This report presents the results of an audit by the Office of the Inspector General to determine whether the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) provided sufficient oversight of graduation and dropout rates submitted by states in their Consolidated State Performance Reports to ensure the rates were…

In many countries in both the Mediterranean region and the European Union (EU), interest in the quality of, and improvements to, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems has increased progressively in recent years. The main reason underlying this interest is a growing awareness of the key role played by education and training…

Institutional research (IR) in Latin America is experiencing dramatic growth due, in no small measure, to the need for quality assurance in educational institutions developing trained workforces for emerging economies. Quality can be assured only where it can be measured, and that is at the core of institutional research in countries to the south…

Considering accountability, affordability, and access through the experiences in Chile, East Asia, Australia, Croatia, and the United States offers a clear reminder that trends and issues in higher education are often more similar across national contexts than they are distinct. Across higher education, institutions and systems are responding to…

This paper aims to present an overview of language testing in Thailand. Language testing practices in the past are also reviewed. Attention is paid to the washback effects of language tests, the use of language tests in school admissions, questions of test validity, the emergence of standardized tests, the influence of societal values on testing…

This paper describes and explains the 20 elements of the International Organization for Standards 9000 (ISO 9000) series, a model for quality assurance in the business processes of design/development, production, installation and servicing. The standards were designed in 1987 to provide a common denominator for business quality particularly to…

Telecommunications infrastructure has the dual challenges of maintaining quality while accommodating change, issues that have long been met through a series of implementation standards. This document is designed to ensure that telecommunications systems within the Maryland public school system are also capable of meeting both challenges and…

This article describes a means for providing a systematic flow of information to help teachers and schools evaluate and select those teaching/learning materials that are most likely to work well with specific programs and kids. (PD)

The author discusses how using statistical process control can help manufacturers save money and produce a better product. He covers barriers to its implementation within an organization, focusing on training workers in the methods. (CH)

The author provides an overview of the types of accreditation available for postsecondary institutions and the organizations that issue accreditation. (CH)

Quality control in the auditing profession has developed useful practices that are applied to the research and evaluation process. By identifying and controlling sources of bias and noise in the system of inquiry, the quality of evaluative evidence can be enhanced for both present and future use. (Author/BS)

This paper examines the changing role of environmental quality management from its traditional operationally-based role, to an expanded, more dynamic role in strategic educational planning activities at the local, site-based level. First, a brief review of the state of knowledge concerning the impact of environmental quality on the educational…

This volume is the fourth in a series related to a project to create a Regional University Network on Governance and Management of Higher Education in South East Europe. It is both an essay on and source manual for quality assurance in higher education. Part 1 describes the origins and concepts of quality assurance systems that have been emerging…