Closing
the Achievement Gap by Patricia Davenport and Gerald
Anderson, chronicles the journey of one school district in Texas who implemented
a total quality management system in order to improve test results (TQM). When a new
superintendent was hired in the summer of 1991, he was confronted with the
arduous challenge of not only educating the students in his district, but to
ensure that each and every school made academic gains; chiefly, pass state
assessments.
In order to accomplish this goal, the school district
set out to implement a system called Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is a
business model with an emphasis on continuous improvement. As a result of TQM,
the Brazsport School District eventually implemented the PDCA Instructional Cycle.
Utilizing this cycle, the school district was able to transform a struggling system
into a successful and simple process for success.
I really enjoyed reading this book
because it provided a simple solution to a difficult problem. Following the
PDCA Instructional Cycle can yield successful results when combined with
effective leadership and teacher buy-in. I also liked the fact that many of the
strategies that were used to achieve success were nothing new. For example, in
the Plan stage, the goal is to create a shared vision, use data to drive
improvement, and create professional learning communities to support the
improvement cycle. In the Do stage, high expectations are set, and a district
master calendar is created to ensure that every school is on the same page. In
the Check stage, results from assessments are reviewed. And finally, in the Act
stage, tutorial and enrichment opportunities are presented to students in an effort
to master proficiency standards. Because this is a continuous cycle, the
process repeats itself with the goal of continuous improvement.
