What are the essential elements of TQM in education?

In a TQM school or college, improvement teams and individuals are constantly working on improving service to customers. The concept of a service being "good enough" is considered inadequate. Thorough understanding of the differences between traditional and TQM schools is best developed in a dynamic seminar, not in a simple written guide. Therefore, this guide is intended to supplement such a seminar. Each of the following elements is very important for fully realizing the potential of TQM in education:
Awareness and Commitment for Everyone

The linguistic, kinesthetic, visual, and/or mathematical talents of a student will not be developed to their fullest potential unless EVERY member of a teaching-learning partnership promotes the highest possible quality at each step in the development process. A transformation from "good-enough" or traditional education (where marks or grades of "A" and "B" are good enough even if they do not represent best work) should begin with everyone being made aware of the potential and the elements of TQM. An excellent way to begin is with a total staff meeting with parents and school board members participating. The meeting can provide:

• A dynamic overview of TQM elements and potential by one or more presenters who have experienced both and

A Clear Mission
Managing continuous movement toward progressively higher quality standards depends on defining those standards. If a TQM steering committee is formed in a school (See element #10a.), it should determine the answer to this question--Does the school have a clear, customer-focused mission statement and a functioning process for divisions and/or departments translating this statement into exit outcomes for graduates? If the answer is "no", that problem must be addressed with local, state, national, and employer standards.
Teaming Replacing Hierarchy
The hierarchical organizations of yesterday are still dominant in too many businesses and schools. Such organizations tend to promote individual effort "good enough" to satisfy a supervisor who sometimes knows less about how to achieve quality than those he/she supervises. Cross-department teams can and do promote stronger improvement if they are:
a. Given a clear mission and strong authority
b. Supported rather than hampered by supervisors.