Faculty members, administrators, and board members must work together to find acceptable resolutions of the problems created by under and overproduction if they hope to retain the autonomy of their colleges. Underproduction is illustrated in insufficient attention to community employment needs, inadequate quality control in career programs, poor…

The purpose of the audit report on the Southeastern New Mexico Bilingual Program (1972-73) of the Artesia School District is to give a critique of the project's evaluation with notations on comparative findings of the project evaluation and the audit, and to confirm or question the program modifications proposed in the evaluation. The 5 audit…

In Great Britain, apprenticeship is regarded as the traditional means of entry into skilled occupations. Covers some apprenticeship characteristics, arguments for and against apprenticeships, efforts made by Industrial Training Boards to improve the quality of apprentice training, and training criteria that must be met for government funding of…

This brief identifies the features of high-quality after-school settings that have emerged from the research and are reflected in program quality tools. It also examines key research linking program quality to positive developmental outcomes; it reviews current practice in program quality assessment; and it offers considerations for policymakers…

The use of rigorous assessment in an Information Literacy program can be used to persuade reluctant faculty and administrators to buy into a program. A "culture of assessment" also assures quality control for internal and external audiences. Information Literacy at Wartburg College is unique in that it is a required component of five…

Twenty-two transition programs illustrating effective community collaboration for youth with disabilities in Minnesota are profiled. These programs were selected because they applied a set of 10 quality standards developed to improve the transition process and adult outcomes for these youth, as well as to increase the cost effectiveness and…

This packet introduces some concepts in evaluation and accountability for mental health professionals in schools. The first section presents two briefs from the Clearinghouse of the Center for Mental Health in Schools. The first, "Mental Health in Schools: Quality Control, Evaluating Outcomes, and Getting Credit for All You Do," highlights the…

Documenting the inefficiency of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs for American Indians, this report discusses HUD program administration and presents specific recommendations. The report is divided into the following sections and subsections: (1) 1977 is the ninth consecutive year HUD has promised more Indian housing than it has…

A quality assurance program for environmental monitoring is identified as necesary for the collection of reliable, interchangeable, and legally defensible data. The article defines quality assurance and describes the EPA quality assurance program. (MA)

Access programs are facing increased scrutiny. Not all programs are equally effective. In an environment in which resources are short, funders increasingly require criteria that enable them to make informed decisions about program quality. As elaborated in this report , one role of a high performance board is to help develop benchmarks of…

Visited a random sample of 2,813 regulated family day-care homes (RFHs) in Texas. The RFHs were examined for compliance with minimum state standards and rated on 21 specific quality aspects. Found that the quality of care at the RFHs was significantly and consistently related to compliance with 116 standards. (MDM)

Examines the integration of a systematic in-house certification framework and outlines an evaluation model to validate and justify certification as a performance management tool of value to organizations and individuals. Discusses the six elements of effective competency certification programs: competency analysis; training for certification;…

The emergence of the Internet has changed the way we teach and learn. This paper provides a general overview of the state of the quality of virtual education environments. First of all, some problems with the quality criteria applied in this field and the need to develop quality seals are presented. Likewise, the dimensions and subdimensions of an…

This paper outlines the preponderant approaches to external quality evaluation, including the purpose, focus, object, rationale, and methods of external evaluations. Accountability, compliance and, in some countries, control are much more frequent rationales for external monitoring than improvement. Research on the impact of quality monitoring is…

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states are trailblazers in providing access to high-quality, state-funded pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds: last year, the majority of all 4-year-olds attending pre-kindergarten in the nation were enrolled in SREB states. The SREB region also leads the nation in setting high standards of quality for…