Quality in Education in the Calcasieu Parish School System: Experiences of Administrators

The Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence outline effective practices and core values that have assisted businesses, health agencies, government institutions, and several school systems in the United States to improve performance within their organizations. Recent studies of school districts from across the nation have indicated some degree of success with implementation of the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. This phenomenological study of principals\u27 experiences with implementation of Quality in Education (based on the Baldrige Education Criteria) within the Calcasieu Parish School System answers the question: What are principals\u27 experiences with the implementation of Quality in Education? Data were collected through individual interviews and questionnaires. Participants included ten principals who had been engaged in this district implementation effort for at least three years, as well as their administrative directors. Transcription, coding, and analysis resulted in emerging themes and key findings, which were organized as benefits and barriers to implementation of this school reform initiative. Benefits were identified as data-based decision-making and use of student data binders, a narrow focus and working smarter, not harder, and increased student responsibility for learning, parent communication and faculty input. This was accomplished through district support with professional development and the work of Quality mentors. Barriers were identified as teacher turnover and continual training of new staff, implementation of other programs, lack of faculty buy-in, and time. This study informs the literature of implementation issues with school reform initiatives