A Peace Corps evaluator describes ways of improving utilization of evaluation results. Focus is on structural/organizational changes to facilitate knowledge and researcher use. Methods for use within and outside agencies; agency decision makers as end users; and the importance of context, as opposed to philosophy or methodology, are discussed.…

Discusses the qualities of excellence discerned during formal visits/evaluations of the 63 Catholic elementary schools and 19 Catholic high schools in Omaha, Nebraska. Considers school climate, student attitudes, faculty development, lay/pastoral involvement, financial planning, and new initiatives. (DMM)

The quality assessment process for Australian universities is examined, including its impact on quality improvement, whether judging quality at the institutional level is too coarse a measure to give accurate results, some alternatives, and whether the whole institution approach may lead to greater external interference in institutional affairs.…

This study analyzed the admissions materials sent by four major Midwestern research universities to each of four hypothetical prospective students (first- through fourth-year high school students). The material was analyzed on the basis of timeliness, personalization, pricing, image, and segmentation. (MDM)

Research findings on school effectiveness are discussed in relation to an evaluation model that can be administered at the school and community level, comprising three kinds of data: (1) background factors, such as student social origin and level of attainment; (2) outcome factors; and (3) school process and climate factors. (SLD)

Criteria most often used by higher education administrators in restructuring higher education in the 1980s and 1990s are outlined. A distinction is made between retrenchment and restructuring. Criteria recommended in the literature are compared with criteria actually used, and the results. Some alternatives are suggested. (MSE)

A study used a multivariate approach to assessing college departmental excellence. Factor analysis identified three potentially useful factor clusters ("faculty research,""input," and "student") and seven indicators based on those clusters. Indicators combining faculty research and input and combining all three clusters were found to be the best…

British researchers examined the impact of a new teacher training accreditation system on training institutions. The paper discusses interviews with institutions regarding accreditation, examining factors which influenced and constrained interviewees' perspectives and institutional responses. It notes ways in which staff took advantage of…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 17 sources on accreditation and its effects upon 2-year colleges, citing general articles as well as specific self-evaluation studies, and documents on educational outcomes, outcomes assessment, and accreditation as a planning tool. (MAB)

Addresses the issue of too few blacks in the nation's business schools and ultimately on business school faculties. It provides an analysis of the best business schools for blacks and points to the University of Michigan as the preeminent business school for blacks to consider. (GLR)

Site visits by peers of those being visited are discussed as part of an educational indicator system. The experience of the WASC in California in using self-study and site visits in school accreditation for over six years is described, and limitations of the procedure are discussed. (SLD)

This article discusses the use of incentives for higher education institutions to become more efficient, effective, and responsive to government policies and offers examples of positive and negative incentives, the nature of relevant incentives, and the relationship between incentives and professional preferences. Suggestions for using incentives…

Total Quality Management (TQM) and assessment in higher education both focus on processes to improve educational quality, and both require upper-level leadership's commitment. Guided by the proven principles of TQM, assessment can help institutions develop a mechanism for responding in advance to the challenges ahead. (MSE)

To help institutions meet National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education standards, the article presents a research-based accreditation self-study process model incorporating three factors: recognition that program improvement is worthwhile, a well-designed curriculum benefiting from continuing improvement and a strong knowledge base, and…

The principles of ratio analysis can help measure use of financial resources to achieve college mission by quantifying status, sources, and use of resources and the institution's relative ability to repay current and future debt. Business officers and boards can use these measures to measure institutional performance; ratios can also help focus…