How to Make Six Sigma Work in an Educational Setting
Six Sigma is a systematic approach to problem solving that was developed in the 1980s by the telecommunications company Motorola. The purpose of Six Sigma is to correct systematic glitches that stand in the way of success. While initially used in business settings, the approach can be applied effectively to education. Through the use of the Six Sigma system, school officials can make changes within a school and improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Instructions
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Get everyone on board. The Six Sigma system is not effective if some staff members are hesitant to follow the prescribed course of improvement. Before problems are identified or the system is used to develop solutions, work to achieve full staff cooperation. Point out the potential improvements you can make with the Six Sigma system, and explain how these improvements could directly benefit staff members.
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Identify a problem. The Six Sigma system focuses on one problem at a time. By focusing on one problem at a time, system participants can devote all their energy to correcting that problem instead of dividing their efforts amongst an array of issues. Select a problem you feel is hindering student success. The problem could involve student performance, such as low test scores in a certain subject. If more than one problem comes up during the discussion, note the other problems and return to them after resolving the first one.
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Define the problem. To correct a problem, you must truly understand it. Through a series of discussion sessions, discuss the ins and outs of the problem. Explore the impact of the problem on student success, the reasons it exists and the length of time it has existed.
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Measure the problem. The Six Sigma system uses data to explore the intensity and seriousness of a problem. Collect data related to the problem to see the implications it is having on students. If your problem is, for example, that too few students are passing the Social Studies proficiency test, collect data on previous tests and any practice tests the students have taken as evidence of the seriousness of the problem.
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Analyze the data. Explore the data as a team. Calculate percentages to see how much the problem is affecting students and look for the difference between the data and the desired goal to see how much work needs to be done. For example, if 56 out of 100 students graduated at the end of four years, the graduation rate is 56 percent. By exploring grades of the students who did not graduate, you may find that 41 of the students missed graduation by only one class. This allows you to easily see how much work must be done.
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Improve the problem. Once you have seen the results of the data analysis, you can more effectively prescribe a treatment for the problem. Use the data that you collected to find a solution. Your solution may involve more than one step, particularly when dealing with a complex problem. Once the group has agreed upon a solution, create a plan for implementing it. Your plan should include the assignment of duties to different members of the group. For example, the principal may be placed in charge of hosting a weekly study event while the English department may be responsible for preparing study materials. Once the plan is established, put it into place.
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Set up your control system. The control is the last step in the Six Sigma approach. This step ensures that the problem, which has been corrected, does not occur again. To set up a control system, a person within the administration needs to intermittently monitor the established solution to ensure the problem does not arise again. This person pays careful attention to the problem area and corrects small issues that arise.
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