The school year was coming to an end for Metro Middle School. Students had been dismissed for the summer the previous afternoon. This morning, Todd, the principal, had gathered his faculty in the library for a final staff meeting before they tackled the breakdown and cleanup of their classrooms. Routine end-of-the-year housekeeping items had been addressed, and the final topic of discussion on the agenda was a familiar one at this time of year; namely, whether students at each grade level had learned everything they were supposed to.
āWell, we had to spend a tremendous amount of time on research writing. I tried to get everything in, but there just wasnāt enough time to get everything done,ā commented Margaret, an eighth-grade language arts teacher.
āWe covered probably three-fourths of the science text,ā added Judy.
āI didnāt even get to start the sixth-grade math curriculum in my remedial class until December so, no, they donāt have what they should have,ā stated Don.
Todd looked around the room of tired faces. āWhy do you think this is happening? And what are we going to do to correct it?ā
The group was silent for a few moments.
āThese kids come in with learning deficits that we have to take time to shore up. If they had learned what they were supposed to in the previous grades we wouldnāt be having this discussion,ā piped in Leo, the PE/English instructor.
āAll these pullouts are stealing instructional time. I canāt get everything done!ā
The floodgate was opened and Todd heard all too clearly how things outside of classroom control were preventing the full scope of learning from happening. However, Lisa, a seventh-grade social studies teacher, offered a different insight.
āI couldnāt complete my curriculum either. Like other people have pointed out, there really were a lot of interruptions to our instructional time. That needs to be addressed. But I think I have to shoulder some responsibility for what happened or didnāt happen in my classes. Personally, Iām pretty exasperated with myself. I know there are things beyond my control, but Iām not sure I managed the things within my control very well. After we hit mid-April and I saw where I was in the curriculum schedule, I started questioning whether I had planned and managed my time well enough. Frankly, Iām frustrated and disappointed in myself for being in this boat two years in a row now.ā
āYou canāt plan around everything, Lisa!ā admonished Colleen, her social studies colleague. āWe all just have to do the best we can.ā
āBut thatās just it, Colleen,ā interrupted Lisa. āIām not so sure that what Iāve been doing is the best that I can.ā
āWhat do you mean?ā Todd interjected.
āWell, as part of my masterās coursework I have been reading about this Lean process-improvement approach used in manufacturing and now in service industries like healthcare, insurance, and law enforcement. In fact, Iāve been thinking about this a lot lately and Iāve come to the conclusion that education really is a combination of developing and constructing a product and processing a lot of paperwork.ā
āWhat!?ā Several voices exploded simultaneously.
Lisa patiently went on. āThink about it for a moment. What we do is take a student at a given stage of education and add prescribed learning ā our individual curriculum ā that ultimately results in the development and production of an educated individual. Weāre all part of a 13-year production line, and each of us is responsible for doing the work assigned to one of those 13 years.ā
āAre you serious?ā
āI sure am!ā
āSo what does this have to do with our problem?ā asked Judy.
āIt has everything to do with it,ā explained Lisa. āWe did not deliver our product ā a student educated to grade-level standards ā on time in a complete form. Itās just like ordering a car and not getting it when promised, and when you got it, it was missing items you ordered.ā
āLisa, weāve all tried, but none of us, including you, got the curriculum done,ā countered Judy.
Intrigued, Todd interjected, āLisa, what do you propose we do?ā
āFrom my reading, and in discussing how Lean process improvement works with actual practitioners, I think a tool that is used to smooth production might be useful to us in helping us keep on track so we can complete our curriculum by yearās end. It will mean some changes in how we plan and deliver our instruction and even how we interact with the students, but I think it will work.ā
āI donāt think learning can be equated with a production line, Lisa,ā commented Leo.
Mumbles rose from within the group.
Todd motioned for quiet. He wanted to hear more and encouraged Lisa to explain further.
āIt is called level loading. I propose we take one class and apply this tool and its techniques as a trial for next year.ā
Skepticism abounded.
āHow do you know it will work?ā queried Leo. āIām uncomfortable changing what I have done all these years without proof.ā
Committed to exploring improvement possibilities, Todd took a positive and supportive stance. āLisa, since this is your idea, are you willing to develop and pilot this in one of your own classes starting in the fall?ā
Lisa nodded her acceptance of the challenge.
āWell, then, we are done here, folks,ā concluded Todd. āThank you all for the hard work and dedication youāve put in throughout the year. I appreciate your efforts very much. Donāt forget to finalize and submit your grades and student cumulative files before you leave. Have a great summer!ā Then turning to Lisa he added, āCan you come down to my office for a few minutes? Iād like to hear more about your idea.ā
Seated in her principalās office and encouraged by his interest in trying something new, Lisa briefly explained that the load-leveling tool she wanted to apply was a technique used to smooth out the flow of work to help keep a process on schedule. āThatās essentially the problem everyone, including me, was talking about, Todd. Interruptions in the teaching schedule have prevented the curriculum delivery process from being completed,ā she pointed out.
āIām looking at what I can do to reduce those interruptions for next year, but I simply canāt eliminate all of them,ā offered Todd.
āI know,ā Lisa assured him, ābut I think load-leveling will help me plan more effectively for them and how to work around them. And if this will enable us to complete each yearās curriculum, then everyone will be able to start the year teaching their assigned curriculum rather than finishing up the curriculum from a previous year.ā
āYes, I can definitely see the longitudinal benefit if it works. Okay, Lisa, letās try it. Iām hoping youāll be willing to develop your plan this summer. I know your stated goal is to finish delivering your assigned curriculum, and I assume it will be done in such a way that the kids learn it.ā
āOh, yes, the student mastery component is equally important to me in this.ā
āWhat class do you propose to pilot this in?ā
āWell,ā Lisa thought out loud, āI think Iād like to tackle world geography. No one who has taught that class here has ever completed the curriculum, including me. Iād like to see if I can be the first. Plus, as you know, our school score in geography on the state performance assessment was in the āNeeds Improvementā category. If I can finish the curriculum, Iām sure our score will be higher. We can easily measure whether I complete the curriculum, and next springās school score in geography will tell us whether or not learning was improved at the same time.ā
āThat sounds like a good check,ā agreed Todd. āIs there anything further I can provide or do to support you in this? I want you to be able to succeed.ā
āI know you do. Iād like to be able to get in the building during the summer to have access to everything while I work on this.ā
āThatās fine, keep your key. You just wonāt have access on weekends.ā
āThank you, Todd. I canāt think of anything else right now,ā replied Lisa, ābut Iāll let you know if I do. I just need to figure out how to do this. I have a friend who is a Lean master, and heās been explaining to me how this load-leveling works in his business. He has volunteered to be my Lean teacher and coach to guide me if I want to try it. I know already itās going to be a lot of work. Heās said that most of the effort is in the pre-planning. We both know this will have to be a collaborative learning effort ā heāll be learning about the education process, and Iāll learn how to improve my abilities and complete the curriculum on time, completely, and with student mastery. Thatās my goal.ā
āAnd itās an admirable one! We do have some finite funds for professional development of this nature. I will email you with the amount of the subsidy I can offer. Keep me updated on your progress, Lisa, and let me know if you need anything during the summer. Iām proud of you for taking this on ā it shows real leadership and genuine concern for your studentsā learning.ā Todd walked Lisa to the door. āGood luck.ā
Lisa smiled. āThank you. I have every confidence that this is going to work, Todd.ā
2
Embarking on the Journey
Two weeks later Lisa welcomed Bill, her Lean mentor and coach, to her classroom for their first work session. Bill began by refreshing his friendās understanding of what level loading is and how it could be used in delivering a course of study.
āLevel loading, or balanced production as it is sometimes called, is a method used to balance the production process or, in this case, to balance your curriculum delivery so that you can complete it within the defined school year. Do you remember our talks about the importance of understanding process?ā
Lisa nodded, recalling their previous discussions.
Bill quickly reviewed the concept. āEverything we do is a process. Making a sandwich is a process. Filling up your car with gas is a process. Grading papers is a process. Understanding the concept of process is critical to any Lean-improvement activity. You have to understand what a process is before you can see one, and you must be able to visualize a process as a series of steps from beginning to end before you can adjust any of those steps to make an improvement. Do you feel comfortable from our previous conversations that you understand that concept of process?ā
āYes.ā
āGreat. Then what you need to do first is define the specific process that will be the target of your improvement project. And that process would be ā¦ ?ā Billās voice trailed off as he awaited her answer.
Lisa looked quizzical. Process ā¦ ? She thought. āI teach, they learn, Bill. I have to teach the scope and sequence of material, the curriculum for the grade and course.ā
āHave you identified the course that we are going to work on?ā asked Bill.
āYes, social studies. World geography is the class Iām targeting.ā
āTell me what you have to teach for this course.ā
āThere are a lot of things ā people, maps, culture, history ā a lot of things. What does what I actually teach have to do with Lean or load-leveling?ā
āYouāll be surprised. What you have to do to teach has everything to do with Lean and load-leveling, as you will see. Is there a curriculum right now for this class?ā
āYes, sort of.ā Lisa retrieved a large textbook from a bookshelf across the room and handed it to Bill. āThis is the text and there are additional support materials that we can also use, but we never get through it all.ā
āWhy?ā
āBecause there is so much to cover, I guess. Then there are interruptions during the year, tests to give, papers and projects to review with my students, and ā¦ well, I guess I really donāt know...