Fiscal and programmatic controls that have been applied to different types of federal grants are described. It is suggested that a simplification of grant program structure is necessary to establish priorities and ways or controls to pursue these priorities. (CJ)

Describes the developmental stages of Operation 1000, Virginia Tech's program to increase enrollment in adult marketing and distributive education. The program consists of a series of prepackaged competency-based courses designed with built-in quality controls. (SK)

Suggests that many aspects of quality assurance in health care can be applied to social service agencies. Reviews what has been learned about quality assurance in health care and suggests guidelines for its implementation in social services. (Author/JAC)

Introduces a practical approach toward the quality control of workshops given in the field of drug abuse prevention and in community mental health settings. Describes the workshop evaluation questionnaire which probes: (1) respondents' overall reaction to the workshop; (2) workshop effectiveness; and (3) application of techniques to participants…

This article examines the development of academic training in art therapy, including the role of the American Art Therapy Association in establishing training standards for the field. An appended commentary by Donald Uhlin notes further progress toward program accreditation. Part of a theme issue on art therapy. (SJL)

Describes seven principles for developing a workable system for evaluation of college teaching, and provides both process and decision matrixes for groups interested in building such a system for their own evaluation. Argues that the system must be safe, explicit, manageable, formative, and satisfy environmental demands for accountability and…

Examination of current trends in the education of children with special educational needs (SEN) in the United Kingdom addresses standards; increased participation of people with disabilities in the debate about society's provision for their needs; values such as choice, diversity, and freedom; inclusive education; and the need for a quality…

The most widely recognized quality management standard in the world, the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9000, is considered by some in higher education to have much potential for college administration. Its advantages include its focus on organizational infrastructure, adaptability, articulation of tangible requirements for…

The editor of "Mental Retardation" describes his perspective on several controversial papers on facilitated communication. The decision-making process employed in considering such manuscripts for publication is outlined, as is the process of selecting qualified and unbiased evaluators for the peer review process. (PB)

Provides a brief explanation of the Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 1990. Describes the expanded and improved services provided to Head Start children and families and the quality enhancements made to the Head Start program and staff as a result of implementing the act. Lists other elements, in addition to funding, that are important…

Reports preliminary results of a study to develop and automate new metrics for assessment of information quality in text documents, particularly in news. Through focus group studies, quality judgment experiments, and textual feature extraction and analysis, nine quality aspects were generated and applied in human assessments. Experiments were…

Textual properties of documents were analyzed to identify predictive variables for various document qualities by means of statistical and linguistic methods. A collection of 1000 documents was created, and each document was judged in terms of nine document qualities (accuracy, reliability, objectivity, depth, author/producer credibility,…

Considers reasons for the unrealized potential of the World Wide Web in education. Topics include cultural lag; the speed of technical advancements; educational Web pages that lack interaction; lack of quality control in distance education; lack of teacher training; lack of infrastructure; limited Internet access; and antiquated hardware.…

Discusses the need to shift from the old models for organizational development to the new methods of quality management and continuous improvement, visions and visioning, and strategic planning, despite inappropriate criticisms they receive. (AEF)

Introduces the special issue and summarizes the views of delegates about each of the conference's three themes: "Has external quality review had its day?"; "Has control of quality been usurped by the market and by information technology?"; and "Does the development of mass education necessarily mean the end of…