This guide draws on case studies to identify lessons for small and midsized firms who wish to improve the quality of their services and facilitate change. Following an introduction, section 2 describes the context in which the research was undertaken after a needs analysis was conducted of small and midsized businesses and service providers, and…

This handbook forms the guideline for Ontario facilities of education as they prepare for accreditation reviews in the spring of 2000. The handbook also helps members of the accreditation panels with their work at individual pilot sites. The 8 parts are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and…

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…

A national shift toward greater state and district control of the teacher recertification process and a trend toward a reduced role for higher education institutions is reported. Certificate renewal requirements in 36 states and problems of quality control that might arise in locally directed programs are noted. (PP)

Argues that quality assurance (QA) initiatives in Australian higher education can be used for a politics of transformation in the interests of women. Examines QA audit processes and one regional university's response to QA initiatives, through which its culture and management style were significantly transformed from an informal, pastoral model to…

A study tested a procedure to identify and weigh various indicators of college faculty research productivity, as one measure of program quality. Eighty-six faculty in 34 Australian schools of education were surveyed. Highly valued indicators of research productivity included refereed journal articles, peer reviewed books, and major competitive…

Describes the development of two sets of materials designed to help group day carers and family day carers assess, monitor, and enhance the quality of their own provision. Describes the piloting of the materials (including development of an inclusionary paradigm of quality and consultation of educational and learning theories), and their testing…

Examines some of the problems that must be solved before the Internet can realize its educational potential, including access that is educationally beneficial; hardware and software availability; charges for Internet access; technical and curriculum support; lack of coherent structure, stability, and documentation; censorship; and quality control.…

Suggested strategies for running a more effective college alumni program include effective calendar organization; careful staff utilization; administrator visibility; increased efficiency; effective use of alumni volunteers and student workers; good office communication; broad information dissemination across campus; consistent use of priorities;…

This article examines effects of the 1988 Education Reform Act in the United Kingdom, especially the decline in participative decision making by teachers, increased centralization of control, and the introduction of a national curriculum. The paper also discusses the historical relationship between professional autonomy for teachers and control of…

A study at the University of Vermont investigated the effectiveness of using a continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycle for teaching internal medicine residents the importance and techniques of psychosocial evaluation in patient examinations. Social workers audited students' examination data and provided feedback. The method was found to improve…

Identifies important criteria for assessing the quality of educational research and applies these 20 identified criteria to 2 recent international comparative studies in education, the Second International Science Study and the first International Assessment of Educational Progress. The major types of criteria are utility, propriety, and accuracy.…

Some organizations are having difficulty with the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach. Problems appear to come from reliance on prepackaged TQM programs, large-scale, diffuse implementation, mass training programs, measurement paralysis, overemphasis on tools, process selection, outmoded reward structures, and simplistic views of change and…

The Japanese model of business management and Total Quality Management principles being applied to higher education as well as businesses are often ineffective because of the application of packaged ideas without consideration of the subtleties of individual organizations. The cowboy model of teamwork stresses the individual's role and better fits…

The provost of Towson University, a Maryland state university, analyzes why his institution employs part-time faculty, discusses problems and solutions, and makes recommendations for longer-term policy development to assure quality education. It is argued that part-time faculty are critical to university operations, providing an economic base that…