Differences between Baldrige and Cook models: Perceptions of the success, activities, and products of strategic or continuous improvement planning

This study addressed the issue of strategic or continuous improvement planning utilized in Ohio schools. School systems in Ohio are rated by the Ohio Department of Education Report Card system. Methods need to be identified to become successful on the report card. Strategic or continuous improvement planning can help a school system set goals and objectives to develop plans to reach a desired mission. This study also compared the Cook and Baldrige Models to determine if any differences exist between the success, activities, and products of strategic or continuous improvement planning within the districts. The target population was all Ohio school districts, however only two public schools systems who have utilized the Cook or Baldrige Model for an extended period of time were researched. A 29-item survey instrument, with three open-ended response questions, was completed by employees in both school districts. The Cook district had a response rate of 67.9%, and the Baldrige district 54.1%. Each participant received a raw score that measured the overall perception of the success, activities, and products of strategic or continuous improvement planning. Means were used as a basis for comparison. T tests were used to test the significance between two means. Significant differences were found in the area of activities between planners and implementers within the Cook district (Pr < .0001), with no significant differences found in the Baldrige district. The Baldrige district had more positive feelings toward success (Pr = .0001), while the Cook district had more positive feelings toward the activities (Pr < .0001) involved with the strategic or continuous improvement planning process. No significant differences were found between the models when comparing the products of strategic or continuous improvement planning. The Cook district, having more positive feelings toward activities, supports meeting the needs of stakeholders as an important factor in the success of strategic or continuous improvement planning. Baldrige is data driven and through tracking data, direct results are seen in the classroom and Ohio report card. Implementation and leadership are vital to either planning process and impact the perceptions of stakeholders.