Describes the purposes, origins, and evolution of accreditation; assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the accreditation process and the measures and indicators applied during the process; discusses the results of accreditation; and offers recommendations for improvement of the process. (DMM)

Reviews the purposes of institutional accreditation, changes in the policies and procedures of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, general institutional requirements and evaluative criteria for accreditation, services of the commission, types of member institutions, and candidacy…

Argues that educational outcomes are a function of educational processes, and that outcomes evaluation expands upon process evaluation. Reviews literature linking outcomes to process. Concludes that outcome evaluation can improve educational process when attention is paid to the process leading to the desired outcome. (AYC)

Explains the evaluation and accreditation processes used by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for postsecondary institutions. Focuses on the purposes of of institutional accreditation, the relationship between accreditation and institutional improvement, accreditation requirements and criteria, and agency services. (DMM)

Discusses the purposes of institutional accreditation, forms of affiliation with the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, general institutional requirements, criteria for accreditation, candidate for accreditation status, accreditation and institutional improvement, services of the Commission, and varieties…

Discusses the purposes of institutional accreditation, forms of affiliation with the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, general institutional requirements, criteria for accreditation, candidate for accreditation status, accreditation and institutional improvement, services of the commission, and varieties…

Explores the nature of accreditation with respect to the objective of assisting institutional improvement and the lack of outcomes measures independent of the evaluation process. Differentiates between accreditation and assessment. Analyzes the methods and criteria of accreditation and proposes educational outcomes as norms of evaluation. (DMM)

Discusses five ways in which school administrators can improve teacher evaluation practices: clarify the purpose of the evaluation; select substantive evaluation criteria that are related to learning outcomes; establish clear and reasonable standards; gather evaluation data from various sources; and prepare evaluation reports geared toward teacher…

While acknowledging that standards and criteria are not exclusive alternatives in accreditation, argues that the preference must be for criteria rather than standards if the intent of accreditation is the improvement of the quality of colleges and universities. Raises questions in response to assumptions about the measurement of quality. (DMM)

Defines productivity as the ratio of outputs to inputs. Describes ways of using productivity measures in comparing instructional approaches, program implementations, and longitudinal trends. Offers cautions about potential misinterpretations of productivity comparisons, using a hypothetical analysis of the productivity of four specific…

Argues that quality is measured by outcomes. Lists potential measures for high school quality. Considers problems and approaches to the assessment of quality-with-equity. Suggests tempering performance expectations according to germane input characteristics, evaluating the range of programs offered, and addressing the issue in terms of…

Presents an argument for formal accrediting standards. Defines the purposes of accreditation and the term "standard." Describes the application of and impact of using standards. Includes excerpts from standards developed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges regarding undergraduate programs, the faculty's role in academic…

Compares perceptions of the K-12 School Evaluative Criteria (1983) among personnel from schools that had previously been through the accreditation/self-study process and personnel who had not. Teachers with no previous experience were able to cope with the self-study with no more difficulty than teachers with experience. (DMM)

Analyzes approaches to institutional assessment currently in use, including locally developed achievement measures, external expert evaluation, self-reported data collection, nationally standardized achievement test, persistence studies, and portfolio analysis. (DMM)

Discusses how academic program reviews could be modified to sensitize faculty and administrators to the importance of linkages and communication with business and industry. Suggests adding a business representative to the review team and incorporating questions addressing university-business interaction into the self-study. (DMM)