Discusses four approaches to assessing the quality of early childhood program: top-down, which focuses on the adult's view of setting, equipment, and the program; bottom-up, focusing on children's experience; outside-inside, emphasizing the family's view; and societal, in which agencies and communities assess programs. (LB)

Discussion of computer-aided indexing activity focuses on examples from projects at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Standardization and quality in providing subject access to databases are considered; and computer-aided lexicography, including thesaurus construction, access vocabulary, definitions preparation,…

Describes the processes involved in producing databases based on observations at the H. W. Wilson Company, Information Access Company (IAC), and UMI/Data Courier. Collection development decisions are discussed; serials ordering and receiving procedures are reviewed; and the indexing process is described, including abstracting, quality control, and…

To avoid treating or paying teachers as professionals, our society and its educational system have willingly accepted mediocrity. Moving toward a new vision of teaching, this article proposes the integration of three policy mechanisms (accreditation, licensing, and advanced certification) producing three types of teachers: instructors (college…

Describes an experiment at Cornell University (New York) to produce computer-output microfilm from digital images by means of an electron beam recorder to preserve deteriorating library materials. Topics addressed include quality evaluation using imaging standards and printers' type sizes. Samples of film printouts and direct digital printing are…

Quality control in designing and building school buildings depends on customer feedback. Outlines and graphically demonstrates the interrelationships among the input sources; the information acquired; and the three phases of predesign, construction, and completion. (MLF)

A discussion of Australian higher education looks at the nature of quality and its assessment in higher education, particularly in the context of a new national committee on quality assurance. It examines the compatibility of quality management strategies with existing institutional decision-making and management processes. (MSE)

Discusses the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM), developed by W. Edward Deming and Joseph Juran in 1940s, and its applications for child care centers. Discusses how TQM focuses on customer satisfaction, measuring performance, benchmarking, employee empowerment, and continuous training. Includes a list of suggested readings on TQM. (MDM)

The Crawford County (Pennsylvania) Excellence Council helped a school superintendent revamp the district's dysfunctional work order system by providing TQM (total quality management) training to five teams of workers. The result was total quality transformation of a work process that transcended mere problem solving. (MLH)

This paper reacts to previous symposium papers (EC 604 155-161) concerning regulations and quality assurance in Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) and stresses the central mission of helping people and the need to achieve quality and not just compliance. (DB)

Examines staff development in light of performance technology, a systematic and pervasive approach to professional development. Performance technology can be used by staff developers to investigate the cause and context of a problem before selecting solutions. The article discusses the use of performance technology in public education. (SM)

Examines the relationship between existing research and theoretical writings dealing with general job satisfaction, teacher job satisfaction, and William Glasser's quality school concept. Educational organizations must provide genuine opportunities for teacher empowerment, initiate discussions about total quality and internal motivation, consider…

Discusses the use of total quality management (TQM) principles in libraries. Topics addressed include commitment from the library director; strategic planning; training needs for library staff; the identification and selection of targeted areas that would benefit from TQM; quality improvement teams; analysis; proposed solutions; and evaluation…

Explores issues related to quality in document design. Gives an overview of the quality movement, discusses alternative definitions of quality, analyzes dominant approaches to measuring quality, presents results of a survey showing that consumers value quality in document design, offers examples showing that it is cost effective, and appends an…

The "reflective practitioner" approach to professional training is applied to teacher education, with emphasis on quality control. The relationship between industry's technical rational model, currently in favor in higher education, and the professional artistry model of professionalism, which have different conceptions of quality…