For the last three years Delaware State University (DSU) and the University of Vermont (UVM) have implemented a new approach to a summer program or "Institute" that emphasizes evaluation and accountability. Beginning in 2005, both institutes changed the focus of their programs to fulfill not only the primary objectives of instilling…

Universities are encouraged to widen access to a broad range of applicants, including mature students taking Access qualifications. Admissions tutors can find it difficult to compare and choose between Access and A-level applications, and Access applicants for popular courses may be disadvantaged relative to students with good A-levels. In this…

This study examined the selection process at the Sultan Qaboos University MBA program in relation to other respected institutions in the Gulf area and worldwide to determine the reason(s) for the high rate of attrition among students joining the MBA program. In addition, the study assessed the correlation between Graduate Management Admission Test…

In accordance with the recent philosophy of quality in higher education embraced by European institutions, a checklist for the qualitative evaluation of service charters in academic libraries is proposed. The checklist is based on the existing literature on the topic, not only the large number of research papers on quality issues in general, but…

Commonwealth funding formulae have caused Australian universities to become obsessed with maximising external research funding. Considerable pressure is applied to faculties, departments and scholars to apply for funding, and relative success in attracting it is given excessive weight in evaluating research performance. This may be productive in…

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the predictive validity of the 2003 University Student Selection Examination (OSS). For this purpose, freshman grade point average (FGPA) in higher education was predicted by raw scores, standard scores, and placement scores (YEP). This study has been conducted on a research group. In this study,…

Under current law, students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the United States are considered financially independent (from their parents) for the purposes of financial aid if, among other conditions, they are 24 years of age or older. When students' parents are able to pay, considering them financially independent may result in more generous…

Pennsylvania does not have a legislatively mandated program in place for assessing teacher education programs in institutions of higher education. This study was conducted to examine how Pennsylvania's public and private universities and colleges assess the quality of their teacher education programs. Deans and/or chairs of teacher education…

The current emphasis in education on accountability is tending toward "push-button accountability." The challenge is to evaluate access and retention as well as other educationally relevant goals to define "quality" or "accountability." In higher education, accountability should be proven through assessment and should consist of proof that what…

Some of the realities, at a state and national level, of implementing new teacher education standards that emphasize basic skills are discussed. Reported on is Kansas' response to the national trend toward teacher basic skill testing (five house bills concerning teacher education). The Kansas State Board of Education proposal for a competency…

The validation of Tennessee's Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) is described. Panels of experts from teacher education institutions and local school districts performed the test item review, focusing on test validity and minimum requirements for admission to teacher education programs. Participants (136 teacher educators, 108 high school…

The decisions made by admissions committee members of the Medical College of Virginia were studied to determine the criteria used to arrive at value judgments and to analyze variations in predicted ratings based on these criteria. All 983 applicants to the 1980-81 entering class of the medical school who underwent file review evaluations (the…

This resource guide is intended for local school district personnel involved in planning activities for establishing educational priorities, phase two of the Local Planning and Assessment Process (LPAP). Information is presented on the development of performance indicators and the validation of perceived needs. The guide is organized in two…

Three issues of quality in higher education are addressed: defining quality in public higher education, obstacles to the accomplishment of quality, and how to sell the need for quality in public higher education to the government and others. It is suggested that varied standards of student and faculty performance are needed among types of…

A longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate the U.S. Employment Service's Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for plumber/pipe fitter from three aspects: technical adequacy of the research; fairness to minorities; and usefulness in the selection of individuals for training as plumber/pipe fitter apprentices. The validation sample consisted of…