In my previous article, the failure of the American Educational System was briefly described. There are a number of recent studies indicating there is a problem. What then, needs to be done to save the educational system or should we abandon it and leave the education of the young entirely to parents?

I strongly suggest the use of an approach called analysis of failure. The primary premise of the analysis of failure approach is the examination of that which fails, to determine the causes of failure, and to propose workable solutions. Consequently, a first question educators, parents, and government officials must ask of themselves and of the public is what is it schools are to do? Once that question is answered, it then may be determined if the educational system delivered it promised product.

If the system has not delivered on its promised product (an educated citizenry), then an evaluation of that system is required to determine why it failed, that is, there must be an analysis of failure. Failure analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing data for one purpose and one purpose only, determining the cause of failure. There is nothing necessarily new about failure analysis. It’s been a major and important aspect of many branches of the manufacturing industry. Even the federal government has used it.

Admittedly, there will be those who will condemn such an approach by claiming education is not manufacturing nor is it a business. That is wrong. Education is, to borrow a slogan from a leading industry, “our most important product.” Failure analysis collects failed components and examines the cause(s) of that failure. In education, one of those components is certainly teacher competency. Another is student participation in their own learning processes. Others would include the use of technology as a teaching tool, consistency of standards at state and local levels, public expectations, and societal needs. Other components in need of examination could be named. No aspect of the educational process should be left unexamined. What steps need to be taken to bring success to our national educational system?

That question will be addressed in the next article.

Norman W Wilson, PhD