A study of nontraditional education conducted by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation emphasized the need for the development of reliable means of evaluating educational achievements and learning outcomes and the necessity for accrediting agencies to assume leadership in this process. (SK)

References and associations that can give further assistance to academic institutions interested in assessing and improving their communication systems are provided. (JMF)

Provides an annotated bibliography of eight recent Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) documents on program accreditation and evaluation in the community college. (JDI)

Discusses the need to adopt a strategically guided model for community college research that changes the basis for assessment from institutional performance in a commoditized market to institutional advantage in a turbulent market. Focuses on how research data can be generated and used to achieve an advantage by differentiating one institution…

An overview of the U.S. service academies is followed by a discussion of contextual dimensions that provide a framework for understanding the success of West Point's recent curricular and assessment initiatives. Some challenges for the service academies in the 21st century are noted, and suggestions are offered for further research on these…

Discussion of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) E-Metrics project focuses on understanding how academic libraries might specify, produce, and assess institutional outcomes. Offers a framework for approaching the outcomes assessment process and suggests that multiple approaches to assessment are needed for an assessment of libraries in…

While acknowledging that standards and criteria are not exclusive alternatives in accreditation, argues that the preference must be for criteria rather than standards if the intent of accreditation is the improvement of the quality of colleges and universities. Raises questions in response to assumptions about the measurement of quality. (DMM)

Covers various issues related to a move towards the creation of a new system of accrediting institutions of higher education in Great Britain, and the proposed change in emphasis from external to internal validation. Discusses the problems of defining academic quality, the role of government in education, and the future of the Council for National…

Presents information about the new accreditation policies for schools of library and information studies of the American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation (COA). Three articles discuss those policies from the perspective of the information science professions, note the importance of specialized accreditation agencies, and suggest…

Discusses the current state in higher education regarding the assessment of institutional and departmental communications. Argues that academic institutions and their units can benefit from systematic evaluation of their communications activities. Outlines an assessment process that administrators might use to undertake such an evaluation. (HB)

Explores why principals rate their schools more highly than their own teachers do. Disagreements between teachers and principals stem mainly from opinion differences concerning discipline, as this and previous studies affirm. Principals wanting higher teacher morale and closer agreement on school ratings should work toward greater congruence…

A multidimensional definition was developed for the content universe of "organizational effectiveness" (OE) by using a mapping sentence. The definition's applicability was examined in an effectiveness study of an Israeli university, using data for 1,001 undergraduates. Relations among measures reflecting aspects of OE specific to…

Analyzes the similarities and differences between two outcomes-based assessment schemes: the institutional effectiveness model, which measures an institution's effectiveness at improving teaching and learning; and the performance funding model, which focuses on product, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of programs. Contains 15 references. (JDI)

Describes the development of institutional effectiveness indicators as well as a multi-step organizational planning process at Central Arizona College. Reviews five key areas targeted for analysis: organizational renewal and learning, leadership, governance, cultural transformation, and institutional efficiency. (JDI)

In Finland, self-evaluation has become prevalent in adult-education centers and other educational sectors. The goals are to share results, increase players' mutual understandings, and give direction to developing evaluation activities. This article describes how three adult-education centers in eastern Finland initiated and implemented a project…