Last summer, I started a conversation with The Journal for Quality and Participation staff about publishing an issue in collaboration with the Education Division, focused on quality issues in higher education. This special issue on “Quality in Education” is the culmination of our joint effort. It has been a great experience, and on behalf of me Education Division, I wish to thank the editorial and production staff for the effort that made this issue possible.
We wanted to present articles that address the systematic issues of higher education and further the dialogue on improving the quality of higher education. For instance, Dr. Dew’s article discussed the many issues surrounding quality in higher education and reviewed what we can learn from the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. Dr. Padró’s paper reminded us of the importance of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge in today’s education climate and discussed an extension that furthers its usefulness. Additionally, he focused on how this framework is useful for addressing accountability and accreditation issues. The article by Scott Martens and Alisa Salewski discussed the systematic approach to continuous improvement at the University of Minnesota. Significantly, all three articles emphasized the importance of leadership in fostering a journey of continuous improvement in our colleges and universities.
Furthermore, this issue included Dr. Maurice Ghysels’ article on the importance of teaching creativity to our students in the continuous improvement journey of education. This discussion is important at our colleges as well as our K- 12 school systems. To continue to achieve higher levels of innovation in products and services in a competitive global economy, we need to educate our students in creative thinking throughout their educations.
ASQ Activities in Education
Since we began this effort on a special issue, several ASQ activities have furthered the discussion of quality in education. First and foremost, the National Quality Education Conference (NQEC) continues into its 17th year as a strong networking conference for K-12 teachers and administrators. Second, the Higher Education Brief and Primary and Secondary Education Brief continue to provide news articles, case studies, and research on the issues of quality in education. The special issue of the Higher Education Brief published in February focused on current examples of K-12 outreach efforts that encourage students to consider STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mam) careers. The Education Advisory Councils (K- 12 and Higher Education) are also continuing the dialogue on ASQ’s efforts in this field and support the development of the Higher Education Community network.
President Obama’s Message Includes Education Goals
We have major challenges in U.S. education. Only 71 percent of our students who start high school graduate in four years.1 In addition, only 58 percent of our students who start college graduate in six years from the same college.2 In anomer study mat included students who switched colleges, the graduation rate was somewhat higher at 62-67 percent.
At the national level, President Obama has indicated that education will be a priority in his administration. In his address to Congress, he indicated, “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite.” The president directed the national effort, saying, “I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school, vocational training, or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more man a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself; it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”
Achieving this education goal targets students who are currently in middle school. Education is a process, and with systems thinking and the use of the quality tools, we can meet and exceed this goal. It means, however, that much more effective alignment between the school systems and colleges is needed.
In his 2007 article, “Quality Goes to College,”5 Dew gives examples of quality improvement initiatives at the university level and discusses universities that are using the education criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The framework of the education criteria provides a template to help meet this national goal.
Data-Driven and Student-Centered Approaches Lead to Higher Graduation Rates
As K- 12 school systems become more data-driven in using assessment results, the higher education community needs to do the same. If we are to achieve the national education goal, we must consider middle school through college as one aligned process, and colleges must become more datadriven and student-centered in their approaches to decision making.
We have leaders who have successfully challenged their universities to achieve graduation rates in the 85- to 90-percent range. Often this occurs because of very competitive admission standards, but it also can occur with less competitive admission standards and strong student support systems, including freshman learning communities, tutoring and mentoring programs, and a committed faculty. Most important, as discussed in the education literature, is the topic of faculty engagement with students in professors’ classrooms. In the current economic environment, the challenges will be even greater, but by using systems thinking, most universities can achieve much higher graduation rates. This will require adopting the ideas of Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge and the Baldrige education criteria framework as discussed in this issue’s articles.
Recommendations
Much work remains to reach the national goals on education. Renewed emphasis on the Baldrige process for continuous improvement and on the studentcentered processes that produce a high percent of college graduates is needed. I especially recommend an effort to sponsor higher education organizational research on the Baldrige education criteria. I hope that this issue serves to further the dialogue for continuous improvement in education.
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