Northeast Missouri State University's Value-Added Student Assessment grew from the idea that an institution should be able to determine the value added to a person as he or she proceeds through the educational system, as measured by student output performances. This provides accountability to the students, faculty, staff, and external…

Identifies a number of factors considered by community college deans of vocational education to be vital in any determination of program success. Posits these critical factors (e.g., enrollment data, placement factors, student performance, student and employer satisfaction) within an institutional report card format appropriate for distribution to…

Educational personnel not prepared for children with disabilities and the provisions of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act have given rise to opportunities for misconduct. Examines the recent case law and legislative activity and its effect on special education malpractice, and suggests the possible direction this issue will take. (MLF)

A national study of assessment in American undergraduate education by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching concludes that the current debate over assessment does not adequately consider educational goals and reflects divisiveness within and between faculties. (MSE)

The approach used by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for developing management systems that promote change and encourage innovation is described. The major elements of this scheme are: centralization of administrative functions, communication networks, consensus among constituencies, teaching performance in promotion process, and…

Argues that effective principals are expected to be effective instructional leaders, that is, they must know something about curriculum development, teacher and instructional effectiveness, clinical supervision, staff development, and teacher evaluation. (NKA)

The School of Allied Health Professions at the University of Connecticut conducted a comprehensive program evaluation of its undergraduate programs in physical therapy, medical technology, and clinical dietetics. The evaluation process is described as well as a model that appears to meet the unique needs of postsecondary programs in allied health…

Three basic European educational systems are distinguished: state-financed and -controlled system; non-state system that does not rely solely on public financing or management; and private education, dependent on various systems of finance and/or indirect subsidy and controlled by proprietors. The history and problems of private education are…

A report by the Project on Redefining the Meaning and Purpose of Baccalaureate Degrees of the Association of American Colleges is described. The decline and devaluation of the undergraduate degree, a battered curriculum, faculty responsibility, accountability, and the profession of college teaching are discussed. (MLW)

Recommendations of commission reports on improving quality in public education are seen as primarily political statements reflecting the public outrage over the declining quality of American schooling. If the recommendations for sharpening basic skills spill over into higher education, there will be pressure to make colleges into trade schools.…

Suggests a legally grounded process for determining adequate performance standards while posing the fewest legal and logistical problems for schools. Addresses issues of accountability, promotion and retention, teachers' concerns, student/parent concerns, and relevant legal issues in developing and implementing appropriate standards. Various types…

Integration in nursing curriculum, its effect on performance of students and faculty, and its application to clinical experience, team teaching, and curriculum structure are examined. (TA)

Learner Verification and Revision (LVR) or Learner-Based Revision (L-BR), a process of improving the effectiveness of instructional materials by gathering feedback from learners during the materials developmental or formative period, is reviewed with positive conclusions as to its effectiveness. Educator and educational publisher policies and…

"Making the Grade: How Boards Can Ensure Academic Quality" fills a significant void in today's boardroom discussions with its clear, realistic advice and its "perfect pitch" balancing act with respect to board involvement with the heart of the academic enterprise: teaching and learning. NCHEMS vice president Peter Ewell clarifies the grey areas of…

Up to six years of data (the current year and the five previous years where available) are presented in Louisiana's District Composite Reports. Each year, this report is updated by adding the most current year?s data and deleting the data that are more than six years old. Incorporating longitudinal data in the District Composite Report enables…