The past two decades have witnessed increased concerns over the health and comfort of indoor air quality (IAQ), but little indoor air-related information has been targeted at building owners and facility managers of public and commercial buildings. This manual, specifically created for such a population, provides guidance on preventing,…

This paper describes the application of a Total Quality Management strategy called Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) to the projects and activities of an institutional research office at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. PDCA is a cycle designed to facilitate incremental continual improvement through change. The specific steps are…

These five working papers present the recommendations of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) regarding accreditation for early childhood education programs in Australia. The papers, written in response to the Interim National Accreditation Council's (INAC) proposed accreditation model, are entitled: "A Suggested Framework for…

Focusing on how the definition and assessment of quality day care are culturally specific, this paper reviews the development and validity of the Child Care Facility Schedule (CCFS), a procedure for assessing quality in child care settings in many countries. This project was initiated by the Division of Mental Health of the World Health…

This evaluation guide resulted from a 2-year project that conducted literacy audits at 10 manufacturing companies, assessed 3,291 workers, developed customized assessments and curricula, and provided 104 courses to 948 participants in the Chicago area. The guide is a hands-on resource to assist companies, unions, or educational agencies in setting…

An overview is provided of the Quality First Process Model developed by Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), Wisconsin, to provide guidelines for quality instruction and service consistent with the highest educational standards. The 16-step model involves activities that should be adaptable to any organization. The steps of the quality model are…

These teacher's materials are intended to support trainers as they conduct a 1-day course on each of the following topics regarding the hotel and catering industry in Great Britain: the customer perspective, customer service standards, and quality control. The first section explains how to use the materials. The instructions for conducting each…

A single self-study method for both institutional and program accreditation was developed and field-tested at New Hampshire Vocational-Technical College in an effort to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of the self-study component of the accreditation process. The first phase in the development of the self-study method involved…

This is a report on the evaluation of the status of the Asbestos in Schools Identification and Notification rule, which requires all public and private local education agencies (LEA's) to inspect, sample, notify occupants, and maintain records on asbestos materials in school buildings. The evaluation consisted of a national survey of 2,600…

The evaluation criteria and procedures described in this report were developed at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) for conducting audits of the college's programs, disciplines, and support services. Part I provides an introduction to the audit process, which involves the following steps: (1) identification of curricular areas to be…

This paper explains the principles involved in tape editing and recording for foreign language teaching and in the assessment of the quality of the finished product. Three major points involved in tape making are discussed: (1) compilation of a listening text (requires familiarity with foreign language learning and teaching, as well as an…

The pilot study reported in this document reviewed existing child abuse and neglect reports in mental health and mental retardation residential facilities in the state of New York. The study found that the annual reporting rate of abuse and neglect in these facilities was more than two times higher than for the state as a whole; it also found…

What works and does not work in school systems, colleges, and businesses is discussed with a focus on curriculum in the schools and other organizations. Organizational studies were completed in several school systems nationwide. Ten chapters look at the following: (1) curriculum management (the case of the academy, what curriculum is, the nature…

The philosophy of accreditation is discussed in a paper commissioned by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for a project on "Rethinking Accreditation." After defining accreditation and distinguishing it from assessment, evaluation and "meta-evaluation" are discussed, including the nature of accreditation in…

Quality circles may be regarded as a form of organizational intervention strategy to enhance productivity and product quality through employee participation. Operationally, small groups of individual employees voluntarily meet regularly to (1) identify problems relating to productivity and product quality, (2) discuss them, (3) identify and…