Continuous Improvement in Education Isn't Just For Teachers & Administrators
When we think of quality in education, we often don't consider support services as part of the initiative and our efforts focus mainly on the school and classroom. In the Cedar Rapids Community School District, we are careful to include our support services departments so they understand their important role in the District strategic plan. It is critical that ALL employees understand how their role directly contributes to the Vision, Mission, Core Values and Goals of the district.
One way that we've gone about this is the creation of a document titled "The 4 Quality Levels" which attempts to define what continuous improvement could look like on the support side (Food Services, Transportation Department, Maintenance, Custodial Services, Print Shop, Carpenters, Business Services, Human Resources, Payroll, etc.) of our organization. Through the creation of Department Leadership Teams, support services departments will involve all employees in the department in creating a mission and goals that directly support the District plan. (See a flow chart of this model on line).
Continuous improvement in the support services looks different than it does in the classroom. In many instances, the focus is on reducing cycle time, increasing efficiencies or increasing customer satisfaction. There are several different approaches that support services departments can take to implement quality initiatives; Lean, ISO, Six Sigma and others. What really matters is that the support services of your organization feel like they are part of the quality initiatives.
How do your support services departments contribute to the quality of your organization? How are support services personnel included in quality initiatives? What happens when 1/2 of the organization (the education side) is utilizing continuous improvement processes and tools and the other half (the support side) is not?
Comments
Going back, the schema for Quality (implementation) in education was slowly adapted from (using) industrial experiences. The processes in industry and academia seem to differ primarily when it comes to class room. In an educational institutions, the satellitic activities are first to be catered to, for Quality upgradation, because the industrial processes had understood and complimented the requirements here. However where Quality concerns do suffer: as in Teaching and Learning processes, where adaptation of known documentation is found failing;. The Cedar Rapids Community School District, has reportedly done well by contributing to the Quality improvement drive (to this section in an education institution systems).
Jay, while I would want to know more about the 4 Quality levels, yet I feel if these pertained to hierarchical divisions of departments, then the implementation part should have been well managed. Obviously the support systems are at the lowest ebb and main processes at a superior position remain only to be lead by continuous improvement managers, and to top them all the visionaries and Leaders et al provide the necessary zest for revival.
What ever routes or tools may we all have, the onus to see that the world moves in the Right direction is the business of each one of us. ‘RIGHT’ not to ones' whims and fantasies; but rather to the fitness of things / the satisfaction of customers/ our heirs.
This is in line with a collective thinking expressed at another posting in Comments 8 steps to excellence and also in line with our requirements.
Priyavrat Thareja
Posted by: Priyavrat Thareja | September 22, 2006 05:59 AM
Priyavrat Thareja,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I'd like to comment on your statement- "What ever routes or tools may we all have, the onus to see that the world moves in the Right direction is the business of each one of us. ‘RIGHT’ not to ones' whims and fantasies; but rather to the fitness of things / the satisfaction of customers/ our heirs."
I think your definition of "right" being the pursuit of meeting the needs of customers is right-on!
Thanks again!
jay
Posted by: Jay | September 23, 2006 07:55 AM