Program Quality Initiative Overview Train-the-Trainer Institute Atlanta, August 8-9,2002

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Program Quality Initiative OverviewTrain-the-T
rainer InstituteAtlanta, August 8-9,2002
PROGRAM

• Irma Berry
• Accountability and Performance Branch
• Office of Vocational Technical Education

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PROGRAM
Presentation Outline

• Department of Education Strategic Goals and
  Objectives 2002 - 2007
• Perkins III Accountability
  Accomplishments and Next Steps
• Program Quality Initiative
• Five-Step Improvement Process
• Looking Ahead

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Department of EducationGoal OneCreate a Culture
of Achievement
PROGRAM

• Link federal education funding to accountability
  for results
• Increase flexibility and local control
• Increase information and options for parents
• Encourage the use of scientifically based methods
  within federal education programs

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Department of EducationGoal TwoImprove Student
Achievement
PROGRAM

• Ensure that all students read on grade level by
  the third grade
• Improve math and science achievement for all
  students
• Improve the performance of all high school
  students
• Improve teacher and principal quality

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Department of Education Goal ThreeDevelop Safe
Schools and Strong Character
PROGRAM

• Ensure that our nations schools are safe and
  drug-free and that students are free of alcohol,
  tobacco, and other drugs
• Promote strong character and citizenship among
  our nations youth

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Department of EducationGoal FourTransform
Education into an Evidence-based Field
PROGRAM

• Raise the quality of research funded or conducted
  by the Department
• Increase the relevance of our research in order
  to meet the needs of our customers

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Department of EducationGoal FiveEnhance the
Quality of and Access to Postsecondary and Adult
Education
PROGRAM

• Reduce the gaps in college access and completion
  among student populations differing by
  race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and
  disability while increasing the educational
  attainment of all.
• Strengthen accountability of postsecondary
  institutions
• Establish effective funding mechanism for
  postsecondary education
• Strengthen Historically Black Colleges and
  Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and
  Tribal Colleges and Universities
• Enhance the literacy and employment skills of
  American adults

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Department of EducationGoal SixEstablish
Management Excellence
PROGRAM

• Develop and maintain financial integrity and
  management and internal controls
• Improve the strategic management of the
  Departments human capital
• Manage information technology resources, using
  e-gov, to improve service for our customers and
  partners
• Modernize the Student Financial Assistance
  programs and reduce their high-risk status
• Achieve budget and performance integration to
  link funding decisions to results
• Leverage contributions of community- and
  faith-based organizations to increase the
  effectiveness of Department programs
• By becoming a high performance, customer-focused
  organization, earn the Presidents Quality Award

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Perkins III Accountability Accomplishments and
Next Steps
2004
2002
2000
2001
2003
1999
Core Indicator Framework
August
April
Data Quality Initiative
August
June
Program Quality Initiative
June
November
Continuous Improvement
June
June
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Program Quality InitiativeGoals
PROGRAM

• Use data to improve performance
• Share information and resources
• Peer Collaborative Resource Network
  (www.edcountability.net)
• Program Quality Institute Jacksonville
• Train-the-Trainer Institute Atlanta

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Program Quality InitiativeGoals
PROGRAM

• Question Why the emphasis on data? We know what
  works and what does not work.
• Answer Without data you are just another person
  with an opinion.

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Five-Step Improvement Process
PROGRAM
Step 1 Document Performance Results
Step 5 Implement Solutions
Step 4 Pilot-Test and Evaluate Solutions
Step 2 Identify Root Causes
Step 3 Choose Best Solutions
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PROGRAM
Step 1 Document Performance Results

• Understand the problem completely before you seek
  solutions
• How do you analyze performance data?
• What questions should be addressed?
• What tools and methods can be used to present and
  analyze data?
• How should data quality problems be considered in
  analyzing data?

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Step 2Identify Root Causes
PROGRAM

• Dont settle for conventional wisdom and symptoms
  - never stop asking why?
• What methods can you use to identify potential
  causes?
• How can you evaluate potential causes?
• How do you identify the most critical root causes
  to focus the search for solutions?

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Step 3 Choose Best Solutions
PROGRAM

• Dont be too quick to adopt best practices before
  getting the facts straight
• How do you evaluate strategies and models?
• Sound Theory--Why and how are they expected to
  work?
• Strong Evidence--What evidence shows they work?
• How do you identify possible strategies and model
  practices?
• How do you compare and evaluate alternative
  solutionsimprovement strategies and model
  practices--and make a decision?

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Step 4Pilot-Test and Evaluate Solutions
PROGRAM

• Make sure it works for you somewhere before
  applying it everywhere
• How do you design pilot-tests or first-stage
  implementations?
• What tools and methods can be used for testing
  and evaluation?
• How do you decide whether to move to full
  implementation?

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PROGRAM
Step 5Implement Solutions

• Dont say youve solved the problem until youve
  fully implemented solutions
• and achieved results
• How do you measure the implementation of the
  improvement strategy and model?
• How do you evaluate implementation and make
  mid-course corrections?
• How do you use the results to rethink root causes
  and seek other improvement strategies and models?

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PROGRAM
Looking Ahead

• Data Quality
• Program Quality
• Managing Continuous Improvement