This article presents the results of two studies on the use of school self-evaluation in the Netherlands and Flanders. It focuses on which forms of instrumental use of school self-evaluation results can be found in schools, and how differences in self-evaluation use between schools can be explained. Results show that the instrumental use of…

Self-evaluation is supposed to be a valid, reliable and easy-to-use instrument to commit professionals to external quality assurance. The writing of a self-evaluation report is the first step in most higher education accreditation systems all over the world. Research on accreditation in the Netherlands and Flanders shows that professionals…

This report examines the contribution of self-evaluation to internal review processes in Scotland's colleges. It identifies the range of methodologies used by colleges, what makes these effective and what needs to improve further. It explores in particular, the extent to which self-evaluation has a positive impact on learners' experiences. The…

This report is a product of an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) seminar on the first external evaluations of quality assurance agencies, held in Paris in July 2008. The seminar took stock of the achieved reviews of agencies to learn lessons from these first outcomes and, hence, provided a platform for…

This paper explores the relationship between changing forms of the governance of education and the growth and uses of data in the context of England--a context that can be described as the most "advanced" in Europe in terms of data production and use. The paper links the shifting relations between the central department of education…

A diverse society has created a diverse education system, which in turn requires diverse and complex mechanisms of quality control. The diversity and complexity of the industrial, service, and knowledge-based economy, with its vast variety of occupations and dynamic labor markets, heavily influences the curricular structures and academic profiles…

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), accredits Wyoming's seven community colleges. Institutional accreditation is a voluntary process that serves the critical purposes of quality assurance and institutional and program improvement. Colleges that are accredited by the HLC…

This document supplements the advice given in "How good is our school?" (HGIOS)--third edition and "The Child at the Centre"--second edition which set out comprehensive quality frameworks and provide helpful advice on the process of improvement through self-evaluation. In particular, this document provides advice on the…

Program reviews became widely used as quality assurance activities in the United States beginning in the 1970s. Since then, they have evolved as an essential component in demonstrating institutional effectiveness to accrediting bodies. The paper discusses various approaches to reviews with a focus on a recently reengineered institutional program…

This case study describes and critically evaluates two contrasting models of quality management that have been used to support organizational development within De Montfort University, the United Kingdom, during periods of major internal and external change. These models are audited self-evaluation within a developed management structure, a…

In recent years, Irish universities have cooperated in developing quality assurance systems and in representing their approach nationally and internationally as a unique quality model. The quality framework that is described in this publication is the result of close collaboration among the universities, the Conference of Heads of Irish…

A quality assessment at the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) started with self-evaluation followed by a foreign visiting group's evaluation. The positive effects of the evaluation were commitment, organizational self-understanding, a new frame of planning activities, future orientation, and a new position in external relations. (Author/JDD)

The Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity at the University of Maryland has developed a methodology that enables the management team of an organization to define its critical performance dimensions. A set of metrics is offered to help colleges and universities assess whether quality management is improving their performance. (DB)

Effective internal evaluation requires dependable data for decision makers. Influences on clinical and fiscal data dependability are discussed. The focus is on organizational influences, data quality control, and staff concerns. (Author/PN)

The final paper in this theme issue summarizes concerns related to establishing a national quality assurance system for institutions of higher education in South Africa. Proposes a three-phase approach to establishing a national quality assurance system to include: (1) evaluation of existing institutional self-evaluation systems; (2) establishment…