Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards

A school district wants to reduce the variation in student reading scores across classrooms. Which quality improvement tool is BEST suited for identifying the root causes of this variation?

Answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram

A fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram is specifically designed to identify and organize potential root causes of a problem or variation.

Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of formative assessment in a quality improvement cycle for instruction?

Answer: To gather ongoing data that informs instructional adjustments

Formative assessment provides real-time data during instruction so teachers can adjust their methods to improve student learning.

In the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, what is the primary goal of the 'Study' phase?

Answer: To analyze results and determine whether the change led to improvement

The 'Study' phase involves analyzing the data collected during 'Do' to see if the change produced the desired improvement.

A principal notices that tardiness peaks on Mondays and after lunch. Which data display would MOST clearly show this pattern over a six-week period?

Answer: Run chart

A run chart plots data points over time, making it ideal for identifying patterns and trends such as recurring tardiness peaks.

Which concept in quality improvement refers to understanding the sequence of steps through which a student or process moves from start to completion?

Answer: Process mapping

Process mapping (flowcharting) visually documents the steps in a workflow to identify inefficiencies or breakdowns.

A school uses disaggregated test data showing that English Language Learners consistently score lower in mathematics word problems. This practice exemplifies which quality improvement strategy?

Answer: Equity-focused data analysis to target subgroup needs

Disaggregating data by subgroup allows educators to identify and address achievement gaps affecting specific student populations.

Which of the following is an example of a leading indicator in an educational quality improvement system?

Answer: Weekly formative assessment completion rates

Leading indicators (like weekly formative completion rates) predict future outcomes and allow earlier intervention, unlike lagging indicators that report past results.