Six Sigma And The Public School System

by: tjacowski
Total views: 49 | Word Count: 439

The concept of using Six Sigma in the public school system may not have received much publicity in the media, but it is something that is slowly but definitely catching up in educational institutions all across the country.

How To Implement Six Sigma In The Public School System

Implementing in the public school system may look easy at first due to the absence of complex business processes, but in reality the task is quite difficult as most of the implementations target the human aspects of the public school system. For example, one of the most important targets of these implementations is often to convert the grievances and complaints of teachers and other staff members into tacit support and even outright interest. Teachers and other staff members may have different types of complaints such as those related to heating or ventilation of the school building, poor condition of lawn, ineffective public address system, and others.

The complaints may also be related to educational issues such as shortage of teachers, textbooks, or testing materials. After identifying the complaints, the next step is to solicit input and suggestions from teachers and other staff members in order to devise effective solutions that will help in overcoming the problems.

Input and suggestions are then sorted out, classified and tested based on parameters set by the school authority in consultations with a qualified 6 Sigma professional such as a Black Belt. The suggestions that are repeated the most are then selected and made available for implementation.

Why Training Is Important

The success of Six Sigma implementations in the public school system depends on the level of knowledge and expertise that the teachers and other staff members might have. It is not being suggested that the entire teaching staff be given Black Belt training; the right thing to do is to select a single individual or a team of three to four members and provide training to them. This will not only help in saving training costs, but will also help in eliminating the occurrence of confusion and ego conflicts. These individuals as well as the organization will then have no problems in carrying out the implementation and completing it within the planned period.

Six Sigma for the public school system is a concept that is still in its infancy and as such there is not much data or information available on the subject. Educational institutions such as the public school system will have to depend on their own creativity and management skills for implementing it until more reliable data becomes commercially available.

About the Author

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.  

More Articles from: Project Management