The Education Insights Center produced a series of reports culminating in recommendations for the structure and governance of a preschool through higher education and into the workforce (known as a P20W data system). This brief follows up on that series, with a focus on data quality; the brief was informed by the author's experience using…

Purpose: This paper is one of seven in this volume that aims to elaborate different approaches to quality improvement in education. It delineates a methodology called Six Sigma. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core principles and a case study demonstrating an application of Six Sigma in a…

This paper aims to extend existing theorisations around the notion of public narratives by analysing their regulatory effects under intensified market conditions. My analysis suggests that public narratives constitute a liminal space, one that it is not exclusively real or imaginary, factual or normative, but that simultaneously affects and is…

News media often publish comparative studies that report U.S. student performance in a global context. The school quality concern seems so simplistic that anyone who had compulsory education can chime into the discussion. In this article, the condition of U.S. education is further disentangled across the boundary of K-12 and higher education. Core…

News media often publish comparative studies that report U.S. student performance in a global context. The school quality concern seems so simplistic that anyone who had compulsory education can chime into the discussion. In this article, the condition of U.S. education is further disentangled across the boundary of K-12 and higher education. Core…

The paper is aimed to analyse the external expert evaluation results of eContent"plus" programme's iCOPER (Interoperable Content for Performance in a Competency-driven Society) project's deliverables, especially quality control and Web 2.0 technologies report. It is a suitability report for better practice concerning the use of Web 2.0…

Maximizing school resources and managing a shrinking budget--these are two important items affected when a building's roofing system does not perform properly. Rather than acting in haste, school and university administrators should do what every teacher tells a student prior to answering any question: think through the research and studies to…

External factors, such as university affiliation, can help improve teacher-training programs. Using the University of Botswana (UB) as an example, this paper discusses quality control and assurance; evaluates their impact on courses offered, final examinations, and teaching practice; and evaluates operational drawbacks of UB's system, suggesting…

Alternative certification programs are needed to address the projected teacher shortage by 2000. Only two-thirds of prepared graduates enter the profession, half who do enter leave after five years, and teacher salaries are 25 percent lower than the salaries of college graduates in other fields. Afternoon, evening, and weekend preparation programs…

A 1992 review of National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education standards emphasized the need to address educational technology. New standards were adopted in 1994. The paper discusses revised unit standards, guidelines for addressing technology categories, significance of change in unit standards, using accreditation standards for…

There is evidence that the traditional methods that nations have been using for quality control in education may no longer be sufficient. This article summarizes different viewpoints from which quality in education and training have been considered. (JOW)

Presents the background to the standards movement in U.S. education, asserting that it has had a negative impact on teacher education and teacher education accreditation. The article describes a recent accreditation review of the application of an overly narrow understanding of standards and legitimate evidence, and it suggests a possible…

A survey of 1,000 adults nationwide revealed that 75% believe teachers are only partially trained or not adequately trained. A national certification program for experienced teachers in at least 30 specialties is being developed, and tougher accreditation standards are being applied to teacher preparation programs. (MLF)

Argues that the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education's (NCATE) intent to accredit only high quality programs is overly grandiose, suggesting that NCATE should instead focus on identifying weak programs. The article argues in support of this minimalist mission for NCATE and offers suggestions for moving NCATE toward a more…

The conceptual framework is vital in linking elements of quality assurance in teacher education. The development of professional accountability in teacher education is a continuum that links colleges of education responsible for teacher education to the state, to teachers' induction processes within the schools, to professional and learned…