An Instrument for Measuring Quality Practices in Education

AbstractThis paper reports the results of three studies designed to create and validate a survey instrument for measuring quality management/continuous improvement practices in educational settings. The intent was to develop an instrument that would both complement and enhance the Baldrige Award audit while overcoming some of its time and length limitations—namely, one that would be efficient, provide timely feedback, and be representative of the entire organization. Measures of fit and interpretability suggest the Quality Practices in Education survey achieves this purpose. The process used in the development of this instrument included both exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques, the use of qualitative data to provide insights into the development of the quantitative instrument, and built-in replication. This strategy, and the discussion of the tools for carrying it out, are useful for researchers interested in any substantive area of research.KeywordsK-12 educationquality practices survey Additional informationNotes on contributorsJames R. DetertJim Detert has studied the application of TQM to K-12 educational settings extensively over the past four years as a Research Fellow at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. He is part of the research team that the National Science Foundation funded to investigate TQM practices and culture in U.S. high schools.Detert has an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota and is currently working on his Ph.D. in organizational behavior at Harvard University. His current research interests center on large-scale organizational change efforts and organizational culture. He may be contacted as follows: Harvard University, 199 Sycamore Street, Watertown, MA 02472; E-mail: jdetert@hbs.edu.Roger JenniRoger Jenni has worked as a research associate and technical consultant with the Strategic Management Research Center at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, for 12 years. He holds a Ph.D. in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, and has led workshops and published articles and reports for school administrators and school boards on policy and management issues. Jenni maintains a practitioner foothold in public education, working as a teacher in the Northfield, Minnesota, Public School District, a position he has held for the past 24 years. He may be contacted as follows: 4009 Deerwood Trail, Eagan, MN 55122; E-mail: rjenni@csom.umn.edu.