More elaborate systems for managing and evaluating the performance of schools are needed than have prevailed to date in the United Kingdom. Experiences in working with schools and local education authorities indicate the necessity for radical breaks with past practices and procedures. (SLD)

Gives an overview of the Ball State University (Indiana) academic assessment program, from its origins through present and future efforts. Several current assessment activities are described--university-wide, in general education, and discipline-specific. Areas of strength in the program and challenges to conducting successful assessment are…

A survey of 701 medical-school administrators, medical-residency program directors, medical students and residents, and practicing physicians investigated the perceived clarity and validity of 44 medical school accreditation standards as indicators of the quality of undergraduate medical education. Predictive validity of some standards was also…

In 1994, Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), in Virginia, revised its general education and major assessment routines to include indirect measures, such as graduate and employer surveys, with direct Academic Profile testing. This report describes LFCC's first full cycle of assessment under the new routines carried out from 1993 to 1995.…

This essay presents the results of a study of the means that colleges and universities should use to assure proper accountability within the institution in regard to teaching and learning. It discusses the basis of institutional accountability, public perceptions of accountability (or lack thereof), the role of governments and market forces, the…

This report describes some of the benefits to the state of the University of Colorado's (CU) teaching and research activities; profiles CU students; discusses aspects of the academic experience; analyzes student costs; and summarizes the University's fiscal accountability. The report presents highlights of CU's activities; including: (1) CU is the…

A case study was done of a large, private, research university's in-house effort to engage in assessment of the quality of faculty worklife, and to describe the variety of political, logistical, fiscal and data base management issues which arose from the largely faculty-directed and volunteer effort. Prompted by learning of efforts to create a…

This Chabot College (California) Student Satisfaction Survey sampled 1,149 students in 59 course sections. Conducted in fall 1997, the five-page survey focused on the following factors: educational goals and reasons for attending Chabot, satisfaction with the college and its facilities and services, campus safety, campus climate, course…

This paper proposes and discusses, from a management point of view, application of specific outcome measurements to residential programs for mentally retarded persons and those experiencing long term mental health problems. These include: rate of restraint and seclusion; percentage of compliance with applicable standards; absenteeism/leave time…

In the literature since the 1970's, the notion that education should serve as a social leveler has given way to the image of the educational institution as a business-like enterprise. This change in the perceived role of higher education has been accompanied by increased pressure on institutions to provide measurements of educational outcomes. For…

This paper reviews recent literature pertaining to outcomes assessment, especially college senior surveys, and provides background information on several successful studies documenting the effectiveness of outcomes assessment. Books chosen for review are: (1) "Information on Student Outcomes: How To Get It and How To Use It" (Peter T. Ewell); (2)…

In June 1993, the Quebec Commission d'evaluation de l'enseignement collegial (CEEC) was created to conduct evaluations of the assessment of student achievement and quality of college programs and studies in the province. Having jurisdiction over the 117 colleges in the province, the CEEC is charged with evaluating institutional policies on student…

For years, researchers have forecast the increasing diversification of students in higher education as a result of changing demographics and a variety of other social and economic shifts. The diverse elements of today's student body include differing age, gender, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and increasing numbers of differently able and…

Five workplans were developed for the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) educational indicators program. The implementation of these workplans will be useful to both NCES staff and users of NCES data and will provide opportunities for joint working relationships among the authors, consultants, and NCES staff. The five plans call for…

This annual report includes narrative reports about the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), summarizing college achievements and problems encountered during the 1983-84 academic year. An overview of the LACCD discusses problems related to fiscal reductions and indecision regarding tuition and funding; the…