If schools rush into Back-to-Basics the way they once rushed into open education, educational quality will not improve and the positive, humanistic attributes of progressive education may be lost. Change must be slowly and carefully planned and provide adequate support to the teachers who must implement it. (SJL)

A survey of directors of 61 Texas early intervention programs found that directors felt that program improvement should be the main reason for program evaluation efforts, that evaluating program goals and child progress are the most feasible strategies, and that evaluating program quality and family progress are the most difficult strategies. (DB)

Although college rankings published in mass media may not be the best way of comparing colleges, they provide more useful information than accrediting agencies, college catalogs, and most college guides. Administrators, not magazines are to blame for their misuse. Rankings can help motivate programs, departments, and institutions to improve…

This article examines trends and criticisms of higher education and encourages universities to place a high priority on the quality of undergraduate teaching. Other suggestions include involving university faculty in improving public schools, improving the health care system, and providing support to the business community. (DB)

A survey of 48 United States dental schools investigated the degree and type of program evaluation conducted. Results indicated a range of related activities, with evaluation and remedial action occurring in a majority of schools. However, establishment of criteria for specific quality assurance activities was found lacking. (Author/MSE)

This article proposes a continuum of employment training options for students with special needs and identifies program quality indicators in the areas of assessment and the Individual Education Plan; the employment training program; community-based settings; provisions for on-site training and evaluation; and interagency cooperation. (DB)

This article details the four-year implementation of Total Quality Management at Delaware County Community College (Pennsylvania) to conserve resources, improve effectiveness, assure quality, and increase participation in decision making. Reported are planning, execution, and monitoring activities of the Implementation Team; specific problems…

Presents the four program goals for biology set forth in the National Science Teacher Association's "A Focus on Excellence: Biology Revisited" to (1) address biosphere, human society, and individual needs; (2) encourage students to experience, understand, and appreciate of natural systems; (3) apply the basic concept of the biosphere; and (4)…

Considers the problem of defining quality in English language teacher education, given the diversity of interests and stakeholders in this field and the range of definitions of teaching. Ultimately, quality can be achieved and sustained by attending to process rather than product in training and by developing professional skills and judgment…

The Dutch quality improvement model in higher education has successfully maintained the delicate balance between internal improvement and external accountability, but the faculty's clear ownership of the system (as contrasted with government ownership in some nations) has made continuous quality improvement a dominant feature of the current Dutch…

Until recently there has been little conversation about the most important contribution academe can make to supporting learning. If universities would commit their considerable resources to better preparing the individuals who become elementary and secondary school teachers, they could transform the nation's educational system and stimulate higher…

This paper proposes a framework for evaluating the doctoral curriculum. Noting that much previous research and evaluation in doctoral education have focused on the outputs of the degree or the supervisory process, the paper identifies the content of the training students receive in particular fields of study, the doctoral curriculum, as in need of…

Quality measures were originally developed for research aimed at describing the settings that children spend time in and identifying the characteristics of these environments that contribute to children's development. They were also developed to guide improvements in practice. Increasingly, however, measures of quality are being used for further…

This pamphlet addresses the research related to underachievement of women in science and mathematics and the implications of such underachievement for the nation. Fewer women are graduating in science and engineering and girls continue to score lower than boys on science achievement tests. The brochure stresses that an equitable education makes a…

This pamphlet examines the misconception that one's gender is a significant predictor of abilities and interests. Knowing whether an individual is female or male tells a great deal biologically but very little otherwise. Gender is not a good predictor of academic skills, interests or emotional characteristics. Sections of the pamphlet include: (1)…