyota's ideas for innovationAnd, as is inevitable with any large-sealepurpose, continuous learning and a sense and improvement thousands of themmovement, his theories are now beingof improvement are essential to sustained each year come from the employees. reexamined in some corners. effort. Finally, and perhaps most interest- In any given year more than 90% of Deming's work emphasizes the advan-ing as regards the work of Deming, this Toyota employees submit at least onetages of teamwork, of investing in on-sense of improvement must be both pal- suggested kaizen, a Japanese word for agoing training for all employees to in-pable and precise. We need accurate and small but significant improvement. Thatcrease their value to the company, of an"constant feedback" that tells us what is fact is interesting enough in itself. But insistence that research and employee-working and what is not.6 what is more interesting is that more than gathered data guide and inform every de- Even a rough acquaintance with Dem- 90% of these suggestions actually get im- cision and every improvement effort. Asing makes ir clear that these are the plemented. the title of a recent cover story in For-central elements of his work. The paral- A surprisingly democratic atmospheretune put it, these advantages account forlel between Csikszentmihalyi's work and prevails at Toyota. Management allows"Why Toyota Keeps Getting Better andDeming's, combined with the success of workers a considerable degree of auton-Better and Better."3 Deming's methods in industry, should omy. The chief function of management What Deming tells us is essential tocounter the charge that this fascination is to encourage and support employees,the productive workplace is strikinglywith TQM is merely another fad. If TQM or "team members" as Toyota calls them,similar to what psychologists are learn-seems to be failing in some settings, the with guidance and with continual train-ing. Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,failure can be attributed to what employ- ing and retraining. It is management's re- former head of the Department of Psy-ees in private industry not infrequently sponsibility to ask the right questionschology at the University of Chicago, istell us: management has adopted the trap- rather than to tell employees what to do. the author of Flow: the Psychology of Op-pings of Deming's work without being On the other hand, Toyota insists ontimal Experience.4 His extensive studieswilling to redistribute power and place something that is seldom practiced in have recently caught the attention of edu-unprecedented levels of trust in em- schools: every decision, every improve-cators and with good reason. They de-ployees. ment effort must be made collectively.scribe those conditions that enable any Anyone who knows anything about pub- These decisions are made within teams of us students or workers to be mostlic education knows that, in general, what and what Toyota and by groups of teams, which, as mem- productive. But just as important, theyDeming preaches point to that essential intersection be-does is not happening in our schools, bers of the larger system, are given regu- that lar opportunities to interact. Whatever tween pleasure and productivity. One ofnot by a long shot. The good news is measures are taken are checked againstCsikszentmihalyi's discoveries was that,what happens at places like Toyota comes data at every stage. Toyota believes thatgiven the right conditions, the best partdown to a few simple, very doable things. the key to improvement is knowing ex-of many people's lives is when they areFortune recently referred to Denting's principles as "starkly simple and effec- actly how well or how poorly youengaged in their daily work. He cites the are progressing in your efforts. A fre-case of a factory employee whospendstive."7 In visiting and studying some of quently heard refrain is "Give me theevery moment of his day monitoringhisthe most dramatically improved schools tiata." But these data are never used to own efforts and comparing themwith hisin the country, we have seen the success identify and blame individual employees. goals. For him, work is "better than any-of these "simple and effective" meth- They serve only to improve the overallthing else, It's a whole lot better thanods already being demonstrated. And system. No one has ever been fired from watching TV." the schools we studied have made these changes with little or no additional in- Toyota's Lexington plant. What accounts for such feelings? Studs In speaking with dozens of ToyotaTerkel's interviews, published in Work- fusion of funds.
390 PHI DELTA KAPPAN 16 Quality Goes to School 151
to establish a clear and energizing senseten to a lot of what she tells me." A PROMISING PATTERN of purpose. At Central Park East, that Meier's visits and the regular team If we avoid being rigid or doctrinairepurpose is to help students cultivate themeetings provide not just purpose, but about the essence of Deming's philoso-"habits of mind" that will enable them tofeedback the regular and precise eval- phy and principles (as many who talksucceed. Every classroom has a poster,uation that enables teachers to know if about them unfortunately are), an excit- prominently displayed, with the teacher's they are on the right track, if the ac- ing and promising pattern emerges. Weinterpretation of those habits: variationstivities they are providing students are suggest that educators study Deming be-on the ability to infer, analyze, synthe- the best that they can offer. Meier and cause his work codifies precisely whatsize, and extrapolate. the teams examine portfolios regularly, our schools need most. But we are fur- and each spring business and community ther inspired by the fact that, to an im- members a school's "external custom- pressive extent, many schools are already ers" in the Deming lexicon are invit- successfully implementing Deming's ba- ed to the school to evaluate the work in sic methods and principles, some more portfolios. The information from these consciously than others. The challenge Neitheremploy- public displays of student performance for us is to study these successes, wher- "fishbowls" as they're called then ever they occur, and then to replicate or ees nor students guides the following year's improvement adapt what we learn. The experiences of can work imagina- efforts. Central Park East has conducted these schools give us a promising and its own research to refine methods of proven pattern on which to base large- tively and eagerly reading instruction.9 And the staff is now scale improvement efforts. when they fear be- formalizing a study that has been going Central Park East. At one extreme, on less formally for years: tracking the consider the well-known case of the Cen- ing blamed for areas of study that graduates, now in col- tral Park East schools in East Harlem, the their shortcomings. lege, feel most and least confident in. poorest neighborhood in New York City. This feedback will enable the school to Ninety-five percent of the mostly black continually refine and precisely adjust its and Hispanic students from Central Park efforts for its most important customers. East Secondaty School go on to college. Central Park East doesn't waste time They do extremely well on standardized on feckless "mass inspection," which vio- tests. Though Central Park East is part Like Toyota's Fujio Cho, Meier regu-lates Deming's point about dispelling of"choice" consortium in New York larly meets with grade- and department- fear. Instead, students are trusted to do City's District 4, its students are in no level teams. She simply asks what theymuch of their own quality control. Meier way hand-picked: 70% of them comeare doing and calls for "evidence, evi-says that the students must "convince us from the immediate attendance area. dence, evidence" that tells whether theythat they are ready to graduate." This is After visiting Toyota, our visit to thisare or aren'tsucceeding. Like Toy- the ethos of trust and respect that prevails school and our conversations with itsota's employees and managers, she andat Central Park East. Teamwork, col- director, Deborah Meier, wet:, all theher staff focus on "data," which in theirlaboration, and Deborah Meier's relent- more interesting. The policies and prac- case might be how many students are suc-less "articulation of what we're all about" tices she described seemed to bear an un-ceeding on a given task or project. Sheensure the "continuous improvement" that canny resemblance to some of Deming'sexamines portfolios and asks about what is at the heart of Deming's philosophy. . teachings. But Meier had not heard ofis coming up. She sees her role as oneThe results speak for themselves. Deming when we spoke with her. If any- of "constantly articulating the school's Comer School Development Pro- thing, the principles of Theodore Sizer'spurpose" while helping teams of teachersgram. This program was begun in 1968 Coalition of Essential Schools more ex-ensure that all effort and activity supportby psychiatrist James Corner as a joint plicitly govern operations at the Centralthat purpose. effort between the Yale University Child Park East schools. Meier and her faculty do not succeedStudy Center and the New Haven Public Yet, in the most important respects,through intimidation or by assigningSchools. Like Deming, Cotner empha- Meier and her teachers have created ablame. Another of Deming's points is tosizes the importance of recognizing that school environment that conforms in ev-"dispel fear." Neither employees nor stu-change and improvement require a "sys- ery important way to Deming's majordents can work imaginatively and eager- temic" understanding of the relationships principles: a democratic atmosphere, sup-ly whe n they are in fear of being blamedbetween members of the school commu . portive leadership, team and collabora-for their shortcomings.8 People need free-nity, including parents and social service tive effort, a clear and unified purpose, dom and support in order to do work that agencies. For Comer, as for Deming, stu- and an insistence on regular analysis andthey can take pride in. Conversations dents and employees work harder, smart- evaluation of student pertormance datawith teachers at Central Park East con- er, and more happily when issues of rela- as a basis for continually improving onfirm that Meier provides that support. tionships are addressed, when trust and past practice to serve the school's cus-Ricky Harris, a humanities teacher, looksa democratic atmosphere are carefully tomers. forward to Meier's classroom visits, say- sustained. Deming's first point of emphasis is ing, "The woman is brilliant; I always lis- Comer takes a scientific approach to
JANUARY 1993 391 1 6 152 Quality Goes to School
his work. And the resemblance to Dem-from an abysmal 31.9% to 97.1% re-of the highest third.13 ing's essential tenets is striking. Just asspectively. During the first year, there were meas- Toyota involves all employees in deci- In a telephone interview Yunk spoke ofurable gains in both morale and achieve- sions that affect them, Corner involveshow his understanding of Deming helped ment at the school where Champlin fo- all staff members and all parents "at ev-him to empower his employees to bringcused most of his efforts. By the end of ery level of school activity." Problemsabout effective change. MN: only didthe third year, gains could be seen dis- and challenges are tackled through a nine-Yunk establish a purposeful, dewocratic,trictwide. After six years, 70% of John- part process that resembles Deming'sand collegial environment, but he a1so in- son City students were achieving at or PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) cycle. sisted on regular team analysis of achieve-above grade level up from 45% to Though more elaborate, Comer's processment data to isolate problems and pro-50% when Champlin arrived. By 1986, contains the same basic elements as Dem-mote improvement. One of Deming's prin- 77% of Johnson City graduates were ing's: systematic identification of theciples is to "break down barriers between receiving New York State's prestigious school's goals; planning; and then regu- staff areas." Only when areas and depart-Regents diplomas. (The state average for lar "assessment" of effort and progress, ments communicate can they solve theRegents diplomas awarded in a school followed by carefully designed modifica-kinds of complex problems that requiredistrict was 44 % .) tion that results in improvement. Likean understanding of the interdependencies For all its success on the state tests, the Deming's PDSA, Corner's process is athat affect everyone's efforts. When sta- district continues to strive for improve- true cycle that promotescontinuousim-tistical analysis of math scores revealedment. The current superintendent, Al provement. It takes both effort and resultsthat there had been a drop in third-gradeMamary, , has sought state approval to right back to the planning stage, wherestudents' ability to solve certain kinds oflaunch an initiative to suspend the dig- measures can be continually refined and math problems, second-, third-, and fourth-trict's focus on standardized test scores new problems found and addressed. grade teams were brought together. Once and move toward the development of There are further similarities betweenassembled, they discovered year-to-year authentic and performance-based evalu- Corner's concepts and Deming's empha-inconsistencies in emphases in the math ation. Mamary and his associate superin- tendents, Larry Rowe and Frank Alessi, ses. Comer's "staff development" echoescurriculum, which the teams were then Deming's insistence on "training, retrain-able to address. Subsequently, the scores have worked to create a comprehensive school improvement program they now ing, and education."10 Comer's "threerose significantly. guiding principles" include "no fault" Johnson City Schools. Mother casecall the Outcomes-Driven Developmen- problem solving; Deming insists that weof Deming's influence can be seen in thetal Model (ODDM). It includes an em- improve processes rather than blame peo- Johnson City Schools in New York State. phasis on noncoercive leadership and at- ple and gives "accountability" a humanThis enormously improved school districttention to both internal and external re- search and to data on students, schools, face. Two other Corner principles, "con- has become something of an educational mecca, one of the most-visited school dis- and the district. The statistically minded sensus decision making" and "collabora- leadership routinely asks teachers and tion," are pillars of Deming's teachingstricts in the country. Although the John- teams of teachers not "how well" some- that account for. Toyota's success.11 son City Schools have only recently come thing works, but how many students are Though Comer's initial efforts in Newunder the direct influence of Deming's meeting quality standards on units and Haven took until 1986 to bear fruit, atheories, those theories easily align with projects. School leaders use such process recent Corner school saw remarkablewhat has been going on in Johnson City improvements occur in just a six-yearfor years. data as a basis for taking corrective ac- period. At Columbia Park Elementary, , In this blue-collar, lower-middle-classtion. Carefully conducted pilot studies have in Prince Georges County, Maryland, conununity, the schools were among the lowest performing in the country untilled Johnson City to adopt such practices achievement test scores rose from the math skills in 35th percentile to the 98th percentile.the early 1970s, when a new superinten- as diagnosing students' October and then having students attend l'his occurred between 1986 and 1991)2dent, John Champlin, arrived. Deming Northview Elementary School. A believes that knowledge drives improve- tutoring and enrichment sessions outside of regular school hours if they need ex- more explicit example of Deming's in- ment, though it is human nature to resist new knowledge. John Champlin startedtra help. This scheme has resultedin an fluence is Northview Elementary School exceptionally high percentage of students in Manhattan, Kansas. This school, whichhis improvement effort by simply dis- who have truly mastered grade-level math serves a lower-middle-class community,tributing and discussing educational re- search with the faculty of one school. skills before being promoted to the fol- was one of the featured subjects of a pub- lowing grade. The district is now gath- lic television special, "Learning in Amer- After some initial resistance, teachers began to see that they might be capableering data on a pilot project to eliminate ica: Schools That Work," narrated by age-grading at the primary level. Roger Mudd. Data provided by principal of helping students reach far higher lev- els of achievement. There was some- This preventive, frequent assessment Dan Yunk show that, between 1983 and of quality at every stage of the process 1989, fourth-grade reading competencything exciting, for instance, in Benjamin Bloom's startling but well-substantiatedis pure Deming. And it happens in lan- scores went from 59.5% to nearly 100%; teamwork, sixth-grade scores rose from 41.7% toclaim that, under the right conditions,guage arts as well, where more than 90% of students couldachievediagnosis, and careful alignment between 97.1%. Fourth- and sixth-grade math schoolwide and grade-level goals have scores went from 70.3% to 98.6% andat levels of excellence as high asthose
392 PHI DELTA KAPPAN 16E Quality Goes to School 153
led to a focused and effective program. fective.16 Like Deming, Levin believes superintendent Larrae Rocheleau cau- Student composition skills are regular-that we vastly underestimate the talents tions that Mt. Edgecumbe is not a "Dem- ly assessed often by teams and as-and abilities of our students and teach-ing school," this is chiefly because there sistance is then provided for students toers. He would instead have us "build onare still some faculty members who are ensure their success on the New York strengths" that students and teachers bring not participating in the program. Competency and Regents exams. to the classroom. If artfully tapped, these Teacher David Langford, now a con- All of . these efforts are enhanced strengths can result in far higher engage- sultant, came back with some radical through a carefully targeted "program ofment and improved levels of achieve- new ideas after a leave he took in Phoe- training and retraining," to use Deming's ment. nix, Arizona. He saw the application of language. The training equips individu- Just as Toyota adheres to Deming'sTQM less as a school-management strate- als with precisely those skills that theyteachings about the importance of bring- gy than as a classroom-level strategy. He and the district agree have the highest pri- ing together members from throughout started a business course called "Continu- ority. As Champlin says, "We were do- the system to solve problems, Levin em- ous Improvement." He eliminated grades ing Deming before Deming was in style."phasizes group decision making that rep- but would no longer accept anything less William Glasser is well-known forresents the "school as a whole." Thisthan what he and his students regarded wanting to show educators "how Dr. is the only way to muster the consent and as quality work a practice that William Deming's ideas can be brought undis-enthusiasm that are essential to one ofGlasser advocates. And he began to take torted into our schools."14 He refers to his cardinal concepts: "unity of purpose." extraordinary measures to ensure that his the schools in Johnson City throughout Like the "constancy of purpose" urged in students participated in work they found his educational best seller, The Qualitythe first of Deming's 14 poinis, unity of meaningful and applicable to what they School. For Glasser, these are "the best purpose animates all the other principles wanted from life. Langford would spend quality school models around."18 of Levin's accelerated schools. the first week of any course establishing Henry Levin and "Accelerated" Once purpose is established, "constantpurpose and helping students to under- Schools. An especially interesting appli-improvement" is pursued by what Levinstand the worth of what they were going cation of the use of Deming's principlescalls "taking stock," gathering data thatto study and the contribution it would can be found in Henry Levin's "acceler- enable teams (or in accelerated schools, make to their personal and career goals. ated schools." Levin took classes from"cadres") to intelligently isolate problems Many Mt. Edgecumbe teachers picked up Deming, whose influence can be seen in of the highest priority and then to pro- on this idea and still make it a routine part Levin's six-step "inquiry process," which pose solutions. These solutions are in turn of their curriculum. This is not unlike closely resembles Deming's four-stepguided by reference to "the data." Glasser's remark that "we should explain PDSA cycle. Levin himself calls the in- Apparently,thisapproachworks. much more than we do now ... about quiry process "dominant accelerated prac- Scores on standardized tests at Danielwhy we teach the things we do."18 tice." Like Deming's PDSA cycle, it isWebster Elementary went from 69th to Just as economist Lester Thurow sug- intended to help teams focus carefully23rd in the district in only three years. gests that we tie our national curriculum on each essential aspect of solving At Hollibrook Elementary, 85% of theto the country's need to compete in sev- rather than merely discussing a prob- students enter without being able to speak en key industries, so Mt. Edgecumbe fo- lem. English. In 1988 fifth-graders were scor- cuses its curriculum on the "future social Levin set out not only to see what made ing at the 3.7 level in reading and lan- and economic needs of Alaska."18 Every good schools good, but also to createguage arts. By 1991, after Hollibrookeffort is made to regard students as work- something that could make poor schools instituted accelerated school processes,ers, as self-managers. As a result, dis- indeed, the worst schools much bet- they were scoring at about the 5.3 level. cipline referrals have all but disappeared. ter. Though he carefully admonishes us In math the average fifth-grader is now Statistical analysis has also helped Mt. not to expect quick success, Levin's pro- scoring a year above grade level. StaffEdgecumbe staff members to find the gram has already been immensely suc-members at Hollibrook did this with "no root causes for tardiness, and adjust- cessful at the most difficult and failure- infusion of funding to make the differ-ments to the system have resulted in re- riddt.n schools, turning some of themence." Even more interesting, they didducing late arrivals from an average of around in as little as two to three years it not by emphasizing dull test-prepara-34 to an average of just 10 per week. with little or no infusion of funds. tion activities, but rather by emphasizing And there are other significant divi- At schools such as Daniel Webster in "hands-on programs and enrichment" thatdends when students assume the respon- urban San Francisco or Hollibrook Ele- "exposed all children to the richest ex- sibility of managing their own learning. mentary in Houston, Texas, every effort periences."17 Teachers don't mind supervising as many is made to ensure both that students en- Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Per-as 100 students at a time, which creates joy their studies and that they succeed at haps the most explicit example of amore time for staff development, plan- them. The object is to "accelerate" rath-"Deming school" is Mt. Edgecumbe Highning, and collaboration: an additional er than to remediate students to enable School, a public boarding school in Sit-three hours a week so far. Their ultimate them to catch up with or get ahead ofka, Alaska. The majority of its 215 stu-goal is to arrange things so that they can what they must learn, rather than to slow dents are Native American, and aboutspend 50% of their time planning and instruction down to a dull, destructive40% are at risk or have had academiccollaborating in teams without hiring pace a practice that has never been ef- problems before coming there. Though any extra staff members. In keeping with
167 JANUARY 1993 393 154 Quality Goes to School
Deming's belief that people desire to dothe improvement effort. Parents of fail-create a positive and productive climate quality work, grading has been eliminat- ing students were asked to sign contracts in which employees are continually kept ed and replaced in many classes with listssaying that they would make extra effortsabreast of the most effective methods and of "competencies," the mastery of whichto ensure improvement. Data were gath- practices a climate in which they help students negotiate with teachers. ered from each student, and the chief rea-one another to adapt, replicate, and re- Academically, the results are not yetsons for the high rate of failure were de- fine practices. conclusive. Standardized test scores aretermined: lack of study and a need for Deming's work provides us with a prov- up only slightly. But there are othertutoring. A noontime peer-tutoring pro- en plan that puts in place and then con- measures of success to consider. Where-gram called "Lunch and Learn" was es-tinuously improves upon what works. as very few Mt. Edgecumbe studentstablished. This is the kind of flexible and attractive used to go on to higher education, about The results at George Westinghouseprogram that education needs most today. 49% now attend some form of postsec-point up what can happen when peopleRather than divide ourselves along ideo- ondary school. Whereas only 2% of Na-pool their intelligence to assign prioritieslogical lines, we need to promote broad, tive American students graduate from theand C.en deliberately tackle problems.concerted participation, where the reign- University of Fairbanks, evidence indi-Between January and June 1991, the num-ing controversies are not ignored but cates that a far higher percentage of Mt. ber of students failing every course fell must take their proper place on our agen- Edgecumbe students are doing well infrom 151 to 11 a 92% improvementda of problems to be solved and practices college and are expected to graduate. in one semester .20 to be improved. On a national level, Though Mt. Edgecumbe was once Nearly a decade after the publicationDeming's work would complement that known for its high rate of student turn-of A Nation at Risk, the education reformof Lauren Resnick and Marc Tucker as over, the percentage of eligible studentsmovement is still marked by rancor, ig-they seek to develop an enlightened set returning to the school is now nearingnorance, and stagnation. We have yetof national standards and assessments.24 100%. Dropouts have been reduced fromto begin systematically implementing the These standards and assessments would 40% to about 1% per year. And teacherbest of what we know, even though schol- drive the kind of meaningful activity and turnover, once high, is now nearly non-arship increasingly points to an emerg-help create the sense of purpose even existent. At Mt. Edgecumbe, they musting pattern.2i Worse still, there doesn'tnational purpose that are the heart of be doing something right. even seem to be a movement afoot to helpDeming's philosophy. that occur. Only occasionally does the ac- knowledgment surface that anything like AMPHITHEATER SCHOOLS SHORT-TERM BENEFITS a promising pattern is emerging from be- This point has to be made carefully: neath the rubble. Excitement about these methods is Levin, Champlin, Deming, and others Instead, ideological battles betweengrowing here in the Amphitheater Pub- are quick to caution that their programswarring camps have reduced the "great lic Schools. We firmly believe that Dem- are not quick fixes and that we shouldn'teducation debate" to what George Kap-ing's management practices will lead not expect results in less than five years. Atlan recently called "education's thousandonly to improved student achievement but the same time, Champlin points out thatpoints of noise."22 Education journals re-also to increased efficiency in every de- morale at the first school he worked atmind us regularly that we still managepartment, including those nonacademic improved dramatically and that thereschools as we always have and that we areas that truly support the instructional were academic gains at that school by thestill rely too much on such discreditedprogram. end of the first year. There were district- methods as drill, worksheets, and pre- We are convinced that the dialogue wide gains at the end of only three years. packaged lessons that only ensure medi-these methods engender will have pro- Two of Levin's major efforts saw enor-ocrity, boredom, and the continued and found, if indirect, benefits for us. The mous gains within two to three years. costly failure of our lowest-achieving stu- discussions will bring us face to face with Another interesting case of positive re-dents.23 The waste, Deming might say, , those structural barriers that are so diffi- sults in the short term is that of Georgeis appalling. cult to see but so essential for us to ac- Westinghouse Vocational and Techni- Deming's methods are not only effec- knowledge if we are to change: our grad- cal High School in downtown Brooklyn,tive in helping us to manage schools, dis- ing and assessment system, the practice New York. Two of the first 23 areas tar-tricts, ant. ssrooms; they can also helpof age-grouping, teacher evaluation poli- geted for improvement were class cutting us to manage and use knowledge to()fir cies, our assumptions about what students and course failure. By meeting in teams, fullest advantage. We now know how toare capable of, employee compensation, identifying root causes, and then keep-all but ensure that students enter the sec-the traditional school calendar, and the ing statistical records, the staff was ableond gm-I-. reading on grade level; weconventional certification policy. Dem- to reduce class cutting by 39.9% in justhave developed methods of teaching ad-ing's principles and practices can cre- six weeks. The school then confrontedvanced mathematics that enable us toate a collective demand for structural its greatest challenge: the fact that 151reach far higher percentages of studentschange, driven by a desire for improve- students were failing every course. Staffthan we typically do. Deming's methods ment on the part of those who are the real members brought the tools and techniqueswould not allow us to ignore these facts. ministers of change the employees on of TQM to bear on the problem. Every-The heart of Derning's philosophy is anwhose expertise we must rely. one, including parents, was involved ininsistence that management take pains to The potential for fundamental change
394 PHI DELTA KAPPAN 16E Quality Goes to School 155
is both the strength and the vulnerability For this school year, each pilot pro-In addition, we'll be moving toward a of Deming's principles. If the processgram has selected at least one goal. The climate in schools that is immeasurably generates fear because of the depth ofteams will now gather data and then regu- more humane and productive. We believe the changes it implies, it might be resist-larly analyze and make adjustments tothat Deming's philosophy and methods ed. With this in mind, we are taking antheir processes in light of the data. As webest codify what the schools need most evolutionary approach in our district toembark on this journey, we are establish- if they are to improve substantially: the ensure that stakeholders understand theing regular contact with local industries ability to organize and act on the best principles and their theoretical underpin-that are also making the transition to of what we know and are continuing to nings. We make our case as clearly asDeming's philosophy. . We hope that in- learn. possible at every stage of the process anddustry and the schools can help each oth- constantly distinguish between a manu-er avoid some pitfalls and can learn from facturing plant and a school setting. Toeach other's experience. We hope this 1. Betty Malen, R. T. Ogawa, and Jennifer Kranz, this end, all administrators, supervisors,will develop into a collegial relationship "Site-Based Management: Unfulfilled Promises," and key representatives of our teacher un-that will enhance everyone's efforts. School Administrator, February 1990, pp. 30-59. ion have attended extended training ses- 2. Lester Thurow, Head to Head: The Coming Eco- We agree with Fortune that Deming's nomic Battle Among Japan, Europe, and America sions. methods are at bottom "starkly simple and (New York: William Morrow, 1992). The school board has heartily endorsedeffective" and that school improvement 3. Alex Taylor, "Why Toyota Keeps Getting Bet- this effort, which will require a changedoesn't need to be an impenetrable mys- ter and Better and Better," Fortune, 19 September in the role it plays. Board members havetery. Collaboration and a respect for in- 1990, pp. 66-78. 4. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psycholo- also attended workshops and formallyformation almost inevitably promote im- gy of Optimal Erperience (New York: Harper & adopted a set of basic concepts based onprovement. Much could be accomplished Row, 1990). Deming's principles. on the local or national level by simply 5. Studs Terkel, Working: People Talk About What Several departments and some of the They Do All Day and How They Feel About It (New asking questions such as, Are school em- York: Pantheon Books, 1974). schools in the district have volunteeredployees working together collaborative- 6. Csikszentmihalyi, p. 56. to pilot the implementation of Deming'sly on the school's most pressing academic 7. Louis Kraar, "Twenty-Five Who Help the U.S. principles immediately.. Teams withinpriorities? What data have been used to Win," Fornaw, Spring-Summer 1991, p. 34. each volunteering school or departmentdetermine these priorities? Are we mak- 8. W. Edwards Deming, Out of the Crisis (Cam- have received intensive training and will bridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1986), p. 62. ing progress toward the school's most im- 9. David Bensman, Quality Education in the Inner now train other staff members in the unitportant goals? What is working? What City: The Story of the Central Park East Schools and serve as a corps of consultants whoisn't? How can we do better? (New York: Central Park East Schools, 1987). will be available at a later date to other If we ask such questions, fits and starts 10. Deming, p. 53. schools and departments. Members ofnotwithstanding, we will be on our way 11. For Children's Sake: The Cotner School De- velopment Program, a brochure published by the these initial teams will also constitute atoward real improvement of this country's Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Conn., district-level oversight team. schools and of its competitive ability. . 1991. 12. "District News," School Development Program Newsline, Fall 1991, p. 2. 13. Benjamin Bloom, "Learning from Mastery." Evaluation Comment, May 1966, pp. 1-12. 14. William Glasser, M.D., The Quality School (New York: Harper & Row, 1990), p. 153. 15. Ibid., p. 154. 16. Martin Haberman, "The Pedagogy of Poverty Versus Good Teaching," Phi Delta Kappon, De- cember 1991, pp. 290-94. 17. Ron Brandt, "On Building Learning Commu- nities: A Conversation with Hank Levin," Educa- tional Leadership, September 1992, pp. 19-23. 18. Glasser, p. 120. 19. "Reading, Writing, and Constant Improve- ment," Goal/QPCs, no. 1, 1991, p. 2. 20. Franklin P. Schargel, "School Changes Way of Doing Business," Work America, March 1992, pp. 2-3. 21. Carl Glickman, "Pretending Not to Know What We Know," Educational Leadership, May 1991, pp. 4-10; and Michael G. Fullan and Matthew B. Miles, "Getfmg Reform Right: What Works and What Doesn't," Phi Delta Kappan, June 1992, pp. 744-52. 22. George H. Kaplan. 'The Great Educational De- bate," Education Week, 8 April 1992, p. 36. 23. Haberman, op. cit. 24. John O'Neill, "National System of Standards, Exams Piloted," ASCD Update, October 1992, 1-5.
1 6 o JANUARY 1993 395 156 Quality Goes to School One District's Quality Improvement Story
Patricia E. Abernethy and Richard W. Serfass
Attendance problems in the high school were the first more holistically and provides us a variety of tools to assist in our anal- issues a New Jersey school district tackled after joining ysis. The first issue we decided to a statewide project to encouragecontinuous improvement address was attendance at the district high school. To do so, we used a in education through Total Qua!ity Management. detailed problem-solving process, called the Quality Improvement Story. Total Quality Management can commitment to the program. While a number of businesses now use help school districts systemati- Businesses sponsoring the Total this process, it was Walt Disney who cally bring about change. Its Quality Learning and Support invented the storyboard during his holistic approach accents systems Program are AT&T, Bellcore, PSE&G. development of Snow White. Using a theory. Its tools provide vehicles and Xerox. All training costs (instruc- large wallboard, Disney and his staff for data analysis and decision making. tors, meals, guest speakers, facilities) illustrated the macro-events of the Its principles accent the importance of for the program are furnished by story, which served as a guide for each person in the system to strive for our sponsors. The trainingfive further development of the story's continuous improvement. events are scheduled each year of micro-events. The City of Burlington Public the programis structured around Having studied how to develop Schools' involvement with Total the principles of Total Quality Quality Improvement Stories with Quality began in March 1992, when Management, Process Quality AT&T facilitators, our team used the the Education Focus Group of the Management and Improvement, seven-step process to apply Total Quality New Jersey project selected problem-solving techniques, quality Quality principles and tools to our our district to participate in a pilot tools, and team building. Trainers own improvement efforts. program. Quality New Jersey was from AT&T and Bellcore conduct the founded in 1988 to encourage the use sessions, which have been jointly Step 1: Reason for Improvement of Total Quality Management methods planned by business and education As our theme for improvement, we throughout the state for "the continual representatives. chose: decrease high school tardiness improvement of industry, service, Every month facilitators from the and increase attendance. At that time, health care, education, government, business sponsors visit the local high school attendance fluctuated environment, and quality of life in Quality Improvement Leadership from 85-92 percent. New Jersey." teams to assist us in determining Using a block diagram (or process In all, six school districts, Brook- improvement opportunities and in flowchart), we depicted the tardy dale Community College, and the implementing them. They also instruct process, outlining the steps for the Urban Division of the Department of the teams in using the basic tools of student, the school, and the parent Education are participating in the Total Quality as specific needs arise in (see fig. 1). We discussed "inputs" program.' We were all chosen because the improvement process. These tools and outputs," "suppliers," and of our interest in learning about include checksheets, graphs, Pareto "customers" of the process. We Total Quality and our representation charts, Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams, wanted to determine whether any from urban, suburban, and rural histograms, scatter diagrams, and students marked absent may have districts across the state. Each local contn ' charts. merely been tardy, resulting in inaccu- Quality Improvement Leadership rate attendance records. After exten- team consists of five members: the Oor Quality Improvomoot Story sive discussion, we recognized superintendent, a business adminis- The improvement issues the City of the need for more quantifiable trator, a district curriculum supervisor, Burlington Public Schools face reflect information: the building principal, and a teacher the needs of a small urban school tardiness data from September I, (or comparable positions from the system with 1,500 students. Being 1991-April 30, 1992; college or department of education). involved in the program gives us an the number of students marked Each team has made a two-year opportunity to observe these issues absent who went actually just late;
ElEDUCA11ONAL LEADERSHIP Quality Goes to School 157
fi g ,ure 1
Block Diagram of Tardy Process in the School
Smilers Student r School Parent Customers
Parents Students Students Late student City System Society Pnncipals Duty leaner osLes oass It late 4 times stuoem gets Recons to late ott cleieolcc. orReavesi parentat s,poort 0 !nem are excessNe tardes. ctxitaCt Oar entS Ininds Orteuts No show Improved The Total Quality Disruption Gces to crass wzi cess attendance Morale Responsible Extra work students tools helped us
&went Better school Detentcr rmnitor checKs goesto image focus on the deter-non off attemonce !nor eased output for students problem one step Detentcn rromor grves Vce pnoctoai mares Increased mare to vce ponc.pat f Or__,.. o-scnco suspensor- patents va rnaA production for at a time. staff 1 * Reduced lateness The answers to these why questions Students goes to ct-scnoot Tead-er am:Ls-roes ft- suspenscr SCroc4 suscenstcn rtarnes are indented under the first idea. The ------. last answer (in bold face in the figure) generally indicates the cause. not the Detento, rromor ("WKS StuCent resbcrotore lor ail.01 slucrent in and asagna symptom. It took great patience to v.CA, track probe in such a way, so different from the modus operandi of school systems. In education the tendency to address teacher corrections to the atten- issue. The teachers on the Quality symptoms, not causes. is the reason dance list and absences from Improvement Team broke into groups the same problems resurface in other September 1, 1991-April 30. 1992. to learn this tool and then used these forms later on. charts to explain these data to the Finally, we had four root causes that Step 2: Current Situation entire team. we believed negatively affected Our target for improvement was: an student attendance: attendance rate in the high school in Step 3: Analysis students are not challenged excess of 95 percent. By correcting our After we corrected these tardy data, the enough by the curriculum and how it tardiness data, we believed we could high school attendance rate was up to a is implemented; improve that rate immediately. Then monthly average of 92 percent. Our parents lack appropriate education we could determine why the next step was to determine the root and motivation; remaining students didn't attend causes of nonattendance for the remain- teachers lack sufficient under- school and begin developing solutions. ing 8 percent of students' absences. standing of students and their needs; Using Pareto charts we stratified Using an Ishikawa (fishbone) data system and policy/procedures our improvement theme. Aftei diagram, we conducted a cause-and- aren't aligned. reviewing data about recorded atten- effect analysis (fig. 3). After brain- dance, absences, and tardiness, and storming why students are absent or Step A: Countermeasures/ teachers' corrections to the attendance tardy, we grouped reasons into four Potential Solutions data, we confirmed that students who categories: outside influences, staff Next we formulated countermea- missed homeroom were being marked student, and system. Whenever a cause sures/potential solutions to those root absent even if they attended classes all was given, the team asked "Why?" causes that were within our control to day. We created two Pareto charts, one Asking this question repeatedly forced change. Next to each countermeasure, to show attendance data and a second us to step back and keep searching we listed practical methods. Then one for tardy/absence data. Figure 2 is until we were left only with root using a matrix (fig. 4), we verified that our Pareto chart for attendance data; causes. In Figure 3, each arrow the countermeasures and practical actual numbers are on the left, percent- connected to the central (bone) line methods would address the root causes ages are on the right, and histogram had "Why?" asked again and again by rating each one in effectiveness bars represent subsets of the overall until there were no more whys to ask. (How much will it reduce the root NOVEMBER 1992 m 171 158 Quality Goes to School
Figur e 2
Parole Chart ef Attendance Data September 1991 to April 1992 countermea- school. We also instituted a new sures matrix. computerized system for attendance To obtain an data and have begun rewriting the overall rating math and reading curriculums to align score, we them with standardized tests and 75% multiplied the SCANS. Some of these techniques two scores for the new data system, ad hoc each counter- committee, and parent-to-parent 50% measure. We programmay affect attendance then ranked immediately, since they'll be in place 25% the counter- by September. The others will take measures by longer as they must be phased in. their overall The action plan we developed ratings. detailing timelines, responsibilities, Sowlsi Urea After costs, and so onwas approved by reviewing our the Board of Education and took resources, we effect in September 1992. agreed on a We've now completed the first four cause?) and feasibility (How much number of practical methods to steps of the Quality Improvement time, money, and so on are needed?). improve attendance and decrease Story process, which we've learned On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 represented the tardiness. We decided to create a staff represents 60-70 percent of the work most effective, feasible measure. development program, form an ad hoc on any improvement opportunity. After analyzing these two criteria attendance committee, and plan a Steps 5-7 will follow once we study separately, we added the scores to the parent-to-parent program in the the results of our efforts.
Fig tire 3 Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram of Root Causes of Nonattendance
SYSTEM STAFF
inaccurate system doesn't address data system early needs of students poor =router system poor staff morale ow expectations tries to fit students nocnsistent reinforcement too many demands to curriculum Ideferent nterpretatox; doesn't provide rules and regulations /N recognition for all inhibit the system unclear policies lack of teaching not enough tirne strategies tries to meet the needs look of gcod communicelbon of 'average students Curriculum nterested in results constraints not process the purpose of education has been insufficient learning curroctarn ant Opportunities to teach 'average' challenging students and doesn't personality =Acts staff development challenge all students esn't based not a pnority on discovery lack of fotlow through tudget/brnecionstrants ATRINDANCE hesitation to risk NOT IMIMING DISTINCT STANDARDS 011094
OUTSIDE NFWENCES
illEDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
BEST COPY AVAILABLE I" Quality Gooa to School 159
Step 5: Results Doing so will prevent recurrence of Our Stories Have Just Begun During the fifth step, the Quality the root causes of the problem of The Quality Improvement Story Improvement Team will meet once a absences and tardiness. At that time, process provided us a framework month to review the results of our we'll create new processes or modify around which to improve attendance action plan. We will compare the old ones. Staff development will be in our district high school. The Total Pareto charts (Step 2) with current crucial then to help employees under- Quality tools helped us focus on the data to determine whether the practical stand the results of the Quality problem one step at a time. We were measures we've instituted are elimi- Improvement Story and how the new able to combine subjective opportuni- nating the root causes of student tardi- policies and procedures will prevent ties (the countermeasures matrix, ness and absence. If not, we will the root causes from recurring. defining the theme and the target for revise our plan. During this stage, periodic checks improvement) with data that provided If the methods are successful,. we will play an important role in guarding opportunity for management by facts will further stratify the root causes against backsliding into old behaviors (the block diagram, Pareto charts, (Step 3). Then we will address other that may cause the problem to recur. feasibility and effectiveness matrices). fundamental causes. Additional coun- This is also a gratifying time to share Throughout the process we were termeasures and practical methods our successes with other schools and reminded not tojump to solutions may have to be implemented if the other professionals. but, rather, to analyze a problem results are riot satisfactory in elimi- completely before deciding on nating the root causes and meeting the Step 7: Future Plans concrete actions. target for improvement. The final stage in the problem-solving Undergirding this valuable process process is to evaluate the effectiveness for learning and practicing new behav- Step 13: Standardization of the Quality Improvement Team iors are the general principles of Total Next we will make the methods itself, reflect on lessons learned, and Quality Management: proven successful (in Step 5) part of identify further opportunities for those closest to any improvement our standard operating procedure. improvement. opportunity should be involved in its solution; learning and leadership are everyone's responsibility; Matrix of Countermeasures/Potential Solutions to Honattendance decisions must be made with facts; understanding systems theory is Mel Ceases Cs later- Practical Effective-Feaueility Dwell lessens Mu* INIS11 central to quality; continuous improvement is the 5%A:tents Rewnte reacing are nOt Algn afrcaurn and morn norm for all activities and not the chakehgecl aml wading dumdum and erckf9f, bY saategfes Vv., to aft tests exception. CUTICiNn ehd SCANS Although our Quality Improvement Team members are novice practi- tioners of Total Quality, we are
Parents Begn a convinced that the process presents tackrng mow Ce+eicp Parent PareAA-to-Parent eckkanon aiX1 15 valuable opportunities to systemati- PISMO Program Prcgrarn trOrNata, cally bring about change in our school
ATTENON9C5 system. We are well on our way to NOT AT 95% improving our local school system, Teachers tack Create staff Prment one story at a time. suftoent derefownent lastActrnal understahdng to' Etfectweness ^ 15 of students learningignwthi WaIrsnco *60 'The other New Jersey districts are teachers reeds charge Asbury Park, Cherry Hill, Hamilton Town- ship, Manville, and New Brunswick.
Redeyetp phkcy Create ad hcc and Pn:Ceduces Anenclonce 4 4 16 tor attendance Conn-Atm and lades Dela system Patricia E. Abernethy is Superintendent Crorcy and drecedures of Sch ools, City of Burlington Public aren t akcped Schoc4s, 518 Locust Ave., Burlington, Replace Ruchase NJ 08016. Richard W. Serfass is Assis- computer arta other schware 5 PrOgrarre sYsfern 5 tant Superintendent for Curriculum and I- Instruction, Cherry Hill Public Schools, BrowningLane,Cherry Hill, NJ 08034,
NOVEMBER1992 III
BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7 160 Quality Goes to School
Getting Started with TQM
Kenneth R. Freeston
Staff members in this For a long time, our district Human Needs kicked off the school year as We found that Connecticut school district most other districts did. The many models for knew they couldn't rcly on faculty gathered in the high achieving quality school auditorium for a emphasize the someone else's model speech by the superintendent, who work process and to achieve quality. They ovtlined our focus for the coming do not acknowl- year. It was here that the Newtown, edge psychological found their own path to Connecticut, Public Schools, aspects of change. success through the works launched into Hunter, shared decision Glasser's Control making, multiple intelligences, Theory and Reality of Deming and Glasser. cooperative learningand the list Therapy explain goes on. human behavior as We thought we were leading. We needs-driven. thought we were bringing practice People are inter- into line with research. nally motivated to We were wrong. meet their basic Over time, we created a scattered, human needs for disjointed pattern of programs and belonging, power, projects. Taken individually, they freedom, and fun were fine. But by their very nature, (Glasser 1984). Because we believe projects and programs begin and that Glasser's ideas, which now end. They are the antithesis of extend into the area of quality schools continuous improvement. (Glasser 1990), are critical (Freeston We felt a pervasive uneasiness 1992), we designed our model to that although we met traditional reflect the proposition that all wants expectations for student achievement, come from unfulfilled needs. we fell far short of the kinds of Adapting Glasser's terminology successes we knew we could achieve. somewhat, we acknowledge that Without the perspective of quality, people are internally motivated to we were not sure of what to improve, meet their individual needs. Thus we or even which questions to ask. train staff extensively in the role of 'Avo years ago, Newtown human needs in our organization. committed to changing the situation The full training takes three years to by becoming a total quality system. complete, and shorter training options As we started our work, we became are regularly available to staff. convinced that we could not simply We also have discovered that adopt someone else's model of considering the age of professional quality; we needed to develop our staff is important. With 84 percent of own. At a summer institute, adminis- our certified staff over age 40, we trators developed the Newtown felt compelled to address the different Success-Oriented School Model needs that staff members have at (fig. 1), which became the corner- different ages. Working with Judy stone of our quality process. The Arin-Krupp, we examined the model blends elements of Deming's application of adult development 14 Points with Glasser's approach theory and research to our schools to quality. (Krupp 1981).
10EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 174 Quality Goes to School 161
Without the perspective r of quality, we were not sure of what to improve or which questions to ask.
Model tor Quality Knowledge. In our first year using iors into alignment with those beliefs Adapting Deming's quality canons is the model, we viewed the "What We is quite another. We feel our beliefs not an easy task for a district, and we Know" circle as research-based. We are part of a continuum, not absolutes. have struggled with a variety of barriers joined a number of data-search organi- We must evaluate where practices and (see fig. 2). But our model embodies zations and quickly grew dissatisfied programs are located on the Deming's work in several ways. with the paucity of good syntheses on continuum and move them in the The interaction of the four circles in various topics. We now understand direction of the belief. For example, the center of the Newtown model that collecting information, another we may look at programs like Great depicts how we now make decisions Deming tenet, goes far beyond reading Books at the elementary level, or for improvement. Notice that no arrow research reviews. Knowledge of Advanced Placement at the high connects a want directly to an action. student test scores is only part of what school, to determine whether the way When we were thinking convention- we need. Conventional assessment we choose students to participate ally in Newtown, we usually took techniques offer data, not information, aligns with our belief in inclusion. We action based on someone's statement so we are developing alternate forms will look at the way we make of want: I want my child in Algebra, 1 of assessment through the New Stan- curriculum decisions for alignment want to offer an American Studies dards Project. Additionally, teams of with interdependence, and we will Program, or I want to offer French in teachers are establishing performance look at our grading practices for a grade 6. Because we spent much of standards for Newtown students at match with our belief in success. Only our time responding to hundreds of designated grade levels. after we consult our core beliefs and requests like these, we had no notion Beliefs. The "What We Believe" knowledge can we take action for of constancy of purpose or continuous circle is crucial to quality manage- school improvement. improvement. We quickly learned ment. Working together for more than from Deming's work (Walton a year, our Quality Council developed The Quality Outcomes 1986) the importance of consulting a set of core beliefs. Defining the core In Newtown, we believe our mission knowledge and core beliefs before beliefs of an organization is one thing; is to provide an environment where taking action. bringing group and individual behav- "all children can and will learn well,"
NOVEMBER 19921111 162 Quality Goes to School
FigureQl NOWNIVII Semen Oriented School Model 'MISSION: All children can and will learn well 41111iitylotesaes Self-Directed Learner Cognitive Achievement Process Skills Concern Self-Esteem Mastery of Curriculum i.e., decision making for Others problem solving critical thinking
Basic Nyman Needs Belonging Valued Freedom Enjoyment Positive Expression of Feelings
seven words that capture the essence know the importance of self- Deming's 14 Points and their applica- of our constancy of purpose. esteem. tion in the Newtown Schools. A Many of our staff did not actually For the past year, teams of teachers binder containing resources on quality support the "all" notion, believing have been defining the critical is given to each course graduate and is instead that changed social conditions attributes of each outcome. District updated monthly with new articles. and dysfunctional family settings curriculums will then be modified to There is also a course on applying present insurmountable barriers for reflect specified efforts toward each Glasser's work on the role human some learners (Hay and Roberts outcome in each discipline. needs play in our model. 1989). But changes in students' home Quality core groups in each school lives are important variables. Because What's Diftereet Now? are beginning to shape their own allot- a learner has more, or different, needs After two years, what are we doing ment of inservice time and resources does not mean that student can't learn. differently? The most obvious differ- to address quality issues. When a The word can expresses our ence is that we are thinking differently redesign of the mathematics commitment to multiple intelligences. and are guided in those thoughts by curriculum created some internal We brought the work of Howard the logic of our model. disruption and debate, we used some Gardner directly into the mission of We have also changed our orienta- of what we had learned about contin- the Newtown schools by acknowl- tion for new teachers. Projecting our uous improvement. We brought edging that every student has unlim- staff retirements to be substantial in together groups of teachers for ited and multiple abilities. We reject the coming three to five years, we problem-solving exercises and to the phrase "up to potential." needed to design a way to welcome design an improvement plan for issues The word will acknowledges new professionals that balances their they felt were important. Glasser's assertion that all of us are unique capabilities with our model and People often think that a quality internally motivated (Glasser 1990). quality concepts. New teachers now orientation costs more money, but And the word well is the core issue of spend a week with us in the summer, that's not what we've found. While quality. Minimal effort is not enough and the training will probably grow to our town is an affluent community, we in the Newtown Schools. We want two weeks. Gone are school tours with spend less than the state average per each student to: directions on how to find the copier, student. Our wealth is in the top third become a self-directed learner; telephone, and coffee. In their place of Connecticut towns, but our per- achieve cognitively and master the are the teachings of Deming, Glasser, pupil expenditure ranks in the bottom curriculum; and others. third. Several local issues account for acquire process skills (decision- Our general training is also this: frequent referendums on school making, problem-solving, and critical different. The superintendent teaches a budgets pit interest groups against thinking); 12-hour course to staff, parents, and each other; longtime residents who show concern for others; and community members, focusing on prefer the rural character of a New
MI EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 171: Quality Goes to School 183
Figure 2 Attitudinal Banters to Quality
1W MUfsall,Itstl Seen by many as a platitude, unobtainable, and overused by advertisers.
Ms Wm* WWI as Us NW Skepticism about corporate example, rejection of customer orientation.
Walt* Low confidence in leader commit- ment, scant examples of quality- oriented leaders.
JeC MON Mims Regarded as another trend that will pass.
Su lui st a Pas Quality is a long-range commitment and schools plan on a one-year basis
I bow DM Akue False perception that there's nothing England town resist requests for and are far new in a quality orientation. appropriate education funding from more useful. Mesh lort hin WWI If only the student worked harder, newer, pro-education residents; and By training we wouldn't need to improve schools other interests compete for local students and all employees Ws WA Ms Full Changed social context of families taxpayer revenues. It's been difficult presents insurmountable barriers to keeping citizens focused on education in their use, successful schools. funding when large expenses such as we can convert data A Iststise st Mrs Belief that quality management is mandatory sewer construction require only achievable in Japan's culture public funds. into informa- tion that will Tudor u Sett-Easolsvsd Teaching is an independent, isolated F.Altsuesser profession without the collaboration Continuous improvement help us place needed for a quality approach. With an emphasis on continuous both student improvement, there is no rest. This is and program an important paradigm shift for evaluation in professionals accustomed to annual the proper perspective. school improvement. We are confident projects and programs as the defini- We have recognized the need to in our model, in part, because it is our tion of change. In our third year of apply quality management techniques own synthesis of knowledge and quality management in Newtown, we to problem solving at all levels of the experience. When we acknowledge face several major areas of emphasis. school system. In the short run, this that the student is the customer, We need to stay close to the means training a team of facilitators to learning is the product, and teaching customer, never thinking we know all be available throughout the district. In is the service, we put ourselves in the there is to know about the needs of the long run, it means that continuous position of achieving legitimate students and parents. While accep- improvement must guide our thoughts school improvement. tance for the idea of being customer and actions. oriented has grown, we really don't References know how to do it well. Long-Term Approach Convincing staff that our quality Any school district considering quality Freeston, K. R. (1992). "Other People's Theories."Education Week10, 23: 22. orientation is not a quick fix also management needs to struggle with its Glasser. W. (1984).Control Theory.New needs work. Our staff members have own issues and develop its own York: Harper and Row. centuries of combined experience with model; adopting another person's Glasser. W. (1990). TheQuality School. school leaders jumping on the band- model will be regarded as just another New York: Harper and Row. external pressure for change. Qualily Hay, L. E., and A. D. Roberts. (1989). wagon of the latest change. Deming's Curriculum for the Millennium: Trends claim that nearly 90 percent of all has already become a marked term in Shaping Our Futures.Fairfield. Conn.: organizational problems are manage- some educational circles. Journals, Connecticut ASCD. ment problems forces us, as school workshops, and consultants have Krupp..1. A. (1981). "Adult Development." leaders, to acknowledge we have a popularized, and thus diminished, its Photocopy from author. significance. In a very short time, Walton, M. (1986).The Deming Manage- past to overcome. mentMethod. New York: Putnam. Through training and application, some educators have taken a long- we want to expand our understanding term, continuous improvement model, and use of tools such as histograms, converted it to a quick fix, and killed it. Kenneth R.Freeston is Assistant Super- run charts, and Pareto charts. They The Newtown schools are com- intendent, Newtown Public Schools, 11 should be as common as plan books mitted to a long-term approach to Queen St., Newtown, CT 06470-2151. NOVEMBER 1992III 177 164 Quality Goes to School TQM IN TUPELO
By Marilee C. Rist
Stumbling on participatory management almost byaccident, Superintendent Mike Walters of Tupelo, Miss., finds the potver pie gets bigger every time you cut it
than WAS A HAPPY BUREAUCRAT," SAYS MIKE WAL- was so much more effective by giving power away ters, superintendent of the Tupelo (Miss.) I was before, it was amazing." schools,describinghis former approach to Today, he's chief of a 7,500-student, small-town dis- school administration. He recalls his years as trict in northern Mississippi, where teachersthat's assistant superintendent for instruction: "I was right, teachersare "reinventing" the schools. In Tu- Mr.I Curriculum. I decided what was written. I decided pelo, teachers have an open invitation to the superin- how it was written. I had a highly structured program tendent's office. They come with their ideas for improv- from the top down." It was the approach superinten- ing curriculum or restructuring how they teach.They dents across the country traditionally learnedby ob- come with proposals for institutingnongraded primary servation as well as by formal instruction. AndWalters school or multiage groupings or cooperative learning or honed it carefully over nearly two decades ashe integrated foreign-language teaching. They come with climbed the chairs from teacher to superintendentof requests for money to visit far-flungschool districts the Petal school district, near Mississippi's Gulf coast. where experiments in schooling are in progress or to "I think I [managed curriculum] as well as anybody attend seminars devoted to compelling topics in instruc- I've ever seen," Walters continues. Then one dayhe tion and teaching. had a disturbing insight: "It came to me that we were as And thanks to a local businessman's recent $3.5 mil- good as we were ever going to be," he says. "I realized lion contribution to the Tupelo r_.1loolsthe largest pri- the district wa never going to be any better than I was, vate gift to a school district in the historyof U.S. public because I had done it alland that scared me." educationMike Walters can say Yes to most of these That's when Mike Walters decided he had to find a requests for professional developmentexperiences. different approach. Not knowing what else to do, he Teachers in Tupelo can travel almost anywhere, take says, he started giving a bit ofauthority to others. His courses, bring in consultants, run seminars,and do found what they deem necessary to help the Tupelo schools surprising (and rather humbling) discovery: "I of out that most people in the schooldistrict were a lot achieve the school board's lofty goal: to become one smarter than I was," he says with a quietlaugh. "When the top 10 school districts in the nation. I gave them authority and trusted them, itsuddenly Walters endorses that vision, and he knows exactl; how he intends to achieve it: by investing in teachers. made me look real smart." who are This lesson in participatory management, which Wal- "We will never be any better than the, people ters says he stumbled upon quite byaccident, could teaching kids in these classrooms," he says emphati- have come straight from a textbook by W. Edwards cally. "If you want to be the best, you have to invest in Deming, the guni of total quality management.Indeed, teacherssupport their development, invest in practice, Walters has since learned aboutand wholeheartedly and underwrite the entrepreneurs out there." adoptedDeming's concept of continuous improve- ment, which builds on the meaningfulcontributions of Walters, 45, is a tall, good-natured man with an everyone in the organization. But theinitial discovery easygoing manner, a freewheeling openness to of sharing authority was an eye-opener for this un- school reform, and a mind eager to explore abashedly top-down manager. "I figured out the power promising new ways of educating kids. So muchdoes pie gets bigger every time you cut it," saysWalters. "I this superintendent relish talking to teachersand hear- ing their ideas that, shortly after stepping intoTupelo's the solid, imposing Marilee C. fiat is a senior editor of The Executive Educator. top job two years ago, he replaced The Executive Educator/June 1993 Quality Goes to School 165
wood door into the superintendent's inner sanctum Walters changed first. He's a far cry from that "happy with a clear glass door. bureaucrat" he says he was just a few years ago. How "That created an openness, and it's been appreci- did this personal change come about? What led a dyed- ated," says Janet Violette, president of the Tupelo Asso- in-th-wool, top-down bureaucrat to pluck his brain off ciation of Educators. the shelf and open his thinking to a whole new way of Walters' teacher-centered approach to reform has in- leading schools? stilled an unmistakable sense of pride in Tupelo's As Walters himself explains it, he had to find a differ- teachers. "When I visit other schools, [people) are al- ent waybecause the old way simply wasn't working. ways curious about who let me do this," says Sherry "I knew the system did not support teachers and stu- Pittman, a teacher at Church Street Elementary School, dents and did not respond to their needs," he says. where four teachers launched one of the district's first And, Walters adds, he didn't know another way to efforts at multiage grouping in the primary grades. make it more responsive. "I knew I could draw organi- Pittman says teachers in the districts she visits warn that zational charts, and I could go out and kick butts, but I she won't be able to replicate their success storiesthat knew our organization could not respond to our cus- it would cost too much or take too long. tomers." Her answer is one that few teachers anywhere in the He started talking to business leaders in Tupeloa country could give with confidence: "I say, 'Yes, I will town that, with just 30,000 residents, boasts an astonish- be able to. All I have to do is say I've determined this is ing 19 Fortune 300 companies. The challenge facing necessary to be successful, and somebody will find a business in Tupelo, these business people said, was the way for me to have it. imperative to remain competitive in an increasingly Pittman and her colleagues at Church Street School competitive global environment. And the tool they were all prime examples of Tupelo's approach to reinventing using to achieve that goal was total quality manage- schoolstalk enthusiastically about the changes they're ment, better known as TQM. Tupelo's business leaders, exploring and implementing in their classrooms. "Ev- says Walters, "told us what they need to be successful, erybody is having a great time with this. You almost and I asked them to help me achieve that in the school feel guilty because you're having so much fun," says district." one. "You're almost consumed by it," offers another, as From those initial talks, the school board has created others chime in about working at night, on weekends, an industry/education council that links local business on vacation. with the schools in some creative ways. For instance, Teachers even use personal time during the entire one company, Monarch Mirror, includes Tupelo teach- month of Augustwithout extra compensationto par- ers in training sessions on TQM. And an annual indus- ticipate in staff development programs, says Tefi Mc- try/education day brings business leaders to speak to Clay, an organizer for the Mississippi Association of Ed- Tupelo teachers on issues ranging from implementing ucators. the total-quality approach to preparing students for the And that's exactly the spirit Walters aims to instill. demanding work environment of the 21st century. (It "We don't require anybody to do anything," says Wal- was just such a speechin which one local business- ters. "Teachers are creating their version of the vision man said industry could never survive if it operated on and that's very important. I can't sell my vision to ev- nine-month cycles as schools do, starting all over again erybody in the school district, nor should I. Everybody every fallthat led the Church Street School teachers to has different talents and interests, and everybody de- consider multiage groupings of students.) serves [his or her) version of the vision." As Walters describes it, the fundamental assumptions of the quality approachincluding the concepts of con- Tupelo enjoys a long-standing reputation as a lead- tinuous improvement and of involving employees in ing light among Mississippi's school districts. For the process of improvin3 service throughout the sys- the past 15 years, the district has led the state on temhave led him to question many traditional as- such measures as college entrance examination sumptions about schooling. And through that question- scoresand it was proud to send Walters' predecessor, ing, Walters (and others in Tupelo) are coming up with Richard Thompson, on to become state superintendent some innovative solutions to old problems. of instruction. Board president Claude Hartley notes Example: Walters says he's long been troubled by that the town has a great sense of civic pride. When the the kids the system failsthe students who drop out school board announced its intention several years ago mentally long before they actually drop out of school. to make the district one of the 10 best in the nation, The traditional solution has been to "remediate them," Hartley says, everyone in town stood solidly behind the he says, adding that he finds the very notion of remedi- decision. ation disturbing. Walters calls on a metaphor from man- But even with the district's record of success and its ufacturing to explain: "When industry looks at costs, willingness to aim ever higher, the changes going on in one of the major costs is reworkwhich means some- Tupelo today signify a quantum leap from schooling of thing got out of the system that didn't meet specifica- the past. Hartley is quick to give credit where he says tions," he says. The answer is "to come back, drill it, fix it's due: The community wants outstanding schools, itor scrap it. Rework is a major cost." and the board established the vision, he says, but the Walters says he started thinking about how much the individual responsible for taking district in its current school district spends on "rework"through retention, direction is the superintendent. remediation, special education, and alternative school- And if Tupelo has changed, it's largely because Mike ing. Out of a $27 million budget, he says, Tupelo
The Executive Educator/June 1993 17) 166 Quality Goes to School
spends $4 million a year reworking: "A systems person thrown wide open. And that's scary." As Walters sees it. would say that if we spent $2 million working on the this fear of taking risks is natural, and the solution lies process to prevent the rework, we would save $2 in driving fear out of the organizationanother TQM lion." imperative. "If we imply in any way that teachers who With that line of thinking motivating him, Walters is are trying to get out there on the edge are going to be pushing for greater emphasis on early childhood and harmed in way if they fail, they aren't going to do it," primary educationand on working with parents to be he says. effective teachers for their children. "We've adopted the The community, too, has concerns about what all motto from American business that says, `Do it right the this change means, says board president Hartley. "You first time,- he says. can't get out too far in front of your community," he He's also come up with the idea of opening a new cautions. "The community has to understand the middle school "for kids who've fallen two grades be- change." He describes the process as moving ahead, hind and are waiting to drop out." The difference be- then hesitating long enough to answer people's ques- tween this school and the traditional approach: Stu- tions. "If you don't bring community along," says dents will enter an accelerated program instead of a Hartley, "you ensure that reform will fail." remediation program. "All the rules are off," Walters Violette puts it another way: "Right now, our biggest says. "We've already lost on these kids,o we have obstacle is communication," she says. She cites the nothing to lose." The aim of the Fast Track Program, as Walters calls it, will be to bring students rapidly back up to grade level "by invent- ing high-quality work that these kids will engage in." High-quality work:That'sa phrase you hear often from Wal- tersand just about anyone else you meet in the Tupelo schools. They also call it "knowledge work." It'saconcept Waltershas adapted from Phillip Schlechty of the Center for Leadership in School Reform, based in Louisville, Ky, As Walters explainsit,knowledge work consists of meaningful work for studentswork that grows out of real-world experiences; work that helps students understand how to apply what they learn. In fact, as Walters sees it, the product of schools is the work presented to kidsnot, as many educators be- lieve, the kids themselves. 4. "The product can't be the kids," he says. "Kids are the customers." The job of teachers is to take the raw materialthat is, the curricu- lumand create work that kids will buy. Put another way, says Waltertz, "If you want to need for communication among teachersso they're look at the product, look at what educators actually informed about what's going on across the district in do." Teachers plan work and learning experiences for diffe1.ent schools and classroomsand with parents, so students, he says. "If you start working on the work they understand the changes taking place in their chil- and improving the work every dayyou start inventing dren's classrooms. work these customers will buy." Over time, Waite Walters acknowledges this is high-risk stuffuscary says, this approach can transform the classroom. work," he calls it. "But the thing that keeps me going is knowing that it's doableif you can get tradition and Not surprisingly, not everyone has embraced Wal- convention and the old bureaucratic thinking out of the ters' faith in continuous improvementor even way." Thosenot lack of abilityare the barriers to the district's new approach to teacher-initiated long-lasting change, he says. "What we're doing is change. Janet Violette acknowledges some teachers are changing the way we think," he says, and that's a pro- reluctant to take on the unaccustomed levels of respon- foundand inevitably destabilizingeffort. To Walters, sibility. "The district used to teach by objective, and if school restructuring is not a list of programs or a step- the students didn't get it, we'd reteach it," she says. "We by-step manual: "It's a way of thinking. But it's doable. came out of that tight structure to where the doors are The question is, do we have the will to do it" 01]
The Executive Educator/June 1993 rD C BEST COPY AVAILABLE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHCOL PRINCIPALS
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2 OCTOBER 1992
Quality Management for Schools
Dorothy Mulligan
By 1983. one-third of the whose management principles helped ken into simple, repetitive steps. Al- American companiesin Japan become a world economic though defects were often found, prof- the1970 "Fortune 500" power. A statistician who had worked its were large enough to cover repairs were no longer listed, and for the U.S. Census Bureau, Deming or replacements. Quality was not a many of those remaining had lost con- first went to Japan in 1947 to help that major issue; production was. siderable market shares to foreign com- nation prepare for its first postwar How times have changed. The U.S., petitors. Xerox. for instance. lost half census. Impressed by his quality con- which once had more than 20 manu- its market r,hare between 1976 and trol methods. Japanese business lead- facturers of television sets, now has 1982. and Ford lost $1.6 billion in ers invited him to return in 1950, at a only one. Many American companies 1980 alone. time when "Made in Japan" was syn- find it difficult to compete not only in Xerox and Ford. however, are onymous for junk. and "Made in the world market but in the domestic among the U.S. firms that have made U.S.A." symbolized quality. market. remarkable comebacks. By cutting its Deming lectured to the Japanese What happened? Why did Ameri- manufacturing costs in half and radi- that the consumer was the most im- can consumers begin to perceive Japa- cally decreasing the number of defec- portant part of the production line, nese cars as having better quality than tive parts over the last decade. Xerox and that they must produce quality those made in Detroit? is again competitive in the global mar- goods for a world market by working Perhaps a clue lies in a statement ket. And this year. Ford may overtake with their suppliers to gain control made a few years ago by Chrysler's Honda in auto sales in the U.S. over the entire manufacturing process. leader Lee Iacocca: "The purpose of Xerox and Ford achieved these The Japanese listened and learned, this company is to make money." In turnarounds by committing themselves then applied the lessons. contrast, Japan's Nissan has consis- to a new style of management. They Meanwhile, in the postwar years were among the first major corpora- American companies were producing tions to join what is being called the and selling a wide range of consumer Dorothy Mulligan is editor quality revolution. goods. from cars and carpets to ofQuest forQuality,the lawnmowers and furniture, to eager newsletter of theVirginia Beginnings in Japan buyers around the world. Our indus- Department of Education's The father of the quality revolu- trial system employed mostly un- Commitment to Quality Project. tion is generally acknowledged to be skilled, poorly educated workers on W. Edwards Deming, an American assembly lines where jobs were bro-
181 168 Quality Goes to School
tently defined its goala.;building "the highest quality trucks sold in North Applying Deming's 14 Points to Schools America." In 1980, many Americans were in- Here is how the public schools of Petersburg, Virginia, translate W. Edwards troduced to the concept of quality man- Deming's 14 principles for total quality management: agement by a 90-minute NBC News program called. "If Japan Can. Why Can't We?" The program examined the I. Create a constancy of purpose.All resources are aimed at student develop- ment. All programs that consume critical resources are examined systematically ways that Japanese industry had and those that do not contribute to student achievement are eliminated. adopted Deming's management meth- ods to produce a variety of quality prod- 2.Adopt a new philosophy.We refuse to accept the idea that students cannot learn at high levels under the right conditions of teaching and learning. ucts that consistently outsold those 3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality.We no longer wait until made in the U.S. the end of the year to measure student progress. Assessment occurs on a daily basis. American executives began visit- We understand and agree upon the various meanings of "outcomes." ing Japanese plants to learn more about 4.Stop awarding business solely on the basis of price.In the long run, high their operation. They came away im- quality produces lower cost. We now choose, use, and evaluate facilities, text- pressed by the widespread use of qual- books, technologies, and other resources based on statistical evidence of success ity practices. As a result, a number of of the particular product. American industries and government 5. Constantly improve every system.There is potential for improvement in each agencies have instituted quality man- step taken to create or upgrade school programs and services. We continually agement programs based on Demings identify barriers and seek workable solutions to improve processes. 14-point system(see box). 6. Institute training on the job.A wide range of internal and external resources are used for the managerial. professional. and technical development of all personnel. Quality Management in Schools 7 . Institute leadership.We believe the job of management is not to tell people As in industry, the productivity of what to do, but rather to lead people in the right L'irection. We emphasize the any school depends mostly on the skill quality of the total program rather than individual behaviors. of those who directly manage the work- 8.Drive out fear.We believe that one of the best ways to help an individual ersthe teachers. But according to acquire a good self-image is not to do anything to damage it. We are committed to Deming. their success depends almost rebuilding and nurturing an environment in which trust and respect can be applied completely on how well they. in turn, to what is said, heard, read, and written. are managed by the administrators 9.Break down barriers between departments.We break down barriers by above them.(Glasser,The Quality problem solving through teamwork, and combining the efforts of people from School) differentschool areas. 10.Eliminate slogans.We believe that school employees should always strive Are Deming's quality management to improve; however. olving all problems at one time can nevertake place. Our techniques applicable to education? only slogan is that "Our Children Are Our Future." Virginia's Department of Education
I1. Eliminate numerical goals and quotas.We place less emphasis on numeri- thinks so. In 1989, it received a federal cal goals and more on individual student progress. demonstrating our commitment grant to test the idea. With the help of to a long-term process. the Xerox Corporation. the department 12.Remove barriers that rob people of pride in workmanship.We encourage has provided quality management train- nonthreatening, two-way communications on quality outcomes between all levels ing and support for school personnel in of the organization. several school districts. 13.Promote employee education and self-improvement.School districts must One Virginia school that is piloting provide all employees with training in quality leadership, measurement, analysis, a quality management program is problem solving, self-evaluation, and assertiveness training. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School 14.Structure management to accomplish the transformation.Educational in Prince William County. Principal leaders must move from traditional management practices toward quality manage- Robin Sweeney and every McAuliffe ment processes geared toward problem prevention. We believe that such a trans- staff member have undergone the same formation must come by evolution, not by revolution, and that everyone in the four-day quality training that all new school system--including principals, teachers, support staff, students, parents. and Xerox employees receive. The program community partners--is responsible for helping to bring it about. has three basic threads: From "Toward a System of Total Quality Management: Applying the Deming Approach to the Education Setting," by Willis B. McLeod, Brenda A. Spencer. and Interactive skills.How to initiate, Leon T. Hairston.ERS Spectrum10 (Spring 1992). react to, and clarify ideas. Problem-solving skills.How to Quality Goes to School 169 identify and analyze problems. collect Staff members also team up. on making decisions. The school's Parent and display appropriate data, and se- their own time, to write grant applica- Advisory Council conducts a needs aF- lect. implement. and evaluate solutions. tions for innovative programs. As a sessment each year and sends that data The quality improvement process. result, McAuliffe has received $1,100 to McAuliffe's Faculty Advisory Howto identify the "customer" and for a mentor program for new teach- Council, which also solicits input from the product or service that represents ers; a $10,000 Chapter 2 grant for the all school employees before identify- "output": how to plan. organize, and school's McKids program, in which ing specific needs and setting goals to monitor for quality. teachers and high school students tu- meet them. tor at-risk children: and a $100,000 A problem thatarose when Has this training made a difference grant from the Virginia Department of McAuliffe's fifth graders moved on to at McAuliffe? Education to further develop its a middle school where the staff had not "Yes, definitely," says Principal ungraded developmental program. had quality training, was resolved when Parents are also involved in qual- Sweeney. "Traditionally,when a Principal Sweeney informed the middle new program is introduced, only the ity management. Parent-teacher con- school staff that "we were their suppli- principal gets the training. Quality ferenceshavebecomethree-way ers and we wanted to know how to training is different. At our school. conversations, with the child included serve them better." everyone has been trained, everyone in portfolio reviews and goal-setting. As a result. IBM, one of the el- feels ownership. Under the district's site-based man- ementary school's business partners, The quality training program em- agement program, staff and parents invited staff members from both phasizes Deming's insistence that a meet to decide how the school's bud- schools to its training center, where commitment to continuous improve- get of $1.6 million will be spent. they were asked questions about how ment must start with leadership and students could be better prepared for extend throu2hout the organization. Using Data middle school. The resulting data indi- At McAuliffe, all meetings follow In keeping with Deming's prescrip- cated that fifth graders needed better quality guidelines. They start and end tionsforqualitymanagement. organizational skills, and that learning on time. The participants are punctual. McAuliffe uses data extensively in disability teachers at both schools participate actively, and listen to one another with no interruptions or side conversatThns. They respect the References agenda, share responsibility, and reach consensus decisions. American Association of School Admilistrators.Total Quality for Schools: A Collec- Quality management is also prac- tion of Articles on the Concepts of Total Quality Management and W. Edwards Deming. ticed by the students. They strive to do Arlington, Va.: the Association, 1991. things correctly right from the start. They know and use interactive skills. Aguayo, Rafael.Dr. Deming: The American Who Taught the Japanese about Quality. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990. especially brainstorming. They love to assign roles for "meetings." In a coop- Deming, W. Edwards.Out of the Crisis.Cambridge, Mass.: Massachusetts lostitute of erative learning session, for example. Technology, Center for Advanced Engineering Study, 1986. a first grader will say. "I'll be the one who keeps us doing what we're sup- Dobyns, Lloyd and Crawford-Mason, Clare.Quality or Else.Boston: Houghton posed to do." while another volunteers Mifflin. 1991. to be the timekeeper. Gabor, Andrea.The Man Who Discovered Quality.New York: Random House, 1990. Using Teamwork Teamwork is what makes quality Glasser,William. The Quality School: Managing Students without Coercion. New management work at McAuliffe. The York: Harper Collins, 1986. staff members most affected by deci- McLeod, Willis B.; Spencer, Brenda A.: and Hairston, Leon T. "Toward a System of ns arc those who help make them. Total Quality Management: Applying the Derning Approach to the Education Setting." Teachers volunteer for many jobs. ERS Spectrum10 (Spring 1992). ranging from production of the school's annual spring musical to de- Walton, Mary.Deming Management at Work.New York: Putnam Publishing veloping the master schedule. (Princi- Group, 1990. pal Sweeney says she did not receive a single complaint last year after the Walton, Mary.The Deming Management Method.New York: Putnam Publishing teachers committee planned the Group, 1986. schedule
182 170 Quality Goes to School
needed to talk face-to-face about teacher in the traditional role of in- ilraders scored at or above the 50th individual students. struction deliverer. Instead, one sees percentile on the Iowa Tests of Basic children learning and discovering, with Skills in 1990-91. It Really Works the teacher serving as a facilitator. Does quality management work in motivating and leading students while an elementary school? providing information, feedback, and PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY "Yes," Sweeney says emphati- rei nforcement. cally. "Our climate has become This article is in support of these Although a sizeable number of standards from Proficiencies for Prin- charged with enthusiastic people. I McAuliffe's 640-plus students come cipals (NAESP 1991): have to chase the teachers out of the to school without preschool experi- Leadership Proficiencies. The building." ence or consistent parent support, their principal explores, assesses, develops, and McAuliffe's teachers are excited morale is high. Attendance was 95.9 implements educational concepts that en- about the change. They say that quality percent last year, and 99 percent were hance teaching and learning. management has enabled them to use promoted to the next grade level. Supervisory Proficiencies. The their time more wisely and efficiently. Achievement levels are high, too. principal sets high expectations for It has also given them the skills to do More than 89 percent of McAuliffe's students, staff, parents, and self. their job better by minimizing "de- students work at or above grade level Management Proficiencies. The fects" and "rework." principal provides a safe, orderly cli- in reading, and 93 percent of the sec- mate for learning. Rarely does one see a McAuliffe ond graders and 88 percent of the fourth
Streamlined Semmar (ISSN 0735-0023) is published six times during the school year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Singl, copies: $2.50: bulk orders ( II) or more): $2.00 ea. Virginia residents add 4.5% sales tax. Specify date and title of issue when ordering. Checkspayable t NAESP must accompany order. Send to Educational Products. NAESP. 1615 Duke Street. Alexandria. Virginia22314-3483 Quality Goes to School 171 If You Can Count It, You, 1 Can Improve It iffr Total Quality Transformation Better Handle on Syste
BY ROBERT H. BENDER Superintendent. Crawford Central School District, Meadville. Pennsylvania
Crawford Central School District System for Processing Work Requests
Deism ol I 5.11..01., 1 Secriny 1 Principali Fruildn71 Dispatcher DN.. er Hy first direct ex- Manner &Won team from iii.Crawford posure to total Setwcos Central School District quality man- joined groups from the Proopal Renewed Sorted 14. Subervi Request Reviewed local medical center, the agement and the work of Reqursrhon reparation Appovalr Sy and and Building Scheduled library, and a pet food W. Edwards Deming was Manager by ()sector of Suwon manufacturer.Sensing not a result of attending a Services Funding potential benefits, the conference, reading a jour- Source Proveled Assyns Crawford Central school nal, or talking to a col- Work league. Orders board approved the ex- Perlonns penditure of funds for the My discovery of TQM Work training. happened whenI was Files Work We chose the work order elected to the board of Order Adana...Woes system in the school district directors of the Meadville Wont Done to Rawest°, as our project through Area Chamber of Com- and Fan merce.Meadville,the WCIA 0,041,--I4 Slird'Rnnocia°7 which we would receive county seat of Crawford TQT training. Over the County, Pa., is located a years, I received incessant few miles south of Erie One tool to help us understand our W07* better is the flow chart shown above. Uue complain ts about repairs re- and directly north of Pitts- to incessant complaints, we selected our WOth request system to examine closer quested and work delayed. burgh. These complaints were reg- While attending chamber board Training Under Way ularly expressed at meetings of my Staff meetings, I heard some business peo- in 1989, the Crawford County Excel- Advisory Council, an elected group of pie proclaim the benefits and oppor- lence Council was established and teachers representing the district's nine tunities of incorporating total quality continues to be a driving force be- schools. management into their firms opera- hind TQM and its training compo- Moreover, the problems of uncom- tions. The discussions were electrify- nent, total quality transformation. pleted work orders were affecting mor- ing and quickly piqued my interest as TQT represent5 a series of training ale. Consequently, we jumped at the superintendent of a 5,000-student sessions involving the Derning Cycle chance to solve this vexing problem. school district. of Plan-Do-Study-Act. Specifically, We met Carole and David Schwinn, Chamber board members had an plans are made to improve a quantifi- total quality transformation specialists opportunity to meet Myron Tribus, a able system, improvement actions are from Jackson Community College in national advocate for TQM and excel- carried out, results are studied, and if Jackson, Mich., at the first training lence in the delivery of goods and ser- successful, staff act to standardize the session. The Schwinns were invalu- vices. He encouraged the chamber to gains in efficiency and effectiveness. able tc, all the teams as we threaded establish a local excellence council. The Excellence Council organized our way through TQT, the Deming suggesting the spinoffs from a council a number of teams from localbusi- Cycle, and the rich variety of quantita- would challenge the local public and nesses and public agencies to partici- tive tools they taught us. private sectors to adopt TQM. pate in the initial TQT training. A The teams met during seven full days
24 THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 18E 172 Quality Goes to School
between November 1989 and March 1990. The training was intensive, rigor- Control Chart ous, and, perhaps most importantly, lib- 20 erating in new ways to think about and 19 attack problems in the school district. 18 Here are some aspects of TQT in detail. 17 Getting Started 16 15 UCL The first step in the training was a 14 project selection workshop. The train- 13 ers were zealous in ensuring our work ,12 order problems represented the basis - 11 for a viable project. 3 ..-10 Ez First, we verified that an actual sys- tem was involved. A system is defined :29 /N7 zg 8 as a series of distinct steps involving 7 several people who are engaged in ac- 6 tivity that can be quantified. Exam- 5 ples of quantification might be the 4 number of units produced or hours 3 or days in which to complete some 2 task. The trainers put their stamp of 1 approval on the work order system as 0 the basis for our first project. The next step was to select the pro- Work Requests and Days From Submission to Completion ject team members. Adhering to the axiom that composition of a team is The control chart (above) wo used to track requests for wodi orders in the Cninford Central School Disnict. project-driven, we selected key people Each work request was recorded on the horizontal axis at the bottom. The number of days it took to respond who were involved in the initiating, re- to the requests were listed vertically on the left side of the chart. Th, solid horizontal line represents an average ceiving, routing, assigning, dispatch- of 10 days of response lime to work requests. The broken line above it depicts the Upper COnfrol limit of 15 ing, completing, and verifying of work daysany irsponse time above the UCI. signals that the system is unstable. The chart meals that two requests orders. The team included a school- exceeded the five-day variance above the average and needed to be investigated to determine the rause. based secretary, principal, dispatcher, maintenance supervisor, tradesper- son, and myself as superintendent. Charting the Flow cal response time. The chart graphi- During previous discussions, Tribus A word about the training model cally told us how significant the prob- strongly recommended that a CEO the Schwinns engaged one team at a lem was and why it became a caldron not delegate responsibility for intro- time in intense discussion while' the of staff complaints. In Statistical Pro- ducing TQT into an organization, other four groups listened and, at cess Control parlance, our system was Consequently, I joined the team to times, raised questions or offered ad- unstable and out of control. emphasize my commitment to it. vice. In this way, each of the five teams We were trained to focus upon the The team drafted a project statement learned about flow charts, data gath- work requests that exceeded the rea- as a guide: "Improve the work order sys- ering, and ultimately all the TQT sonable response time. In the world tem by decreasing the response time steps and tools five times in different of total quality transformation, these from initiation of requests for repairs to project contexts. problem areas are examined for completion of the work, without com- We then drew data samples regard- extraordinary or "special" causes of promising safety or quality." ing the number of days required to re- which several were discovered. These The next session was devoted to ex- spond to requests for repairs of included work requests for which nec- planations of the Deming Cycle, project school district property and equip- essary parts were on back order, un- flow diagram, and quantitative lools. ment and to complete the work. available sites where work was re- Our first assignment was to construct a These data were converted into an av- quested because of class activities, and flow chart of the work order system. erage response time for work re- requests which were actually long- Some seven drafts of the flow chart quests. Then, using Statistical Process term maintenance projects. later, we finally felt secure the system Control and a tool called a Control The trainers shepherded the teams was thoroughly and visually described. Chart, we learned how to compute through the next step which was to Then, extended training time was reasonable and statistical variance generate improvement theory. At this devoted to selecting the most appro- from the average response time. step, we discovered the main culprit priate data-gathering methods. We When we examined our control of the system: the work request form. had to identifi/ very specifically what chart, we discovered some work re- The form included no time refer- data would help us to pierce the sys- quests required more days to com- ences in sufficient detail and se- tem and uproot the problems in it. plete than the reasonable and statisti- quence to assign responsibility for the
NOVEMBER 199125
1 S Quality Goes to School 173
orderly processing of work requests. Moreover, key positions in the work request system were not included on the form. To make an incomplete docu- 514 4441i 414441 144 ment worse, items such as trash removal 144;444411 la 1.4e4e.44 were included on the form despite this service being contracted out years previ- ously. To the point, we probably would :446di 144. not have analyzed, diagnosed, discussed, and solved the problems inherent in the system without TQT. of the projects' results. Planning for this ing were conducted by the Excellence The primary remedy was a re- presentation served to reinforce knowl- Council for Meadville area firms and designed work request form. The new edge and skills related to the Deming agencies. The school district also pur- form includes a time-referenced track- Cycle, the steps in project development, sued its commitment to TQT with fol- ing system whereby all staff can be and the use of SPC. Subsequently, I pre- low-up projects. held accountable for speedy process- sented a description of the project and I am trying to expand the base of ing of work requests. its results to the school board. staff people in Crawford Central Second, I issued a directive that no TQT projects have a timeless fea- School District who are trained in TQT work would be done unless and until a ture to them so project team mem- To do so, three additional projects and work order form was submitted. As a bers should ensure that periodic data teams were identified. The projects are contingency, we had a separate system samples are drawn and analyzed in focused upon systems which are, of ne- to respond to emergency work requests. perpetuity. ibis tactic is necessary to cessity, quantifiable. A brief review of prevent backsliding into old habits by them illustrates the versatility and Reinforcing Skills people in the system. power of TQT. The five teams participating in TQT Since our project experience with training conducted public presentations TQT, four additional rounds of train- Future Assignments Frst, we are analyzing the time required to respond to requests for computer repairs and to restore the machines to on-line service. Teachers depend upon serviceable computers for important technical instruction. A second project is examining the time to respond to requests for psy- chological referrals and the resulting decisions regarding student place- ments. We all know how important timely as well as accurate diagnoses of students' serious learning problems are to the instructional process. Third, a project team is studying the problem of purchase orders re- sulting in the excessive delay in receiv- ing goods and services. Again, this sys- tem directly affects instruction. Ready to gather initial data for these three projects, we anticipate sig- nificant improvements after applying TQT to these systems. Total quality transformation repre- sents a collection of skills and tools, proven to be effective in industry, that will be used increasingly to solve prob- lems in the service sector. Public school districts render services that are sup- ported by many quantifiable systems. With visible and sustained commit- ment by superintendents and other top managers, applications of TQT can result in improved quality of edu- cational programs and services.
26THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 18' 174 Quality Goes to School
Quality Savings: Reducing the Cost of Poor Quality
By Wendy M. Cu Bar and Terre Ile Buckner
The Florida Schoolyear 2000 Initiative The following principles applied to is a large-scale, systemic,and comprehen- each process that was flowcharted: sive effort to increase the productivity of public school students in Florida by devel- Build on success. Team members oping, testing, and implementing a tech- were asked to select a process that nology-based system of schooling. clearly needed improvement. Project The Initiative incorporates the con- facilitators felt that if the tools of qual- cepts of learner-centered outcomes, sys- ity could not make a difference in tems design, quality systems, and the obvious cases, there was little hope capacities of new technologies. It is jointly that the tools would be effective with sponsored by the Florida Legislature, Flor- less obvious applications. ida Department of Education, Florida school districts,and the Center for Educa- Target 2 0 percent savings. The goal tional Technology at the Florida State here was not to set a specific target, University. but rather to specify the kind of sav- It is creating the new tools and pro- ings that could be achieved, such as cesses for implementing the Florida Ac- time, money, number of steps in a countability and School Improvement process, etc. effort known as Blueprint 2000. The systems approach to the redesign Begin with a flowchart. Team facili- and development of schooling guides the tators felt that each district should Florida Schoolyear 2000 Initiative. start at a common place, but should This initiative began with the intensive also be free to develop their improve- study of research on curriculum, instruc- ment process independently. tion, assessment, mission, student and family services, electronic systems, fi- Write the procedures using guide- nance, logistics, and quality. lines from The Quality System. The next step was to develop design Frank Caplan, consultant on this requirements and work plans for each area project, provided workshops and and for the system as a whole based on maintained an 800 number for instant the most current research and good prac- training. In his book, The Quality tices. Because quality impacts the func- System: A Sourcebook for Managers tioning of all other areas of the Initiative, and Engineers, he outlines the struc- one design team is devoted exciusively to ture followed by this project: flow- quality issues. chart, playscript, revise, test, re- Members of the Quality Systems de- revise. sign team needed to understand the dy- namics of quality and how to describe and The Quality Plan control processes. This report documents Following Caplan's plan, the proce- the team's first experience in flowcharting dures that document process control are school-based process within a quality developed as follows:1) select a process system. for improvement, 2) flowchart the selected Our experience has encouraged us to process in its current form, 3) change the continue to use basic quality tools to im- process and measure improvement, and 4) prove current processes and to build the report savings. quality system based on the success of 1. Select a process: Each district was demonstrated quality savings. asked to select one process that was oper-
lbE Quality Goes to School 175
ating at less-than-optimal performance for improvement. Each district did, however, application of the quality plan. Selected experience an improvement that yielded processes were employment application; quantifiable success. Process improve- attendance zone variance; grade reports; ment is a never-ending activity of the absentee monitoring process; referrals for Schoolyear 2000 quality system. exceptional students; psycho-educational referrals; and Section 504 procedures for Levy County students with disabilities Ed Lovely undertook to revise the 2. Flowchart the process: A flowchart, absentee monitoring process for Levy according to Caplan, is "a diagram that County. From his previous experience in indicates the sequence of events and pro- the schools, he knew how involved the vides a basic outline of what is contained process was and felt sure of the support in the written portion of the procedure." he would receive from the district princi- The object of this portion of the exercise pals' committee. was to "outline the general pattern of The absentee monitoring process was events" in the selected process. a 20-step process when he undertook the Flowcharting was accomplished man- quality review. Through detailed flow- ually or with flowcharting software. Each charting and playscripting, he cut the work team brought its plan to Tallahassee number of steps in half, eliminated the in December 1992 to share experiences. petitioning committee, and reduced the Frank Caplan reviewed the plans and gave number of mailings per student trom eight specific suggestions for continuous im- to three. provement. Besides these benefits, he also re- The final flowchart is used to write a duced the workload on each assistant playscript. Playscripts ("presentation of principal and attendance clerk and saved the materials as a play is commonly writ- department chairs from having to allocate ten") expand the flowchart by adding infor- time to petitioning committees. mation on "who does what when." Lovely is currently undertaking quality 3.Change the process and measure reviews on three other districtwide pro- improvements: Charting the exact se- cesses. quence of how a process occurs and who takes part in each portion of the sequence Orange County provided each district's quality team with The Orange County quality team re- the information they needed to improve viewed the grade reporting process for selected processes and identify resource middle and high schools. Representatives savings from their modifications. from the districts Information Systems After a playscript was created, team Department, state and local Schoolyear members identified parts of sequences of 2000 design teams, and administrators the process that could be improved, and and staff from the secondary feeder pat- then wrote new procedures. The new tern schools began the quality review procedures were tested and revised until based on an initial flowchart produced by team members were satisfied that they Information Systems. had achieved success. Team members reviewed the flowchart 4. Report the savings: Measurements and made several changes to clarify the of resource savings were collected for each process. Next, they incorporated detailed modification. Savings among the districts information from the schools into the flow- were measured in terms of time, personnel chart to present a complete picture of the hours, number of steps, supplies, and entire process. computer time. The original process generated about 800 reports every nine weeks. On average, Reports from the Districts each report was 50 pages long and took Not all of the seven participating dis- two minutes to print. By making two tricts reached the same level of process changes to this process, the quality review 176 Quality Goes to School
team was able to save 35,000 sheets of speedier dissemination of information to paper ($532 annually) and 24 hours of teachers for devising strategies, reduction computer time (48 personnel hours, in parent stress, fewer phone calls to ad- $2,600 annually). ministrators, and ultimately, more timely Because of their successes with the help for students. grade reporting process, the district is now The quality review team is now wox applying the quality review to automate ing on determining a reasonable amount of the student attendance process. wait time for further streamlining. Madison County Paseo County Madison County began the quality Dr. Myndall Stanfill, Assistant Super- process by reviewing the referral process intendent of Human Resources Develop- for exceptional students. ment, headed Pasco County's quality re- Team leader Stuart Fenneman had view team. several reasons for wanting to begin with Upon returning to her district with the this process. First, she felt that the refer- task of implementing a quality review, ral process was already streamlined and Stanfill asked the director of personnel to therefore would be an easier training recommend a process improvement need ground for learning the quality process within his department. He identified a than more complicated processes. How- problem that had arisen when a supervi- ever, she also knew that the referral pro- sor of personnel position was vacated and cess could be made even more efficient, economic conditions precluded filling the especially because the district has more position immediately. control over this process than is the case One duty of that position was staffing in other areas. the administrator selection process. Finally, making the referral process Through explicit flowcharting and play- more efficient would reduce the amount of scripting, the director, two personnel as- time parents had to wait between initiation sistants, and Stanfill determined that of the process and their meeting with about one-fifth of the supervisor's time school staff to learn the results. This had been devoted to the selection process. would make the process more customer- Their analysis made them decide that friendly and would free up staff who were the various responsibilities associated with contacted repeatedly by parents wanting the process, including many clerical tasks. results before they were available. could easily be reassigned to a personnel How the process should work under assistant already employed within the ideal circumstances was not known before department. the quality team's review, so the task was Team members were not able to elimi- to identify what actually was happening in nate the needs for the Supervisor of Per-' the schools. Because the same process is sonnel position, but they were able to in place at every school in the district, reapportion the workload so that manage- team members were able to ask guidance ment time is not spent on clerical duties. counselors, administrators, teachers, and Besides the $7,600 savings for the parents from throughout the district to district (one-fifth of an entry-level supervi- review their work and offer suggestions. sor's salary and benefits), Stanfill expects The initial quality review eliminated that when the district advertises for its 20 minutes from each of the district's 300 next pool of administrators, the Adrn ais- annual referrals. The revised process is trator Selection Process will run more already being used by guidance counsel- smoothly and efficiently. ors, teachers, clerical staff, and adminis- trators in Madison County. Mrs. Fenne- Santa Rosa County man sees other districts using the process Santa Rosa County elected to apply with slight modifications. Benefits from the quality process to Section 504 proce- the streamlined referral process include dures for studelics with disabilities. Joel Quality Goes to School 177
Corley, director of exceptional student mance problems, emotional distress, or education and quality work gioup leader, social dysfunctions, parents or school chose this process to help the district personnel can initiate the process to iden- comply with a federally mandated law that tify the source of the student's problem. requires physical, programmatic, and Previously, the evaluation began by sub- technical modifications to provide equal jecting the student to a large battery of access for students with disabilities who psychological and intelligence tests, cost- are not in special education progams. ing the school $250 per evaluation. Before this exercise, no official 504 Bray's expectation for the quality re- process was followed by the schooldistrict. view process was to reduce the number of Corley wrote the procedures manual using full-scale evaluations and to avoid assign- flowcharting and playscripting techniques, ing confidence-damaging labels to children and then asked a team of district person- who were capable of succeeding in the nel, school administrators, and teachers to classroom, given the proper interventions review his work. and help. The process is being applied this When labels such as emotionally han- spring semester, and necessary modifica- dicapped, learning disabled, or educable tions are being identified. To date, Corley mental handicaps are assigned to a child, knows that they must incorporate regu- two to three times the normal funds must larly scheduled data processing runs into be allocated to serve that child, Under the workflow along with a check to ensure certain conditions children so-labeled that every school has entered the neces- could continue to function within the reg- sary data. Revisions to the processwill be ular classroom rather than being assigned complete by fall. to a special education class. Because the quality review was ap- Although the quality review has not plied to a new process, baseline data is not yet been completed, Bray hopes that the available for comparing cost savings. district will be able to save about $20,000 However, the district is now in compliance by serving students in regular classrooms with the law and has done so without add- rather than assigning them to special ing staff or resources. programs. Beyond the cost savings, the new Volusia County referral process will save staff time and The problem of Zone School Variance parent emotional stress and will eliminate Application was selected by Bill Tindall be- wait time between problem identification cause it affected several other areaswithin and solution. the Volusia County School District. Fur- ther, there were special processes for psy- Summazy chological, physical handicaps, medical, These seven districts, working collabo- curriculum, employment, racial balance, ratively, constructed the foundation of a and administrative variance. The flow- quality system for the Florida Schoolyear chart analysis suggested ways to improve 2000 Initiative. Using problems that were each process by type of variance and im- important to their districts, Quality Work prove the whole process fordetermining Team members individually applied skills zone school variance request criteria. learned through meetings with Frank Cap- lan and other experts to identify each step Dixie County in the process, review the process forinef- James Bray, director of exceptional ficiency, and revise the process repeatedly student education and student services of until it met their standard. the Dixie County School System, selected Quality savings, measured in time, the referral for psychoeducational evalua- dollars, and better customer service, are tion because it was an obvious cost-saving summarized in the table below. Above and target. beyond the cost savings, the districts When students have school perfor- leanied to apply the quality review pro-
191 178 Quality Goes to School
cess. Their successes with its initial appli- cation will undoubtedly lead to future analyses of increasingly complex problems.
Calculated Savings
Levy 10-step process reduced to five steps Orange Personnel hours savings of $2,600 and savings of $532 a year for supplies and computer time Madison 20 minutes less time for each referral @300 referrals per year Pasco Personnel hours savings of $7,000 (annually) Santa Rosa New Section 504 process added with no new personnel hours Volusia Personnel-hours savings of $23,000 (annually) Dixie Cost-savings of $20,000 expected (annually)
Dr. Qatar is Program Director of The Florida Schoolyear 2000 Initiative; Ms. Buckner serves on the staff. For more information on the Initiative, write Dr. Cullar, Center for Educational Technology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4018.
1()L:7 4. Quality Goes to School 179
Systems Thinking about Learning: The Paradigm Shift
By Ann Dinsmoor Case and Karla Baehr De Letts In education's traditional paradigm, model of this paradigm shift because we assess a student's learning by giving workers alone were being blamed for tests and assigning a grade. After giv- producing faulty products. ing a math test, we claim to know the They developed a fishbone-shaped, value of s (representing the student). cause-and-effect diagram to represent We say: manufacturing as a process involving s = 78 machines, materials, policies, work The student earned a grade of 78. conditions, and methods, as well as Under the new paradigm, however, workers (see Figure 1). we realize that learning is not a simple They attributed most variation in linear process in which teacher input output quality to factors within the leads to student outcome. Learning is whole process rather than to th.. perfor- a process that involves complex inter- mance of individual workers. Dr. W. actions of many variables. Edwards Deming and other proponents Teachers are one variable in the sys- of Total Quality Management have tem. Students are another. Others developed and used this model in many include curriculum, instruction, as- applications. sessment practices, organization, and In Figure 2, we modify the fish- leadership. So a better equation might bone cause-and-effect diagram for edu- be: cation. We add arrows to show feed- t+s+c+i+a+o+1= 78 back loops, and it becomes a model of In this equation, we are thinking the learning process. systemically about learning. The paradigm shift for educators The whole system of interactions calls on us to stop attributing what that is the learning process is what we students learn to an individual's perfor- need to understand and work on, so mance (that of the teacher or student), our simplified equation is: and instead to look at the whole system S = 78 for ways to improve the outcomethe S now stands for system. The sys- quality of student learning. tem of interactions earned the 78. In this new way of thinking, the Some years ago, scientists and engi- learning process has seven major vari- neers in manufacturing devised a ables:
Figure 1.Fishbone Cause and Effect Diagram for Manufacturing
Materials Methods Work Conditions
0
T
Machines People Policies
19? INSTRUCTIONA repertoire of CURRICULACurricula, & RESOURCES instructional CULTURE & BELIEFSLEADERSHIP, Schedule, grouping, ORG & PROCEDURES &developed facilitatedspecialistassistanceinstructional by collaborationby teamsteachers strategiesteacher & & otherresourcesbusinessmaterials, community partnerships, technology, technicalEducational,claritybuildingnorms about & skills ofculture-human, a important &strong culture finances,clericalcollectiontransportation, reporting, activities, & analysis,& facilities,janitorial data & food services OFCONSTANCYMISSION PURPOSE OR --AP- LEARNING PROCESS - many cause & effect interrelationships OUTCOMES know,Whatto do, students are & ablevalue. selection,Recruitment, training &Physical school &attendance mental health of studentsAssessment how that to improve shows TEACHERS individuallyof& continuousall personnel, and learning in teams STUDENTSsupportfamilystudents nurturance of combined human services& with the ASSESSMENThowtheirlearning toown improve worl; process &the teachers 19'5 Figure 2. The Learning Process as a System of Interactions 19F NI III NI IN MI NI NI IN NI NI NI NI III NI IIII NI NI RI NI Quality Goes to School 181
curricula and resources prised to find that their coats are not instructional methods warm. teachers and other personnel Based on life experience, we develop assessment practices intuitive understandings and common organizaton and procedures sense theories to explain our world. As leadership, culture, and be- with children experimenting with the liefs, thermometer, new experiences enable the students themselves. us to shift our thinking, to build more When we use systems thinking to complex theories. understand learning as a process of Educators have traditional beliefs complex cause-and-effect interactions and understandings about teaching, among many variables, we stop blam- learning, and leading that have been ing one individual or one factor. And passed down over time. Many have because each of us is a part of that served us well. system, we are empowered to be partof But now we need to identify these the improvement effort. traditional understandings, scrutinize In our learning process diagam, them, and deliberately replace those we look for feedback loopsthat inform that no longer add value to learning. our efforts to improve, and we recom- When we consciously identify old theo- mit to the mission that drives the learn- ries, beliefs, and understandings and ing process toward the student out- replace them with new ones, our efforts comes we want. to improve the quality of student learn- In short, this model shows stu- ing will be less confused and more dent learning as the outcome upon focused. which we focus. The learning process, with seven major factors or variables Debunking "native intelligence" that interact with one another, is what One common and pernicious tra- produces the outcomes we want. And ditional understanding is that intelli- the whole learning process is driven by gence is an innate ability that deter- our vision or mission, our "constancyof mines how well children will achieve. purpose" in the language of total quali- In this old paradigm, intelligence is ty proponents. distributed along a normal bell curve. We predict learning outcomes, form Learning by example expectations, and modify curriculum As change-makers meet resistance and instruction for students according because staff are entrenched in old to this understanding. W'nen we as- ways of thinking, they woulddo well to sume that achievement will fallalong a orchestrate paradigm shifts deliberate- normal bell curve, we expect about 1/6 ly. We can learn about making para- of students to achieve poorly, 2/3 to digm shifts from developers of curricu- attain only average achievement, and lum and instruction. only 1/6 to achieve high levels of skill An example: some science teachers and understanding. have found that young children believe In other words, evm though we winter coats are warm. Children have believe that the knowledge, skills, and heard adults say, 'Wear your warm values that students learn in school are coat today," so many believe their win- critically important for their futures ter coats are actually warm. In a sim- (and for the viability of the nation's ple experiment, children are given ther- economic future), we don't believe that mometers to put in their coats that are all students have the potential to ac- hung in a cold closet. They are sur- quire them. 182 Quality Goes to School
Paradoxically, when adults are educators focus on the learning process asked about something as important as itself, rather than on the student or their driving skill, most believe they are teacher alone: good drivers. Gone is the assumption of a normal bell curve distribution! Organization and procedures. As How is it we believe in our own abili- part of a schoolwide paradigm shift, the ty to perform an important skill such team joined colleagues in asserting that as driving but are stuck in an old para- homogeneous grouping of students was digm about children's ability to learn helping to produce the bell curve of skills that are critically important to achievement that they rejected. their future? They replaced separate science Faculty and administrators in the courses taught in homogeneous groups Wellesley, Mass., Public Schools are with a single course -- the top-level IPS challenging old paradigms and using course -- taught in heterogeneous systems thinking to overhaul the learn- groups. The team believed that not just ing process. the low- or middle-achieving students Revisions in science at the Wel- had something to gain from heteroge- lesley Middle School exemplify the neous grouping. Even the highest changes. As a result of the faculty's achieving students were expected to commitment to continuous improve- gain the confidence to question, ex- ment, more students than ever are now plore, and risk making mistakes learning more challenging science con- skills essential to master science con- cepts. cepts. Until recently, only 40 percent of the Instruction. Traditionally, IPS middle school's 225 eighth-graders instruction offered virtually no direction were thought to have the skill's and to students about how to plan and motivation needed to succeed in the structure their laboratory write-ups. challenging science course, "Introduc- The team recognized that this "sink or tion to Physical Science (IPS)." IPS is a swim" tradition of IPS instruction nationally recognized laboratory-based would pose problems for many stu- course through which students con- dents, so the team wrote guides for the duct experiments to learn fundamental experiments conducted through the concepts of physics and chemistry. first three months. The instructions in Two years ago the faculty and ad- the guides gradually faded until, by ministrators agreed that their beliefs November, students were planning and needed a paradigm shift: What would structuring their own laboratory write- the learning process need to look Ifice, ups. their principal asked, if they acted as if Curricula and resources. The they believed that all 225 students team identified the experiments it saw could s,Iccessfully earn grades of B or as essential for students to do so they higher in the IPS course? would grasp the core concepts. A team of science teachers and spe- The teachers prepared videotapes cial educators took on the challenge. of each essential experiment. Students They agreed that the learning process viewed the tapes as a full class, in needed major work and set out to focus groups, and individually after the labs on the seven general variables that were conducted. In this way, they (a) affect the learning process. review critical steps and conclusions; A sampling of five major changes in (b) ask powerful questions about varia- the learning process that the team tion between their own data and the made illustrates what happens when data of others; and (c) independently Quality Goes to School 183
assess the quality of their own lab work graders had even enrolled in the course against a benchmark. the previous year. Assessment practices. The nation- The experience at Wellesley Middle al IPS unit tests are challenging, even School offers a practical example of for students with strong reading and paradigm shifts in action. The faculty mathematical skills. The team did not first shifted to systems thinking. Then want to dilute standards, yet they wan- it focused on beliefs about learning, ted to find a way to make the tests another paradigm shift. They rejected more accessible to weaker readers. the old paradigm that academic More importantly, they wanted to achievement must conform to the bell encourage students to use the results curve and that learning is attributable of the tests to improve their own perfor- only to the performance of the students mance. As before, teachers administer or their teacher. unit tests to all students. Now they The faculty team looked to seven often use the results to create heteroge- critical variables -- the entire learning neous teams comprised of students process itself -- as the arena for making with high, low, and average scores on the improvements that would result in the unit test. high achievement for all students, Before seeing the results of their Their students' learning is being well individual tests, each student works served by their shift to systems think- within the team to complete the same ing. unit test, learning more from the inter- action with peers. Then each student compares the score on his or her indi- vidual test with the team's score. The For more on systems thinking, see: student can then do an item analysis to improve future performance. Leonard, James. Transformation 101: Teachers and other personnel. Introduction to a Deming Road Map for The science teachers and special edu- Improving Our Schools, 1989. Wood- cators meet weekly to plan and trouble- stock, Conn. shoot.By coteaching an IPS course each year, the special educators learn McGonagill, Grady. Overcoming Barri- what the science teachers expect from ers to Educational Restructuring: A Call all students in the course. Science for System Literacy, 1993. AASA and teachers, in turn, learn diagnostic and National Education Association. instructional strategies from special educators that help make the science Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline: The concepts understandable to more stu- Art and Practice of the Learning Organi- dents. zation., 1990. Doubleday/Currency, The middle school team uses data N.Y. to examine how the changes it has made have affected student learning For more on expectations, see: and to help them identify further im- provements they need to make. At the Howard, J. Getting Smart: The Social end of the first year, 54 percent of all Construction of Intelligence, 1990. Effi- eighth-grade students earned A's or B's cacy Institute, Inc., Lexington, Mass. in IPS. While still far from their ultimate Saphier, J., and R. Gower. The SkillfUl goals, the team was encouraged. They Teacher, 1987. Research for Better knew only 40 percent of all eighth- Teaching, Inc., Carlisle, Mass.
19E 184 Ouatity Goes to School
Villa, R., J. Thousand, W. Stainback, Dr. Case, a consultant may be reached and S. Stainback. Restructwing for at 9 Stephen Place, Newton Highlands, Caring and Effective Education. Paul H. MA 02161, phone 617/964-5629. Brookes Publishing Company, Balti- more, Md., 1992. Dr. DeLetis is superintendent of schools, Wellesley Public Schools, 40 Kingsbury For more on culture and beliefs, see: Street Wellesley, MA 02181, phone 617/446-6226. Saphier, J., and M. King, "Good Seeds Grow in Strong Cultures," Educational Leadership, March 1985. Quality Goes to School 185
Quality Tools Help Identify and SolveProblems
By Peter DeDominici, Principal Denver Place School. Wilmington. Ohio Early in the school year, the staff office, only 19 were female students. of Denver Place met to discuss what Also, in a district that is 95 percent they perceived were the needs of the white, more than 20 percent of referrals school in an effort to seek methods to were African-American students. improve the product for our "custom- We developed a program in ers" the students. The one aspect 1992-93 that incorporated the concept that dominated this needs survey was of peer mediation. We hoped that discipline. through the efforts of their peers, stu- As principal of Denver Place, I dents would respond more favorably to must keep records of disciplinary ac- appropriate behaviors. We decided to tions so case files can be checked when compare the disciplinary reportsof repeat offenses are brought to my at- 1991-92 with those to date in 1992-93. tention. During 1991-92, I created a The variable was a new peer mediation computer database so we can obtain program called Fussbusters. The pro- more accurate and easily accessible gram is based on one from theMedia- information. tion Center in Asheville, N. C. We use these databases to deter- We developed three types of mine courses of action and to display chart3 to study the statisticshisto- the information to teachers and other grams, run charts, and Pareto charts. staff members. At the end of the first We compared only fourth- and fifth- year of operation, the information pre- grade reports because the Fussbusters sented to staff indicated that of more program is effective at these levels; we than 300 referrals to the principal's believe that younger children are not
Run chartof discipline cases Run chart of discipline cases Grade 4, 1991-92 Grade 5, 1991-92
12
10
0 Apr May Sept Oct Nov Dec JanFeb Mar )Nor May Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 186 Quality Goes to School
mature enough to grasp the program's once the program was in place, we saw concepts. a siglificant decrease. Fifth-grade We plotted discipline cases on a incidents increased in October, while run chart. The vertical axis showed the Fussbusters were being trained, but we number of reports, and the horizontal saw a drop in November and a leveling axis indicated the months of the school off in December and January. year. The chart showed that behavioral The Pareto charts were arranged problems grew sharply in March and according to reported offenses by grade May 1992. September also saw a rise level. In grade 4 in 1991-92, most in reports. with numbers tapering off as reports were misbehaviors during re- we moved into the fall months. The cess. The offenses were fighting, argu- charts indicated that many reports ments over sporting events, and other were made in May for both fourth and student disagreements. Misbehavior on fifth grades. We believe this rise is the bus was the most prominent cate- related to warmer weather when more gory for fifth gade. For both grades, interactions occur outside and more the major areas for reports were the students come in contact with one unstructured time of bus and recess. another. The Pareto charts proved most By comparison, the 1992-93 run significant in revealing information chart showed a growth in March refer- compared to the 1992-93 charts. In rals for grade four but fewer referrals both grade levels, bus reports were the for grade five. A significant drop was major reporting area, yet the number of noted for both grades in September. incidents dropped significantly. Even though the Fussbusters program Although the 1992-93 reports was not yet in effect, preparations were are incomplete, the dramatic reduction underway. Teachers had begun to in reports is remarkable. From a high identify students they felt would benefit cf 33 reports in fifth grade last year to the most from participating in the pro- only nine by the end of March was gram. significant. Fussbusters do not operate November showed an increase in on the buses, only on the playground, reports from the previous year. but but even those reports were cut in half.
Discipline cases Grade 5, 1991-92 Discipline Cases 58 a 100% Grade 5, 1992-93 50 - 100% 75% 8 40 - 1 8 1 6 33 75% 50% 1 4 30 - 1 2 10 50% 20 - 14 25% 8 6 25% 10 6 4 2 1 1 2 0 BusClassRecess OtherAtter Before Bus RecessBeforeAfterClass Other School School SchoolSchool Quality Goes to School 187
Fourth gade went from 13 in 1991-92 year and create a plan for 1993-94 with to five by the end of March 1993. an even greater scope. We plan to We hope that this information, include more fourth- and fifth-graders as it is presented to the Fussbusters, in the plan, along with the Fuss- will encourage and help them develop busters, to create an effective school an action plan for the rest of the school climate. 188 Quality Goes to School
The Grading Game
By Philip Geiger, Superintendent of Schools, Piscataway, N. J. Grading has &ways been more grades to play mind games. "I gave him than mystical to me. It is perhaps the a B even though he earned an A be- most mystical activity that American cause I know he can do better." educators perform. "I never give remedial students I remember the day while complet- higher than a B; after all, they aren't ing my M.B.A. at The Wharton School working on grade level!" of the University of Pennsylvania when "Yes, he knows the work and he's the professor told the class of 37 prac- received nearly perfect examination ticing professional managers that he scores throughout the semester, but he thought half the class would fail his rarely speaks in class. Class participa- accounting examination. As the only tion is 50 percent of the grade." educator in the group, I couldn't resist a comment. A radical proposition "Professor," I said, "wouldn't you agree that the performance of students In the October 29, 1991, edition of is directly correlated to the quality of School Board News, Dr. Thomas Shan- instruction they receive?" I left my non described some of the criteria he question a little ambiguous. It could thought might be considered when suffice for a purely rhetorical question. awarding the New American Schools But this was Wharton, and no one was grants. One was "dropping old-fash- shy. ioned student grading systems." Feder- "Dr. Geiger," the professor bellow- al grant or not, I'm with Dr. Shannon. ed. Now deep in fear, I wondered whe- I've always believed that grades ther I had just kissed the $1,500 for really should answer only one question: this course good-bye. The professor did the student learn what he was continued, "Dr. Geiger, more of you will taught from one point to another? If pass this examination than I originally the student had, he got a good grade, thought." And we did! an A if his work was exceptional, be- yond the norm. The grading game If he learned what was necessary but didn't do work far superior than A strange occurrence? Not by a the overall group, he received a B. long shot. Last year my daughter ar- If the student did not do his rived home from her suburban high homework, I would add a note to his school outside Boston to advise me that report card, saying: "Dear Mom and one of her teachers (I was superinten- Dad: Your son knows his work but he dent there at the time) announced to is irresponsible about doing his home- her class that she does not give A's. work. Can we work together to have According to the teacher, no one is him learn greater responsibility so he worthy of such recognition or accom- can perform in an even more superior plishment from this direct descendant fashion?" Mixing academic achieve- of Aristotle. ment and study skills in one academic Unfortunately, many insecure grade creates confusion. teachers exist out there who believe Class participation is the giant appearing unapproachable and impene- "fudge factor." Purely subjective and trable is stimulating to the gifted mind. rarely based on substantial record For most of us, this is simply discour- keeping, this criteria is the primary aging. Then we have those who use weapon when playing mind games.
2 Quality Goes to School 189
Class participation can easily move the As superintendent, I was willing to grade up or down at least one letter. advocate for late afternoon and evening So when I proposed recently a sessions for students who needed the more simplified grading system, A. B, help with teachers willing to stay for or I, the criticism startled me. The plan extra pay. Saturdays and summers was easy. All students were expected would be additional alternatives. to.reach competency in their studies. She couldn't opt out, squeak by, get Settling for less through on a C or D (whatever they meant). She had to actually learn the To somehow extrapolate that an stuff the teachers taught her. "incomplete" would require a teacher to If she learned as she should and lower the standards is purely a com- accomplished the expectations of the mentary on the complacency we've program, she received a B. The expec- accepted regarding our goal toward tations would be clearly established educational excellence. before she began the course and she One of the most interesting objec- had to learn those skills and concepts tions to the A, B, I scheme was concern to an acceptable degree of mastery. that colleges could not distinguish our If she did exceptional work and students from one another. The stu- learned more than most, going beyond dent who took 44 weeks to learn alge- the basic requirements, she received an bra couldn't be separated from the one A. So far so good, for most people. But who finished in 40 weeks. if she didn't master the subject matter, Since 80 percent of America's high she got an Iincomplete. school teachers lecture students, how Why an incomplete? Because would this new arrangement distin- schools are organized for students to guish the verbal learner from the visual learn, and clearly if the student did not learner, who may have had problems master the material, she needs to do with a teacher who lectures most of the more and the teacher needs to provide time? alternative strategies: reteach, ad- Furthermore, how could we tell dressing alternate learning modalities, which kids had moms and dads who or provide additional time for mastery. went to college and have good jobs vs. The teacher didn't fail, but neither those who are poor and may still be the did the studentbut they cannot first in their family to make it to the Ivy simply get off the hook by taking a C or League? D. They have got to work together to Be assured, the A, B, I grading meet the standards. In essence, we'd scheme is no panacea for solving the be raising the barincreasing the grading problem in schools today. But expectations for everyone. There would there must be a positive way for us to be no easy out. communicate student progress, one Critics say the plan would encour- that reflects the philosophy that all can age giving away grades. Teachers learn, one that is free of psychological would be forced to give A's or B's. engineering and fair. There must be a Why? Because teachers wouldn't want way to ensure that all kids learn what to have the same kids who didn't learn they are taught. the first time.I wondered if we had all Schooling is not another "garbage- done well in our accounting examina- in, garbage-out" situation.If not A, B. tion at Whartonor had the professor and I, what? Undoubtedly there are simply graded us well to "move us many solutions to the problem, and along?" clearly, there is a problem.
2 ) 190 Quality Goes to School
Changing the School System's Cuhure, Values, and Behavior By David Gangel, Superintendent Rappahannock County (Va.) Public Schools
I am not a TQM expert.I am an Also, we look at reducing costs.It educator, a superintendent, and a costs more to do something over again. practitioner.I believe that TQM is the We use cross-functional teams. best hope for educational reform. It is Trust is difficult, but it is the corner- not a quick fix or a silver bullet, howev- stone of TQM. We try hard to reduce er.It takes time and it is hard work. fear. We try to have a disciplined pro- Businesses using quality strategies cess for continuous improvement and have found that it taker., five to eight problem solving. years to make a turnaround. In Rap- Xerox provided our initial training. pahannock, we have been involved in They brought people in as trainers, but quality for three years. We have had early on we found that to be self-suffi- our successes and some pains. cient, we have to do the training our- Rappahannock County is 75 miles selves. west of Washington, >.C., in the Blue We use the Xerox training and now Ridge Mountains. It is small and rural. have six trainers; 87 percent of our We have 1,029 students, a whopping staff has participated in a 3-and-a-half increase of 37 students over last year. or 4-day quality training session. We have 85 teachers and 129 total We stress team building, how to associates in the organization. We have communicate and work together, using two schools. One-third of our bus the problem-solving and quality-im- routes are over dirt roads. provement processes. Our TQM philosophy stems from We use these in two ways. One is a those of W. Edwards Deming and Jo- voluntary procedure. Anyone in the seph Juran, and our skills derive pri- school systema student, parent, marily from the Xerox Corporation. teacher, or staff membermay raise Our major focus is that we are cus- an issue for improvement. We'll bring tomer emergency diagnosis procedures, build- ing expansion, guidelines for tenure, Reprinted from the November 1992 issue of finding more space, high school disci- gg: the Quest for Quality In Virginia Public pline, our K-3 reporting system, sched- Schools, newsletter of the Virginia Department uling for our reading program, security of Education. of our elementary buildings, transpor- Rappahannock County is one of seven school tation, parent satisfaction, and the districts participating in the departinent's pull-out schedule. federally funded Commitment to Quality Sixty-eight percent of our associates Project; the Xerox Corporation has provided have volunteered to work on these training for these districts. teams. TQM is difficult because you are changing people. Change is hard, but we are changing the culture, the values, and the behavior of our school system. 192 Quality Goes to School Eighth-Grade Math Students Learn New Problem-Solving Skills Jim Burkholder has taught math school. The school's kitchen was taken for 25 years, all but two of them at out in 1988; their meals are now pre- Johnson-Williams Middle School in pared in the high school cafeteria a Berryville, Va. The school draws its mile away. The area that was a kitchen 415 students from all over Clarke now serves as the County Purchaser's County, which nestles in apple country Office. in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Moun- Many skills needed in the workplace tains. have surfaced during the students' six But for him and for 51 of his months of problem solving. To get eighth-graders, this year has been like information they needed, students had no other. Soon after Jim participated to interview many adults in the school in Xerox's New Employee Quality Train- administration and in the community. ing course last April, he began using One group canvassed neighbors of the quality management techniques with school to ask if they'd be wffiing to pay his classes. In August he got the idea higher taxes to have a kitchen restored of revising the way he teaches his to the middle school. Some gave them eighth-grade general math classes. He money, which had to be returned. sought and received his principal's A handful of students refused to approval. talk to adults to get information. But First he asked the 13- to 15-year- all see that dealing with the public will old students to brainstorm problems be a part of their future. they saw around the school. They Other problems arose. The stu- suggested many, some "far out." Work- dents often tied up the school's phones; ing in teams of five, they began to col- this bothey Al some staff members. lect data on these problems. Townspeople aren't used to seeing stu- The students spent three to four dents out in the community during weeks learning how to display the re- school hours. Teachers wonder why sults of their research. They learned they're not in their classroom. about means and modes, and about Several teams called the same Pareto charts, histograms, circle and source for information. And the kids line graphs. Then the teams presented worry that by the time they achieve their findings to the rest of the class their goals they will be in high school and each class used weighted voting to and other students will be the ones who decide which issue to pursue. benefit. Fifth-period students opted to ask The students called contractors for the cafeteria to offer juice as an alter- estimates. They talked to the cafeteria native to milk for lunch; now they must staff and to School Board members and take milk with their lunches even if members of the Board of Supervisors. they don't want it.If juice were avail- They studied state and federal guide- able, the students have been told, they lines for school lunches. They searched would have to pay an extra 25 cents for the school budget to find funding for it. capital improvement projects. 31xth-period students decided to Students are now fine-tuning their campaign for air conditioning for the presentations to people who can help entire school. solve the problems they have identified. Seventh-period students are trying They are preparing Gant charts and to get a kitchen restored in their graphs to display their data. The Quality Goes to School 193 School Board will soon hear from the quality trainers. Seventy-five of the juice-in-the-cafeteria students. The school system's 217 employees have restore-the-kitchen group will propose completed basic quality training. Qual- that students help raise half the cost by ity practices are now the district's "way sponsoring dances and a school fair. of life." They vetoed fundraising ideas such as fining students who didn't do their homework or chewed gum in school. Reprinted from the March 1993 issue of QQ: When they used weighted voting, all the Quest for Quality in Virginia Public three classes ran into problems with Schools, newsletter of the Virginia Depart- fractions, so problem-solving activities ment of Education. were put on hold for three weeks while Clarke County is one of seven school districts they studied fractions. The cafeteria participating in the department's federally goup studied perimeter and area. funded Commitment to Quality Project the Jim brought in ads showing that Xerox Corporation has provided training for local employers need quality control these districts. people. One offers high school gradu- ates $7.50 an hour as trainees, $10 an hour when trained. 'This is the world you'll enter in a few years when you leave school," Jim tells his students. "Employers need people who can solve problems, people who know how to collect data, display the results of their research, and work in teams to find good answers." What have Jim's students learned this year? That math has real-life ap- plications; that even if you're not a math whiz, you may have other skills useful in solving problems; that you are more persuasive if you bring factual infoimation; and that working in teams can be rewarding, even fun. Next Year, Jim says, he will spend more time teaching interactive skills -- proposing, building, bringing in and shutting out, etc. He will stress tele- phone skills. 'We had to develop trust because the kids are often out of eyesight and I'm responsible for them," Jim reflects. This method of teaching is definitely different, and better for students, he believes. "It's not been easier for me I had to adjust after all these years of teaching math review in eighth grade. But it's been rewarding, and I know I can improve it next year." Jim is one of 12 Clarke County 2 I.) E 194 Quality Goes to School Striving to Meet Customer Needs at Poquoson Elementary Elmer Seward, principal of Poquo- Only one teacher volunteered for son Elementary School (grades 3-5), the staff development committee so this and third-grade teacher Susan Brown topic was deferred. Staff development began to model what they had learned for whole language will be planned. in their Xerox training in staff meet- Eleven of Poquoson Elementary's ings. teachers participated in quality training Seward turned to one of his major this summer. To receive graduate cred- customers (his School Improvement it from Norfolk State, teachers were re- Committee) and asked how he could quired to complete a "quality" project. serve teachers to meet their needs bet- One teacher team asked students to ter. survey and collect data on how much Committee members told him they parents model reading at home. They wanted to be more involved in decisions found that Poquoson parents read a lot about staff development, scheduling, at home. and student placement. Another team achieved its goal of Seward set up committees on these improving student scores on flexed arm topics and asked for volunteers for hang and pullups. each. The committees brainstormed Teachers trained this summer serve lists of teacher needs in each area. as the School Improvement committee. Seward then walked them through the Working with other volunteer teachers, "list reduction" technique. they use the Xerox problem-solving The student placement committee techniques on identified problems. brought ideas on reading placement to Two teams are using the Quality a faculty meeting. Teachers listed the Improvement Process to improve read- pros and cons of each idea, then did ing and science instruction. Parents weighted voting. The school has imple- also serve on these Teams. mented all the ideas on which consen- sus was reached. The scheduling committee used the same techniques. Seward asked those who voted 0 (can't live with) or 3 (very important to me) to meet with him after school to see how differences might be worked out. Two-thirds of the teachers wanted him to draft a schedule that would give Reprinted from the November 1992 Issue of all children a two-hour, uninterrupted QQ: the Quest for Quality in Virginia Public Schools, newsletter of the Virginia Department language arts period in the morning, of Education. preserve longer periods for physical education, and give teachers a 30-min- Poquoson is one of seven school districts par- ute planning period and a 30-minute ticipating in the department's federally funded duty-free lunch. Commitment to Quality Project: the Xerox On July 23, the principal hosted a Corporation has provided training for these teacher luncheon at which he present- districts. ed the proposed schedule. The teach- ers liked it. 2 I) (2' Quality Goes to School 195 Identifying the Needs of Customers Who Are Homeless Students By Paul Rux, President Information Consulting Services, Dodgeville, Wis. More than 100 homeless children The TQM team flowcharted school were enrolled in Marquette Middle processes that touched these transient School in Madison, Wis., in 1991-92. students to discover leverage points They lived in transient welfare housing that would combat this toxic anonymi- until social services could help stabilize ty. Finding none, they designed a new their families. process. Now mentors meet with One of two teacher teams that had homeless students at the start of each been trained in quality management by day in special peer sessions to assure the University of Wisconsin targeted personal identity and recognition. these students as "customers" and These students' attendance has visibly asked them to identify their needs. increased. Team members found their answer The TQM team, excited and en- painful: Students said they wanted to thusiastic over its ability to make a be called by name. Because they re- difference, has moved on to test its mained in the school only 30 days on hypotheses against further student average, teachers did not call their data. names in class or when taking roll. 4 2 C 196 atiaMy Goes to School TOM: A Community College and School District Partnership By Roger Place, Tracy Kosrnan, and Katherine Vitale Recently, educators have become to get a TQM initiative off the ground. attracted to Total Quality Management The idea blossomed with the as a way to manage schools for quality, Springfield School District, which helps both in the classroom and in adminis- fund the college. Superintendent Roger trative operations. But with such re- Place saw the opportunity to get some structuring initiatives as outcome- help with its TQM start-up at a price based education and site-based man- the district could afford from an insti- agement commanding their attention, tution that was truly interested in its many feel they have enough'on their success. plates already. The partnership began when six Moreover, most districts, smarting administrators, including the superin- under budget squeezes, can't afford tendent, principals, and central office costly private consultants to help administrators, attended the college's launch the TQM effort. Administrators "Introduction to TQM in Elementary are concerned about how they can fit and Secondary Education," a two-day TQM onto their already crowded agen- course on basic quality management das and into their already stretched principles. The course focuses on budgets. And they wonder where they what's involved in changing the pro- can find an appropriate provider. cesses of teaching, learning, and ad- Two school districts confronting ministration, including empowering these questions found different answers people to improve quality through data- appropriate to their particular needs. based decision making. Both involved a partnership between The Springfield administrators got the district and the local community excited about what TQM could do for college. them. The next step was for them to Delaware County Community Col- think about possible projects to work lege, located in the Greater Philadelphia on in their own schools. area. bqs been implementing Quality The administrators considered Management and providing TQM train- opportunities, problems, or challenges ing to local businesses, hospitals, and that they faced in their schools or de- government agencies since 1986. partments. Aware of the difficulties en- The college recently decided to cus- countered with TQM initiatives in tomize its programs to appeal to the which the problem to be addressed was needs of nearby school districts. Since too broad, the superintendent asked the relationship between the college that these projects be limited in scope and local districts is one of customer to and that the administrators take small supplier, it made sense to strengthen bites as the TQM process was initiated. that tie. In response to the superintendent's If DCCC could help the districts do request, about 30 projects were con- a more efficient and effective job of edu- ceived. With few exceptions, the pro- cating students and managing their jects were of manageable size, could be operation, the college itself would bene- performed by one administrator or by a fit. From the school districts' point of very small team, and had raw data view, a partnership with the local com- readily available for analysis. The col- munity college could be just the thing lege served as an accessible resource Quality Goes to School 197 for questions that developed. generate strong objections. Surely it The next step was some additional would be impossible to serve lunch to training that would give the administra- several hundred students on different tors the skills they needed to get start- shifts and still allow them adequate ed. A two-day course in effective team time to eat within 30 minutes. building enhanced their knowledge of In line with the Tc) principle of the dynamics of team participation, data-based decision making, the team conducting effective meetings, giving collected data on the time required to constructive feedback, and managing serve lunch to all students, measured difficult situations. The director of from the time the lunch bell rang to the personnel trained the administrative moment when the last student left the team in these areas. cafeteria. Next, the team took a two-day The following chart displays data course in the basic tools of TQM plus for one of the three weeks during which some additional training in Statistical data was collected. Process Control, in which they learned High School Serving limo from DCCC staff how to collect data, construct Pareto charts. create cause- 30 DATA COlLECTED 1101 TO 11127 and-effect diagrams, calculate control charts, and flowchart their processes. 27 Back in their schools, the adminis- 24 trators began to apply what they had 21 learned. The administrators, with the teams they developed, used the TQM 18 tools to collect data and analyze find- 15 ings. The superintendent, an assistant 12 principal with expertise in statistics, 9 and the director of personnel trained in team building; they were available to 6 administrators as projects were select- I ed, implemented, and analyzed. MONDAY TUESDAYI-NE ..IESOAY THURSDAY FRADAY They provided structure by develop- NUMBER OF MINUTES TO SERVE ALL STUDENTS LUNCH ing a one-page form to be used to state the prot;em, identify which quality To everyone's surprise, the average tools should be used in data analysis, time required to sfve lunch was only and outline the conclusions reached. 18 minutes, 'he maidmum 22 minutes. The key ingredients of the form were The lunch period was reduced without derived directly from the training re- protest, and 17 minutes of instruction- ceived at the community college. al time was added to the school day. One of Springfield's first TQM pro- As often happens with TQ projects, jects grew out of the realization that the once the examination of an issue or district was not meeting the required problem begins, unexpected informa- minimum of classroom hours pre- tion emerges. That was the case with scribed by the Commonwealth of Penn- the controversial issue of school sus- sylvania. Additional time had to be pension. found, but. where? The administration and board had A likely solution, reducing the received numerous complaints from lunch period from 45 minutes to 30 working parents about excessive out-of- minutes per day, seemed certain to school suspensions of their children. 198 Quality Goes to School Due to work schedules, the parents students going on to post-secondary were unable to monitor students who education remained fairly constant at were suspended. Intense interest was 80 percent. expressed in a staffed in-school sus- The counseling staff was overbur- pension center. dened and seniors complained of long Before considering this cost-gener- waits to see guidance counselors. Fol- ating solution, the team collected data lowing the TQ focus on managing pro- and created a Pareto Chart that re- cesses, the district developed a new vealed that 50 percent of suspensions procedure for scheduling appointments. are one-time only situations, with an- Everyone hoped that getting some order other 18 percent occurring twice in a into the process would improve things, year. but unfortunately the data showed otherwise. FREOUENCT OF OUT.OF.SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS FOB INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS IN 181041 1001/ AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS FOR GUIDANCE APPOINTMENT TO BE SCHEDULED IN 1990.91 AND 199192 SprInglield Nigh School 7E% I I 14 11 .7 E Sr. 5.5 4 4 0 IS% .3 30 2.2 341 1.1 rffl WA Evfla rr,m000000 0 0 FYI 1011 04 1.13 MCI Thl 11111 leiIN tO4 IOC 11r4PI Fall 1180 NUMBER OF TIMIS A STUDENT WAS SUSPENDED TYPE OF APPOMITSIENT FEOUES7 ED Sr.Intstv1444 MHO Uoguil 1111 ASAP Thus the data did not bear out the claim of repeated suspensions. Per- Urgent appointments were handled haps even more important, investiga- more quickly, but the objectiveof the tion of the issue revealed that out-of- changed process, more timely and effi- school suspension is a highly effective cient management of non-urgent inter- disciplinary tool. views, was not achieved. Based on this information, the However, investigation of the pro- Board decided not to implement an in- cess, guided by a TQ-trainedcounselor, school suspension center. led to other improvements in the effec- Sometimes when process improve- tiveness of the guidance office. The ments do not generate the expected re- data collected allowed a strong case to sults, the data can lead to other solu- be made for hiring an additional coun- tions. Such was the case with another selor. Such a recommendation has Springfield TQM project. been made to the Board. After a substantial decline in enroll- The value of a TQ project may ment, the number of counselors at sometimes lie not in revealing new facts Springfield High School was reduced or achieving process improvements,but from five to three. However, enroll- simply in using TQ's graphic tools to ments began to creep up again in 1991- communicate information. That was 92, from 859 that year to a projected true for one of Springfield's projects. 961 for 1993-94. Like many districts, Springfield At the same time, the percentage of often finds itself caught between the Quality Goes to School 199 desires of senior citizens, 25 percent of the district's week-long administrative its residents, who want tax increases retreat in the summer of 1992. The kept to a minimum, and the demands administrators were enthusiastic about of parents, whose concern for a quality the practicality and value of applying education for their children necessi- TQM to the problems and challenges tates increasing expenditures. they confronted in their daily lives as Senior citizens visiting the school educators. often commented on what they per- Now the Springfield TQM process ceived to be a large number of classes has expanded to include training of with relatively few students. Parents, teachers, and a district-wide quality on the other hand, frequently com- team has been created.It consists of plained that classes were excessively teachers, central office administrators, large. and principals. School personnel knew that the The relationship between Delaware truth lay somewhere between, that County Community College and Spring- average class size was 21-25. Yet in field continues. The college has trained spite of numerous studies of class size several Springfield teachers and contin- done over the years and made available ues to provide expertise and answers to to the community, misperceptions per- questions as needed. sisted. While a forthright embrace of TQM Now conversant with TQ tools, ad- worked for Springfield, another of ministrators hit on the idea of present DCCC's supporting districts, Walling- ing their information to the Board of ford Swarthmore, took a different ap- School Directors in graphic form proach. Although Superintendent through a histogram. George Slick thought TQM could be useful, his district was already em- Class Sizes-Springfield High School 1992-1993 barked on site-based management, and E4cluesno $issuO oducaSon etassIt Dr. Slick felt that another initiative 120 114 would be one too many for his staff. 105 He felt, however, th.a,t the principles 16 and techniques of TQM could help Nu implement site-based management. 72 47 Both involve participatory management and decentralized decision-making and 60 50 problem solving, which was just what I. 4$ A the teachers and administrators would 34 be involved in. 23 They could work more effectively with some training in essentials, such as conducting effective meetings and 0.15 1420 2125 2530 3 using problem-solving tools for data CLASS SIZES gathering and analysis. With the facts of the case before Adopting TQM to the needs of this them in graphic form, the board got the customer, DCCC extracted the team- picture. The current plan is to make work aspects of TQM and the basic TQ tools and charts a regular part of problem-solving tools and developed a board presentations. customized program for district person- All 30 projects developed by those nel. Springfield administrators who spear- Following the training, participants headed the TQ effort were presented at used TQ tools to analyze survey data 214 200 Quality Goes to School collected from students, faculty, and To ensure that whatever approach they other customers on their needs and take meets their particular needs, they concerns. They defined objectives and might consider linking up with a train- worked on developing priorities fer their ing provider from the education com- site-based management plans for the munity, one that speaks their language. next year. The effectiveness of the For Springfield, Wallingford Swarth- process was enhanced by their in- more, and Delaware County Communi- creased awareness of team dynamics ty College, the partnership worked. and the use of meeting management techniques they acquired through Dr. Place is superintendent of the training. Springfield, Penn., School District. Dr. Slick and his staff found the methods of TQM and the goals of SBM Tracy Kosman is coordinator of the to be a good match, and were pleased Center for Quality and Productivity at with their results. the Delaware County Community Col- As these case studies demonstrate, lege in Media, Pa. TQM is flexible, having a Variety of applications. Educators can adopt the Katherine Vitale is a TQM trainer and whole system or some of the tools and consultant for the Community College. techniques to realize other objectives. Quality Goes to School 201 Blob Organization -- A Non-Hierarchical Scheme by John Helfrich, Superintendent, Kenmore-Tonawanda Union, N. Y., Free School District In our quest for quality, we dis- We formerly doled out the budget covered that the traditional organiza- dollars in line-item budget documents. tional patterns that have dominated This is now being done on a per-pupil schools forever were no longer appro- basis. Initially the dollars were arrived priate if we were going to practice what at by using the average of the previous we believed. We fostered shared deci- three years. sion processes and consensus methods Staff development efforts are now of arriving at decisions in our building the prerogative of each of our 13 build- level planning teams. However, when ings rather than being generated cen- one got to the central office level, the trally, thus they take the flavor and process was discarded and it was busi- reflect the priorities of each building. ness as usual. Employment of new personnel is also In essence, we had two parallel delegated to building teams who select systems in use throughout the district. individuals in whom they have an inter- It did not bode well for the entire sys- est, invite them in for an interview, and tem as planning at the building level then recommend the best for employ- called for a great deal of autonomy and ment. They have acquired top-level it just was not happening to the degree persons in every instance, and everyone that we were totally supporting our (including the central office personnel most important elementsthe build- department) is very happy with the ing level teams and their ability to process. make things happen at that level that Each building has authority to would, in the end, become improved distribute dollar allocations among the student outcomes. various codes in their budgets. This We needed some radical reorga- gives them the ability to set priorities nization of the decision tree and an and provide funding necessary to im- increasing ability to make decisions plement them. The only thing that we and follow through at the building level. require from the central office is that We began to work through the process they achieve a high level of student and concluded that a radical change in performance. the way that central office administra- The radical change in roles is re- tors operated was in order. flected in the way our organizational We transformed our central per- chart is now constructed. It is flat, sonnel from decision makers and givers with various "blobs" interacting with of money to facilitators, supporters, each other on a peer basis. We all cheerleaders, and keepers of the vision. become supportive of the central and We became instigators and motivators most important function of our district adept at urging building level persons -- the teaching/learning process.Our to become risk takers. chart looks like Diagam 1: 2 1 Board Polic Diagram 1, Blob Organizational Chart The largest "blob" represents the daily teaching/learning activities. Board of Education policy, priorities, To date, the restructured organi- and goals. Of course state and federal zation works well. Schools are taking regulations are inherent in this area. risks to a much greater degree than The next blob is the teach- before and are working hard to improve ing/learning teams that are central to student results. everything we do and constitute our Is there any confusion as to who is highest priority. Everything else sup- in charge? Not much, and those of us ports that and interrelates with it. in the central office (who have been Note that our Board of Education considerably reduced in numbers) find also is interacting, mainly because four ourselves being used in a consultative of five Board members also serve as role and called upon to support rather members of planning teams. They un- than make decisions. derstand how the system works and Central office and building staff support not only the process but also members are happy with these changes the substance of the deliberations. and things are moving along well, with Building administrators also find the district receiving some important their roles changed as they serve as recognition on thz local, state, and members of the planning teams in their national levels. buildings and use consensus to arrive We constantly monitor the process at decisions. They are more powerful and have the ability to change when it now than at any previous time as deci- is warranted. As a bottom line, the sions are supported by all stakeholders. process has placed the responsibility People are doing things that are impor- for development and accountability tant to them and their accountability in where it belongs -- at the building level. achieving results has increased many- fold. For more information, write Bill Every other blob, such as buildings Keasling, Administrative Assis- and grounds, food service, transporta- tant to the Superintendent, tion, special teachers, arid the central 1500 Colvin Boulevard, Tona- office, becomes supportive of the prima- wanda, NY 14223. ry reason we are all here: the Quality Goes to School 203 Human Resource Development -- a Very Righ Priority by John Helfrich, Superintendent, Kerunore-Tonawanda Union, N. Y., Free School District Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Clearly, a high value was placed on Schools is fortunate to have a forward- something not recognized in our salary looking teachers' union that supported structure and was not valued nearly as a visceral restructuring of the teachers' much as some university course work salary schedule in such a way that it that was not as pertinent to our organi- strongly encourages -- almost demands zational goals. that everyone get involved in person- Thus the way was cleared to con- al or professional development each sider seriously a new way to reward year. staff members for something important This approach came about as a to our district. result of a school improvement program Don Benker, our teachers' union that called for sharing decision making president, and Ron Bongi, the first vice and decentralizing the decision-making president, worked closely with the dis- process. trict negotiators, the superintendent The involvement of our unions over and deputy superintendent. This the years helped build a lot of trust, group came up with a salary schedule thus a common improvement goal that that ended after the master's degree. the union and the district could buy A column tided "career column" into became the basis for the contrac- replaced the former columns related to tual change and the adoption of a phi- college credits. The only way a teacher losophy that supports the continuous could get into the career column was to growth of our staff as the undergirding take between 15 and 20 career credits operational goal. (hours) focused on high priority items Our previous salary schedule was at our staff development center. similar to those in most of the country Each teacher who completed the courses taken at universities after courses received $1500 at the end of the master's degree counted toward the year. The money disappeared at salary crediti.e., master's plus 15 the end of that year; an individual who hours, master's plus 30 hours. etc., wanted the money in the future had to would be the basis for salary increases take additional career credits the next that were cumulative. year. The money was not cumulative. Traditionally, one was paid for-ever As a result, we built a powerful system for a course taken x number of years of renewal into our salary structure. ago, one that might or might not be This scheme did a couple of things. pertinent to that teacher's current as- First, it became a powerful incentive for signment. teachers (and later on, all staff mem- This made less and less sense to bers) to engage in personal and pro- us as we were asking our staff to pick fessional development each year. Sec- up more and more new skills and ap- ondly, it did not reward someone for- proaches to teaching and learning. ever for a course that was pertinent These courses were not available at the when it was taken. Finally, this pro- colleges or universities, but were being gram could be pointed to as a truly made available through our staff devel- professional approach for paying teach- opment center within the district. ers in a new and rather creative way. It 21 E 204 Quality Goes to School was strongly supported by the board of introduced to cutting edge concepts, education and the public. and as a result are becoming interested The same program was negotiated enough to prepare themselves to take for our other two bargaining units, the on the instructional role in the staff de- administrators and the support staff. velopment center. A number of staff The pay for the support staff is a ratio members have become nationally of dollars equal to the ratio of their pay known in several areas and consult to that of teachers. The administrators throughout the nation. We value this receive the same as the teachers. type of leadership and encourage our We will increase the amount of the people to go out and become experts so career column in the next contract, but they can share with others. the dollars necessary to fuel this in- The bottom line is that we have a crease will come from the negotiated virtual beehive of activity in our staff overall increase in salaries and not be development center where almost every in addition to that figure. staff member is working diligently to This program has been most suc- become more competent and effective, cessful and the results are evident in to model behavior expected of our stu- our classrooms. Teachers, support dents, and to demonstrate the profes- staff, and administrators are being sionalism so necessary in our schools. Quality Goes to School 205 Training for Quality By Gary George, Superintendent Gardner-Edgerton-Antioch School District, Kan. Soon after Xerox won the Malcolm course includes a historical review of Baldrige Award for quality in 1989, I the quality movement, its focus on the was invited to a one-day quality training customer, Deming's theory of profound session. This was my district's first knowledge, continuous improvement, exposure to training in the elements of team building, statistical process tools, quality. A year or so later, my assistant story boards, etc. It also discusses superintendent and I attended a four- Covey's seven habits. Our administra- day Deming Seminar. These two events tors, several teachers, some support sparked our interest in quality and its personnel, and a member of the board applicability to education. of education have participated in this In 1991-92, the Learning Exchange training. All teachers have heard in Kansas City set 1.11) the Inter-District shorter overviews. Educational Alliance, a group of 14 This training is paying off. People school districts that wanted to learn are beginning to think systemically. about quality management. A former More attention is being focused on the superintendent, Mike Slusher, was customers (parents and students). We hired as the project director. Under his see emphasis on continuous improve- leadership, the Quality Alliance has ment as the culture for quality is grad- done much to increase quality training ually developing. Quality projects in- for school districts in the area. clude topics such as bus referrals and During the Alliance's first year, rep- the enrollment process. We used con- resentatives of these districts partic- trol charts to look at dropout rates and ipated in a 16-hour basic quality train- fishbone diagrams to examine the caus- ing program. Our personnel attended a es of dropouts. We now conduct exit two-day Deming Seminar; they also interviews with students who drop out participated in a basic quality training of school to gather more systemic data session sponsored by AT&T and several that will help us reduce the dropout other training opportunities. rate. We are striving to reduce variation We participated in team training and in student achievement by improving AT&Ts benchmarking training during the achievement of our lower performing the second year of the Alliance. For students. We now have Head Start and some of our key people, these training Chapter 1 pre-school programs. sessions have been instrumental in our We have added programs for at-risk quality work. We have cascaded much students at each building. Our high of this training to other groups in our school offers a homework lab two eve- school district. nings each week. Working with the Sprint Corporation, Over time, we should see additional we received training in Stephen Covey's improvements. We are committed to Seven Habits. We later became licensed keep working to improve the system. as facilitators for this program. We have come a long way, but we know With this wealth of training and the we have a long way to go. To para- experience of working on several quality phrase a quote from Xerox, 'We are not projects, we set up a summer course for the organization we once were, and not our teachers; a similar course was the organization we hope to become." scheduled for the summer of 1993. The Indeed, we will never be finished. 2 2 e 206 Quality Goes to School The Total Quality Learning and Support Program: One State's Approach to Continuous Improvement By Patricia Abernethy and Richard Serfass "Do you know what day this is in cation, government, environment, and history?" the instructor asked a class of quality of life in New Jersey." 45 attentive adults on March 10, 1992. The Education Focus Group, one of "This is the anniversary of the day that the seven focus groups in Quality New Alexander Graham Bell made his first Jersey, currently has 60 members from telephone call." public education, higher education, and "It is my hope," he continued, "that businesses. The goals of the Education in years to come, this day will have its Focus Group are to: place in history as the beginning of a 1. Gather information on the appli- unique partnership between education cation of TQ principles in education- and business in forming a network for al settings. implementing total quality to improve 2.Disseminate information about education in New Jersey." TQ resources to all potential educa- Thus began a unique state-wide tional users. pilot program called the Total Quality 3. Develop and provide training Learning and Support Program developed opportunities. by the Educational Focus Group of Qual- 4. Serve as a clearinghouse for ity New Jersey. technical support. Six local school districts (Asbury 5. Recognize and share best prac- Park, Burlington City, Cherry Hill, Ham- tices that can be replicated. iltonTownship,Manville,and New 6. Recognize successful New Jersey Brunswick), Brookdale Community Col- practices. lege, and the Urban Division of the De- Since the spring of 1991, a core partment of Education were chosen planning team has developed a program because of their interest in learning to provide training for the educational about total quality and their representa- leadership teams (Goal 3).Business tion from urban, suburban, and rural sponsorship was obtained from AT&T districts across the state. and Bellcore initially.Public Service Each local Pve-member team includ- Electric and Gas and Xerox joined the ed the superintendent, business admin- effort within its first six months. istrator, district curriculum supervisor, All training events are held at the building principal, and teacher (or com- business sites with the costs of instruc- parable positions from the college or tors, meals, and facilities borne by these department of education). business sponsors. The foundation for this program Each team chosen for this pilot came from the mission of QualityNew program made a two-year commitment to Jersey (QNJ) founded in 1988 "to en- attend the training and learning events; courage the application of total quality learn about the principles, practices, and management philosophies and methods tools involved in total quality improve- in New Jersey through a team effort ment; and work with quality facilitators focusing on the continual improvement from businesses each month to identify of industry, service, health care, edu- local improvement opportunities and Quality Goes to School 207 apply process management improvement sessions and applying new concepts and and problem-solving strategies. tools. The training and learning events The quality facilitators are employ- have been structured around the princi- ees from AT&T, Bellcore, Xerox, and ples of total quality management, process PSE&G who have volunteered to work quality management improvement, prob- with the districts at least six hours a lem-solving techniques, quality tools, month.Their companies give release and team building. time for these employees as their com- Four learning events have been mitment to help improve education in scheduled for each year of the program. New Jersey through the application of The quality trainers from AT&T and Total Quality. Bellcore are the instructors. Consultants 3. Building capacity for the local quality are invited to share programs they have team. developed and implemented in educa- The opportunity to learn over the tional settings based on total quality first two years and to be supported principles. monthly by quality facilitators will pro- During the learning events, local vide a good basic instruction in total leadership teams are given opportunities quality for the leadership teams and to apply the instructional information to other local quality teams in education. their own settings. Experience with However, the program itself is de- simulations and videos, sharing the signed to ensure that one or two persons improvementopportunitiesof other from quality teams in the program itself educational leadership teams, and net- will be trained to become local quality working are all important aspects of the facilitators through inclusion in the training and learning program. extensive total quality training offered by Three major features incorporated the businesses and in the formal Plan for into the program are designed to sustain Continuous Improvement of Education in it over time. These are: New Jersey. This Plan will provide op- 1.Collaboration of leaders in business portunities for every school and district and education to develop the curriculum to be included in training. of the program. The enthusiasm of the educators is Instructors are from the business reflected in comments such as: "So that's sector, so much planning is needed to how we determine what we need to know adapt and "fit" the teaching to education to begin process improvement!" "Now I and schools. Rich Serfass of Cherry Hill see the areas of focus that will reap the Public Schools, Maury James of the most benefits!" "How do we teach every- Department of Education, and Patti body what were learning?" "It will help Abernethy of Burlington City Public me determine just what data are needed Schools have collaborated with Til Dalla- before we come to any decisions." 'This valle of Bellcore and Jeff Hooper and will help us have more of a process im- Janet Shappard of AT&T to design the provement orientation rather than a events to fit education and the needs of project orientation!" the leadership teams. The learning and training events for 2. Ongoing support for quality improve- this pilot program will continue through ment. June 1994. We plan to expand the pro- The concept of on-site facilitators gram to more districts during 1993-94 was developed to provide resources and and 1994-95. The initial total quality support for the leadership team in imple- leadership teams will serve as resources menting information from the training for the next group of teams.There is 248 Quality Goes to School of this local quality leadership team canbe much interest in becoming a part facili- program as the excitementof the initial supported by its own local quality home region and tator. The local quality teams areexcited teams is shared in the the in professional circles. and are being sustained well by Some leadership teammembers are facilitators. making presentations atsuperinten- The improvement opportunities are dents' roundtables, atprincipals' and diverse and clearly focused (attendance and issues, discipline issues,communica- supervisors' associations meetings, scheduling at school board conventionsto fulfill tions with the community, another goal of the EducationalFocus concerns, etc.).Together we are all on information that road of continuous improvementbut Group--to disseminate quality tools and about total quality. we now have stronger Funding sources are currentlybeing techniques. sought to expand this programthrough- out the state.Greater involvementof Dr. Abemethy is superintend.ent inBur- businesses will be essentialsince more lington.,N. J.;Dr. Serfass is Assistant quality facilitators are neededuntil each Superintendent in Chernj Hill, N. J. Tardles and Absences Targeted by NewJersey School Improvement Team educing tardiness and im- (problem) was why students aligned with policies and pro- Johnson, Public Service Electric proving attendance were were absent or late for cedures. & Gas, and Xerox are training R six New Jersey school districts, problems the staff of school. The team grouped The Quality Improve- a community college, and the Burlington City High School ideas from its brainstorming ment Team's recommended urban division of the New Jer- in New Jersey chose to tackle list into four categories: out- action plan was approved by sey Department of Education more than a year ago. side influences, staff, stu- the Board of Education for in quality principles, practices, As the school's Quality dent, and system. To keep implementation during the and tools. Improvement Team col- from identifying symptoms current school year. The plan instead of root causes, team included these actions: For information on the lected data on the number of statewide pilot program called students marked tardy and members kept asking, Institute a staff develop- "Why?" whenever a cause ment program. the Total Quality Learning and absent, it found significant Support Program, write: errors in the school's data was given. Start a parent-to-parent collection method. Some stu- They summarized the program in all schools. root causes as: Set up a new computerized Dr. Richard Serfass dents were marked absent be- Assistant Superintendent cause they were late and students are not chal- system for attendance data. Rewrite the math and read- Cherry Hill Public Schools missed homeroom, yet they lenged by the curriculum Browning Lane attended classes all day. and the way it is imple- ing curricula to align with Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 The team then tried to mented: standardized tests and the or determine the root causes for parents lack proper educa- SCANS report. Dr. Patricia Abernethy nonattendance. After a brain- tion and motivation; IIII Establish an ad hoc atten- Superintendent of Schools storming session, partici- II teachers don't understand dance committee. City of Burlingtcn Public Schools students and their needs; and 518 Locust Avenue pants created a fishbone dia- Burlington, NJ 08016 gram. The fish's head the data system is not AT&T, Bellcore, Johnson and From Quality Network News. March-April1993 4o " Quality Goes to School What Do Grades Mean? By Mike and Jerry Stoecklein Bobby (not his real name) is a third all students on board. Perhaps Bobby grader. He likes school well enough. His didn't understand why he was doing the favorite things about school are lunch, assignment; maybe the teacher's recess, science, and reading (especially instructions were not clear. adventure stories). Bobby isn't searching for excuses, and Unfortunately, Bobby doesn't like many he did not purposely give his teacher an things about school: check marks (demerit incomplete paper, but he got a check mark system), grades, and social studies. just the same. Bobby is not alone. His friends would When Bobby gets a check mark, he enjoy school more and would learn more if feels embarrassed, humiliated, frustrated, barriers did not detract from their joy in and angry. Sometimes he'd like to cry. He learning. Bobby and his classmates worry feels this way because he's trying to do his about many things that hamper the best, yet the "system" won't let him. "I feel reasons they should be in school -- to my face getting red," he says. "I feel like learn and to have fun. everyone is looking at me. I feel like I'm Bobby is learning one thing: you going to cry, but I hold it back!" All of cannot learn and have fun at the same Bobby's friends hate check marks, too. time. He thinks that he and his friends They fear getting them. School shouldn't must sit in straight rows and speak only encourage fear. when told to. "Fun" is reserved for recess. Can you blame Bobby's teacher? She's What Bobby is learning is that recess = doing her job. She is only doing her best. fun, learning = hard work (boring), She has rules to uphold. No assignment = Why doesn't Bobby like social studies? one check mark. Those are the rules. "It's boring," he says."I don't know why At one time, someone thought the we need to know it." 3ocial studiesdoesn't check mark system was a good idea. "It interest him and he doesn't understand will teach them discipline. We need to why he needs to learn it. What's the maintain control." Is that what we're point? He'd rather read one of his favorite really doing? Or are we making matters books, like The Adventures of Huckleberry worse? Firm Grades can destroy a student in the Bobby also is learning that the cu.Tent same way that a check mark can. Once process4s filled with fear. He has learned Bobby brought home a science test with a that threats of poor grades are used at grade of F. He was devastated. He used school as an incentive. He has learned to to like science, His dad asked him about fear the results of tests and the associated the F. Bobby didn't want to talk about it. letter grades. He has learned to be afraid He felt that he had done something wrong. of report card day. All the feelings associated with getting a check mark were in play here too. The Effects of Grading After a while, Bobby told his dad a little Last week Bobby got a check mark for more. The teacher says that anyone with not finishing an assignment. The teacher a score of 69 or lower gets an F, explained didn't take into account some possible Bobby. His dad asked, "Why 69? Why not variables: Bobby may have been in a bad 79? Or 59?" Bobby didn't know. Does mood; perhaps there wasn't adequate time his teacher even know? Maybe that's the to finish the assignment. Possibly there rule. were conflicting time demands athome -- Bobby's dad kept at it.'Tell me how or family problems, or distractions.Maybe you learn science. Do you do any of the the school bus was late, causing stress for experiments in the book?" "No," Bobby 210 Quality Goes to School memorize the state capitals, but tolearn responded. "We just read and take tests. it is. Then we get a grade. We pretendlike the why Minneapolis is locatedwhere experiments in the book aren'tthere." Why did people settle there? What were enjoy their lives like? What can we learnabout How can Bobby understand and lives? science (or any subject) if hedoesn't get it? What could we apply to our "hands-on" experience? Doing Bobby might learn that Minneapolis is the an important city for navigation.What experiments could be fun, and of students would learn. But wewouldn't other questions might the study dare let the students have funwhile they navigation lead to? fun is reserved How might this relate to an activity are learning! Remember -- that Bobby enjoys (such as readingThe for recess. thing. Adventures of Hucklebemj Finn)?What do Bobby's dad learned one more other The school does have some science the two have in common? What equipment, but the eighth gradershave it. subjects might this lead to? Economics? Civil rights? History? It just mightbe It isn't available for othergrades. That's the same one barrier that theschool administration possible to have fun and learn at time. could remove to create joy inlearning. with The type of experiment thatBobby's Bobby was getting his head filled only time and a information. Information isn't the same as dad is talking about takes knowledge. Giving students information few cheap materials -- in thissituation, is like water, ice, salt, and food coloring.Bobby and asking them to repeat it back at home rolling marbles. The teacher rollsthe and his dad did the experiment back. that night. They also did someother marbles out, and Bobby rolls them If he gets it right, a high grade ishis experiments in the book. It may or may follows. not have made a difference inBobbys next reward. If he doesn't, a poor grade to learn A poor grade is a label forfailure. It test grade. Bobby was starting Bobby and have fun. Science began tomake presumes to predict the future. may be labeled as afailure. How does that sense. Bobby wanted tolearn more. him want to Bobby and his friends have aright to make him feel? Does it make joy in learning. They shouldbe allowed to learn more? explore all their natural curiositiesabout Forces of Destruction anything they want to learnabout. They learning should know that learning isfun. Grades There is a better way, We are about the devastating effects ofgrading should not be a concern. is Dr. W. Bobby also could know why itwould be from many great thinkers. One good to learn about social studies --not to Edwards Deming. Figure 1. self-defense, competition for He These forces cause humiliation, fear, gold stars, high grades, high rating on the job.They lead any- Begins one to play to win, not forfun. They crush the joy in learn- ing, joy on the job, innovation. Extrinsicmotivation (complete resignation to external pressures) grad- ually replaces intrinsic motivation, self- esteem, dignity. One is born with intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, dignity, cooperation, curiosity, joy in learning. Life These attributes are high at the beginning Ends of life, but are gradually crushed byforces. TIME 2 ) Quality Goes to School Dr. Deming helped educate Japanese of a demonstration that Dr. Deming leadership about a system of improvement conducts at his four-day seminars. It's that helped that country make a dramatic the demonstration of the red beads. industrial turnaround and subsequently Volunteers are called from the audience dominate world markets. Now some and asked to become "willing workers" in a companies around the world are starting bead factory. The foreman (Dr. Deming) to listen to Dr. Deming. Schools are tells them that they can continue to work among those beginning to seek his in the factory as long as they perform well. guidance and help. It's entirely up to them. Dr. Deming describes the destructive One by one, the workers dip a paddle forces that squash the intrinsic motivation into a bin with red and white beads. The from individuals. It starts early in life, and factory's customer wants white beads, not much of it happern in schools. Figure red ones. 1 shows what happens to the natural in- The paddle has 50 slots for 50 beads. quisitive nature of children as they grow At the first try, the paddle comes up with up. Extrinsic motivation takes over.The 42 white beads and 8 red beads. This is pciwer of the individual is lost.' supposedto be a white bead factory. Why These destructive forces extend beyond are the workers producing redbeads? the school walls. Bobby knows this is The foreman tries quotas, punishment. true. He told his dad that he learned merit pay, and ranking of workers from during recess that one of his friends gets highest to lowest number of defects (red $5 for every A on his report card. beads). Nothing seems to work. Another boy gets more. One boy gets At the end of 24 dips by the six grounded if he gets a low grade. workers, the foreman is frustrated. These Bobby told his friends that his dad people obviously don't care whether the doesn't care about grades. "He just asks factory stays in business or not. Their me what I'm learning," Bobby said,"and performance is getting worse. He has the he asks if I am having fun. He asks me production figures to prove it. that every day." Bobby's friends thought In one last effort, the foreman decides this was terrible. They told Bobby thathis to keep the three best workers and let the parents must not love him. others go. A brilliant solution! Skim off Children have feelings. They also are the best workers -- no need to continue to quick learners. The destructive forces take employ the "dead wood." But the final six their toll. dips are even worse! One way to learn more about the Finally, the factory closes. Everyone fundamental flaw with grading is to think loses. Bobby's Bead Factory , Worker Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Total Day 5 Mike 14 6 14 3 37 18/11 Matt 11 11 11 9 42 13/11 Gerald 13 13 14 11 51 Bobby 7 15 15 10 47 Mark 8 10 12 13 43 Andy 7 12 10 10 39 13/18 Total 60 67 76 56 259 84 Running 10.0 10.6 11.3 10.8 Average 2.?r 212 Quality Goes to School Bobby and his dad are interestedin what they got: how it learning more about this and I 4. relates to grading in schools.They make their own bead factory andtry it z, friends 3 f 7I 11 kr ry I themselves. Bobby recruits five RI= 66-4113 /DIP -O DI PS frcm school to be willing workers.The results are shown on thechart in Figure 2. Figure 4. They learned that the resultsof this process were due tothe system, not the workers' efforts. All theforeman's efforts to get the workers to improvetheir outcome were futile anddestructive. Bobby. Gerald, and Mark werejudged ..... bunch and were let * to be the worst of the * go. How did theyfeel? Bobby and hisdad created a simple control chartto show the order . bead production in time sequence 04.::::::::: (Figure 3). 10 )4iI*1.7.T.:.1. Figure 3. I 3 C 7 81 13 IS 97 If az Itrb MAAS/ DIP - /94/ orp5 Bobby's Red Bead Factory continued to dip 20immeminummummosaamm If Bobby and his dad the paddle and produce morefigures. the 1111111111111=111111111=1.11111111111111111111tiliM111 average would settle downto some num- ImmutgiummissmunimumOUNIWIIMM111111111111111111111M1111.1111111111111 ber. They wanted to learn more,so they vagnoutertiurrAriumlwasissamma proceeded with seven morerepetitions of anummumminramunimirimium histogram for a Nommuntiumrfinrammur.examurniunnairsiwamilmarnitamirs Mint the bead factory. The 10MinuillIIIILII111111111111olournumminl eight demonstrationsof the factory is 11.111111111M11111111111111111=111111111011111111111 shown above. 111111111111011111111111M11111111111111111111111111111111111a What variables contributedto the beads? Bobby inismanalimmunimarinmmThisszli11211111=111111111111111111Mill111111111111RMILI outcome of red or white and his dad thoughtabout these and displayed them with acause-and-effect (Figure 5, next Day 2 ()ay 3 OW4 Day 5 diagram. This diagram Oay page) shows all the potentialvariables that in this case, that the might influence the result Bobby an4 his dad learned the number of red beadsproduced. variation appears to bestable. There's themselves worker was any Bobby and his dad asked nothing to say that one what components of the processinflu- better than the others.Keeping the "best efforts and hard guarantee that they enced the outcome. Best three" workers was no work by the workers couldnot improve the would continue to producegood figures. and exhor- workers who outcome. Ranking of workers It was unfair to scold the tations only resulted inhumiliation, fear, produced high numbers ofred beads. It system produced and embarrassment. wasn't their fault. The Without fundamentalchanges to the the variation. It wasn'tthe foreman's system that produced thebeads, the fault. He was only doinghis job. That's be similar to He was only doing output would continue to how he was trained. that shown in the controlchart and the his best, earning hissalary. and his dad histogram. From the figures, Bobby The workers could notcontrol these rearranged the figures intoanother type of of the shows how the variables. Only the management graph -- a histogram. It factory could do this. bead production isdistributed. Here's 2 97, Quality Goes to School 213 Figure 5. People Environment lionacernent Wantons 0011VN111-7- Co NO. Ideas rorennart Red Beaas POCecItir "Itt"(NC/CIS %MOO Materials Methocs Equipment bead factory had What might this tell us aboutgrading due to the system. If the in schools? Is there arelationship to the "up-stream" variables that produced output, what would thevariables be for bead factory? and his dad To learn more, Bobby and hisdad learning mathematics? Bobby plotted Bobby's test scores (notletter thought of some: Here grades) for math on a control chart. Figure 7. is what it looked like: Peooie Environment cu.... Sch..) Ughtsrsq SuctOot Halm Figure 6. Actr-ntratton oeoolitty t.."."."Stuount rear .00mects Bobby.s Moth Exam Scores Study rtrirovon crt 100 I i 410t. 4, 1 1 1 1 I 1-11-il II 1 I 1111111ZWID11111111111111510..1i.IIIIAM111. YA1111111112% . Math 90 110 51311111111M Scare 111,411111111111111111111111111111111111 rd/Not 80111111121111/ALMBEW=111111 StvcIr rm shvoictul 1 1 1 III 1 70 11111Ir 111 I pnol Routes* o. 0...scson. 1 lacpcd iIii.I1ilI1II I i[ii Soomec 60 1 I 1 1 itIi r II loanynq 1 IiIIiIIIII I I 1 I 50 1 1 I t 1 on Clarity 1 1 I I Ii 1 11 1 !III 11i Methods Equipment Materials 1,..11ilIti i 1 1 1 1 30 15 17 19 2123 25 27 2931 3 5 7 9 I 1 13 Many variables could have affected the Math Excrntnation outcome. Bobby could have controlled some (effort, inclination tostudy, Bobbys examinations testedhis Bobby penmanship). His mother and dad might understanding of multiplication. have controlled others (limited distractions was learning his "timestables" early on. purchased a at home, some tools to aid study, At week three. Bobby's dad availability for questions). Still others simple computer program thathe thought of the dad knew might have been within the control might help with learning. His teacher (clarity of questions,distractions that Bobby liked to playcomputer games. attitude They worked on the math program at school, classroom environment, together every night. Atter somework and toward learning). to be If it was cruel for the bead foreman to study, Bobby's scores appeared chastise a worker for a poor performance stable. with the paddle, it also was cruel for The stable variation (in thelast 19 in the anyone to judge a. studentand assign a scores) looked like the variation grade when it is the system thatproduces bead factory. The variationappeared to be 4?E. 214 Quality Goes to School test 1 and test 2. Roughly8 will score the outcome. If the systemis stable, it test 2. Bobby why he below average on test 1 and would be pointless to ask Roughly 8 will score above averageon test got an 87 on one examand a 98 on to attach 1 and below average on test2. Roughly 8 another. It would be even worse will be below on test 1 andabove on test a letter grade tohim. about this. Grades fonn a label, We think weare 2. Nothing can be done We cannot repeal the lawsof variation. making a prediction aboutfuture success with an A may feel What happened to the little or failure. A student Hacquebord girl? How did shefeel? She proud and be expected to dothe same in Fortunately, she received the future. A student with aC or worse is was devastated! some help and supportand she recovered. labeled for future failure.'We can't expect lucky. much better from that student --he's only But other students were not so Can we blame the teacher?No, she average." thought best. Her Dr. Deming relates a storythat comes was doing what she intention was to do what's bestfor the from Heero Hacquebord2 a friend and she should daughter. students in her class. Perhaps colleague who had a six-year-old study variation to guide herbest One day she came homewith a note below average intentions. If grades aremeaningless, explaining that she scored what does a report card mean?Not much. on both of theexaminations given thus note one day. the parents. Bobby came home with a far. This was a warning to It said, "Last report card notreturned. It Other notes about otherchildren told a next card is sent above- must be returned before different story. Some described home." Where was the lastreport card? average performance onboth tests. "Congratulations! We predict agenius in No one Icnew. It had been eight weekssince the last the making." report card came home.What should Some students got notesthat warned of teacher do'? average on the firsttest Bobby do? What should the a drop from above Maybe this would mean acheck mark for to below average on thesecond. Still other the Bobby. Maybe the teachershould have parents got notes congratulating given the parents an F.Bobby's dad had students on improving frombelow average quarter's card is required, above average on the an idea. If last on the first test to he said, they could make one. second. report card. that some Bobby and his dad made a Dr. Deming explains First they listed his subjects.Next they knowledge of variation wouldshow that all came up with gradesfor the last two of this means nothing. grades was both exams quarters. Memory of actual Look at the averages for unnecessary. If the gradesreflect shown in Figure 8. In aclass of 32 Bobby and his students, about 8 will score averageon variation due to the system. Figure 8. Tepst 1 -1-49st 2 About 8 4 Aver rIr3" Average -0- About 8 Quality Goes to School 215 Figure 9. Subject First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Mathematics D D Social studies D B Religion C F Reading C B Spelling C D English A D Music C D Physical education C C Science B C dad couldfill in boxes at random, an A In such a school, neither Bobby nor his here, a B there. They added a C here and friends would worry about grades. Teach- there. ers wouldn't prod students to do better by They used a process that generated threatening humiliation or poor grades for grades close to a random manner. They low test scores. Check mark systems borrowed five dice from a board game and would riot be needed. Bobby and his established a scoring system. The totals of friends would like this. Everyone would each roll of the dice generated a score work together to learn. (something like counting beads). "Misbehaving" would be unacceptable If the total was between 5 and 9, that because it would be a barrier for all to earned an A. A total of 10 to 14 got a B, learn. Students and teachers would all 15 to 19 got a C, 20 to 24 a D, and 25 to understand this. Threats of check marks 30 an F. would be unnecessary. The report card they made up is Bobby and his friends could study thc shown above in Figure 9. things that interested them. Assignments II the teacher needs a piece of paper, and deadlines (if needed) would make she has one now. Bobby and his dad have sense to students and teachers because some knowledge of the system that they would be working on learning as a produced these grades. They know why process together. these grades really don't mean anything. Bobby's mother and dad, other parents, What can we say about the system that Bobby's teachers, other teachers, Bobby, produces the grades at school? Much of his friends, all the students and adminis- the variation is due to forces outside of the trators could work toward a common aim: students' control. The grades certainly to learn and to have fun. don't tell a story about what is being Bobby and his classmates could ex- learned. They may be making matters plore other ways of learning, and they worse. Grading may indeed be a destruc- would combine fun with learning. School tive force. would be fun and interesting. Learning would occur inside and outside the class- Learning without Grading room. Bobby and his friends would coop- We are not chained to the current erate with each other and with teachers system. If we can learn about the effects it and parents in all that they do. is having on our students, we can change Competition would disappear, even it. What might school be like if we individual competition in games. Students pursued this new direction? would learn that the reason for games is 23C, 216 Quality Goes to School for exercise, learning, and fun, not to ac- The tests themselves may not even require students' names on them.At a cumulate awards or to win at someone could tell else's expense. Everyone wouldwin. glance, the teacher and students track their how they have progressed since the last Bobby and his friends could them own progress in learning. With timeand time. They might know who among needed bpecial help or deservedadditional patience, they would learn to plot simple for pun- charts to see their progress or know when study toward the "good" side, not know when ishment or reward, but for learning,to they were stuck. Each would for other to ask for help and would notbe embar- help everyone learn and to search would be ways to learn, realizing thatpeople (in- rassed for doing so. Questions cluding children) learn in different ways. welcomed. know Bobby could decide what he wouldlike The teacher and students would know when he that ranking (grading) those who arepart to learn, and how he would To do He of the system would mean nothing. attained a stable level for a skill. be winners and would make connections aboutwhat inter- so would cause some to ested him, what was fun, andwhat he others to be losers. That would mean would like to learn more about.He would everyone loses. learn to use the library to learn more.He would seek help in encyclopedias,atlases, Education as a System and dictionaries. He would go tomuse- Bobby, his friends, and his teacher to learn more, not could learn together. But howco,ild they ums because he wanted to because it was an assignment.He would begin? It would be hard for peop_ things that were understand that grading is destructiveand see connections between fear the fun for him. His friends woulddo the unnecessary. Many would learn that people learn change. same. They would One way to begin would be for everyone things in different ways. this ap- to view education as a system.Dr. Dem- Bobby's teacher could win from "interdependent proach. She could help thechildren learn ing describes a system as and find an- components worldng toward a common to plot their own progress aim." There must be a common aim,and swers to their questions.The students all and the teacher could look atstudent test the components must work together so output as a system. From onetest or a parts of the system will win. could look at their What could be the aim ofeducation? group of them, they learn and to have output in the form of ahistogram: One answer might be to DISTRI OUT 104ac Figure 10. sco c Ag-riA LENRXIIN4 0)4oc- tvrtis etME OWE StoRES PROrel eh/T.511:E 0% SCMIONrc FIRST EXAM.. OVT5 IDE. OP NICIAJ DISTRIgt.TTIOIJ DISTRIBUTICW Caul-0PossIeLy IN riser) i+ELP crr4E.V.,5 SPtCIAL 14E.L2 40 I 040 40 70 sro PER CENTGoRREcr EXAM..5 Quality Goes to School 217 fun. That could be sufficient. We must try to produce a better future. What might an education system look All parts of the system must seek the like if we had a picture of it? Dr. Harold type of knowledge for improvement that Haller, a friend and colleague of Dr. Dem- Dr. Deming speaks of. Continuous study ing's, presented a picture of what such a of the following would have to be pursued: system might look like at one of Dr. Dem- appreciation of a system, ing's seminars.3 It looks like Figure 11. knowledge of variation, This picture is different than the one theory of knowledge, and we all know. It will take time to seehow psychology. all parts can work together. A similar picture would have to be made for Bobby's school, and everybody involved would understand this new pic- Gerald (Jerry) Stoecklein is a fourth grader ture. at St. Rita's School in Racine, Wisc. His Do we have to make the effort to try? father, Mike, is a board member at that What choice do we have? If we do nothing, school, an internal consultant for All Saints we perpetuate the destructiveforces. We Healthcare System, and president of the also continue to fill our children's heads Southeast Wisconsin Quality Improvement with information. We cannot afford that. Network and Deming Study Group. Figure 11. Public Education Viewed as a System Administration Federal/State/County Consumer . Educational Research School Board R&D N>i School Administration <-11 EducationalvT Suppliers Employers Colleges Preschool K-8 9-12 Students Universities Parents Community/ Teachers PTA ----- LUnion Colleges/Universities Students References 1. Adopted from Dr. Deming's Four-Day Seminar, 'The NewEconomics for Industry, Education, and Government," February 2-5, 1993.Reprinted with permission from Dr. Deming. 2. "A Day with Dr. Deming," teleconference from GeorgeWashington University, November 1992.Reprinted with permission from Mr. Hacquebord and Dr. Deming. 3. 'The New Economics for Industry, Education, andGovernment," February 2-5, 1993. Reprinted with Dr. Deming's permission. 23 c 218 Quality Goes to School Portsmouth Public Schools ProductivityInitiative By Claude C. Parent and Marion Ransom The Portsmouth Public Schools' This long-range strategic plan called continuous improvement effort began for establishing magnet schools of choice with an Effective Schools initiative intro- and an emphasis on student achieve- duced by Richard Trumble, the new ment gains.The superintendent gar- superintendent of schools, in June 1990. nered board and community support and When he became superintendent, worked closely with the city to help it the school system had been through a develop its own productivity initiative. series of leadership changes. Ports- Within the first year of the program, mouth schools were perceived by many Portsmouth Public Schools was awarded as one of the least effectiveschc ol divi- one of six grants from theCommitment sions in the Hampton Roads area. The to Quality initiative of the Virginia De- district faced many long-standing educa- partment of Education. tional, financial, and political problems. TheEffectiveSchools planning During a summit meeting to explore process laid the foundation forschool the city's future, civic leaders identified improvement. Training in participatory the schools as the number one priority in management and quality principles was planning for the city's future growth and provided for key staff members from all development. 29 schools. This group included princi- Portsmouth Public Schools is an pals, assistant principals, school chair- urban school district.More than 55 persons, department heads, andteachers percent of its students are economically from four start-up schools selected for disadvantaged. The district also faces initial training in quality management. problems of discipline, drugs, and vio- Parents serving on school improvement lence. To improve its standing in the teams also were trained. Together, the community, a new vision for improve- participants established comprehensive ment became a matter of survival. school improvement plans linked to the The superintendent's vision involved total district plan for improved academic not only the schools but also the whole achievement for all students. community. He laid out a bold plan to An important feature of the school transform this urban district. He chal- improvement plans is that they are not lenged the staff and parents to be re- "central office directed." School princi- sponsible for all areas of a child's edu- pals are being empowered and chal- cation. lenged to know their customers and to The district was to be goal-focused identify problems and solutions.Each and data-driven, he said. He called for school improvement plan is unique, new programs and continuousimprove- based upon the school's own needs. ment of all products and services. Power SuperintendentTrumble, City Man- would be shifted from central office bu- ager V. Wayne Orton, Portsmouth Mayor reaucracy to buildingadministrators. Gloria 0. Webb, and School Board Chair- Principals and staff would have authority man J. Thomas Benn (who isQuality and be accountable for producing stu- Assurance Director for the Norfolk Naval dent gains.Evaluations would reflect Shipyard) modeled top management's this shift, and an executive development commitment to continuous improvement program would be created to train per- by participating in quality seminars and sonnel in the new management philoso- supporting the quality initiatives in the phy. district. Area businesses, including the Quality Goes to School Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Tidewater Com- in the principles of continuous improve- munity College, and the Hampton Roads ment has come from three major federal Quality Management Council, are provid- grants totaling $250,000. Early release ing ongoing support in training the ac- days andsubstitutesareprovided tion teams. On October 15, 1992, the through the local budget to train teach- School Board passed a resolution sup- ers in the start-up schools. porting the tenets of total quality man- More than 200 school personnel, agement. including central office staff members, Superintendent Trnmble has estab- principals, assistant principals, school lished a dialogue withallinternal improvement chairpersons (classroom groups, including all levels of employees; teachers), teachers in the four start-up this allows them to speak informally schools, and the Department of Opera- about their concerns. The superinten- tions, have been trained in quality princi- dent has pushed for capital funds to ples. A plan developed by the steering improve the schools' deteriorating physi- committee outlines continued training of cal condition. all personnel for the next three years. He also has been a key player in Personnel also attended other quali- creating coalitions from state and local ty training seminars conducted by Xerox, resources to garner support for quality. Effective Schools, Deming, and Conway. Dr. Trumble and members of his cabinet The problem-solving process, team build- helpedorganizeactivitiespromoting ing skills, and the quality improvement quality in education: these included a process are components of the training field trip for selected Hampton Roads curriculum provided by all of these orga- classroom teachers to visit business nizations. partnerships involved with quality and a Superintendent Thimble meets with state-wide teleconference on total quality his management team, composed of leadership featuring a California superin- department directors and representatives tendent who has successfully implement- from the principals, to assess progress ed quality throughout that system. toward meeting the overall goals of the The management team has provided system. resources to support the school improve- Monthly meetings are scheduled ment efforts. A member of the superin- with employee groups (teachers, parapro- tendent's management team represents fessionals, clerical personnel, cafeteria tLe district on the Hampton Roads Qual- workers, custodial personnel, bus driv- ity Management Council and the Quality ers, and maintenance workers) to provide Education Focus Committee. opportunities to identify problems and School improvement teams were share ideas for solutions. organized in all 29 schools in the fall of Quality action teams composed of 1990. The central focus for employee front-line workers are empowered to involvement has been the school im- solve organizational and instructional provement teams. Each consists of the problems to improve the services and principal, teachers, classified personnel, products we provide for internal and parents, and community leaders.Par- external customers. ents represent between one-third and At an administrative retreat, indi- one-half of the membership on these vidual school plans were presented to the teams. Superintendent, Chairman of the Ports- Team members help management mouth School Board, and Virginia's write guidelines for involving employees Secretary of Education. School improve- in the school improvement process. ment teams continued to share, discuss, Financial support for training employees monitor, and analyze school improve- 234 220 Quality Goes to School ment plans through monthly presenta- tions, transportation, and site-centered tions to the superintendent's cabinet and leadership came together to share their school board. This provides district-wide plans.For the first time ever, people monitoring of the programs of the school representing different parts of the school improvement teams as it gives members system shared their visions for improve- recognition and feedback. ment. At the end of the school year, The district has a strong commit- schools determine the extent to which ment to measure, report, and use perfor- they met their school improvement objec- mance data to improve processes. This tives.All 29 schools showed improve- was a missing link for our school im- ment during 1991-1992. Schools that provement efforts for some time. met all their improvement objectives were Results of our continuous improve- recognized and awarded plaques at the ment efforts to date include these: obening-of-the-year convocation. In 1992-93, seven of the schools met all Each school improvement team their school improvement objectives. uses a complete and disaggregated One of these seven was a special educa- report of data on attendance, pro- tion center. motion rates, AP classes,and The continuous improvement pro- achievement. cesscallsforacollaborative school-based approach that empowers A mainframe system identifies and employees to identify problems and im- tracks students who are at-risk for plement strategies to solve them. These failing the state's mandated literacy strategies help ensure customer satisfac- passport test. tion. Quality efforts have been integrat- ed with the regular mission statement of Extensiveprogramevaluations the school board. The primary objective provide qualitative and quantitative is to provide the tools that will enable data on specific programs in the students to achieve their highest desti- division. Two major evaluation nies. effortsare an Audit of Select During the fall of 1992, the school At-Risk Programs and the Chapter district developed an extensive continu- 2 Evaluation Report.Results of ous improvement plan that encompasses these evaluations are reported to more than 20 key areas. As partof this the School Board, Superintendent's plan, committees developed three-year cabinet, and personnel involved in vision plans, a one-year action plan, and the programs. a master calendar of activities. Indevel- opingthecontinuousimprovement An extensiveschool-community plans, work in individual committees is survey was taken during the spring being tracked so that the district can see of 1992.Responses from more its progress toward overall goals. than12,000customersreflect This overall continuous improve- changing perceptions and attitudes ment plan encompasses all areas in the toward the school system by stu- school district to focus on a clearer pic- dents, parents, teachers, and ad- ture of the entire system. To do this, all ministrators. This survey was de- committees must be aware of the work of velopedafter benchmarking 10 the others. Working together, the small other surveys from around the groups began to see the overall visionfor country. Information from this the district.Committee chairpersons survey is reported to the school representing instruction, building opera- board,superintendent'scabinet, Quality Goes to School 221 administrativeworkshops,local We are giving increased attention to newspapers, and a series of super- the customers we serve.Recent intendent'sreportsaboutthe surveys have sought to determine schools. (a) the effectiveness of our laborato- ry school in preparingstudent Important writing assessments are teachers for their first year of teach- being made for the first time in ing; (b) attitudes and comfort level eachschool. Two elementary of teachers and administrators with schools are assessing the writing the new teacher performance as- level of kindergarten,first, and sessment system; (c) perceptions of second grade students to identify parents, teachers, and students instruction that will help these stu- toward Portsmouth Public Schools; dents. A writing sample for every and(d)thespecific data that sixth grade student at all elementa- schools need on the main frame ry schools was also giventhis year computer. to determine the writing level of our students. This assessment is help- We are realizing cost savings as a ing us identify the strengths and result of our continuous improve- weaknesses of our writing prograni ment efforts.Privatizing the fleet throughout the district. maintenance operation reduced the cost of maintenance by 22 percent, We developed a format to help each saving $170,000 a year. An energy school analyze, organize, and report conservation system is reducing data and summarize its achieve- fuel and electricity consumption by ment; these summaries were com- 34 percent, saving about $400,000 piled into a booklet that serves as a a year. resource for the superintendentand his cabinet.A principal helped The benefits of implementing quality design the format of the summary management are demonstrated by the to ensure that essential data were passion of our students, teachers, staff included. members, and administrators to work together to make Portsmouth Schools a Quality action teams are tackling better place to learn and to work. system problems. One such team is developing a new purchasing Claude Parent is Quality Manager and system for the district. Marion Ransom is Quality Specialist for Portsmouth, Va., Public Schools 214 k' Iva Systems Leaders Speak uality to migrioceshool Quality Goes to School 223 Patience, Focus Needed to Start District Transformation By G. Thomas Houlihan, superintendent, Johnston County, ment and internalize Deming's 14 Points, board mem- N.C. bers, teachers, administrators, parents, students, and com- munity members are regularly reminded that: s a practicing educator for the past 19 years, I have There is no instant pudding. The process of Aseen many programs and practices implemented in change takes time. Five to 10 years is the minimal education. Some of these programs have been successful, amount of time it will take to incorporate the change but many have made no significant difference. Through- Deming describes. out the years, no matter what has been implemented in Trust is the lubricant of successful enterprises. our business, student achievement has remained static Developing trust among educators and the commu- and public criticism has grown. nity is difficult to achieve. Mistakes will be made and We have missed the boat in the area of educational re- people will be highly skeptical. However, the process form by focusing on a specific program or practice. must not be altered if trust is to be developed. Rather, we must look at total quality: the philosophy and The obstacles to success are many. From budget- value system that undergirds an educational organization. ing to employee evaluation to student outcomes, the We cannot improve student achievement with one entire school system must be willing to "let go" of program or new approach; instead we must look at educa- previous practices and find better ways of achieving tion as a total organization and develop a philosophy that quality. deals with total quality for that organization. Quality cannot be achieved in certain seg- Change in education is extremely difficult to imple- ments of the system. Total quality means just that; ment successfully. Schools are highly bureaucratized and quality in evety segment of the system. Custodial politicized and to bring fundamental change focusing on practices, teaching techniques, administrative prac- student achievement is difficult at best. Yet, perhaps the tices, and boardsmanship must be examined to focus best chance for change is when a new superintendent on total quality. No individual or group can be ex- takes the helm of a school system. empted, as quality depends upon continual improve- As the newly appointed superintendent in Johnston ment of everyone associated with the district. County, N.C., I believe I have the opportunity to bring The Johnston County School System must believe in change and improvement in my district, although the people, eliminate barriers so there is joy in work, and seek window will be cracked for only a short period. to make decisions based on data, rather than on opinions This window of opportunity must be pried opened or emotions. We must recognize that most of the prob- further, as the future of an entire school system is closely lems are caused by the school system and not due to a par- related to the leadership and vision exhibited by the new ticular circumstance or particular individuals. superintendent. The total quality approach of W. Edwards We will focus on rapid learning and apply that learn- Deming is the focus of change in Johnston County. This ing throughout education in our district. The chance for past spring, we began molding a coalition of people and change must be seized quickly, yet we're talking about resources into a win/win opportunity for children. From plans that will take a number of years to see improve- building trust to reducing variation, the task is long and ments. The bottom line is simple: We really have no arduous. choice if our educational system is going to make signifi- The focus on success includes placing a high value on cant improvement and prepare youngsters for success in our customer wants and/or demands. In order to imple- the 21st century. 'Barrier-Bashers' Welcome Here By Jane Hammond, associate superintendent for instmctional County youth. services, Wake County, N.C., Public Schools To reduce inspection and build quality into the teach- ing and learning process, we got serious about carefully es- team from our schools recently discovered that many tablishing an effective comprehensive plan with action Aof W. Edwards Deming's approaches fit vety well steps. We decided that the best planning was shared, step- with our school improvement process. We began our im- by-step, with clearly identified criteria for assuring quality provement process by examining our common beliefs implementation, ownership, and commitment. and philosophy about schools and asking, "How will our Second, we developed a teaming approach to help us beliefs change what we are doing?" Based on those discus- support and monitor progress in implementing programs. sions, we created a clear purpose for our schools. Each central office team works to serve the district's A coalition of more than 100 people representing our 86 schools as they develop individual plans that fit into community identified ways and created a countywide the countywide plan. Inspection still occurs, but it focuses plan for each segment to build a brighter future for Wake more strongly on the process of improvement. 238 224 Quality Goes to School After discovering that most staff development was in- ment is to encourage and reward risking. We encourage effective, haphazard, not performance-based, and not re- staff members to be "barrier bashers" and to eliminate the lated to clear roles, purpose, or quality outcomes, we be- "we-they" way of doing business. We have, instead, em- gan improving by developing profiles for staff roles. phasized individual decision-making, personal responsibil- Then, performance expectations were developed and ity and pride, and ownership. a comprehensive staff development program wasinitiated Our goal is quality, not simply for the students we to offer experiences connected with new roledefinitions. serve, but also for staff members who are committed to A Deming point essential to our continual improve- the system and to community members who support us. Translate Quality into"Educationese" By David M. Gangel, superintendent, Rappahannock County cators know in which direction to steer the process of stu- Public Schools, Sperryville, Va. dent achievement and learning? Or, what is the process objective? E ducators often cringe at the thought of using abusi- The quality concept states that only those who use ness concept or idea in education. When isthe last the process results can provide the input for specific time you heard a group of professional educators talk needs or outcomes. Thus, it's up to the community, po- about customers, service, and external requirements? In tential employers, and higher education to provide input fact, a teacher once told me that he pursued a career in about student learning. education and not business, therefore he wanted not to ,As educators we must find ways to determine the consider the concept of "customer." needs of the community, potential employers, and Even if business and education are concerned about higher education. If public education can satisfy their different things, is there anything that education can gain needs, how then can public education be anything but from quality? The answer is an absolute, unqualified successful? "yes." But when talking with educators about quality, we Once learning processes are improved to the point need to redefine the language. Educators don't want to that students learn what is needed the first time, schools talk about customers, return on assets, and the costof will reduce the need for remediation and its associated quality in reference to school operation. Educators want costs. to talk about ways to help children learn. Savings associated with less remediation, retention, All right then, let's translate quality into "educatio- and failure are more than monetary. The savings of self-es- nese" and explain how quality can help children learn: teem, future productivity, and social institution distress The driving force of quality is continuous learning proc- could be tremendous. ess improvement for children. There is one caveat: Translations of quality terminol- It's the responsibility of every educator and support ogy and examples are good for short,introductory re- there is no person to contribute to and help improvethe learning sponses to the benefits of quality. However, process through cooperative structuressuch as quality cir- substitute for a complete understanding of quality in the cles and project teaming. Quality supports and promotes current business-industry terminology. teacher empowerment and site-based management. The language of quality is foreign to educators, but Process, not personnel, is considered first for improve-the promises of quality have education written all over ment. If a problem related to learning emerges,examine them. To reap the benefits of quality we need only accept first the instructional process, not the instructor.Quality the language of quality or translate it into "educationese." always strives to fix the process problems, not theblame. Children and learning are too important to let words get Using the quality improvement process, how willedu-in their way. Partners in Action! By Zona Sharp-Burk, executive director, MinnesotaAcademic against a set of Malcolm Baldrige Award-type criteria Excellence Foundation, St. Paul, Minn. would be valuable in setting goals and pursuing improve- ment. Second, participating in the awards processwould delivery systems for an let the public know that schools are serious about im- s there a place in K12 education the I award to recognize and promote quality? In Minnesota, provement and quality issues. Third, the group saw involvement the response so far seems to be "yes!" process as a way to focus local community Educators at a recent seminar delivered by the Minne- in schoo',s and to foster new business-education partner- sota Academic Excellence Foundation(MAEF) gave several ships. reasons why such an award processwould benefit schools MAEF was charged by the Minnesota legislature in 1990 to develop a plan for a Schools of Excellence pro- and students. and operation First, they felt that the process of self-assessment gram that would elevate the performance 23E Quality Goes to School 225 of all schools, encourage improvement, and provide for a Award and to think about how a pilot activity might pro- process for schools to help each other. ceed. The task force appointed by MAEF to develop the Representatives from IBM and IBM Rochester (a re- Schools of Excellence plan includes members from busi- cent Baldrige Award recipient) shared their experiences ness and education organizations, the legislature, and with the award and the quality process. schools. The educators' responses to the pilot plan were gener- The Schools of Excellence task force recommended ally enthusiastic. For the next nine months, 12 elemen- that MAEF develop an awards program based on joint re- tary and secondary schools and school districts will work view by communities and schools, as well as traditional with MAEF and the MCQ to pilot test the seven criteria. means by which schools judge themselves to be excellent. Each pilot site will examine one common criterioncus- The seven characteristics recommended by the task tomer satisfactionand another individually assigned cri- force closely resemble those of the Baldrige Award: terion such as leadership. IBM has loaned an executive to Leadership; the project, and a Minnesota business involved with the Customer satisfaction; Minnesota Quality Award process will be a partner to Information and analysis; each education site. Strategic planning; The interest by schools and :clucation groups in a Human resources utilization; quality award and the quality prows is not new, but with Product or service quality assurance; and the advent of the Baldrige Av,ard, this interest has in- Quality results. creased exponentially in a short period of time. The MAEF Board then asked 20 education groups to However, the process of self-assessment, ranked as a respond to the task force report and recommended that most valuable aspect of the awards process, will have the task force work with the Minnesota Council for Qual- meaning only if qualified and affordable resources are ity (MCQ), which is designing a Minnesota Quality Award then available to assist schools in improving in identified modeled after the Baldrige. areas. The education groups indicated that the Schools of For more inibrmation, contact Jason Roos at the Minne- Excellence project would indeed benefit schools and stu- sota Academic Excellence Foundation, 751 Capitol Square dents. Last summer, MAEF invited each of these groups to Building, 550 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Mirm. 55101; (612) 297- a session hosted by Unisys to learn about the Baldrige 1875. Partners in Quality: Business and Education By John R. Reed, superintendent, Newtown, Conn., Public Students, who are not passive entities rolling down a Schools production line, have an important role to play in school; indeed, they are a special form of worker, a knowledge iNhat needs to happen in school systems closely paral-worker. lels what many private companies in the United The more educators can do to enable students to be States are pursuing with great gusto. Schools realize, as productive knowledge workers, the more successful stu- does the private sector, that significant improvement is dents will be. This means teachers have the responsibility needed in the quality of their products and services. of judging and selecting the best teaching strategies and For schools, quality is reflected in what their students materials to increase the chance that every student will have learned and can apply. Companies and schools real- find success. ize that quality is not going to result from external rules During this past year, many school systems have in- and regulations. Inspection of workers by foremen or prin-creased the number of opportunities for teachers to work cipals is not cost effective and cannot ensure quality. together collegially to design instructional strategies and The quality science movement believes that the cul- materials. As this continues, teachers will naturally as- ture of the organization must undergo a significant sume more accountability. change; people must believe there is great value in doing The quality movement tells us it is important to un- something right the first time and that prevention is far derstand and collect information about the results we are more meaningful than remediation. Without first improv- achieving to determine if our customer needs are being ing the inner organization through an adaptive culture, met and to solve problems. updating administrative skills, and developing a coopera- An assessment system that attempts to capture every tive team effort, any change in the formal system will be major factor or nuance to measure total quality will be window dressing. too complicated and not understood or trusted. At best it A major park of this culture change is a very active en- will be dysfunctional, and at worst, harmful. Assessment gagement of the workers as thinldng partners in shaping must be kept simple and concise. decisions that bear directly on production or learning. In- The quality movement In the public and private sec- dustry talks about zero defects and schools talk about "all tors encourages people to see the wisdom of selecting pre- children can and will learn well." These goals provide a vention over remediation, commitment over compliance, mission to drive both industry and schools. trust over fear, success over failure, inclusion over exc1u- 24r 226 Quality Goes to School sion, problem solving over placing blame. By explaining to the public how quality principles As more CEOs formulate their action plans to help can be applied to schools, executives will help pave the education, they must draw from their companies' under- way for meaningful improvements in education. standing and experiences with quality. You've Heard of Team Xerox? Well, Here's Quality New jersey! By Philip Esbrandt, superintendent, Cheny Hill, N.J., Schools Creating a learning organization. Employees pursue new learning as a part of their personal growth and uality New Jersey began nearly three years ago as a participate with others to assist organizational learn- coalition of business, education, and government ing. Together, these leamings promote improved op- qlea ers who were interested in promoting total quality erational practices and improved learning of students. management throughout the state in both the public and Conducting planned change for improvements in learning private sectors. environments. This can be achieved through risk-tak- Its mission is to encourage the application of total ing, elimination of fear, and regular experimentation. quality management philosophies and methods through Merging internal and external school environments with a team effort focusing on continual improvement of in- appropriate information. Continuous information flow, dustry, health services, education, government, and the which is essential for improvement, includes student environment to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. achievement data, student attitude and behavior data The initial focus is threefold: to improve public aware- from outside and inside the organization, business ness of quality, to promote quality leadership statewide, and societal data which reflects needs in external en- and to establish an ongoing resource for those seeking vironments, perceptions of outside stakeholders, and help in quality improvement methods. processes used to obtain improvement. Under the larger umbrella of Quality New Jersey, the To support our efforts to implement this improve- Education Focus Group was created and has started to ment model, Bellcore (Bell Atlantic's Research Facility), flourish. We are very excited about our goals and our re- AT&T, and others are developing training components for cently developed improvement model for schools, which the improvement model and total quality tools. we are currently sharing with school leaders all over the This spring, these corporations will sponsor a five-day state. workshop to help prepare eight school district administra- To make real and lasting improvements in schools, tive teams to implement quality concepts and practices in we are advocating to school leaders a model that includes: their districts and schools. Establishing the importance of district and community per- From leadership in implementing total quality princi- sonnel to commit to an improvement process. A district's ples and practices in the operational processes and instruc- superintendent and school board are responsible for tional content within New Jersey's educational systems, initiating this commitment, but the success in achiev- students and employees will hopefully come to share our ing quality processes requires everyone's commit- vision of a quality educational experience for every stu- ment in the community. dent. Developing, implementing, and living a vision shared by For more information on this effort, contact Phil the total school community. School administration and Esbrandt, superintendent of schools, Cherry Hill Schooi Dis- staff cannot accomplish quality practices without an trict, Heritage School, Browning Lane, P.O. Box 5015, Cherry ongoing dialogue to determine direction and the di- Hill, N.J. 08034; (609) 429-5600. Esbrandt serves as chairper- rect involvement of parents, students, business peo- son of the Education Focus Group. ple, and community residents. Unlearning Old Behaviors, Learning New Ways By Seldon V. Whitaker, superintendent, State College, Penn., of seemingly disconnected features of educational leader- Area Schools ship in the 1990s under one umbrella. It bring things together such as site-based manage- The following comments on total quality management in ment, empowerment of teachers, decentralized control, schools were excerpted from AASA's Audio Workshop "Quest and I think, a new and exciting way of looking at the way for Quality." in which teachers, administrators, board members, and community members work together. I think what has been most exciting to me Is that total I think one of the most important things is that the quality management seems to bring together a number new way stands the traditional, hierarchical organization Quality Goes to School 227 pyramid on its head. It flips it over and begins to tell us our improvement plan, and found that the employers that students are our primary customers. Students are re- were looking for a number of things that we didn't even ally what our business is all about. know about. It gets us much more focused on the essential process For example, they wanted employees to be good team of education. members, peer trainers, and self-motivated. Our teachers I've always been a believer in management by objec- said, "We can't do this the way we are currently organ- tives, merit pay, and annual performance evaluations; ized." then here comes W. Edwards Deming with his 14 points They are now, as a result of that project, working which say those are dysfunctional activities. with a competency-based program that was developed to It took me awhile to understand why was he saying respond to those employer needs. Four academic teachers that and did I really want to go through that process of plus a guidance counselor and a reading specialist work to- unlearning some things that I had learned to do pretty gether as a team. well. They have total control over the shape of the student Deming says that there needs to be a transformation day and can determine what kind of time needs to be de- in management. For instance, we've known for a long voted to which subjects in order to achieve those kinds of time that education functions best when people are work- competencies. ing together cooperatively. It's wonderful to just watch this group of people And yet, we've been willing to impose these competi- working together with those kids. And, interestingly, the tive practices on essentially a cooperative enterprise. Dem- enrollment in their program has increased significantly ing says that all enterprises essentially succeed through since school opened. teams and cooperation. Total quality management is an approach that we The first significant pilot project we did using the simply have to get on board with. It's not a fad, it's not Deming method involved our academic teachers working the latest buzzwordit's for real and the stakes for our en- with vocational studentsthose students who would en- tire society that are bound up in this quality movement ter the work force upon graduation. really mandate that we get on board with it. We went out and interviewed approximately 30 em- For more information, contact Seldon Whitaker, superin- ployers to determine what their requirements were for en- tendent, State College Area Schools, 131 West Nittany Ave., try-level employees. State College, Penn. 16801; or call (814) 231-1016. We came back, analyzed our data in order to develop One District's Approach to Total Quality By Bill Borgers, superintendent, Dickinson, Texas, Independent Next, everyone in the system must place quality first. School District Everyone must identify both their internal and external customers and suppliers. Once customers are identified, ur district has been involved in total quality manage- everyone in the system must reach consensus on a defini- Oment for the last two years. After all school staff re- tion of quality and process variation. Opportunities for ceived 30 hours of training, we established self-directed study then can be selected. teams, conducted several internal customcr/supplier meet- Customer/supplier meetings need to become com- ings, eliminated end-of-year evaluations, and began to im- mon so that groups can share expectations and require- plement quality improvement plans. ments. Students need to be taught how to recognize qual- Our approach to total quality is best symbolized by ity work and how to obtain quality through continual this triangular relationship: improvement. All employees need to survey their customers and LEAD MANAGEMENT conduct interviews with them. Partnerships with suppli- ers must be fostered to obtain more quality in the input of the system. No system can reach quality without effec- tive feedback within and from outside the system. Management must provide the vision and organiza- SELF- FEEDBACK ASSESSMENT WITHIN SYSTEM tion for quality improvement. However, those closest to the process should have authority to assess the measure of The key ingredient is lead management. Quality can- quality. not be obtained with management by coercion or fear. Quality is best improved by workers and students as- Managers must become coaches and facilitators. This re- sessing their own work and then developing and imple- quires listening to customers and those who own the proc-menting plans to improve it. This means eliminating esses. merit ratings, evaluations, mass inspection, and the tradi- Quality is fostered by creating an environment where tional student grading system. It means collecting data at employee and student needs of belonging, recognition, all important points in the processes and learning statisti- choices, fun, and safety are fulfilled. cal process control (SPC), specifically, how to use control 242 228 Quality Goes to School charts, check sheets, and histograms. It means allowing and managing the district strategic plan. students to improve their grades, rate their own quality, At the campus and department levels, management and chart their grades. teams are responsible for the campus/department strate- Individual use of total quality management can no- gic plans, organizational health, performance indexing, ticeably improve the quality of the distict's products; and problem-solving. The next step will be a team ap- however, team use of TQM will dramatically improve proach to problem-solving composed of volunteer em- quality. pioyee teams who want to be empowered to improve qual- Our district is moving into the team concept in ity in their areas. stages. For the 1991-92 year, three administrative teams All these concepts are part of Dickinson's five-year are using TQM principles. These are in the areas of cunicu- plan to become a customer-driven school district. lum instruction and training; quality improvement for tack- For more information, write Bill Borgers, superintendent, ling distictwide problems; and management action for ap- Dickinson Independent School District, P.O. Drawer Z, Dickin- proving all recommendations for quality improvement son, Texas 77539; or call (713) 534-3581. Pick the Low Fruit First By David M. Gangel, superintendent, Rappahannock County ject teams understand the methodology of quality, take Public Schools, Sperryville, Va. the challenge of unre olved issues. The Rappahannr,County Public Schools are in when an organization first implements quality and their second year of using quality. During the first year of starts organizing project teams, there is a natural quality implementation, two project teams were identi- tendency to try to solve the problems that have been un- fied. Both took on extremely difficult issues. solvable in the past. Don't succumb to temptation. One team attacked student failure/dropouts and the Initial project teams will be, in large part, a learning other, disciplinary alternatives. Both teams produced in- experience for an organization. In order to implement sightful solutions, many of which are being implemented quality, an organization will develop a series of new poli- within the school system. However, alot of effort went des, procedures, and guidelines which, when new, are un- into interpreting and modifying procedures and practic- tested. ing the use of quality methodology. A quality project team will use a sequential methodol- Looking back, two thing were accomplished: the use ogy for quality improvement and/or problem-solving. In- of the initial project teams, and the implementation and itial project teams will find bugs in early quality policies refinement of an institutional system for quality. From and procedures as well as difficulty in the use of new our experience, I would recommend specificallyaddress- methodologies. ing both objectives the first year. That is, develop an insti- Attacking difficult issues with initial project teams tutional system of quality and start initial project teams. only complicates the organizational learning process. In When considering both objectives, it makes good other words, world hunger would not be a good first pro- sense not to start at the top with the big issues.Rather, ject. choose simple projects so that the internal process of qual- Instead, pick the low fruit. Select initial projects that ity can be established. are simple and offer a reasonable chance for success. Once Remember, pick the low fruit first. the bugs are out of the policies and procedures, and pro- Tales and Travails from the CuttingEdge By Barbara M. Bell, editor, Quality Network News through the .effecfive schools and outcome-based educa- tion movements. Akron, Ohio, superintendent Terry Grier ow are educators learning about and usingquality says, "What quality has done for us is give us aframework Hmanagement principles in their districts? We recently under which school improvement, including effective had a rich opportunity to probe for answers to this ques- schools, fits so nicely." tion and others by talking with school leaders who at- Nearly all the school leaders with whom we spoke re- tended the Total Quality Caucus at the 1992 AASA ported that their most powerful learning experiences Convention. about quality have been through formal seminars led by We discovered school leaders are hungry for knowl- quality experts. edge on how to transfer and apply TQM prindples to Beverly Reep, superintendent of Westlake, Ohio, their organizations. Most educators seem to be taking a schools, reports, "By the time [our team] finished with steady and studied approach to learning about quality, the four-day Deming teleconference, the power and ex- whether they've just started or are well into their journeys.citement was such that I didn't feel alone in implement- Many school leaders have hooked into quality ing it." 243 Quality Goes to School 229 No matter how they've started their learning, each capital on training, the school district spends about a school leader is taking a great deal of time to understand tenth of that." Grier, who has tapped into the surround- what quality means personally, and how this idea com- ing business community, now has an advisory council bines with other management philosophies. that is helping devise training for the schools. A few districts are using the tools of total quality man- Bill Keane, superintendent of the Oakland County In- agement to improve system processes. Gary George, super- termediate School District in Michigan, reports as head of intendent of Gardner, Kan., is using some qualitative data an educational service agency, he is having difficulty de- techniques to understand his dropout rates, bus routes, termining measures of success with his processes since his test scores, and even building air intake. group is "one layer removed from kids." Several other districts have begun to "spread the Naturally, many educators report their greatest chal- word" of quality by training staff, working in teams, and lenge is to change the mindset deeply ingrained in their setting goals with community groups. systems. Robert Kattman, district administrator in Glen- In the Lakeview School District, Battle Creek, Mich., dale River Hills Schools in Wisconsin, says, "It's easy assistant superintendent Linda Borsum reports that when faced with a challenge to revert to the old way of they're taking initial small steps such as setting up a sug- thinkingto focus on the individual behavior rather than gestion box opened jointly by the superintendent and un- the system." ion president; offering a library of readings for the staff What will the year ahead hold for these cutting edge on quality; and holding regular "quality conversations." leaders? They respond: continual learning about their sys- All school leaders with whom we talked are experienc- tem processes, increasing their staff's knowledge of qual- ing challenges in moving their districts forward in qual- ity, more training on using quality tools, and always, try- ity. Many cite budget and time constraints. Reports Grier: ing to satisfy their hunger for a deeper understanding of "Our greatest challenge is finding resources to meet train- total quality schooling. ing needs. While business spends about two percent of its Can the Lone Ranger join the Dream Team? By Carolyn Downey, superintendent, Kyrene School District, opportunity, they often feel uncomfortable. Tempe, Ariz. Other customers, especially parents, have also wanted more involvement. As they come into the collaborative ^uality leadership challenges administrators to be- process, both faculty and the paternalistic administrator come interdependent leaders using a systemic ap- feel threatened. Shared power and shared decision mak- proach to decision making. They share power and ing are difficult. become equal colleagues with other administrators work- How does one move a person and a work group from ing to solve the organization's problems and fulfill its a dependent to an interdependent stage? Psychologists say mission. that people typically do not go directly from dependence The administrator who has used the paternalistic or to interdependence but through an independent stage. benevolent dictator style will not make this transition eas- One administrator noted that therapy took place for two ily. Like the Lone Ranger, he or she has always relied on years before the system even began to start functioning methods that have validated administrators for years: The somewhat interdependently. administrator sends out a scout to prepare the way, gath- Administrators may rebel. Staff teams often disagree ers data, and solves the problem. The people are rescued, with decisions of others. Staff will want to change rules, and the administrator rides into the sunset with a "Hi Ho, regulations, and approaches, often when no rationality Silver!" Employees as well as administrators like this style, appears. Some approaches may need to change. Other but it creates dependency. changes will amount to tampering. The new leadership style asks the administrator to be- Administrators who have been validated for being ar- come a team player, working collaboratively with employ- ticulate and persuasive are now asked to work as members ees to solve problems. In most cases, all must make major of integrated teams in a system. They need new ways of changes in attitudes and actions. thinking and new collaborative skills. How can people be encouraged to function differ- Organizations do not change overnight from being ently? Mom and Dad Administrator must quit taking care dependent to interdependent. Administrators, staff, and of the children (staff). Power by one's position is gone, parents who have been involved in participatory organiza- along with the personal rewards of being the paternalistic tions will move easier and faster toward systemic ap- administrator. proaches. Those in paternalistic organizations will take The dependent staff member may feel insecure when longer. Great patience is requiredwith self and others. Mom and Dad Administrator are no longer solving prob- Some administrators and staff may choose not to change lems, taking care of needs. The staff member must now be-and will leave the system with much pain. come a problem solver, moving from being a powerless to The road is rough. But exciting results Ile around the a powerfid person. Many resist power. Staff have been ask- bend when administrators, staff, parents, students, and ex- ing for a greater piece of the action, but when given the ternal customers come together in an interdependent sys- 2 4 230 Quality Goes to School temic way to fulfill the organization's mission. Each mem- working collaboratively with all the othersthe Dream ber becomes a highly competent, best-in-the-field person Team. New York District Wins Quality Award By John E. Helfrich, superintendent, KenrnoreTonawanda Un- at universities. ion (NY) Free School District Our human resource development program is one of our exciting new frontiers. We take great pride in recog- ur district was the sole winner of the 1992 Excelsior nizing staff development heroes and heroines who take O"Quality at Work" Award in education, the state's ver-leadership. These individuals come from all departments sion of the Malcolm Baldrige Award. Governor Cuomo un-and schools, with no differentiation among teachers, ad- veiled this competitive awards program in January. ministrators, or support staff personnel. The Excelsior Award incorporates three quality com- We have come a long way in our quest for quality, ponentsachievement, management, and workforce but we know the journey will never end. Involvement of based on employer-employee partnership. our personnel, including our supportive Board of Educa- A team of 35 administrators, teachers, support staff, tion, in visionary planning and the subsequent implemen- and parents labored for six weeks to put together the 75- tation of our plans is one of the program's real strengths. page application for the award. The team, headed by Bill Using planning teams in each department and build- Keasling, my administrative assistant, crafted a document ing, we all work to achieve consensus on everything, from that became a ten-year history of our school improve- employing new staff members to deciding how funds will ment efforts. be expended at the building level. It is gratifying to see We avoided titling the program, believing that if we leadership evolving at every level of the organization. labeled it we would strive to "become" something rather Our student outcomes have improved considerably than work toward continuous improvement. As it turned over time. Scholarships, State Test Results, and constitu- out, we did decentralize most of our functions, develop a ent satisfaction have all been benchmarked and are stead- shared decision-making process, and make school sites ily improving. As our focus is on these areas, we feel that more accountable for improving student outcomes. our approach to continuous improvement is paying off. A major goal is to develop our human resource poten- Our organizational pyramid has been flattened and tial by involving each of our 1,300 staff members in per- significant role changes have taken place. We all stave to sonal and professional growth each year, focusing on im- exceed our constituent demands, not merely satisfy them. proving student results. Involvement, development, striving for quality results, Our unions have been most cooperative in fashion- and constant assessment and feedback are all part of our ing contracts that reward staff members for this activity attempts to achieve total quality. instead of rewarding individuals for random credits taken Beyond TQM to TQMS By Armand Fusco, vice-president, Galileo Quality Institute, "product" (the student). Unlike a business product, the Nashua, N. H. school's product reacts to the various value-added inputs of the educational process. Therefore, if the culture of the n public education, the ultimate purpose of TQM is to school is to change to a quality focus, the mega-system Iachieve TQS, Total Quality Schools. However, the real- (consisting of the parents, community, state agencies, cor- ity is that the goal must be TQMS, a Total Quality Mega- porate enterprises, and political process) must also have a System. quality focus because each adds value to the student. The major theme of every TQM workshop, book, arti- Some may consider this a utopian, unachievable ap- cle, and conference has been to improve schools by con- proach. Yet a TQM vision must stretch every resource of tinuously improving the processes and focusing on the education to achieve not just a Total Quality School, but needs of the "customers." But if this is the only goal of rather a Total Quality Mega System. Only the megasystem TQM, the result will be TQMO, Total Quality Missed Op- can provide total quality value to the student; therefore, portunity. each part of the system must share the responsibility and TQM advocates agree that a quality transformation accountability. can only be achieved by changing the culture of an or- This TQMS concept would break the current para- ganization. The school, however, is not self-contained; it digm paralysis that the school is, in fact, a system capable is only one part of a larger system consisting of the com- of transforming itself. Forty years of failed educational re- munity, the state, and the nation. forms is testament to the fact that a systemic approach is The school system must be viewed in this context be- required. Even the reformers now accept this reality. cause the school does not have constant control of its What would need to change? What value-added ac- Quality Goes to School 231 tivities must the school system then perform? corporations, small businesses do not have the resources For student instruction, it would mean developing an for TQM training. Schools could thus provide a vital serv- integrated curriculum to encompass TQM principles, prac- ice to those who contribute to the economic well-being of tices, tools, and techniques. "Unquality" student work the community. The payback would be beyond measure- would not be acceptable. It would need to be redone until ment. Incidentally, students would be helpful in this proc- it met a quality standard. This is a reasonable expectation ess because so many work in small businesses. if the students are given enough time and appropriate in- Lastly, in this TQMS model, the school would have to struction. help structure an alliance of the megasystem stakeholders. Significant and dramatic system changes would be re- This step is crucial not only to support the transformation quired to achieve such quality standards. process but also to prevent petty politics, personal agen- For parents, the school must provide TQM awareness das -..risis-management, and school board "tampering and and training so they would know what to do at home to tinkering" from contaminating the process. add quality value. Would this be easy? No! Can it be Unless we go beyond TQM to TQMS, our nation wili done? Yes! Technology would be invaluable in accom- not endure as a quality economic, political, social, and plishing this goal. educational leader. For the business community, the school would have By the way, this TQMS model is not theory only: to help create partnerships with major corporations (or a with our help, it is being implemented by a regional Chamber of Commerce) to provide TQM awareness and school. training to the small business community. Unlike larger Dr. Fusco was a superintendent of schools for 17 years. Penn State Opens Center for Total Quality Schools By Toni I. Duchi and Beverly Kline, Penn State University the change process. Over the years, businesses have been frustrated by their inability to affect schools. This Center n what may be the first university-based total quality in- will enable them to participate in a structured, positive way." Iitiative for schools, Penn State's College of Education The Center will provide training programs; offer has established the Center for Total Quality Schools. credit graduate and undergraduate courses on TQL; search Center Director William T. Hartman, professor in out, select, and develop materials for training that are charge of the Educational Administration program, says adapted for educational settings; and host presentations the center will be the vehicle for transferring to schools by major TQL experts. The Center will also conduct re- applicable concepts of total quality leadership. search on total quality and provide support for successful More importantly, says Harman, in teaching TQL implementation in TQL schools. principles, the Center will help break the boundaries that The training program began in September when ten have been set in schools and thus release teachers' profes- school districts and four intermediate units participated sional creativity. in the Center's first seminar in a yearlong series. At the The Center's inaugural quality seminar was held in first seminar, which introduced the.concepts of quality, the spring. Teams of administrators, teachers, school keynote speaker David Luther of Corning, Inc., described board members, and business leaders from 20 Pennsylva- Corning's experiences and outcomes with total quality. nia districts heard keynote speaker Stephen Schwartz of Some 20 to 40 Pennsylvania schools have had some IBM say that society's expectations of education have involvement with TQM, Hartman estimates. "Even risen sharply. though people seem ready and eager for this, it is not a "We expect schools to educate everyone, not just ti e quick fix," he cautions. "It involves a change in culture brightest, and to educate them at levels previously at- to value quality and to make that an objective in every tained by only a few. So the effort you are making is more group." than admirableit is essential to national survival," Hartman believes, however, that quality improve- Schwartz said. ments in education will soon be even more evident. Appli- As industry looks to schools to help educate students cation of TQL concepts in schools will result in better in quality concepts, so schools will look to their local busi- teachers, more efficient operations, more cost-effective nesses and industry to team in this effort by contributing schools, and graduates who can meet the challenges of to- financial assistance and corporate guidance. day's global society. In some cases, the financial assistanc ? will enable For information on the Center, write Dr. William T. Hart- school district teams to be trained in TQL principles and man, ;enter for Total Quality Schools, Penn Statc University, to train others in turn. 308 Rackley Building, University Park, PA 16802, or call "That's what's unique about our program," Hartman (814) 865-2318. notes. "We are asking businesses to become involved in 24C 232 Quality Goes to School The T in TQM Stands for Teamwork By David F. Hendrix, superintendent, Poudre School District the individual efforts. Teamwork is everyone doing the R1, Fort Collins, Colorado right things at the right time in the right way with the right resources. Ous district's quality efforts sprouted in 1988 from Time after time during my training, I observed qual- humble beginnings that focused on support func- ity teams comprised of well-intended, bright, and hard- tions. They received a jump start from a small state grant working individuals stumble and fall. Yet the teams that in 1991 and have blossomed thanks to a huge investment came together quickly and overcame the human chal- of time, materials, and human resources contributed by lenges associated with group work made significant gains. Hewlett Packard. Consistent with research in group dynamics, in every More than 250 employees have been trained in observed situation, teams underwent these stages of devel- TQMan entire junior high school staff, all building prin-opment: cipals, all central office administrators, and leadership in 1. Forming (closed) need for orientation, some confu- the district's teacher and support staff associations. sion randomness, guarded communication, searching Twenty-two of us, including yours truly (Yes, Dr. for direction; Den. ingtop-down commitment!), have become quali- 2. Norming (open) tentative and erratic behavior, usu- fied TQM facilitators after participating in three two-and- ally leader centered or directed, testing limits trial bal- a-half day intensive simulating. based sessions, the heart loons, first interaction; of Hewlett Packard's quality training program. We learned 3. Storming (trust) confrontive and challenging, con- facilitation skills through participating actively as quality flict surfaces, individuals "get things off their chests"; team members, by shadowing HP facilitators as they train 4. Transforming (belief) moving between task and their employees, and finally by "soloing" as facilitators of group concerns, interaction develops, positive feelings ap- quality teams. parent, communication more open; and Was the training time-consuming? Yes. Was it de- 5. Performing (goal) cooperation in group, communica- manding? Yes. Was it interesting? Yes. Was it a valuable tion open, high involvement, shared leadership, decrease learning opportunity? Absolutely! in power relationships. In our facilitator training, we developed an under- TQM requires time for teambuilding activities before standing of the theoretical and applied concepts of TQM. any task orientation. These activities help members re- We learned from a different vantage point just how TQM, solve conflict, share in decision-making, reach consensus, as a management system, applies to K12 public school and listen with respect, regardless of rank. education. Clearly, time invested up front helping teams move The rigorous training I underwent gave me insights systematically through the stages of group development into all of TQM's essential beliefs and premisesthe use helps reach group objectives and desired outcomes. Fail- of tools, data-driven decisions, variance reduction, assess- ure to invest time to develop the human side of a team is ment and measurement, continuous improvement, cus- at best an uncalculated risk not based on data, and as tomer satisfaction, universal participation, and teamwork. such violates important tenets of TQM. But for me, one stood out among the restteamwork. I Colorado public schools face a funding shortfall and believe that failure of a quality team to function as a team tax/spending limitation amendment this year. We can re- places TQM at risk more than any other element. sist the consumer's demands for impr. 4 results or we Teamwork is much more than a group trying to ac- can face this challenge as have many American businesses complish something. It is a specific way of using a com- and through TQM learn to do more with less and im- mon process and structure to focus individual roles and ef-prove quality. forts on achieving common objectives, thus the The choice is ours. In Poudre School District R1, we effectiveness of the group effort is greater than the sum of choose quality management. Finding Funding for Quality Training By Lew Blackford, superintendent, Sidney City (Ohio) Schools world of work. After conducting our own research and visiting chool atinfinistrators who are strapped for funds to nearby facilities, such as the Ohio Quality Productivity Fo- Smeet daily operating expenses may inlieve that Total rum and a Honda of America assembly plant, we began to Quality Management is beyond their reach. Sidney City look for money to make Total Quality a reality in our Schools in Ohio has discovered that need not be the case. school system. Local business leaders first told us about the merits of Our window of opportunity came in the form of a TQM. Not only could it improve our operations, they grant. When Ohio made funds available for research in said, but today's students must know statistical methods gifted/talented education, we submitted a proposal. As a and team problem-solving techniques to succeed in the result, our school system was awarded 00,000the larg- Quality Goes to School 233 est competitive grant the district has ever receivedto useof the grant, teams of teachers are looking for better ways TQM in evaluating and improving programs for gifted to evaluate how much students have learned. Instead of and talented students. The grant is directed specifically at relying on grades from tests and quizzes, these teachers the gifted program, but its impact has been felt dis- are experimenting with using portfolios (collections of trictwide. work done by students over a period of time). The results We began by training a group of teachers and all of of this study could greatly change the way all students are our central office and school building administrators in evaluated and promoted from one grade to another. TQM techniques. By the end of the 1991-92 school year, This year, more teachers and support staff members, we had four TQM teams working on projects that could including secretaries and food service workers, are being have a direct impact on the lives of all students. trained in TQM. The next step will be to set up cross-func- For example, high school teachers in our district had tional teams to look at district communications, cafeteria complained that classroom interruptions were cutting operations, and other areas. School personnel are becom- into valuable learning time. Twelve teachers began chart- ing TQM trainers so that more employees, parents, and ing how many times their classes were interrupted and for students can be trained in Total Quality techniques long what reason. They also logged whether the interruptions after the grant money is gone. were "necessary" or "unnecessary." The TQ team discov- From reducing classroom interruptions to determin- ered that most of the unnecessary interruptions were ing the best method of evaluating what students have caused by guidance counselors who were pulling students learned, Total Qniality Management is continuing to from classes rather than taking them out of study halls. change the face of education in Sidney schools. That As a result, our teachers, administrators, and guidance change has come about by relying on money from an out- counselors worked together to come up with an improved side funding source rather than on school district reve- method for scheduling guidance conferences. nues. In another project this year, the second and final year Quantum Systems: Next Step Beyond TQM By Robert Bender, founder of North Star Consultant Services decreasing the response time with regard to the pur- and former superintendent, Meadville, Pa. chase order process; and increasing student time-on-task. chool administrators and superintendents are increas- In training the teams, the district relies heavily on ingly aware of all the fuss about Total Quality Manage- the Total Quality Transformation materials of QIP Inc./PQ ment (TQM). They hear about customers' needs, Systems, Inc., of Ohio. paradigms, Pareto charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, XMR Since retiring, I have gained enough detachment to charts, and red beads. They read about Deming's 14 detect a wide network of interconnections among the points, Covey's seven habits, and the contributions of Ju- many systems that were improved as a result of applying ran, Crosby, and many other able thinkers. the TQM principles and tools. To me, these interconnec- Having recently retired after 27 years in public educa- tions represent the organizational counterparts to the infi- tion and eight as a superintendent, I sifted through this nite linkages described in quantum mechanics. Quantum motheriode of opportunity to improve administration mechanics emphasizes the interconnections among all and instruction in schools and detected a strand that ce- matter. For school administrators, this "matter" is the ments it all together. I call it quantum systems. many systems that make up a school distict. It is vital Let me explain. I was fortunate to discover TQM that we understand and manage them. nearly four years ago when I was superintendent of Craw- Peter Senge writes clearly and persuasively about the ford Central School District in Meadville, Pa. I had a sup- importance of systems and of understanding them in his portive board and a staff interested in investigating "qual- best-selling book, The Fifth Discipline. ity in education." The district engaged in 10 continuous I suggest that quantum systems is the next major con- improvement projects and applying Hoshin planning to cept for development in school district administration. I identify breakthrough objectives. Staff members are ex- say this because in all 10 of our continuous improvement ploring Quality Function Deployment and participating projects, we rigorously identified customers, the resources in the TQM Chief Executive Officers' Roundtable. and quality measures needed, the people working In and Crawford's continuous improvement projects include: on the processes, the value-added elements, and the out- decreasing the time to complete student psychologi- puts. Collectively, these factors add up to a system. Each cal referrals; system then affects or is affected by other systems and the reducing the number of students referred for special meshing and blending are limitless! Systems are truly the education placements; building blocks of a school district. curtailing the number of substitutes requested by Quantum systems is the next step on the march to teachers and support staff; quality for those bold enough to take it! conserving electrical energy; 24E 234 Quality Goes to School Breathing Life into the Mission is the Real Challenge By Carolyn Downey', superintendent, Kyrene School District, Ask groups and individuals to identify critical success Tempe, Ariz. factors that will help achieve the mission. Study those factors and structure the organization to ensure rganizations usually develop a mission statement as that the success factors are in place. Opart of a strategic plan. Large groups synergistically Charge any new work group with designing and writ- spend hours thinking about and writing the mission state- ing the group's mission in relation to the organiza- ment. The process is exciting. Participants dialogue about tional mission. Celebrate the group's accomplish- the aim of the organization. Finally a mission statement ment in relation to its mission and the organizational that all can support emerges. mission. Typically, this sense of mission is sustained for a Provide mission orientation for new employees and time. The mission becomes policy and plaques of the mis- ask them to prepare their own mission statements. sion statement are posted around the school campuses Display plaques of the mission statement throughout and central office facilities. the organization's facilities; display posters of work But does this commitment to the mission endure? Is group mission statements when they work as a group; there a sense of mission in everyday activities over time? prepare and distribute laminated wallet-size cards Many competing values in a school system can move an bearing the statements inducting the individual's mis- organization away from the mission. All too often, that sion statement. commitment to the ultimate consumerthe student and Include mission statements in documents such as each student's learningwavers. yearly targets, annual reports, newsletters, letterhead, The administrator's real challenge is tc create a living, and community communiques. breathing zeal for the mission. Maintaining a constancy Critique agendas for meetings (board, permanent of purpose environment demands a lot of energy. It is not teams, faculty meetings, and ad hoc work groups) for easy, but these strategies can be a start: value to the mission. Debrief meetings and ask In every situation, ask whether this action, activity, whether the discussion and proposed actions help thought, or behavior helps add value to students and achieve the mission.. their learning. Each administrator in his or her own sphere of influ- For each decision point, ask staff and other stakehold- ence needs to establish rational strategies for breathing ers to question whether this answer helps fulfill the life into the organization's mission. mission. The most important strategy is for each administrator Seek opportunities to coach and influence others to to commit him/herself to the mission statement. Daily ac- think about and take steps to achieve the mission. tions must model a zest for the mission. Administrators Revisit the mission statement regularly to revitalize should establish procedures to critique their own actions employee commitment; ask individuals to check their for regular feedback on constancy of purpose. work groups and their own activities for alignment The administrator has no more important function with the mission. than to energize employees and other customers on a III Ask each individualemployee, student, parentto sense of mission. prepare his or her own mission and refer to it often. Charting Continuous Improvement in the Classroom By Lee Jenkins, Superintendent, Enterprise School District, Red- growth. He suggested that teachers identify what they ding, Ca lir want students to learn by the end of the course and test them each week on the square root of the total course Ieachers traditionally rely on two monitoring devices content. Tweekly quizzes that assess the students' ability to For example, he said, if the teacher wants students to cram, and annual standardized tests. These methods are learn 100 spelling words (or concepts), the students will similar to devices most businesses use. Cramming is analo- be quizzed each week on 10 words selected randomly. gous to a corporate representative coming on Friday, and At the beginning of the year, the teacher posts the list end-of-year exams are like the inspection at the end of of the 100 spelling words and gives each student a list to the assembly line. By then it's too late to do anything tak,! home. The words are taught continuously in all sub- about the problem. jects, all day. At the end of the first week, the posted list is In a 1992 seminar, W. Edwards Deming suggested a covered, and the teacher hands a 100-sided die to a stu- unique process for monitoring a class's instructional dent who rolls it and reads off a number. The teacher 24 P Quality Goes to School 235 reads the corresponding word from the list and the stu- Johnson. "I hope to use this in other areas next year." dents spell this word and nine others similarly chosen. She hopes to use the die to facilitate the learning proc- Teachers then correct the papers and record results ess in creative writing as well as science classes by this fall. on two charts. Chart A, which is posted in the classroom, "The students get a kick out of it," says Riley. "It's is a run chart showing the total number of words spelled been real positive. You can actually see the progress. I like correctly by the entire class. The teacher also makes a the visual." Chart B to display the learning progress of each student. Damon Cropsey, who teaches fifth-grade at Redding's Teachers in Enterprise School District in Redding, Lassen View Elementary School and has used the die in Calif., now use this process to monitor beginning reading, his social studies class, agrees. "It works very well in my geography, mathematics, Spanish as a second language, classroom." and behavior. The 100-sided die, which resembles a golf ball, appeals to Third-grade teachers Arlene O'Leary-Johnson and students and makes it easy for them to participate in generat- Vivian Riley at Mistletoe Elementary School in Redding ing items. It is available from Zocchi Distributors, 1512 30th have used the die in their spelling classes with "visible re- Avenue, Gulfport, Miss, 39501, for $10 ($17.50 for a colored sults." die). "We can see definite improvement," says O'Leary- How Quality Meshes with Effective Schools By Dennis Kellison, superintendent, Clarke County, Va., Pub- growing in this Commitment to Quality project. We hav! lic Schools learned: interactive skills (how to initiate, react, and clarify ow do the gears of the Effective Schools movement ideas; do brainstorming; and conduct quality meet- Hmesh with quality principles and practices? Effective ings); Schools training showed us what we should hope to the problem-solving process; and achieve. Quality training showed us how to attain these the quality-improvement process. goals by giving us a package of useful tools. Quality has become the grease that enables our When I came here in 1989, I asked the School Board wheels to turn. Quality tools help us see what to do with about its goals. I asked staff members to define their con- the data we've had all along. We also see what additional cerns. At a retreat, Board arid senior staff members tried to data we need to collect. Tools make the process work. define our vision; we brainstormed ideas for improving Faculty meetings follow quality meeting guidelines the system. (start and end on time, agree on agenda and allot time for We set up a leadership group and gave it some status. each item, allow no side conversations, strive for consen- We read articles and books. We visited districts moving in sus, etc.). If I run over an allotted three minutes, I soon positive directions. The Effective Schools research of Ron see the hand signal calling "time!" Edmonds and Larry Lezotte attracted us because it seemed Teachers like effective meetings at which they can a non-threatening reason to change and was backed by voice their opinions and.be heard. They are learning to solid research. Faced with change, most people believe reach consensus. They realize they can affect their own that if they have to change, this means what they've been destiny. The people who are making the decisions are doing was wrong. vested in the school improvement effort. We sent staff members to an Effective Schools confer- Our high school faculty discussed the pros and cons ence. We established a team for each of the ES correlates: of block scheduling. After 34 of 38 teachers voted to sate arid orderly environment, high expectations for stu- move away from the traditional 50-minute daily class peri- dents and staff, strong instructional leadership, clear and ods, the principal asked the faculty to design the block focused mission, opportunity to learn and student time schedule they want. She opted out of these meetings. This on task, monitoring of student achievement, and fall's eight-period schedule includes four 90-minute peri- home/school/community relations. ods each day and offers considerable flexibility. The essence of Effective Schools philosophy is that all We are better at what we do. We used quality tools to children can learn. In hindsight, we see that many struc- schedule itinerant teachers. Our bus drivers use problem- tures that education has held onto for so long retain- solving techniques. Dilemmas that formerly seemed insur- ing students in grade and our grading system, for example mountable now seem relatively insignificant. The attitude actually limit student learning. When we remove those is, "It's a problem? We can solve it." limits, we see that all children can learn. Children do not Parents, one of our major customers, are happier. For come to us in labeled categories or with limits on their the past three years, we have asked them to grade their learning. children's schools using Gallup Poll education questions. In 1989, the Virginia Department of Education in- We have 1700 students; last fall we received more than vited school districts to apply to participate in a quality 1000 returns. The percentage of parents giving our program with the Xerox Corporation as partner and schools As and Bs rose from 58 percent in 1989 to 92 per- trainer. For the past two years we have been learning and cent last fall. Ninety-five percent were satisfied with their 250 236 Quality Goes to School child's teacher last year. celsior Award). The team that made site visits to finalists This April, Clarke County Schools won the public sec- asked about our reward system. We replied that we have tor category of the United States Senate Productivity none except the intrinsic rewards the work is the re- Award for Virginia (the equivalent of New York State's Ex- ward. The major product is constant learning. Making Processes Customer Sensitive By Gary George and Tom Trigg, Gardner-Edgerton-Antioch Now Edgerton parents enroll their children, K-12, in School District, Gardner, Kan. Edgerton on one day in August. Parents who live closer to Gardner enroll their K-12 children during two days in Au- eince we shared some of our quality improvements in gust. Quality Network News in July 1992, we have used a qual- Since we maintain the enrollment data on students ity tool to improve our enrollment process, thereby pleas- from the previous year in our computer system, we can ing parents, one of our major castomers. preprint the information on each student. The computer Gardner and Edgerton, communities southwest of also helps us keep the information current. Parer Kansas City, are six miles apart. Gardner has an elemen- longer have to fill out the same forms year after year. tary school and a high school. Edgerton has an elemen- A survey of parents last fall brought praise as well as tary school. The middle school is located between the two suggestions for further improvement. They suggested that towns. we provide short-term child care on enrollment day. This For years we required all parents to come to Gardner summer we are doing that. Members of high school clubs to enroll students during four days early in August. Par- and adult volunteers serve as monitors while children ents complained about having to fill out the same forms watch a National Geographic special. Parents can give their each year and about the time it took to move from station full attention to completing the enrollment process. to station to complete the enrollment process. Edgerton Improving the enrollment process and pleasing the parents complained about having to come to Gardner to parehts were only two of the payoffs. A more important enroll their children. one is that we now have a team that focuses on improv- Early in 1992, we assembled a cross-functional team ing processes. Secretaries feel good about the shorter en- that included administrators, secretaries, and our business rollment period and about the attention given this prob- director. As we flow-charted the enrollment process, from lem. They know that their input was vital in finding the time a parent walked into the room until he or she solutions. We're ready for the next problem! left, we discovered that our process was truly not cus- Gary George is superintendent and Tom Trigg is assistant tomer sensitive. Then we brainstormed to find ways to im- superintendent. prove the process. Breaking Down Barriers and Removing Fear By Paul Williams, Superintendent, Lakeview School District, term as president, his Secretary of the Treasury, Solomon Battle Creek, Mich. Chase, campaigned against him. Lincoln told Mr. Ray- mond, a New York Times writer, that Chase's candidacy Edwards Deming, the most prominent spokes- did not concern him much. "It was important to the Dperson for quality, tells us that we must remove fear country that the Treasury Department should have vigor and break down barriers. One of the more persistent barri- and energy, and whatever stimulated Chase would be ers that impedes quality in organizations is the practice of good for the country," he said. To illustrate his point, Lin- treating critics as enemies and isolating them from the in- coln told a story: ner circle. In Lakeview public schools, we are trying to remove "Raymond, you were brought up on a farm, were you not? that barrier by "considering our critics as our best Then you know what a chin fly is. My brother and I ... friends." It is difficult to do. Critics are discomfordng. were once ploughing corn on a Kentucky farm, I driving the They sometimes ask difficult questions and demand seem- horse and he holding the plough. The horse was lazy, but ingly unreasonable solutions. However, their insights and on one occasion rushed across the field so that I, with my observations many times have the potential for great long legs, could scarcely keep pace with him. On reaching change and improvements. the end of the prow, I found an enormous chin fly fas- tened upon him, and knocked him off. My brother asked me Benefits of Chin Flies what I did that for. I told him I didn't want the old horse Carl Sandburg, in Abraham Lincoln, the War Years, offered bitten in that way. Why " said my brother, 'That's all that an example of how enemies can spur improvements. made him go!' When Lincoln began to campaign for his second Quality Goes to School 237 "Now," added Lincoln, "if Mr. Chase has a presiden- removed. tial chin fly biting him, I'm not going to knock him off, if In Lakeview, we are working to break down the barri- it will only make his department go." ers and remove the fear by striving to develop the Ben Franklin wrote that "The wise Man draws more capacity to listen to and understand the critics and the dif- Advantage from his enemies than the Fool from his ficult parents, teachers, administrators, secretaries, custo- friends." dians, bus drivers, community members, aides, and cooks. Quality organizations seemingly develop the capacity Quite frankly, we have not convinced them of the to include those who question, those who are cynical, rightness of what we are doing in implementing quality and those who have been stung by chin flies who can initiatives but we have learned from them. benefit the organization if fear is eliminated and barriers Yes, Quality Can Thrive in Inner-City Schools, Too! By Franklin P. Schargel, Quality Coordinator, George Westing- ticipate in activities such as new clubs for darts, house Vocational and Technical High School chess, computers, leadership, math, optical, and Asian and African-American culture. irANN readers know how quality management tech- Twenty-five of 150 faculty members participate in un- niques succeeded in Sitka, Cherry Hill, Beloit, and paid after-school brainstorming sessions. Kenmore. But could an inner-city school use these tech- English and social studies teachers are coordinating niques to change its instructional process? This was our learning programs and implementing writing across challenge when we began our "total immersion" in Janu- the curricula. The trade departments order supplies ary 1991. jointly and meet to discuss instructional problems. George Westinghouse is one of 117 high schools in Our Apprentice Training Program, designed by two New York City. In the past two years, the city and state teachers, pairs an entering freshman with a senior in have cut $750 million from the education budget. We lost shop classes for 10 weeks. The senior guides the 21.2 percent of our staff to budget cuts in the past five ninth-grader through class experiments. Teachers re- years. port less boredom, thus better attendance, less disrup- We are a typical inner-city school. In 1992, we had tion, and more learning. 1,759 students, of whom 76 percent were black, 21.3 per- Requests for admission have increased; 10 students cent Latino, 2 patent Asian, and 0.5 percent white. Most apply for every vacancy. students come from single-parent families. In 1992, half The school has raised more than $1 million for new were on free or reduced-price lunch. or additional programs and services. We are one of Although Westinghouse, New York City's largest voca- six New York high schools (the only vocational tional and technical high school, is open to all city resi- school) to receive $143,000 a year for three years to dents, most of our students live in Brooklyn inner-city establish a year-round on-site employment office. neighborhoods. 5ome travel up to two hours each way on Pratt Institute, Polytechnic University, and New York public fransportation. We draw students from 203 feeder City Technical College run coordinated programs intermediate and junior high schools. with us. Our students may take courses at these col- Westinghouse problems mirror those of many inner- leges while attending Westinghouse. city schools: a high attrition rate and an aging faculty; stu- External customers including AT&T, Xerox, Marri- dents with poor reading and mathematical skills; lack of ott, Colgate-Palmolive, Digital Equipment, Time- motivation; low self-esteem; and a history of failure. Warner, and NYNEX have generously provided We were a good school when we began our process. technical assistance. Westinghouse Electric and Na- TQM techniques are making us better. Every time we ap- tional Westminster Bank USA have established schol- ply the process, it works. Here's proof: arships for our most improved students. IBM pro- Sixty-nine percent of graduates go to college, even vided a weekend of TQ training for our staff members, though most are the first in their families to finish students, and parents. high school. The Ricoh Corporation has become a partner. Soon Dropouts decreased from 7.8 percent in 1990 to 5.3 our minority students will be repairing broken Ricoh percent in 1991 (New York City's rate is 17.2 percent.) photocopiers and fax machines. The number of students failing every class dropped Business-School Advisory Councils in electronics, fro!-, 151 in January 1991 to 11 in June 1991. woodworking, and optical areas suggest ways to up- . cutting hasbeen reduced by 39.9 percent. grade our programs and improve student employabil- Par, involvement has increased; PTA membership ity. rose from 12 to 211 parents, even though dues tripled Union grievances fell f DOM 26 in 1991 to none in parents now compete for PTA offices. 1992. Fewer students have excessive absences. We have not finished, and we never will be! We Students are more involved; they provide peer tutor- know that we are on the right path our customers tell ing, escort senior citizens on shopping tours, and par- us so! 252, 238 Quality Goes to School Anticipate Obstacles to Change By Kenneth R. Freeston, assistant superintendent, and learning process. Newtown Public Schools, Newtown, Conn. School leaders are so overwhelmed by financial, politi- cal, and statutory constraints on their actions, they per- while there is mounting evidence that only quality ceive themselves as powerless to effect real change in oriented organizations can survive, unless we go schools. about our business of change in a dramatically different Over the past decade, schools developed mission fashion from our past attempts, the quality movement in statements. Generally in narrative form, written by broad- schools will be doomed to the same familiar failings of based committees, these statements tend to be charac- other annual trends and quick fixes. Well-meaning educa- terized as a rational link of platitudes. Often, once writ- tors will adopt quality as a solution before spending time ten, these well-intentioned efforts play no continuing role articulating the problems it addresses. in schools. People who know where they are going are more Specifically school and instructional practices remain likely to get there. When going in the direction of quality, unexamined for consistency with the mission. In a qual- educators need to anticipate the formidable obstacles that qy school, constancy of purpose is the critical factor. block the way. Early systems of management theory, based on in- W. Edwards Deming's ideas work, but they encounter spection of workers, failed because the inspection model resistance when applied to schools. assumed that fear would motivate the workers to higher Some of that resistance resides in the language used levels of productivity. Someone was watching, rating, and by him and other management theorists to explain qual- ranking. ity; some of it comes from perceived weakness in the In a quality school, leaders drive out the fear by elimi- American corporate structure. However, much of this re- nating inspection for staff and program evaluation. sistance resides in two areas: leadership and change. Collecting information is important to making better Leaders of quality organizations must live and decisions but that information cannot be gathered use- breathe the essence of quality. In every action they take, fully in a culture characterized by fear and mistrust. every decision they make, they are role models for the To optimize the school's mission, every aspect of its rest of the organization. While a quality school is not a work should be critically self-evaluated. In schools, the ob- top-down setting, unless the school leader is champion of stacles toward a self-evaluation process are considerable, quality, it simply won't happen. given the public's concern over student performance and In my view, two of Deming's 14 points are critically the widespread political pressure for school improvement. important to leaders: constancy of purpose and self-evalu- These changes hold interesting consequences for re- ation. cent initiatives in our profession, such as school-based Deming asserts that 85 percent of the problems that management. Such efforts at collaborative decision-mak- exist within an organization are within management's ing in schools are good, but taken alone, they are short- power to solve. Yet those who occupy leadership posi- range, quick fixes without a leadership commitment to tions in our schools are perhaps the single greatest obsta- constancy of purpose and self-evaluation. cle to implementing a quality approach to the teaching A Look Inside a District's Quality Toolbox By Gary George and Tom Trigg, Gardner-Edgerton-Antioch we suspected were an abnormally high number of school School District, Gardner, Kan. bus discipline referrals. Principals spent a large amount of time dealing with bus discipline matters. With our newly ur district, lucky enough to receive some outstanding acquired training in statistical tools of quality, we decided Oquality training opportunities for staff, is well on its to look closely at this situation. way toward understanding and improving system proc- Once we constructed a Pareto chart, it clearly showed esses in various areas. that one bus driver was associated with large numbers of These opportunities have included training sessions bus referrals while some bus drivers had no referrals. by Xerox and AT&T, W. Edwards Deming's two- and four- The next step was constructing a control chart to see day seminars, and 20 hours of training for our district what the mean number of referrals was and how far from leaders (including teachers and principals) from the Qual- the mean was this one particular case. When the control ity Alliance, a division of the Learning Exchange of Kan- chart was first analyzed, we saw no special cause. sas City. However, when probing further, we discovered in ad- Because of the amount and quality of training, we dition to written bus discipline referrals, the driver was have been able to move forward with several projects to phoning in referrals to the principal. When these were improve our system processes. added together, we indeed discovered a special cause for For example, in one area we were experiencing what the variation. We were able then to confidently take steps Quality Goes to School 239 to clear up the matter. came up with several other ways to consolidate forms and Next we examined our enrollment process, a source reassign personnel to make the process more pleasant and of stead parent complaints. In our district, student enroll- efficient. And our secretaries felt like we had made major ment is held over a three-day period in August. Each year, progress in streamlining the process. parents fill out the same forms they filled out the year be- Everyone involved in the project enjoyed the positive fore. Then they move from station to station as they com- feelings from working on a project and seeing results. plete the process. As we look ahead, we see both opportunities and chal- Parents complained that too much time was taken in lenges. We're concerned about finding time and resources both moving to and from each station and filling out the to train all of our personnel, which is a major goal. same forms over and over. This summer, we plan to offer a college course for our So this spring, we convened the key secretaries in- teachers to learn some basics of quality. We will also inte- volved in this process, assistant superintendent, and super-grate training for The Seven Habits of Highly Effective intendent, and flow-charted the process. People from the Covey Leadership Institute. As a result of understanding the process better through We see a need to have our students learn these con- the flow chart, it appears that we can speed up the proc- cepts and use the tools of quality as well. We know we ess for parents and provide computer-generated forms so have a long way to go, but we're on our way. that parents will only need to update them each year. Gary George is the superintendent and Tom Trigg is assis- To boot, we received some unexpected spin-offs. We tant superintendent. Profile Measures Quality Progress By Gerald L. McCoy, Superintendent, Eden Prairie, Minn. ate a GAP analysis that is visual and compelling. Educa- tors see plainly when a negative discrepancy or gap exists dapting continuous quality improvement concepts between the anticipated and the actual outcomes. The Ato education requires a systematic, scientific applica- CIP also gives directional feedback; it says the current tion of fundamental "quality principles" that flow out of level is just right or you should do more here or less there. the works of Deming, Crosby, and Juran. Entry into the An effectiveness index expresses the ratio between continuous quality improvement process may appear what is delivered or performed against the expectation. seamless, but educators struggle with where to start the This metric feature quantifies data and creates a Critical quality journey and how to measure progress. Effectiveness index. Feedback from the profile helps the Fifty school districts in the Minneapolis arca are now user determine the top eight critical issues. A priority grid using an instrument that helps assess their quality pro- lists urgency on the vertical scale and importance on the gress and chart a course for continuous quality improve- horizontal scale. This feature helps isolate opportunity ar- ment. The instrument is a Continuous Improvement Pro- eas where the greatest growth can occur and immediate file (CIP), developed by Positive Directions, Inc., of action should be taken. Minneapolis. The profile helps you know whether you The user can also manipulate data and arrange the have a quality school system. It can serve as a benchmark items in a Pareto chart to show where efforts should be for change and a planning tool for a single school or an directed. A force field analysis gives the user an indepth entire school district. look at the barriers and energizers that can lead to success- The CIP incorporates the concepts, philosophy, and ful solutions. tools found in the Malcolm Baldrige Award criteria. The The CIP has brought new meaning to the Eden Prairie profile focuses on eight elements of quality: customer School District's continuous quality improvement efforts. focus, district focus, district leadership, planning, learn- We now have the baseline data we need to enhance our ing, continuous improvement, support, and working with quality journey. others. For more information on the Continuous Improve- The 53 items in these quality categories capture two ment Profile, write to Bruce Knudson, Positive Directions, dimensions: current performance (what is) and current Inc., 4865 Norwood Lane, Plymouth, MN 55442, or call importance (what should be). Together, these measures cre- (612) 5596446. 254 240 Quality Goes to School Further reading about quality More than a dozen of the readings in this book includelists of related articles and books on quality management. Look for them on pages 6, 58, 71, 81,85, 86, 95, 116, 130, 141. 155, 163, 169, and 183. To learn more about how to use the statistical toolsof quality, look for these books: The Deming Route to Qtha/ity and Productivity, byWilliam Scherkenbach, Washington, D.C.: CEEP Press Books, 1991 TQT Improvement Tools for Education, QIP Inc.,/PQSystems, Inc. 1993 (Available from AASA, stock number 21-00370) The Deming Management Method, by Mary Walton. NewYork, Perigree Books, 1986 Other AASA resources on quality managementin education: AASA Stock Number: Books: An Introduction to Total Quality for Schools: A collection ofarticles on the concepts of Total Quality Management and W. Edwards Deming. 1991. $24.95 21-00349 Creating Quality Schools, by Louis M. Savary. 1992. $2.50 21-00191 Overcoming Barriers to Educational Restructuring, by GradyMcGonagill. 1993. $2.50 21-00397 TQM Handbook: Applying the Baldrige Criteria to Schools, byJoann Neuroth. 1992. $9.95 21-00149 Audiotapes: Quest for Quality. Two tapes. $34.50 21-00317 21-00372 The Way of Quality. Two tapes. $34.50 Videotapes: Continuous Quality Improvement. 1993. $49.95 21-00377 21-00411 Quality and Education: Critical Linkages Conference.1993. Three tapes. $110 Creating Quality Schools. 1993. $195 21-00416 Dr. Deming Talks to Educators. Five tapes. $695 21-00222 To order, call AASA's Member/CustomerInformationCenter at 703/875-0748. For information on how to join AASA'sTotal Quality Network, call 703/875-0764. Quality Goes to School 241 Quality Goes to School Credits I. Lessons Learned from Others 1. 'The Turning Point of the Quality Revolution" by Gerald Michaelson From Across the Board, December 1990, mprinted with permission of the Conference Board. 2. 'The Cost of Quality' by Jay Mathews and Peter Katel 7 From NEWSWEEK, September 7, ©1992, Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. 3. 'The New Society of Organizations" by Peter Drucker 9 From Harvard Business Review, September/October 1992. Reprinted by permission. 4. le,ins We Can Learn from Industry" by Steven Brigham 19 From Change Magazine, May/June 1993, pp. 49-55. Reprinted with permission of Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation. Published by Heldref Publications, 1319 18th Street NW, Washington, D. C. 20036-1802. Copyright 1993. 5. "Lessons from the Workplace in the Classroom' by Mark Trumbull 25 From the Christian Science Monitor, May 1993. Reprinted by permission. 6. "Deming's Ideas Changing the World" by David Kerridge 28 From Amstat News, March 1991, newsletter of the American Statistical Association. Reprinted by permission. II. Planning Period: Thinking Through Theory and Concepts 7. "Commentary" by Richard A. Rossmiller 31 Originally published in Focus in Change, the quarterly of the National Center for Effective Schools, University of Wisconsin-- Madison; reprinted with the Center's permission. The National Center for Effective Schools, University of Wisconsin, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706 8. 'What Do We Do to Improve?" by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood 32 Originally published in Focus in Change, the quarterly of the National Center for Effective Schools, University of Wisconsin-- Madison; reprinted with the Centers permission.See credit for article 7. 9, 10, 11. Previously unpublished articles by Myron Tribus 37, 41, 47 12. "On the Road to Quality" by Lewis Rhodes 54 From Educational Leadership, March 1992, 49, 6: 76-80. Reprinted with permission of the Association for Super.ision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 13. "Times of Scarcity Demand Cooperation" by Kosaku Yoshida 59 From The School Administrator, November 1993. Vol. 50, No. 10:48. Reprinted with permission of the American Association of School Administrators. Copyright @ 1993 by AASA. All rights reserved. 14. "Recapturing the Spirit of Learning through a Systems Approach" by Peter Senge and Colleen Lannon-Kim 60 From The School Administrator, November 1991. Vol. 48, No. 9:8-13. Reprinted with permission of the American Association of School Administrators. Copyright ©1991 by AASA. All rights reserved. 25F 242 Quality Goes to School 15. "The Quality Revolution in Education" by Jay Bonstingl 66 From Educational Leadership, November 1992, 50, 3: 4-9. Reprinted with permission of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 16. 'On Restructuring Roles and Relationships: A Conversation with Philip Schlechty" by Ron Brandt 72 From Educational Leadership, October 1993, 51, 2: 8-11. Reprinted with permission of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1993 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 17. "Quality Management in Schools" by Susan Leddick 76 From The Journal for Quality and Participation, January/February 1993. Vol. 16, No. 1:38-43. @ 1993 by the Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, Ohio. Reprinted with permission. 18. "Management Manifesto" by Yvonne Siu-Runyan and Sally Joy Heart 82 From The Executive Educator, January 1992. Vol. 14, No. 1:23-26. @ 1992, the National School Boards Association, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. 19. "Total Quality Management" by Tyler Weaver 86 From ERIC Digest, August 1992, No. 73, ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403. Reprinted with permission. 20. "The Cost of Quality' by Jim Carras, Denny Dowd, and Betty McCormick 88 From Insight, the quarterly magazine of the Texas Association of School Administrators, Fall 1993. Reprinted with permission. 91 21. "Quality Is Not a Quick Fix" by Kenneth Freeston From The Clearing House, July/August 1993. Reprinted with permission of Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation. Published by Heldref Publications, 1319 18th Street NW, Washington, D. C. 20036-1802. Copyright 1993. 22. "Total Quality and Academic Practice: The Idea We've Been Waiting For?" by Peter Ewell 96 From Change Magazine, May/June 1993, pp. 49-55. Reprinted with permission of Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation. Published by Heldref Publications, 1319 18th Street NW, Washington, D. C. 20036-1802. Copyright 1993. 23. "Job One,' by Lynn Olson 103 From TEACHER Magazine, Volume III, Number 8, May/June 1992. 1992. Reprinted with permission. 24. "Quality Through Preventive Management" by Bill Borgers 111 From Insight, the quarterly magazine of the Texas Association of School Administrators. Fall 1993. Reprinted with permission. 25. "Working Smarter Together" by Gordon Donaldson 112 From Educational Leadership, October 1993, 51, 2: 12-16. Reprinted with permission of the Association for Supervisionand Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 117 26. "Creating Effective Schools Today and Tomorrow" by Lawrence Lezotte From The Journal for Quality and Participation, January/February 1993. Vol. 16, No. 1:22-30. @ Copyright 1993 by the Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, Ohio. Reprinted by permission. Ill:Quality Goes to School -- Applying Quality Management 127 27. "Is TQM for Everybody?" by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood Originally published in Focus in Change, the quarterly of the National Center for Effective Schools, University of Wisconsin-- Madison; reprinted with the Centers permission. The National Center for Effective Schools, University of Wisconsin.1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706 Quality Goes to School 243 28. "Why Are We Here?" by Anne Tumbaugh Lockwood 131 Originally published in Focus in Change, the quarterly of the National Center forEffective Schools, University of Wisconsin Madison; reprinted with the Centers permission. See credit for article 27. 29. "Mt. Edgecumbe's Venture in Quality" by Larrae Roche leau 134 From The School Administrator, November 1991. Vol. 48, No. 9: 14-18. Reprinted withpermission of the American Association of School Administrators. Copyright 1991 by AASA. Ail rights reserved. 30. "Glasser Comes to a Rural School" by Melanie Harris and Carl Harris 138 From Educational Leadership, November 1992, 50, 3: 18-21. Reprinted with permissionof the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright@ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 31. "A Quality Approach to Writing Assessment" by Joanne Andrade and Helen Ryley 142 From Educational Leadership, November 1992, 50, 3: 22-23. Reprinted with permission ofthe Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 32. "A Move from Effective to Quality" by Nancy Duden 144 From The School Administrator, June 1993. Vol. 50, No. 5:18-21. Reprinted with permissionof the American Association of School Administrators. Copyright @ 1991 by AASA. All rights reserved. 33. "Up Close: Benchmarking Produces Beneficial Results" by Mike Dalton 148 From Tennessee School Board Journal, January 1993. @ 1993 by Tennessee School BoardAssociation. Reprinted with permission. 34. "Transforming Schools through Total Quality Education" by Mike Schmoker and Richard Wilson 149 From Phi Delta Kappan, January 1993 Vol. 74, No. 5, pp. 389-395. Reprinted with permissionof the Phi Delta Kappan. 35. "One District's Quality Improvement Story" by Patricia Abernethy and Richard Serfass 156 From Educational Leadership, November 1992, 50, 3: 14-17. Reprinted with permission of theAssociation for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 36. "Getting Started with TQM" by Kenneth Freeston 160 From Educational Leadership, November 1992, 50, 3: 10-13.Reprinted with permission of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Copyright @ 1992 by ASCD. All rights reserved. 37. "TOM in Tupelo" by Marilee C. Rist 164 Reprinted with permission from The Executive Educator, June 1993. Vol. 15, No. 6:27-29. @ 1993, theNational School Boards Association. All rights reserved. 38. "Quality Management for Schools" by Dorothy Mulligan 167 From Streamlined Seminar, October 1992. Volume 11, No. 2. Reprinted with permission. NationalAssociation of Elementary School Principals. 39. "If You Can Count lt, You Can Improve IV' by Robert Bencle 171 From The School Administrator, November 1991. Vol. 48, No. 9:24-26. Reprinted with permissionof the American Association of School Administrators. All rights reserved. Articles 40-43 and 47-54 are previously unpublished; articles 44, 45, and 46are reprinted from Quest for Quality, the newsletter of the Commitment to Quality Project of the Virginia Department of Education. IV. Systems Leaders Speak Articles 55-80 have appeared in Quality Network News, the newsletter of AASA's Total Quality Network. 258 Quality Goes to School 245 Continuous Learning from Continuous Teaching A remembrance of W. Edwards Deming October 14, 1900December 20, 1993 It has become fashionable to fear movements led by "gurus." Unfortunately, our society has lost the original meaning of guru, which is "a personal teacher," and has confused the issue by employing an outdated model of "teaching." W. Edwards Deming's ideas resonate well with many Americans because they glorify the person in the process, as opposed to the end product, alone. But that doesn't completely explain the personal trans- formational effect he had on individuals. Trying to understand that, I have observed and queried participants at his seminars and members of AASA's own staff who interacted with him, in addition to reflecting on my own experiences. Wnat I found centered on two characteristics of the manthe model of a continuous learner that he provided, and the nature of his interactions with others as people from whom he might learn. By maintaining constancy of his purposei.e., his continuous learning Deming taught that you can be a learner without being a teacher, but you can't be a teacher without being a continuous learner. This personal awareness provided him with a common reference point serving as a criterion for how he helped others learn. This simultaneous model of teaching and learning may have taught the most about continuous improvement.His mind was continuously improving even as his body failed. At his last seminar, less than two weeks before he died, he was in nurses' constant care, on oxygen, and in a wheelchair. During breaks when others were leading the seminar, staff members had to hide his clock to keep him from returning to the session to listen and learn from the discussions. And in the days after that last seminar, he kept reading and working with others by phone. People who feel they knew Deming, or just had personal contact with him, also feel he knew them. He attended and listened to them. People came away tra-asfonned by the experience of being appreciated and acknowledgedfeeling their ideas might make a difference. You saw this in his seminars, where he taught primarily through question- 25P 246 Quality Goes to School ing and group activities that allowed you to leave with your answers not necessarily "right" answers, but your answers to the right ques- tions. In personal interaction, Deming listened, noted, thought, reacted to what you said (not always positively) and refused to provide "answers." He always acknowledged anything done for him. 'You did a fine job," was a typical response. Was Deming a guru? For many, he had that personal impact. As I look across the names of others in the quality movement who, along with Deming, have been given that label, I fInd it hard not to apply that term to him. W. Edwards Deming was a teacher, the others are just consul- tants. Lewis A. Rhodes Associate Executive Director AASA Quality Goes to School 247 AUTHOR INDEX Abernethy, Patricia 156, 206 Lannon-Kim, C. 60 Andrade, Joanne 142 Leddick, Susan 76 Lezotte, Larry 117 Bell, Barbara 228 Lockwood, Anne Turnbaugh 32, 127, 131 Bender, Bob 171, 233 Blackford, Lew 232 Mathews, Jay 7 Bonstingl, Jay 66 McCormick, Betty 88 Borgers, Bill 111, 227 McCoy, Gerald 239 Brandt, Ron 72 Michaelson, Gerald 1 Brigham, Steven 19 Mulligan, Dorothy 167, 192, 194 Buckner. Terrelle 174 Olson, Lynn 103 Carras, Jim 88 Case, Ann Dinsmoor 179 Parent, Claude 218 Cu liar, Wendy M. 174 Place, Roger 196 Dalton, Mike 148 Ransom, Marion 218 DeDomenici, Peter 185 Reed, John R. 225 DeLetis, Karla Baehr 179 Rhodes, Lewis 54 Donaldson, Gordon 112 Rist, Marilee C 164 Dowd, Denny 88 Roche leau, Larrae 134 Downey, Carolyn 229, 234 Rossmiller, Richard A 31 Drucker, Peter 9 Rux, Paul 195 Duchi, Toni J. 231 Ryley, Helen 142 Duden, Nancy 144 Schargel, Franklin P 237 Esbrandt, Philip 226 Schmoker, Mike 149 Ewell, Peter 96 Senge, Peter 60 Serfass, Richard 156 Freeston, Kenneth 91, 160, 238 Sharp-Burk, Zona 224 Fusco, Armand 230 Siu-Runyan, Yvonne 82 Stoecklein, Jerry 209 Gangel, David M. 190, 224, 228 Stoecklein, Mike 209 Geiger, Philip 188 George, Gary 205, 236, 238 Tribus, Myron 37, 41, 47 Trigg, Tom 236, 238 Hammond, Jane 223 Trumbull, Mark 25 Harris, Carl 138 Harris, Melanie Fox 138 Vitale, Katherine 196 Heart, Sally Joy 82 Helfrich, John 201, 203, 230 Weaver, Tyler 86 Hendrix, David F. 232 Whitaker, Seldon V. 226 Houlihan, G. Thomas 223 Williams, Paul 236 Wilson, Richard 149 Jenkins, Lee 234 Yoshida, Kosaku 59 Katel, Peter 7 Kellison, Dennis 235 Kerridge, David 28 Klein, Beverly 231 Kosman, Tracy 196 261 248 Quality Goes to School SCHOOL DISTRICT INDEX Akron Public Schools, Ohio 228 Littleton High School, Colo. 85 Amphitheater Public Schools, Tucson, Adz. .154 Arlington ISD, Texas 71, 89 Madison County Public Schools, Fla. 176 Asbury Park Public Schools, N.J 159, 206 Manville Public Schools, N.J 159, 206 Marquette Middle School, Madison, Wis. 195 Brattleboro High School, Vt. 63 Maryville City Schools, Tenn. 148 Burlington Public Schools, N.J. 156,206,208 McAuliffe Elementary School, Va. 168 Meadville, Pa. 171, 233 Cambridge Ridge and Latin School, Mass 63 Mistletoe Elementary School, Redding, Calif. 235 Carder Elementary School, Coming, N.Y. 71 Mount Edgecumbe High School, Sitka, Catalina Foothills, Md 78 Alaska 36, 45, 48, 70, 77, 87, 106, 131, 134, 153 Centennial Elementary, Evans, Colo 142 Central Park East, East Harlem, N.Y. 70,151 New Brunswick Public Schools, N.J. 159, 206 Cherry Hill Public Schools, N.J. 159,206,226 New Haven Public Schools, Conn 151 Church Street School, Tupelo, Miss. 165 Newtown Public Schools, Conn. 93, 160, 225, 238 Clarke County Public Schools, Va 192,235 Northview Elementary School, Manhattan, Kan. 152 Columbia Park Elementary School, Prince George's County, Md 152 Oakland County Intermediate School District, Mich. 229 Crawford Central School District, Meadville, Pa. 171,233 Orange County Public Schools, Fla 175 Orange Grove Middle School, Tucson, Ariz. 60 Daniel Webster Elementary, San Francisco, Calif. 153 Ozone Elerientary, Pinellas County, Fla. 103 Denver Place Elementary, Wilmington, Ohio 127,185 Desert View High School, Tucson, Ariz. 62 Pasadena ISD, Houston, Texas 79, 81 Dickinson ISD, Texas 227 Pasco County Public Schools, Fla. 176 Dixie County Public Schools, Fla. 177 Petersburg Public Schools, Va. 168 Pinellas County Public Schools, Fla. 103 Eden Prairie Public Schools, Minn. 239 Piscataway Public Schools, N.J. 188 Enterprise School District, Redding, Calif. 234 Poquoson Elementary, Poquoson, Va. 194 Erie Public Schools, Pa. 70 Portsmouth Public Schools, Va 218 Poudre School District, Fort Collins, Colo. 232 Fort Collins, Colo 232 Prince William County Public Schools, Va. 106, 168 Fort Worth, Texas. 46 Rappahannock County Public Sch000s, Va...70, 190, 224, 228 Gardner-Edgerton-Antioch, Kan. 205, 229, 236, 238 Rawlings Elementary, Pinellas County, Fla. 107, 109 George Westinghouse Vocational and Technical Redwood Middle School, Napa, Calif. 70 High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. 51, 154, 237 Rees Elementary School, Spanish Fork, Utah 138 Glendale River Hills Schools, Wis 229 Ridgewood Public Schools, Ridgewood, N.J. 63 Glenwood Middle School, Md. 70 Gulfport Elementary, Pinellas County, Fla. 109 Santa Rosa County Public Schools, Fla. 176 Sidney City Schools, Ohio 232 Hamilton Township, N.J. 159, 206 Springfield School District, Pa 196 Hillview Middle School, Menlo Park, Calif. ea State College, Pa 25, 27, 226 Hollibrook Elememtary School, Houston, Texas 153 Thomas Jefferson High School for Science Johnson City Schools, N.Y 152 and Technology, Alexandria, Va. 63 Johnson-Williams Middle School, Berryville, Va. 192 Thomas Harrison Middle School, Harrisonburg, Va. 83 Johnston County Public Schools, N.C. 223 Tupelo Public Schools, Miss 164 Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Fla 144 Volusia County Public Schools, Fla 177 Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free SD, N.Y. 201, 203, 230 Kyrene School District, Tempe, Ariz. 229, 234 Wake County Public Schools, N.0 223 Wallingford Swarthmore Public Schools, Pa. 199 Lakeview School District, Battle Creek, Mich. 229, 236 Wellesley Public Schools, Mass. 182 Lassen View Elementary School, Redding, Calif. 235 Westlake Public Schools, Ohio 228 Levy County Public Schools, Fla 175 Wilde Lake High School, Columbia, Md 70 262 4.- l IIt n SSI1( II ion of Sc hool A d inint,.1 rhIr -I al-WEE