British Commonwealth universities inherited the class system for classifying degrees. However, increasing global marketization has brought with it increasing demands for student exchanges, particularly with universities in North America. Hence, Commonwealth universities are considering adopting grade point averages (GPAs) for degree classification…

The document identifies changes to the Delaware state plan for meeting Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) goals as set forth by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, including: (1) Analysis of the core academic subjects currently not being taught by highly qualified teachers, particularly addressing schools and districts not making adequate yearly…

In fall 2003, the Head Start Bureau began implementing the Head Start National Reporting System (NRS) to systematically assess the early literacy, language and numeracy skills of all 4- and 5-year-olds enrolled in Head Start. In addition to child progression on a designated set of outcomes during the year preceding kindergarten, the data will…

Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) were established in 2001, intended to be a key driver in enhancing the contribution of the further education (FE) sector to meeting skills needs. Current government policy expects employers and individuals to pay a greater share of the costs of training, particularly at Level 3, which is the CoVE priority…

This report presents the results of the joint 2005-06 project of the Nordic Quality Assurance Network in Higher Education (NOQA). The project focused on the European standards and guidelines for quality assurance agencies, examining them in a Nordic perspective. The project aimed at interpreting and clarifying the European standards and guidelines…

Introduction: In 1996 the University of Michigan Health System created the Guidelines Utilization, Implementation, Development, and Evaluation Studies (GUIDES) unit to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of primary care for common medical problems. GUIDES's primary functions are to oversee the development of evidence-based, practical…

Research Findings: This study was designed to assess whether investments in child care quality were maintained 3 years after public funding for these centers was significantly reduced. An earlier evaluation documented significant improvements in classroom environments, teachers' sensitivity, and teachers' child-centered beliefs following a…

Implementation of IT "solutions" in the context of changes to business processes and efficiency is a common trigger for using formalised project management techniques. The trigger may include topical activities such as job evaluation schemes or quality assurance accreditation. This has led to a blurring of the boundary between projects and…

Total quality management (TQM) was employed to improve the collection, storage, and use of racial/ethnic information at Cornell University. The initiative began with the task of standardizing ethnic codes across a number of university systems. The project to improve race/ethnicity reporting was undertaken by a team representing various university…

A discussion of issues related to accountability in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs looks at ways in which current quality and accountability measures address the real issues of adult immigrant education. First, the strengths and weaknesses of accountability schema that have been developed in other education contexts are…

These guidelines are intended to assist states and local communities in developing quality respite services that meet the diverse needs of families and children with disabilities, with chronic and terminal illnesses, or at risk of abuse or neglect. The guidelines support the philosophy that all families can benefit from temporary intervals of rest…

This manual is intended to assist managers of support units at institutions of higher education in the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). The purpose is to describe a cooperative model for CQI which will permit managers to evaluate the quality of their units and institution, and by using the described tools and techniques, to…

The total quality movement began as a result of the desire of W. Edwards Deming, an American statistician, to permit the economic system to maintain its edge in a growing global market. The 14 points Deming listed as essential to "total quality management" have recently been adapted to the field of education. The success of the total…

This case study examined the unsuccessful efforts of the University of Maine's (UM) president, Frederick Hutchinson, to "downsize" that institution begun in 1993. It focuses on reasons for the failure of Hutchinson to persuade the faculty to accept his vision. The study used a combination of Michael Hammer and James Champy's list of…

A study of 10 organizations explored how their various certification or accreditation programs were developed, structured, and managed and made observations to guide the development of certification or accreditation for the electronics industry. From November 1994 through January 1995, a phone and fax survey was conducted of these organizations:…