CRC Press The Excellent Education System: Using Six Sigma to Transform Schools

The Excellent Education System: Using Six Sigma to Transform Schools helps you discover and understand the technique of evidence-based learning and operations through which the modern school satisfies the need to increase the flow of successful students through the educational system from Kindergarten through Grade 12. This book explains, in clear terms, what educational excellence means and the principles of process improvement. In addition, it gives your an introduction to the Six Sigma methodology. Included in the discussion are case studies of educational professionals who have found a new world centered in the evidence-based educational processes. These processes lead to many examples of dramatic turnarounds in some failing schools. The author presents strategies and actions that you can use to improve schools such as those presented in the case studies. The Appendices provide a wide variety of tactical resources for implementation. Review "Excellent, excellent, excellent read." -Kamaljit K. Jackson, Quality Systems Manager Gateway Technical College "I could not put it down! This is an excellent resource and compelling read for anyone committed to improving their organizations performance. I can’t wait to share the book with my colleagues and staff."-Dr. Bryan Albrecht President & CEO Gateway Technical College "For the past 20 years I have been applying a combination of Lean, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints to drive improvement in a variety of fields including manufacturing, healthcare and maintenance, repair and overhaul. In each case, the results achieved have been outstanding in terms of profitability and flow. I’ve often wondered how this same approach would work in an academic environment. The good news is, my days of wondering are over, thanks to Dan Bloom! Dan’s new book, The Excellent Education System: Using Six Sigma to Transform School, provides educators, at all levels, with the framework and plan for improvement. To quote Dan, "The bottom line is that the TOC segment of the TLS orientation provides answers to three vital questions: TOC tells us what has to be changed TOC tells us what we need to change the process to TOC tells us how to make the change happen The perspective then moves to the use of lean tools to remove the obstacles and then the Six Sigma tools to create a standard of work going forward." Although Dan provides the key attributes for a successful educational improvement initiative, it is these three questions that every educational institution must answer correctly in order to successfully drive their improvement effort. Dan brilliantly lays out the necessary tools from each improvement methodology and provides relevant examples on how to use them. Dan also tells us that improvement can’t just be from the top down. Improvement must come at all levels with active participation at all levels of the organization. Well done Dan, and I highly recommend this book to all administrators, teachers and students!" -Bob Sproull, Certified LSS MBB and TOC Jonah "I taught college for many years and wished we would have had this book. Our quests for excellence would have been much more structured, laser focused and successful. Like most educators, we were not versed in the Six Sigma approach and would have greatly benefited from Daniel Bloom’s discussion of excellence, comprehensive review of Six Sigma and practical application for the classroom. A hidden benefit would have been how it can provide a framework for communicating between teachers, administration, students, parents and the taxpayers. In the end, this book will help schools prepare students by reexamining the process of education, eliminating waste and building a much needed foundation of excellence. It is then that students will thrive in an ever-changing world. I highly recommend it for teachers and administrators ranging from K-12 on through college. If I were scheduling a faculty in-ser