Describes a peer review visit to a fictitious high school using the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA-CASI) Performance Accreditation Framework and School Improvement Process. From the perspective of a steering committee member, describes the peer review team orientation, meetings and interviews, and…

Explains nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their role in addressing global literacy needs. Stresses the importance of coordinating literacy efforts of UNESCO, governments, and NGOs during the International Literacy Year (1990) and beyond. Notes the recently organized International Task Force on Literacy, a coalition of NGOs, funding…

Self-regulation of agencies administering professional licensing and certification tests is questioned on social and legal grounds. Topics include test validity concerns of applicants, extension of "truth in testing" legislation, explicitness of standards, and whether construct validity should be the primary requirement for selecting a…

Because of their membership structures, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Knight Commission have too much vested interest to reform college athletics. Only the faculty community, through action on campus and in national associations, can bring permanent reform to intercollegiate athletics. (MSE)

Some of the findings of the Victorian Review, a recent comprehensive review by an Australian independent commission of child welfare practice and legislation, are reported and summarized. The report concludes that a community approach to welfare should shape child protection, with judicial involvement a last resort. (MSE)

Examines the future of the educational community, suggesting that there is an emerging "Knowledge Society" in which knowledge workers give the society its character, leadership, and social profile. Discusses the implications of such a social model for the North Central Association, an accreditation association. Provides summaries of the…

Provides discussions of the effectiveness of the North Central Association's accreditation process by representatives of accredited institutions. Includes 16 narratives related to the candidacy and self-study processes and such benefits of the accreditation process as a better-informed campus community, a clarified mission, and the rectification…

Examines the challenges posed by distance education for accrediting agencies in their attempts to credibly evaluate the quality of education at member institutions. Provides a list of effective practices in distance education, a discussion of the accrediting criteria needed for distance education, and some suggestions for future development. (MAB)

This article presents the case of a seven-year-old autistic child who, with the use of facilitated communication, appeared to report being sexually abused. Assessment activities of the Hennepin County (Minnesota) Child Protection Agency are recounted. The article concludes that such charges made with facilitated communication should not be…

Discusses reforms in adoption practice and policy to deal with the growing number of children who, because of age, health, or family background, are difficult to place with traditional adoption practices. Focuses on such reforms as open adoption, increased access to adoption records, and streamlined agency and court processes. (MDM)

Examination of national survey data of state mental retardation/developmental disabilities agencies for integrated and segregated employment and facility-based nonwork services provided during fiscal years 1988 and 1990 found that the percentage and total number of individuals in integrated employment grew significantly. (DB)

The Senate confirmation hearings concerning Robert Gates as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) highlight the problems evaluators share with the CIA of keeping policy imperatives out of the search for truth. The CIA at least has a structure for keeping information pure, but many evaluations do not. (SLD)

Discusses the relevance of general education to the associate degree and the shortfalls of current accreditation methods in properly evaluating the success of such programs. Suggests that accreditation agencies may play a role as a change agent in transfer, faculty credentials, and the integration of general education into career curricula. (MAB)

Describes the composition and operation of the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC). The NASDC will design new high-performance learning environments for U.S. children. The seven design teams are to unveil new high-performance schools after two to three years, presumably by marketing designs. (SLD)

Many state optometric licensing boards require a scaled or percentage score of 75 on each section. A study of multiple criteria and pass-fail rates suggests that high failure rates are a result not of candidate ability but of arbitrary classification of test content. State boards are encouraged to resolve these problems. (MSE)