This videotape and discussion guide offer a workshop plan that draws on an elementary school's innovative and successful application of Dr. Edwards Deming's Quality Principles. Designed to introduce teachers, administrators, school-board members, parents, and community and government leaders to quality assurance, the videotape uses on-site footage…

This report describes the past 15 years of work by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to raise the standards for teacher quality. The NBPTS identified five core propositions that describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions characterizing accomplished teaching. It created professional standards for K-12 teachers,…

This almanac provides information about the major participants in external quality review in higher education, listing recognized regional and national accrediting organizations, specialized and professional accrediting organizations, and state agencies, with contact available for each organization and agency. An overview section: discusses the…

This study examined whether or not there were any significant difference among educational leaders in their views on whether regional accreditation should be used to enhance achievement interests of minorities in American colleges and universities, and what variables might account for any reported differences. The results of the study, which used…

This issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" focuses on out-of-school time (OST). Several authors provide insights into how they, and others, are tackling measurement issues, from using technology and data systems to collect information and track progress, to applying lessons learned from developing early childhood quality measures. Other authors…

With a growing number of courses offered online and degrees offered through the Internet, there is a considerable interest in online education, particularly as it relates to the quality of online learning instruction. The major concerns are centering on the following questions: What will be the new role for instructor in online education? How will…

Teacher-made tests are a major but little researched part of the drama of testing in schools and classrooms. This report gives a view into the inner workings of this aspect of testing, which occupies more teacher and student time and effort than any other. (Author)

The procedures of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry's Office of External Educational Programs are reviewed to show how quality assurance techniques can be categorized. The format was designed to evaluate quality assurance procedures for both the educational and service aspects of eye care. (MLW)

The clinical education program at Ferris State College, College of Optometry, and the various clinics affiliated with the college are described. To ensure quality, all individuals with the responsibility of teaching the students are faculty of Ferris State. (MLW)

Although new problems are encountered as field experience programs grow larger, the basic principles of assuring educational quality remain the same. One large field experience program, the Washington Center for Learning Alternatives, and the method of educational quality control developed by that program, are described. (Author/SF)

Discusses the state of outsourcing in American libraries. Highlights include objectives (to reduce cost, increase the quality of service, and achieve a better price/performance objective); operations that can be outsourced; pros and cons; changes in the way library personnel view their work; outsourcing in special, public, academic, and federal…

This paper argues that in the last decade, Australian higher education has moved from a relatively regulated to a largely unregulated model, resulting in reduction of institutional diversity. The advent of external quality assurance processes that reward the traditional notion of universities has further homogenized the system and diluted…

Almost 800 school business officials across the United States and Canada responded to the ASBO's 1996 survey on privatization. A vast majority of respondents opposed privatization of district functions (such as budgeting, accounting, and school operations), but approved contracting for architectural design and legal services. A major reason for…

Current knowledge about the cost and quality of full-time child care in centers and family care homes is summarized, with a discussion of parental attention to quality in making child care decisions. Data from two recent national studies suggest that quality is only modestly related to cost. (SLD)

Refereeing has been one means of ensuring the quality of publications in conventional scholarly publishing. However, conventional refereeing, with its reliance on traditional mail communication cannot meet the needs of electronic journal publishing. Examines the traditional refereeing system, describes a World Wide Web-based electronic form of…