Purpose: To analyze the main elements of continuous improvement (CI) in higher education and the concerns of academia's stakeholders in the implementation of such an approach. Suggests guidelines for the development of a culture more receptive to the implementation and maintenance of a CI approach in higher education. Design/methodology/approach:…

Purpose: To consider the shortcomings and strengths of the subject review process with a view to identifying criteria that might be used to assess the value of externally administered quality assurance processes in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Use is made of material from a variety of secondary sources blended with personal…

This article addresses frequently asked questions about two new policies: a five-year term for NAEYC Accreditation and a 15-day window for validation visits, with 24 hours advance notice. How the five-year policy applies to a program seeking NAEYC Accreditation depends on the program's status in the accreditation process.

This article examines parallel developments in the fields of quality assurance in higher education and in environmental policy. Starting from empirically grounded analytical frameworks for the two fields separately, Fischer's framework of policy argumentation is overlaid on both to gain deeper understanding of underlying similarities and…

The European dimension in quality assurance grows and glows. In this article, we try to relate the European objectives, as stated in the various European initiatives, to the national quality assurance systems of The Netherlands and Denmark. This will be done by looking closer at the objectives regarding quality assurance and internationalisation,…

The recent wrap-up of an intensive, two-year examination of the federal Reading First initiative is not expected to halt debate over the program. Given the broad agreement in seven federal reports that serious problems occurred in the oversight of the program's implementation, the findings have sparked interest on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers…

The democratization of South Africa has necessitated a transformation of the education system. The current transformational landscape of higher education in South Africa requires that basic curriculum concepts, and principles be rediscovered and, rethought with a view to ensuring that future educational practice is based on sound, and proven…

This article discusses the sources, processes and impact of the quality assurance policy implemented in Hong Kong preschools. Regarded as a sort of policy alignment between the subsystems of pre-primary, primary and secondary education, the introduction of a quality assurance policy has been directly and indirectly transforming the settlements in…

The Malcolm Baldrige Quality guideposts provide a comprehensive model for systematic quality improvement and innovation in colleges and universities.

The European education standards assurance and pursuit of quality in education have been announced as strategic aims of the Lithuanian education system in the light of new challenges the society is facing and opportunities offered by democracy, development of market economy and globalization. One of the ways to achieve the aims mentioned above is…

This article presents the findings of a survey, conducted on league tables and rankings systems worldwide, including seventeen standard ones and one non-standard league table. Despite the capacity of existing league tables and rankings to meet the interest of the public of transparency and information on higher education institutions, ranking…

This study examines the strategies that Russian private colleges and universities use to navigate the legal and normative pressures of the state in the free market of educational services. The tension between state control and free enterprise is analyzed through the prism of legitimacy as it is produced and maintained by the system of quality…

Purpose: The paper aims to describe research undertaken in two post-1992 universities into staff perceptions of and reactions to the rhetoric of the national quality agenda in the UK as expressed by bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency and the discourse about quality implicit in that agenda. The research examined how academic staff engaged…

This article reports on the New Zealand education quality assurance and school monitoring system, including its framework, and responsibilities of agencies. It first gives an outline of the education system in New Zealand, and then introduces the role of school charters and levels of schooling. To ensure the quality of schools, the methods of…

This article explores the European-wide educational reform known as the Bologna Process in order to provide an understanding of the methodology that will be used by European countries to assess course credit hours as well as degree programs. The Bologna Process is culmination of years of educational reform within the European Union (EU) and more…