>

>Jim Ford, Research Assistant for Quality Adult Education in Tennessee, 

>responded to this posting (see below), based on his experience working 

>with ae programs in TN who are utilizing the Baldrige approach to program 

>improvement.

>

>Here are Jim's comments:

>

>In Tennessee, we [also] include "student, stakeholder, and market focus" 

>as a significant category based on the Baldrige Education Criteria.  The 

>stakeholders are the community, family, employer, and any other entity 

>that has a stake in the Adult Education program.  The market is the 

>potential number of students, specific locations, and population groups 

>that could receive program services.  This entire "students, stakeholder, 

>and market focus" includes the following items:

>

>- Student, stakeholder, and market knowledge, which are the requirements, 

>expectations, and preferences

>- Students and stakeholder relationships, which means building confidence, 

>trust, loyalty, etc. to attract, retain, and enhance student performance

>- Satisfaction determination, which means taking a hard look at external 

>and internal program elements for satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

>>Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 17:28:21 -0500

>>From: Kim Chaney <kchaney at utk.edu>

>>Subject: [NIFL-PLI] What *is* Program Leadership and Improvement?

>>

>>

>>What *is* Program Leadership and Improvement?  What does it include - or 

>>not include - in the context of adult basic and literacy education?  Are 

>>some aspects of program leadership and improvement more important than others?

>>

>>...For some of us, the answers may come quickly - we have very specific 

>>ideas when we see these terms.  For others of us, the list seems 

>>unending.  I struggle with these questions.  My formal education and 

>>training, as well as my work experience point to fairly defined ideas 

>>about quality and improvement and are for the most part, quantifiable. 

>>However, since so many parts of the day-to-day workings of adult 

>>education efforts are (hopefully) making the "program" better/improved, 

>>thereby ultimately serving the needs of the adult learner in the best way 

>>possible, then doesn't program leadership and improvement include almost 

>>every aspect of adult education?

>>

>>When the Core Knowledge Group for the Program Leadership and Improvement 

>>Special Collection met for the first time to thrash out the beginnings of 

>>the collection, we brainstormed resources that  came to mind.  Later in 

>>the process, we worked to come up with a list of "categories" that those 

>>resources seemed to naturally fall under.  While the collection is 

>>continuously evolving, the list of topics we have up to this point, is I 

>>think, a solid start.

>>

>>However, are there others areas of program leadership and improvement 

>>that are missing from this list?  Are some of these topics more important 

>>than others? ------- Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

>>

>>Program Leadership and Improvement is...

>>Developing instructional capacity

>>Strategies and frameworks for managing program improvement

>>Volunteer retention

>>Using data for program improvement

>>State leadership in adult education

>>Capacity building for non-profits

>>Outcomes and impacts

>>Performance accountability

>>Program quality indicators (state)

>>Teacher competencies

>>Manager competencies

>>Professional development as program improvement

>>Assessment

>>Evaluation

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