While checklists are often used to score standardized patient based clinical assessments, little research has focused on issues related to their development or the level of agreement with respect to the importance of specific items. Five physicians independently reviewed checklists from 11 simulation scenarios that were part of the former…

The importance of measurement feedback system (MFS) for the improvement of mental health services for youths is discussed. As feedback obtained from clients and families is subject to distortions, a standardized MFS including clinical processes, contexts, outcomes, and feedback to clinicians and supervisors is necessary for improvement in quality…

Self-assessment has been held out as an important mechanism for lifelong learning and self-improvement for health care professionals. However, there is growing concern that individual learners often interpret the results inaccurately. This idea has led to skepticism that self-assessment in its current form can ever be truly useful for lifelong…

The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is usually understood in relation to schools and districts, but the legislation has also affected community-based organizations that operate school-linked programs. This case study of an after-school program in California demonstrates how educational accountability systems that emphasize students' academic…

Gender equality in and through education is critical to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as many experts have observed, and investing in this area yields substantial public and private returns. It is a key driver of economic and social development and leads to gains in health, nutrition and many other areas. Support…

Providing a comprehensive approach for achieving the goal of a safe environment where the priority can be teaching and learning is vital to every district's success. To attain this goal, school districts must educate students, staff, and the community and provide tools that help anticipate potential problems and prevent them from escalating into…

Americans live in a great nation, one in which every child is entitled to an education that will help that child reach success. But the debate has raged for years about whether the nation's education system is fulfilling the promise of not just an education, but an education of the highest caliber. Whenever the issue of school reform is addressed,…

A study of the legal and regulatory barriers to the expansion of family day care in New York State identified the following as primary barriers: a fragmented licensing system, multiple agency regulation, attempted regulation by municipalities through exclusionary zoning, and widespread provider noncompliance and lack of enforcement of the…

Citing the rising frequency of automobile recalls as proof of the decline of the automobile industry, this article humorously proposes six suggestions for reforming the industry. The suggestions are remarkably similar to recent proposals for the reform of schooling. (PGD)

All concerned citizens are volunteers. Only when they organize together can change be achieved. (MR)

Criteria, evidence, and judgment are the three essential elements in evaluation, which should be done with a view to contributing to present and future programs. (NL)

Educational improvement is feasible even under adversity if one focuses on important problems one at a time and seeks creative approaches to maintaining quality. (SK)

As the proportion of the population over retirement age increases, so does the need to provide education to prepare people for this period of their lives. The author gives some examples and suggestions of the kind of retirement education which can help people to face their retirement with confidence. (Author/CT)

Presents five ways to improve inservice teacher education in Alberta, Canada. (Author/RH)