Schools of Quality

Book excerpt: This book presents the concept that quality as a keystone philosophy in today's business world can be applied to school systems as a means to improving education and all aspects of school culture, producing a school of quality. The author uses examples such as Japan's adopting William E. Deming's quality-control principles to help it skyrocket from post-World War II destitution to becoming a powerful driving force in the global economy, whereas America experienced a decline. The intelligent application of quality control in process as well as product lowers the costs involved in correcting errors further down the product assembly line. Additionally, the creation of meaningful relationships among departments, work groups, and customers enhances worker morale and effectiveness. Application of this philosophy of Total Quality Management to the school environment produces a meaningful and enriching experience for students, teachers, and administrators conducive to lifelong learning. Appendices provide practical tools for school organizational transformation, charts defining roles for School of Quality participants, Deming's management scheme applied to companies and schools, a comparison of Quality and traditional paradigms, an educational impact report, the SCANS report, a description of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program, and sources of additional information. (RT)