High-quality care in the earliest years of life has been shown to relate to positive developmental outcomes for children, including improved early academic skills, social-emotional competencies, and cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, the early care experiences of many children are not always high quality; rather, research suggests that…

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to develop measures of end-of-life (EOL) care processes in nursing homes and to validate the instrument for measuring them. Design and Methods: A survey of directors of nursing was conducted in 608 eligible nursing homes in New York State. Responses were obtained from 313 (51.5% response rate) facilities.…

This is a book about quality and how to control quality through deliberate actions on the part of the professionals developing and implementing the instances of instruction available at an organization. Quality control theory favors no particular learning philosophy and is only directed towards aspects of how, what, where and when measurements are…

This guide offers advice and guidance to key skills managers, coordinators and other practitioners who are responsible for ensuring that the standards of portfolio assessment in their center are consistent across the center and with national standards. It describes and offers advice and guidance on the stages of assessment and internal moderation…

Information was gathered from the central office, elementary, and junior and senior high school administrators of the Saginaw (Michigan) Public Schools regarding the quality control operation in the schools. All administrators were polled to determine an actual level of need based on the difference between what "is" and "what should…

Nine European Community Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom) conducted national studies that involved case studies of quality assurance in continuing education. Analysis of findings indicated that many firms regarded continuing training as a central instrument for achieving…

Reviews two evaluation tools pertaining to quality of school-age child care: "The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale" and "The Pilot Standards for School-Age Quality." Both scales were designed to be used for staff self-evaluation, in staff training, by staff who supervise and monitor programs, and by researchers…

This multi-contributor volume addresses the challenges of providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities, within a family-centered framework. The book provides a legislative review of the key elements of eligibility, assessment, and evaluation and then examines service coordination, curricula, special intervention…

The fourth edition of the sourcebook, "Reinventing Quality," contains descriptions of innovative activities designed to assure and enhance the quality of services to persons with developmental disabilities. The programs profiled are those seen as: systematic efforts to improve the quality of services to persons with developmental disabilities,…

This report is the outcome of study group that investigated best practices for serving individuals who are deaf and low functioning. It is designed to help State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies assist individuals with disabilities in securing competitive employment and is meant to be a source for innovative ideas for program development…

This guide for improving the quality of National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) data through improved data collection and training is intended for local providers and state administrators. Chapter 1 explains the guide's purpose, contents, and use and defines the following components of data quality: objectivity; integrity;…

This paper examines quality issues in career guidance, counseling, and information services in Europe and elsewhere from a range of different perspectives related to economic, ethical, and/or effectiveness criteria. Selected examples from the European Union member states, Canada, and the United States are used to illustrate how quality is…