By James Hannah
The Associated Press

PIQUA, Ohio - A chart in Judy Nicholl's class reminds her first-graders of their homework responsibilities. A poster flashes their mission statement of "working to get smart to be ready for second grade."

Spring Creek Elementary has borrowed the teaching tools from automaker Honda of America, which stresses organization, self-responsibility, teamwork and time management at its nearby plants.

Honda is alone among major automakers with such an organized presence in the classroom. The 5-year-old curriculum framework has been used by about 50 school districts in elementary, junior high and high schools in 18 central and western Ohio counties.

A few teachers at Spring Creek adopted the program two years ago. Last fall, the entire school - 270 first-, second- and third-graders - took it up.

"I'm trying to do my best," chirped Austin Cooper, 7, as he read a book in Nicholl's class. "We signed a contract."

The students agreed to abide by rules they helped hammer out and to strive to reach goals such as good behavior or a specific reading level.

"They know they are in control," Principal Judi York said. "They love it because it's theirs. It's not earth-shattering stuff, but it's in the kids' minds."

Honda became the first Japanese automaker to start producing vehicles in the United States 25 years ago, at a motorcycle plant in Marysville in central Ohio. The company now employs about 13,000 workers in four Ohio plants, producing cars, the Element truck and engines as well.

The company hired businessmen, retired educators and others to implement Project Soar: Students of Ohio Achieving Results and developed a 110-page teachers' guide and compact disc. The project costs Honda about $200,000 a year and is free to the schools.

"The better kids do, the better work force we'll have out there," said Rene Hoy, assistant manager of community relations.

Honda brought to the United States more of a team effort to car building. Assembly line workers had more responsibility and authority and sometimes worked alongside engineers. U.S. automakers, though initially skeptical, eventually adopted some of Honda's methods.

At Honda plants, workers come together in Associate Circles to solve problems and plan projects.

At its East Liberty assembly plant, workers came up with a way to eliminate the time-consuming task of carrying protective rubber fittings from one end of the assembly line to the other for reuse. The fittings now are transported in containers attached to the assembly line.

Students are assigned to the classroom version of Associate Circles to better understand their strengths and weaknesses and to learn how to help each other.

Schools use bar graphs and line graphs to track progress with reading and grades. Honda uses them to identify trends at its car dealerships on warranty issues.

A flow chart when transferred into the classroom helps prepare elementary school students to go home each day.

The chart includes boxes with the words "write in planners," "get homework and notes," "get coat," "talk with friends," put chair on top of desk," "line up," and "go home."

Students are also encouraged to use Matrix Diagrams, a method used to make decisions by listing the benefits of each choice and ranking them in importance. The technique might help students decide where to go on a field trip or what book to select for a book report.

Some labor and management experts questioned whether Honda's success with goal-setting, time management and teamwork would translate well to a school setting.

"There is no empirical evidence that these work with children at younger ages," said Ann Wendt, associate professor of management at Wright State University in the Dayton suburb of Fairborn, who follows the auto industry.

Honda also stresses peer pressure to improve quality and make continuous improvement, which could increase stress, said Harley Shaiken, professor at the University of California-Berkeley who specializes in labor issues.

"There is a question of whether you want the standards of an auto production plant to frame public education," he said.

Honda spokesman Ron Lietzke said the classroom system is designed to give students the tools to be more successful in life.

"It lays out ways to approach problems and evaluate the best course of action," Lietzke said. "In a way, that should relieve stress."

Other automakers also are involved in schools, making one-time presentations about their companies or training students interested in careers in the auto industry.

For example, last year General Motors Corp. engineers volunteered their time to teach fundamentals of engineering and computer-aided design to seventh-graders in the Detroit area.

Tony Harduar, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, likes the team-building and goal-setting aspects of Honda's classroom program.

"Every teacher in every school ought to strive to get kids more involved in their own learning," he said. "This is one way to do that. And if we can teach kids to manage their time, it is a battle that is certainly worth it."

However, Harduar said he hopes the program does not put too much pressure on students who are behind the others, causing them to become discouraged.

"They operate with all kinds of different emotions and pressures on them," he said of children. "We're not just building cars; we're working with human beings."

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On the Net

Honda of America: http://www.honda.com