Results of a national survey on state postsecondary regulations concerning the use of competency or other tests required of college students in the course of their undergraduate programs as a check on academic standards, and the impetus for such a requirement, are reported. The policies of Georgia, Florida, and California are highlighted. (MSE)

Presents a case study and findings of a training needs assessment which was conducted to determine the training implications of implementing an integral system of quality assurance at the Fridley, Minnesota, plant of Onan Corporation, a manufacturer of electric generator sets and switch gear. (MBR)

Integrity, defined as an institution's doing what it says it will do, is seen as the means of ensuring quality in higher education. Across the university, everyone has responsibility for improving the writing and speaking skills of students as well as encouraging their powers of analysis, synthesis, and quantification. (MLW)

A program of small grants to dental students to attract beginning researchers to the field of quality assurance has shown that recruitment from an existing student pool is rapid and inexpensive and works best when it uses volunteers, has short cycles and rapid turnaround, and uses the dental communication network. (MSE)

Stressing that in order for quality circles to work, members must believe that their participation makes a difference, the author outlines procedures for setting up quality circles within schools and school districts and describes their successful operation. (MJL)

DC has a larger percentage of students in charter schools than any state. To help oversee DC charter schools, Congress established two authorizers--the Board of Education (BOE), which has an Office of Charter Schools responsible for oversight, and the independent Public Charter School Board (PCSB). Congress required the GAO to conduct a study of…

This document supplements information provided in the "Handbook of Accreditation," Second Edition (Commission on Institutions of Higher Education). The Addendum contains the information necessary to keep readers informed of changes in policies and procedures while the Commission is engaged in an initiative to revise its Eligibility…

This paper advocates a strategy of "full informational capture" to ensure that digital objects rich enough to be useful over time are created in the most cost-effective manner. Digital benchmarking is a systematic procedure to forecast a likely outcome. The benchmarking approach can be applied across the full continuum of the…

This collection contains selected presentations from an annual accreditation and quality assurance conference. The papers are: (1) "Turning around Troubled Institutions" (Matthew Goldstein); (2) "Triadic Hierarchical Planning" (William J. Austin); (3) "Edinboro University's Triangulated Institutional Effectiveness…

The newsletters of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) (California) provide commission news and discussions on current issues and policies regarding institutional accreditation. The January 2000 issue states that recent annual reports submitted by member institutions to ACCJC have revealed confusion about what…

This self-assessment report is intended to serve as the foundation for Austin Community College (ACC) (Texas) to build a common language and to facilitate communication about performance excellence. Using the Baldrige Criteria in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, information and analysis, faculty and staff…

This report and policy brief synthesizes findings from five reports on the experiences of low-income parents, child care providers, and state child care systems in Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Texas, and Washington. In recent years, there has been increased national funding for child care but deteriorating economic conditions that could jeopardize…

A study analyzed recently tenured teachers' perceptions about union reform, examining factors shaping their beliefs and noting efforts of Rochester, New York's Rochester Teachers' Association (RTA) to promote reform and foster new leadership. Newly tenured teachers completed interviews on: the RTA's role; a description of the RTA; what influenced…

Each year an estimated 5 million Americans pursue education or training through what is known as distance education. Distance education, which is also known as distance study, e-learning online education, correspondence study, home study, independent study, and other various terms, has existed in America for more than a century. Yet, few teachers,…

The information provided in this report documents that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a well-managed and effective organization with an outstanding staff dedicated to ensuring that America's future is secure and prosperous. Despite its small size, NSF is widely recognized as the catalyst for the advancement of basic research in America.…