This document describes the accomplishments of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Education from October 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004. During this period, 71 audit and inspection reports were issued and 94 investigations were closed. Congress was provided with an analysis of issues for consideration in its reauthorization…

Questions current reports on air pollution control, and advocates reduction in the size and weight of automobiles to curb pollutant emissions. (CC)

To illustrate the potential of indigenous environmental health workers, a hypothetical situation is created looking at the functions of such workers in a rodent control program. Community individuals, it is shown, are aware of unlabeled communication barriers which impede delivery of health services. Recognizing and utilizing this awareness can…

Reports the implementation of a quality assurance program in Colorado mental health facilities, designed to help managers know how they were doing on operational issues. The program was simple, low cost, and easy to implement. All levels of management found it a useful tool. (Author/WAS)

Five approaches to measuring higher education quality are outlined and criticized as incomplete: the nihilist, reputational, resources, outcome, and value-added approaches. Feedback from students and faculty is the key to discovering and improving institutional contributions to student development. (MSE)

Lost disciplines, lost scholars, a lost generation of new disciplines, and lost facilities for the knowledge business are threatened. There is a clear danger that the experiential nature of the academic doctorate is being interfered with through excessive attention to didactic teaching in the classroom. (MLW)

Two aspects of the administrator evaluation process--internal institutional politics and quality--as a dimension of both the evaluation process itself and the performance of administrators are discussed. A case study of administrator evaluation at the University of Toledo is described. (Author/MLW)

Issues raised by the conduct of institutional review processes in the context of public policy are addressed, and some examples of reviews and outcomes are discussed. The significance of the practice for public policy, interinstitutional and intrainstitutional arrangements, and individual staff member activities is examined. (MSE)

Describes problems involved in making Swedish language versions of foreign films. (CHC)

After examining the major tasks in designing and implementing a performance-based teacher certification system, the author concludes that it is not practical to do so at this time or in the near future. (Author/SJL)

To bring about demonstrably useful changes in education, educational researchers need to be more selective in defining problems and solutions and must communicate their findings and opinions in the clearest possible way. (JD)

After seven years of conducting the National Association of College and University Business Officers' benchmark program, designed to establish standards for institutional administration, the association reviews the lessons learned and the challenges ahead in higher education. Representatives of four participating universities offer their…