Quality Management Systems and Vocational Education Assessment Essay

Quality Management Systems and Vocational Education Assessment Quality management systems such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Quality Control (QC), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 focus on the continuous improvement of products and services, customer satisfaction, and participatory manage-ment. Although much has been written about quality management systems and their application in business, industry, and (more recently) education, little connection has been made between these systems and educational assessment. This paper explores the three most prestigious awards recognizing quality improvement in business and industry and describes how the criteria for business and industry assessments of quality can be correlated with vocational education assessment. Quality Improvement Awards The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes quality improvement among manufacturing, service, and small business. The primary goal of the Baldrige Award is customer satisfaction. The award criteria reflect the following seven categories (Izadi et al. 1996, p. 62): leadership, information analysis, strategic quality planning, human resource development and management, management of process quality, quality and operational results, and customer focus and satisfaction. The Deming Application Prize, established in honor of Dr. W. Edward Deming, is awarded to companies that continually apply Company-Wide Quality Control and have achieved a certain quality standard (ibid.). The focus of this award is quality achievement of Deming's 14 points, which are verified through the use of statistical methods. The judging criteria consist of 10 major categories (ibid.): (1) policy and objectives, (2) organiza... ...try and education, and suggest strategies for implementation. References Bailey, T., and Merritt, D. Making Sense of Industry-Based Skill Standards. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1995. (ED 389 897) Clery, R. G. "ISO 9000 Quality Systems: Application to Higher Education." October 4, 1993. (ED 363 163) Inger, M. Alternative Approaches to Outcomes Assessment for Postsecondary Vocational Education. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1995. (ED 389 849) Izadi, M. et al. "Quality in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from the Baldrige Award, Deming Prize, and ISO 9000 Registration." Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 33, no. 2 (Winter 1996): 60-76. Michigan State Council on Vocational Education. Standards and Assessment. A Working Paper. Lansing, MI: MSCOVE, 1996. (ED 393 981) Quality Management Systems and Vocational Education Assessment Essay Quality Management Systems and Vocational Education Assessment Quality management systems such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Quality Control (QC), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 focus on the continuous improvement of products and services, customer satisfaction, and participatory manage-ment. Although much has been written about quality management systems and their application in business, industry, and (more recently) education, little connection has been made between these systems and educational assessment. This paper explores the three most prestigious awards recognizing quality improvement in business and industry and describes how the criteria for business and industry assessments of quality can be correlated with vocational education assessment. Quality Improvement Awards The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes quality improvement among manufacturing, service, and small business. The primary goal of the Baldrige Award is customer satisfaction. The award criteria reflect the following seven categories (Izadi et al. 1996, p. 62): leadership, information analysis, strategic quality planning, human resource development and management, management of process quality, quality and operational results, and customer focus and satisfaction. The Deming Application Prize, established in honor of Dr. W. Edward Deming, is awarded to companies that continually apply Company-Wide Quality Control and have achieved a certain quality standard (ibid.). The focus of this award is quality achievement of Deming's 14 points, which are verified through the use of statistical methods. The judging criteria consist of 10 major categories (ibid.): (1) policy and objectives, (2) organiza... ...try and education, and suggest strategies for implementation. References Bailey, T., and Merritt, D. Making Sense of Industry-Based Skill Standards. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1995. (ED 389 897) Clery, R. G. "ISO 9000 Quality Systems: Application to Higher Education." October 4, 1993. (ED 363 163) Inger, M. Alternative Approaches to Outcomes Assessment for Postsecondary Vocational Education. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1995. (ED 389 849) Izadi, M. et al. "Quality in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from the Baldrige Award, Deming Prize, and ISO 9000 Registration." Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 33, no. 2 (Winter 1996): 60-76. Michigan State Council on Vocational Education. Standards and Assessment. A Working Paper. Lansing, MI: MSCOVE, 1996. (ED 393 981)