APQC Uncovers the "Achilles Heel of Education".White Paper Tackles Education's Fundamental Weakness HOUSTON -- Improving outcomes has long been the focus of education reform efforts in the U.S., with strict emphasis on boosting test scores, graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. rates, teacher quality, and low performing schools. However, APQC's new white paper, The Achilles Heel Achilles heel Noun a small but fatal weakness [Achilles in Greek mythology was killed by an arrow in his unprotected heel] Achilles heel n → talón m de Aquiles of Education and How to Fix It, reveals that an 'outcomes-only' focus has created a fundamental weakness in the public education system. The paper explores the problem and how it is being solved through an innovative pilot program called North Star. The paper can be downloaded at no cost at: http://www.apqceducation.org/NorthStar. Jack Grayson C. Jackson Grayson, Jr. Chairman and CEO - APQC Dr. Grayson has a BBA from Tulane University, an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in business from the Harvard Business School. , Founder, Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of APQC APQC American Productivity & Quality Center , explains, "For decades, education has hammered ham·mered adj. 1. Shaped or worked with a metalworker's hammer and often showing the marks of these tools: a bowl of hammered brass. 2. Slang Drunk or intoxicated. Adj. on outcomes, but in order to improve outcomes we must also improve the processes that generate them. Implementing process and performance management may be the one thing that can save public education." APQC's research and work on improvement in the private sector and with schools has proven that a process and performance management (PPM) methodology is effective at removing roadblocks to change. Using the PPM approach in APQC's North Star pilot program, 10 leading school districts are realizing remarkable results. North Star participant Dr. Michael Perich, Director of Continuous Improvement at Montgomery County Public Schools Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. It is currently the largest county in Maryland serving over 137,000 students. in Maryland, noted, "I have been in education for 42 years but have never seen a project like APQC's North Star that has the potential to completely transform the educational system in this country." Pilot district results include: * Energy costs reduced by $624,000/year * Overall energy savings of over $4 million * Out-of-school suspensions reduced by 50% * Computer setup See BIOS setup and install program. cycle reduced from 24 days to 2 days This is the first in a white paper series exploring how to transform the U.S. education system using APQC's proven approach of process and performance management. About APQC Founded in 1977, the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) is the leading resource for performance analytics, best practices and process improvement worldwide. For the past decade, APQC has worked with over 250 school districts to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Learn more at www.apqceducation.org/northstar or call the Education Team at 1-800-776-9676. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion