For the past 12 years, the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) has offered an innovative means for colleges and universities to maintain regional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the only regional U.S. accrediting commission currently providing alternative pathways for maintaining accreditation. Although all HLC…

A grant from the School Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education during 2008-14 provided the opportunities and resources for SREB to bring together its cutting-edge knowledge base, field experience, and substantial bank of publications and training materials in the closely related fields of school improvement and school…

One of the themes of current school evaluation research and debate is the extent to which it is possible to integrate internal and external evaluation and accountability and improvement. In this article, the author outlines how New Zealand has attempted to reconcile these differing perspectives and aims. New Zealand has a national system of school…

Many students lack problem-solving skills. As teenagers, they tend to blame external forces or other people when something goes wrong, instead of trying to understand the root cause to prevent it from happening again. This article discusses the Lean Six Sigma methodology for problem solving, which the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in…

To solve two enduring problems in education--unacceptably large variation in learning opportunities for students across classrooms and little continuing improvement in the quality of instruction--the authors propose a system that centers on the creation of shared instructional products that guide classroom teaching. By examining systems outside…

Response to intervention (RTI) protocols at the secondary level require a systems approach that is supported by professional learning teams (PLTs). PLTs create viable courses in which most students experience success and work together to plan further interventions. PLT protocol work begins with the design of uniform summative assessments and is…

The effectiveness model focuses the institution on mission achievement through assessment and improvement planning. Eleven mission criteria, measured by key performance indicators, are aligned with the accountability interest of internal and external stakeholders. A Web-based performance assessment application supports the model, documenting the…

Can higher education institutions continue using planning and self-evaluation processes that are decades old without any reform? Several recent monographs urge institutions to embrace continuous improvement processes that engage systematic planning and department self-evaluation across whole campuses, but they do not show institutions how to do…

Effective, efficient, and sustainable ID/DD organizations: are they possible in today's world of dwindling resources and mounting demands for more and better services? Yes--with the practical tools and strategies in this lifeline for ID/DD leaders. Developed by two of the most trusted authorities in the disability field, this innovative business…

Total Quality Management is a system for creating organizationwide participation in planning and implementing a continuous improvement process exceeding customer expectations. It is built on the assumption that 90 percent of problems are a result of process, not employees. Implementation at Oregon State University has nine phases. (MSE)

This article proposes a new way of conceptualizing workplace learning as distributed systems of appropriation, development and the use of practice-relevant generalizations fixed within mediational artifacts. This article maintains that these systems change historically as technology and increasingly sophisticated forms of production develop.…

The Crawford County (Pennsylvania) Excellence Council helped a school superintendent revamp the district's dysfunctional work order system by providing TQM (total quality management) training to five teams of workers. The result was total quality transformation of a work process that transcended mere problem solving. (MLH)

Discusses quality management principles as taught by W. Edwards Deming and describes their applications to educational technology services. Traditional organizational charts are explained; and benefits of using flow charts in Deming's systems are described, including better communications between departments, building teamwork, and opportunities…

A consortium of four Wisconsin school districts has decided to stop tinkering with the educational system and apply W. Edward Deming's 14 management points to total system improvement. The rewritten precepts involve creating and adopting a fitting purpose, infusing quality into the educational "product," and working toward zero defects…

External and internal forces are driving institutions not only to create departments and positions that specialize in planning, quality improvement, and institutional research but also to link them within a systems context.