Neither the proponents of district-based reforms nor supporters of choice and competition can claim that their solutions have produced the schools that we want. To move forward, we must shake off assumptions that tried-and-true responses will deliver the reforms that schools need. To achieve the desired results will require fostering the…

Most European countries have introduced systematic quality assurance as part of an overall governance reform aimed at enhancing universities' autonomy. Researchers and economic entrepreneurs tend, however, to underestimate the political dimension of accreditation and evaluation when they consider the contribution of quality assurance to the…

This paper describes and explains the 20 elements of the International Organization for Standards 9000 (ISO 9000) series, a model for quality assurance in the business processes of design/development, production, installation and servicing. The standards were designed in 1987 to provide a common denominator for business quality particularly to…

Telecommunications infrastructure has the dual challenges of maintaining quality while accommodating change, issues that have long been met through a series of implementation standards. This document is designed to ensure that telecommunications systems within the Maryland public school system are also capable of meeting both challenges and…

This article describes a means for providing a systematic flow of information to help teachers and schools evaluate and select those teaching/learning materials that are most likely to work well with specific programs and kids. (PD)

The author discusses how using statistical process control can help manufacturers save money and produce a better product. He covers barriers to its implementation within an organization, focusing on training workers in the methods. (CH)

The author provides an overview of the types of accreditation available for postsecondary institutions and the organizations that issue accreditation. (CH)

Quality control in the auditing profession has developed useful practices that are applied to the research and evaluation process. By identifying and controlling sources of bias and noise in the system of inquiry, the quality of evaluative evidence can be enhanced for both present and future use. (Author/BS)

This paper examines the changing role of environmental quality management from its traditional operationally-based role, to an expanded, more dynamic role in strategic educational planning activities at the local, site-based level. First, a brief review of the state of knowledge concerning the impact of environmental quality on the educational…

This volume is the fourth in a series related to a project to create a Regional University Network on Governance and Management of Higher Education in South East Europe. It is both an essay on and source manual for quality assurance in higher education. Part 1 describes the origins and concepts of quality assurance systems that have been emerging…

The major aspects of the Russian educational system were examined in terms of quality assurance. No part of the educational system in Russia is small enough to escape some form of assessment, measurement, comparison, audit, or classification as to quality. To describe the quality control system, the book begins with an overview of Russian…

The implementation and impacts of the Quality Program Assurance System (QPAS) within the Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia were studied. QPAS is a system of shared accountability for educational programs, with multiple levels of reporting. The primary goal of QPAS is to provide decision makers with quality accountability information on…

The proposed quality assurance framework for higher education in Australia will, for the first time since the early 1990s, introduce a process of external quality monitoring through the auspices of the Australian Universities Quality Agency. There is little research that evaluates the impact of external monitoring on the experiences of staff,…