A study of the current program evaluation system in Dutch higher education consisted of a survey of institutions concerning their quality control and enhancement activities and 12 case studies of the experiences of universities and vocational institutions while conducting required self-evaluations and undergoing external evaluation. (MSE)

Without profession-based quality control, well-meaning legislators are actually reducing the quality of our nation's teachers by implementing alternative certification laws allowing individuals with no preparation except a college degree to become teachers. Until teachers are well educated and carefully licensed, education reform will not succeed.…

Although the Total Quality Management approach has not met with universal acceptance in higher education, it is important to look beyond first impressions and direct translation to find insights in the methodology for college administration. It is also essential to apply the methods holistically, not in a fragmentary way. (MSE)

Addresses performance technology issues in the form of a parable. Issues discussed include management and leadership roles, assigning tasks to appropriately skilled workers, teamwork, cooperation, task performance, job descriptions, training needs, management goals, rewards, and quality control. (LRW)

The performance model of administration, not a resource model, is what is needed for colleges and universities to thrive in an environment of budget cuts and lowered public trust. Continuous improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of operational processes demonstrates quality management principles such as those embodied in the Total…

Understanding the principles underlying the Total Quality Management approach is essential to using it effectively in higher education. These include establishing a customer-focused mission; creating a vision; improving the process continuously; using systematic analysis; promoting participation; and recognizing the college or university as a…

Experience at Rio Salado Community College (Arizona) has shown that an administrative issue should be examined first to determine whether application of the continuous improvement process is an appropriate use of resources. Areas truly in need of significant improvement should have priority. (MSE)

Focuses on the customer satisfaction element of Total Quality Management (TQM) in libraries, including definition of the terms customer and customer satisfaction, determining customer expectations, complaint systems, keeping customers, and empowerment of staff. Appendices list approaches libraries and other organizations have used to improve…

Visited a random sample of 2,813 regulated family day-care homes (RFHs) in Texas. The RFHs were examined for compliance with minimum state standards and rated on 21 specific quality aspects. Found that the quality of care at the RFHs was significantly and consistently related to compliance with 116 standards. (MDM)

The trend toward market orientation and related business strategies in higher education is examined in the Australian context, particularly in relation to changes in institutional administration such as coordinated decentralization and to the Total Quality Management movement. (MSE)

The National Playground Safety Institute believes it is essential to develop and administer a national voluntary certification program for playground safety inspectors. Certified individuals would routinely receive new information and instruction in new procedures. The paper discusses who should receive such certification and how they would be…

Teacher education programs preparing for national accreditation must develop and represent knowledge base models used in curricula. Auburn University's College of Education devised decision seminars, a systematic review process that lets each program be represented according to its own professional knowledge base, assisting in quality assurance…

Discusses the role of regional accreditation associations in assuring quality control in distance education for higher education and considers changes due to emerging new technologies. Highlights include standards for traditional regional accreditation, the process of regional accreditation, and accommodations for distance-education programming.…

Research and teaching quality ratings have become established in the United Kingdom, influencing the level of government funding provided to higher education institutions. The correlation between the two indicators, and possible consequences of policies that reshape the higher education sector by concentrating research resources in a limited…

Examines discrepancies between a proposed new framework for recognition of research in South Africa and existing policy on research recognition and funding, and argues that work on quality control in research done in other countries may provide the needed insights into research assessment for South Africa. (MSE)