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Positive Deviance: Learning from Positive Anomalies

Item

Title
Positive Deviance: Learning from Positive Anomalies
Abstract/Description
PURPOSE
This paper is one of seven in this volume, each elaborating different approaches to quality improvement in education. The purpose of this paper is to delineate a methodology called positive deviance.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core principles and a case study demonstrating an application of positive deviance in US education, specifically dealing with the problem of high school dropout prevention in a California school district.

FINDINGS
The six phases of this “asset-based” improvement approach are: define the organizational or community problem and desired outcomes; determine common practices relevant to the problem; discover uncommon but successful behaviors and strategies that solve the problem (the positive deviants), through inquiry and observation; design an action learning initiative based on findings; discern (monitor) progress of the initiative by documenting and evaluating regularly; and disseminate results through sharing, honoring and amplifying success stories.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE
Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available on commonly used models of quality improvement from business, manufacturing and other fields that have potential value in improving education systems internationally. This paper fills this gap by elucidating one promising approach. By facilitating a comparison of the positive deviance approach to other quality improvement approaches treated in this volume, the paper provides added value.
Author/creator
LeMahieu, Paul G.
Nordstrum, Lee E.
Gale, Dick
Date
2017
In publication
Quality Assurance in Education
Series
Quality Assurance in Education [Special Issue]: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
109-124
Resource type
en Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
en Published Text
Scholarship genre
en Theoretical
en Methodological
Keywords
quality improvement
positive deviance
IRE Approach/Concept
Positive Deviance
Featured case/project
Merced Union High School District (MUHSD)
Open access/full-text available
en No
Peer reviewed
en Yes
DOI
10.1108/QAE-12-2016-0083
URL
Publisher Webpage
Is part of
Quality Assurance in Education: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education [Special Issue]
Other related resources/entities
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Quality Improvement Approaches: Positive Deviance
Citation
LeMahieu, P. G., Nordstrum, L. E., & Gale, D. (2017). Positive Deviance: Learning From Positive Anomalies. Quality Assurance in Education, 25(1), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2016-0083
Cited in
The Work of Improvement
Item sets
Quality Assurance in Education [Special Issue]: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education
OB Citations - Traditions of Quality Improvement in Education

Linked resources

Items with "Contains part: Positive Deviance: Learning from Positive Anomalies"
Title Class
Quality Assurance in Education: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education [Special Issue] Special Issue/Series
Items with "Other related resources/entities: Positive Deviance: Learning from Positive Anomalies"
Title Class
Quality Improvement Approaches: Positive Deviance Blog Post

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