PURPOSE This paper is one of seven in this volume that aims to elaborate different approaches to quality improvement in education. It delineates a methodology called Lean for Education. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core concepts and a case study demonstrating an application in US education, specifically dealing with the problem of improving technology supports and services for instructional purposes in a school district system. FINDINGS An approach borrowed from manufacturing, Lean is aimed at creating and delivering the greatest value to the clients or “customers” in education systems while consuming the fewest resources and eliminating waste. Simultaneously, the method engages the organization in continuous problem solving, learning and making quality improvements with Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles. The core concepts that organize the Lean for Education approach are: continuous improvement and respect for people (Emiliani, 2005). ORIGINALITY/VALUE Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available on commonly used models of quality improvement in other fields that might have potential value in improving education systems internationally, such as large grade kindergarten-to-12 education systems in the USA. This paper fills this gap by elucidating one promising approach. The paper also derives value as it permits a comparison of the Lean for Education method with other quality improvement approaches treated in this volume.
Quality Assurance in Education [Special Issue]: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC)
School District of Menomonee Falls (SDMF)
Quality Assurance in Education: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education [Special Issue]
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Quality Improvement Approaches: Lean for Education
LeMahieu, P. G., Nordstrum, L. E., & Greco, P. (2017). Learn for Education. Quality Assurance in Education, 25(1), 74–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2016-0081