This paper critiques current models for evaluation of mental health services provided to children and adolescents with emotional disturbances and offers an alternative model. The most popular model, Donabedian's tripartite model, is described. This model separately evaluates three domains: (1) structure (characteristics of the care providers,…

Examines the effectiveness of a framework developed to measure service quality in academic libraries. The research, which was conducted in the seven university libraries of New Zealand during 1996 concluded that the survey questionnaire administered is an effective instrument for testing service quality. (AEF)

The quality of early childhood programs can be assessed from the top down, through the viewpoint of an adult observer, or the bottom up, through the viewpoint of a child in the program. Questions that can be asked from each perspective are listed. (LB)

The initial implementation of the Total Quality Management approach by 10 Boston-area (Massachusetts) institutions is summarized. The institutions include Babson College, Bentley College, Boston College, Boston University, Lesley College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Wentworth…

South Carolina recently implemented a new initiative to improve the quality of pre- kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms in primary schools. This article describes the initiative and examines evidence that such an effort can have a positive effect on early childhood program quality. Data from both classroom observations using the ECERS-R…

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the development of safety, permanency, and child well-being indicators by using administrative data sets as well as by using these indicators as tools for evaluating Florida's Community-Based Care (CBC) initiative. Longitudinal data from 37 counties including 4 counties that implemented community-based…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the EFQM model self-assessment in a Spanish university. Design/methodology/approach: A case study methodology is used based on five services provided by a public university in Spain. Findings: The findings show the steps that one university can follow in order to apply this exercise in a successful…

The work of internal verifiers (IVs) is integral to ensuring that the operation of vocational qualifications meets the local needs of learners and employers, while also maintaining reliable quality nationally and throughout occupational sectors. Arguably, though, the role of IVs in the management of vocational learning often remains narrowly…

When researchers evaluate social skills programs, they essentially are measuring progress towards a goal. How they measure this progress hinges on the precision of the goal statements, the identification of valid and realistic process and outcome indicators, and the selection of appropriate data and methods for collection. This paper outlines the…

In discussing quality indicators of teacher education programs, three components of teacher education are addressed: the program's content, the faculty, and products of inquiry. Three different rationales are presented for selecting and ordering content for teacher education curricula. These rationales, phrased as "decision-rules" are: in order to…

The author, Executive Director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, examines the state of physical education in secondary school programs and presents twelve commonalities of quality physical education programs. Those common characteristics are identified as: (1) high student and staff morale; (2) frequent methods…

A Quality Assurance Program (QAP) developed at the College of St. Francis is presented that is based on an open systems approach. The model allows an institution to continually monitor, evaluate, and, when necessary, modify its academic programs, graduates or undergraduate, traditionally or non-traditionally delivered, to assure quality. Part I…

Federal legislation requires mental health centers to establish quality assurance programs which seek to maintain or improve the quality of a center's health care services. Three general measures of quality are: (1) input standards for staff and the setting providing care; (2) process standards for the quality of treatment; and (3) outcome…

Educational institutions are being encouraged by accrediting agencies to move beyond the traditional measures of success such as satisfaction surveys from students, employers, and alumni. They stress the use of a variety of measurement tools to audit students' work. Thus, this study will seek to identify multiple assessment strategies that can be…

This issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" focuses on out-of-school time (OST). Several authors provide insights into how they, and others, are tackling measurement issues, from using technology and data systems to collect information and track progress, to applying lessons learned from developing early childhood quality measures. Other authors…