Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence → Baldrige for Parents → Baldrige Goes to School

Baldrige Goes to School

How are schools using Baldrige?
How are classrooms using Baldrige?
How are students using Baldrige?
What would I expect to see in a Baldrige-guided classroom?
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How Are Schools Using Baldrige?

Schools are currently using the Baldrige Categories as a framework for the school improvement planning process. Schools are also infusing the Baldrige Core Values as best practices which enable schools to reach school improvement goals and objectives.

How Baldrige Categories Are Applied to the School Improvement Process

Category Key Requirements

Student and Stakeholder Focus
  • Identify student and stakeholder needs, expectations, and levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Leadership

Strategic Planning
  • Identify measurable goals/objectives supported by action plans for monitoring

Results

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Staff and Faculty Focus
  • Identify resources to achieve goals/objectives
  • Identify levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Process Management
  • Define, design, and deploy processes for each category requirement above
  • Incorporate quality tools to enhance participation and the PDSA cycle for continuous improvement

Linkages Chart: Explaining How the Baldrige Categories are Interrelated

Example of a linkages chart
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The Baldrige Categories are often shown on a linkages chart to explain how the categories are interrelated. It helps schools (or any organization) develop focused plans so that the actions of the school support identitfied students needs.

How Are Classrooms Using Baldrige?

Classrooms are also using the Baldrige Criteria to create processes for learning; however, each school/classroom will look different depending on the stage of implementation of Baldrige within the school.

How Teachers and Students Apply the Baldrige Categories

Classroom data center close-up for parent's job
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  • Assess student learning needs and curricular expectations for learning
  • Build positive relationships to improve learning
  • Determine levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of students and stakeholders
  • Write classroom mission for learning
  • Develop goals and objectives based on learning needs and curricular expectations
  • Assess achievement towards goals/objectives (short-term and long-term)
  • Determine the resources needed to achieve goals/objectives
  • Manage learning using the PDSA cycle and quality tools
  • Monitor and communicate all of the above

The Baldrige Core Values as best practices are adapted for classroom use to guide continuous improvement and problem-solving needed to achieve goals and objectives.

How Are Students Using Baldrige ?

Students are using the Baldrige Criteria as well to meet their personal needs for learning according to the stage of implementation of Baldrige within the school.

Baldrige Helps Students Learn Accountability

Students develop accountability or responsibility for learning as they:

Students in a classroom
  • Understand the expectations for learning and their personal academic needs
  • Write personal mission statements for learning
  • Develop personal goals/objectives and action plans based on expectations and their own needs
  • Monitor and communicate their progress in achieving personal goals using data notebooks
  • Determine the resources needed to achieve personal goals and objectives
  • Manage their learning using the PDSA cycle and quality tools

What Would I Expect to See in a Baldrige-guided Classroom?

The goal of a Baldrige-guided classroom is to empower students to become coproducers of their learning by being:

  • accountable for evaluating and improving classroom and individual learning
  • responsible for achieving personal goals and assisting with classroom goals

Evidence of Baldrige in the Classroom

Evidence that teachers and students are working together to implement Baldrige processes and practices in the classroom could include (depending on stage of implementation):

Issue bin at a classroom data center
Classroom data center
Example of a data notebook
Example of a PDSA
  • Classroom and individual mission statements
  • Classroom and individual goals and objectives that are aligned with:
    • the MCPS curriculum
    • specific classroom and student learning levels and needs
    • stakeholder expectations (e.g., expectations of the next level teacher, course, school, future employers, parents)
  • Classroom and individual action plans for achieving goals/objectives
  • Monitoring of student and stakeholder levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction (e.g., surveys)
  • Frequent monitoring and communication of academic achievement
  • Use of quality tools and the PDSA cycle for continuous improvement of the class workday, student achievement, classroom processes, etc.
  • Data centers to capture the class mission, core values, goals/objectives, action plans, and progress charts
  • Data notebooks or folders for individual student monitoring of progress on individual goals/objectives
  • Recognition and celebration of progress toward classroom and individual goals
  • Improvement of classroom and individual performance results compared to past results

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Related Topics in Baldrige for Parents

November 23, 2010 | Maintained by Web Services | Content Manager: Michael Perich