Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence → Baldrige for Staff → Building the Baldrige-guided Classroom

Building the Baldrige-guided Classroom

A classroom with students working We invite you to a Baldrige-guided classroom where you will see students working just as hard as their teacher in managing their learning environment! You will see students actively involved in learning, rarely going off-task, and working cooperatively. This is a classroom environment where students have taken responsibility for their learning. Walk around the classroom and ask students:

  • What are your classroom and personal goals/objectives?
  • How do you know if you are making progress?
  • What would you do if you were not making progress?

What is a Baldrige-guided Classroom Learning System?
How Do I Build This Type of Classroom?
What Roles do the Baldrige Core Values Play?
More About Building a Classroom Learning System

What is a Baldrige-guided Classroom Learning System?

Student displaying a data notebookIn a Baldrige-guided classroom, the teacher and students have put into place processes and systems to guide the learning of the class and of individual students. Key to such a classroom is the development of a classroom culture which encourages students to communicate openly in a trusting and accepting classroom environment enabling them to take responsibility for their learning. Students at any age can manage their learning and chart their progress whether it be in Kindergarten or in a trigonometry class. When things don't go right, they learn
to plan for a rapid change.

Elements that are common to Baldrige classrooms:

How Do I Build This Type of Classroom?

To build a Baldrige-guided classroom learning system, the teacher and especially the students work very hard together to integrate processes and systems, as defined by the Baldrige Categories, into their classroom.

Baldrige Category Teachers & students build processes & systems to:
Student and Stakeholder Focus
Bill's Northwood #93
  • Determine classroom and individual student needs.
  • Build positive relationships with one another
  • Monitor levels of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the teaching/learning process and classroom procedures
Leadership
  • Develop classroom and individual mission statements that are aligned with their school's vision and mission
  • Establish good communication and ways to monitor classroom and individual student progress
Strategic Planning

Organizational Performance Results
  • Set targets linked to summative assessment tools that are aligned with goals and objectives
  • Use high-performing classrooms as benchmarks
  • Compare the progress of the classroom with similar classrooms

Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management
  • Decide how and when progress will be measured, using (and developing) a variety of formative tools, aligned with summative tools. This avoids surprises at the end of the semester or year.

Faculty and Staff Focus

Faculty & Staff Focus
  • Determine what resources (material and human) will be needed to achieve the goals and objectives
Process Management
  • Create well-defined, well-designed, and well-deployed processes and systems for each action within the Baldrige categories.
  • Revisit processes frequently for rapid response when the anticipated change or progress is not made
  • Use quality tools and the PDSA model to enhance participation and process thinking

What Roles do the Baldrige Core Values Play?

The students and teacher in a Baldrige classroom are also guided by the Baldrige Core Values or Best Practices while working on the classroom culture and integrating the Baldrige Categories components.

The Baldrige Core Values support a learning-centered, results-focused classroom culture by teaching students to:

  • focus on their vision for the future
  • take responsibility for making decisions based on facts
  • be agile and innovative when the need for change arises
  • value the contributions of their peers
  • take social responsibility

More About Building a Classroom Learning System

For more information regarding building a classroom learning system, see the handbook for teachers, My Job, Your Job, Our Job: Building a Classroom Learning System, available to MCPS staff members through Dr. Michael Perich, Coordinator, Systemwide Continuous Improvement. For others, the document may purchased through Dr. Perich. There is a fee of $15.00 plus shipping and handling.

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