Reviews the various determinants of educational quality cited in the two-year college literature and the methodologies designed and used to measure institutional and program quality. (AYC)

The paper discusses the major issues connected with the accreditation procedures in higher education system in the U.S. The questions raised are as follows: what are the reliable and credible indicators of quality instruction that could be measured in the process of accreditation of higher education institutions? How does greater transparency in…

The state-of-the-art in program evaluation and the latest approaches to teacher evaluation are described. A general model for personnel evaluation is presented, and a design is suggested for merging the two. The basic premise is that all educational evaluation rests on the evaluation of student needs. (SLD)

Two components of institutional performance are regarded as effectiveness, which is concerned with the congruence between outputs and goals or other criteria, and efficiency, which links output with inputs. The efficiency dimension is defined, and its relationship to the economic concepts of efficiency and productivity is examined. (Author/PN)

Summarizes literature on early childhood (EC) program evaluation, presents an overview of the national standards addressing quality in EC programs, and presents the results of a survey of the evaluation practices of 18 model EC programs. Found that the programs' evaluation procedures were varied, well-developed, open-ended, and process-orientated.…

Various aspects of the institutional evaluation process are discussed including: pitfalls to avoid, choice of indicators, audience, accountability, futures research, technological change, program termination, data sources, longitudinal data, political aspects, advertising, marketing, and internal v external evaluators. (Author/SF)

Emphasizes link between objectives and quantified outcomes of rural support programs. Synthesizes a hierarchy of objectives based on the state aims of the 40 public institutions active in rural areas in England and Wales and programs they operated in financial year 1987-88. Describes allocation of financial resources between various objectives,…

This essay is based on a close examination of 10 books published by Jack Gourman since 1967 that rank colleges, universities, and individual departments. A comparison of each with the others, an interview with Gourman, and reliable reference materials for accurate ranking information are included. Thirty-seven references are cited. (EJS)

The characteristics of an effective program review, and the different ways in which a program review can go wrong, are discussed. The three characteristics of an effective program review are that it is systematic, regular, and comprehensive. The dimensions of each of these characteristics are discussed, as is the "art" of program review, a process…

Reviews recent research about program and school evaluation, including studies of qualitative evaluation methods, replicability in program evaluation, assessment of equity in schools, triangulation, site-based management, approaches to evaluating staff development activities, state reform efforts, and educational inequality. (DMM)

One of a series of papers developed as part of a project to improve planning and evaluation in community colleges, this working paper discusses the outcomes approach to evaluation in higher education and describes current projects utilizing outcomes measures in community colleges. Section I defines the outcomes approach as an analysis of the end…

Reviewing the community college literature in the ERIC database, this paper examines determinants and studies of institutional and programmatic quality. Following a discussion of the contemporary debate over educational quality and its importance for the community college, determinants of quality are discussed in five categories: (1) measures…

The amount of literature on program evaluation decreased in 1996, continuing a trend begun in the late 1980s. One exception to this is the literature on assessment. Another frequent issue is the technique of evaluation. Many examples of research on evaluation are from international settings, where accountability and evaluation appear to be…

Planning issues for colleges seeking to maintain quality in institutional programs in the face of retrenchment are analyzed, based on a literature review. An extensive bibliography on the following topics is provided: quality (ratings, rankings, reform, institutional goals, and educational outcomes); retrenchment (enrollment decline, faculty,…

This document reviews the results of the first comprehensive survey of the first year in Canadian postsecondary education, and examines the range and consequences of courses of study. It explores students' perceptions of their first year, and evaluates the programs and services that were offered. Chapter 1 compares and contrasts the American and…