Eyes on the Baldrige prize: disparate school districts in New York and Alaska are first honored for quality approaches

And that, the Pearl River school board and administration decided in 1991, was the problem. Most people liked the schools, but 29 percent chose to attend the more than 80 private and parochial schools within 15 miles of the district. Forty percent of Pearl River students did not earn a Regents diploma, reserved for those who passed a battery of state tests. In 1996, only 53 percent of the district's students scored a 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement tests that were becoming an increasingly important factor in college admissions.

The Pearl River board and administration decided that although some students were doing well, the schools were not reaching as many children as they could. In 1991, they adopted a mission--"every child can and will learn"-- long before that became a national political slogan.

There were three strategic goals: improving academic performance, improving public perception of the district by incorporating quality principles and values, and maintaining fiscal stability and improving cost effectiveness. The board adopted what it called a "balanced scorecard"--a scannable composite of leading and lagging indicators of progress. Which goals and strategic objectives were being met? If they had not been reached, how far behind were they and what were the ingredients of that failure to keep pace?

Quinton C. Van Wynen Jr., president of Pearl River school board, says it was important to keep track of the numbers. "The use of databases, year-to-year comparisons and testing results help to point out strengths and weaknesses of the programs."

All Pearl River goals had to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely, and each year the district's stakeholders would meet to access progress.

Superintendent Richard Maurer says the key was taking one step at a time. It is wisest, he says, "to start with a program, a school building, a department or grade level. Trying to take on the whole district is like wrestling an alligator. From there, decide which items to improve. Report the results. Again, do not try to improve all the items or the alligator will win."

He adds: "It is best to work on items that are closest to improving student achievement. Everyone can jump on that bandwagon. Not everyone will get excited about improving the physical appearance of the building."

Competitive Spirit

The stakeholders decided the best approach was to remove structural obstacles to achievement and create a clear line-of-sight from kindergarten through high school graduation. Teachers, for instance, would study scores on a fourth grade assessment test and use the results to make changes that would ensure, eight years later, more students graduating with Regents diplomas.

Curriculum maps, what the Pearl River called the A-plus Approach for Classroom Success, were crucial. The entire curriculum was aligned to state and national standards. The curriculum maps detailed the content area covered as well as the method of instruction and assessment used at each stage. The testing data would be analyzed and the map adjusted.