Quality in Education

Educators need to be able to define quality and continuous improvement in order to achieve it.  It has been my experience that in education we "talk" quality without a clear understanding of what it really is.  We say we're focused on continuous improvement, without really being able to define what we mean.  Until an organization can define quality and describe what continuous improvement looks like, it won't be able to clearly set and communicate direction for future success with quality.

It is the responsibility of leadership to "paint a vivid picture" of what quality and continuous improvement look like, sound like and feel like.  It is only when stakeholders can define it and personalize it that they can achieve it.  District leaders need to define it so it can be understood by school leadership teams.  School leadership teams need to interpret it so it can be understood by classroom teachers (In Cedar Rapids, we refer to a document titled "If a vistor came to a classroom focused on continuous improvement...").  Teachers need to define it and translate it so it can be understood by their students.  Ultimately in the schools, students need to define quality and make a personal comittment to continuous improvement.  When all stakeholders define qualty and continuous improvement and make it theirs, real change occurs.

How do you define quality?  What does continuous improvement mean to you?  How would you explain these concepts to others?  Share you comments!

Jay