Examines ways in which a parent can measure and help to create a school environment that projects a positive climate in which a child can learn and grow. Suggestions are offered for setting up a school climate committee and for operating such a committee. (GLR)

Emphasizes role of indicators of transfer effectiveness in community college accountability efforts. Discusses problems defining transfer rates, identifying potential transfer students, and collecting data. Describes Transfer Assembly project, an ongoing national study of student transfer from two- to four-year institutions, detailing outcomes for…

Describes the Middle States Commission's development of a framework for outcomes assessment. Defines outcomes assessment as a process by which evidence for congruence between institutional mission/goals and outcomes is assembled and analyzed to improve teaching and learning. Discusses the future of outcomes assessment in the region. (DMM)

Describes the New England Commission on Vocational Technical Career Institutions' adoption of a revised Standard on Program of Studies, requiring the measurement of educational outcomes as part of accreditation reviews. Explains the revisions in Interpretive Guideline and Self-Study Outline which incorporate these mechanisms for accountability.…

Characterizes Subject Review, a new scrutiny process for British higher education, evaluating its effectiveness against the purposes it has set itself in the area of funding policy, enhancement of provision, and public information. The paper offers a case study of factors which come into account when systems for measuring the quality of higher…

Presents a comparative perspective regarding evidence from the British Universities Council for the Education of Teachers to the House of Commons Select Committee concerning methods of evaluating preservice teacher education in England and Wales by the Office for Standards in Education, assessing it from the context of the global village and…

Investigates to what extent the school-level environment in Catholic schools differs from government schools in Australia. Results indicated that Catholic schools were not superior to government schools except in the areas of empowerment and mission consensus. Describes study methodology and provides tables of data. (YKH)

The State University of New York College at Fredonia undertook a long-term assessment of its general-education curriculum. The experience confirmed that dedicated college faculty can design and implement ambitious tests to assess general learning based on curriculum design and goals, but that it is very difficult to administer them over time with…

The report of the American Association of University Professors' Committee C on College and University Teaching, Research, and Publication extends discussion of faculty workload issues by examining external attempts to legislate and regulate the way in which faculty in public higher education institutions distribute their work. Focus is on…

A new model for financing Spanish universities is examined, looking first at the changing context of higher education in Spain and then at the structure and objectives of the model. Salient features include increased institutional autonomy, standardization of service quality, linking of costs to constituencies, implicit and explicit incentives for…

The proceedings of the Association of College and Research Libraries for 1978-92 were used to investigate the scholarly activity of academic librarians. Institutions were ranked by scholarly production and the results were compared to earlier published studies. Bibliometric data revealed a core of dominant institutions and widespread conformity to…

A survey of 67 external evaluators from professional associations, 80 department heads, and 162 department faculty investigated effects of a trial departmental-evaluation program in Taiwan universities, focusing on whether assessments conducted by professional associations were better and more appropriate than those conducted by the education…

Examines English school inspection before and since 1993 reforms, observations procedures that some schools have adopted, and procedures of various colleges. The balance of accountability and support for improvement varies depending on the details and culture of inspection. In the United States, some experiments with inspection are occurring, and…

Discusses evaluation of higher education in Brazil, including the Institutional Evaluation Program of the Brazilian Universities (PAIUB) and its replacement by a National Examination of Study Diplomas. Describes background, early initiatives regarding quality, and the new governmental approach to quality evaluation (including the new political…

In the United States greater attention is being paid to learning that is more collaborative, actively engaged, and technologically enhanced.