This compendium, a deliverable for "Assessments for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning with Preschool/Elementary-School Children," focuses on tools to assess the social and emotional learning (SEL) of preschool and elementary school students (i.e., five- to ten-year-olds), along with aspects of the contexts in which they learn and…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to aim to develop a deeper understanding of the teaching qualities of effective lecturers that students desire and to uncover the constructs that underlie these desire expectations and reveal the underlying benefits for which students look. Design/methodology/approach: A semi-standardized qualitative…

The credentialist thesis is applied to high school graduation requirements by tracing their transformation according to societal demand. Because of demands for further education and academic excellence, secondary education presently occupies a modest position in American status aspirations and has encumbered its curricula with unrestricted…

The "2011 State Preschool Yearbook" is the newest edition of our annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest "Yearbook" presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2010-2011 school year as well as documenting a decade of progress since the first…

The Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP), part of the U.S. Department of Education, is one of the most important federal mechanisms for recognizing quality in education. Although it has reviewed close to 700 projects in its 15-year history, the JDRP is still not widely known in the field of evaluation. This paper analyzes the JDRP process and…

Private and public secondary schools were studied to compare differences in student results on the American College Test. Students in accredited and nonaccredited schools, and city and county schools were compared. The performance of students in schools that utilize different organizational patterns was assessed. Results are discussed. (DF)

Examines the school choice process from both pupils' and parents' points of view. Reveals that students' choice of a school designed for technical instruction was not necessarily based on the greater technological emphasis offered. Found little connection between school quality and parental school choice and no connection between school quality…

Purpose: To analyze the main elements of continuous improvement (CI) in higher education and the concerns of academia's stakeholders in the implementation of such an approach. Suggests guidelines for the development of a culture more receptive to the implementation and maintenance of a CI approach in higher education. Design/methodology/approach:…

Synopses of six conference presentations are provided in this pamphlet, dealing with the theme of leadership and professional standards in university settings and the influence of social and technological challenges. In "Leadership and Team Building: Key Ingredients to the Institutional Research Role of the Future," Robert L. Taylor…

The purpose of this review was to assess the scope and quality of existing audiovisual materials on the United States Constitution available for use in secondary grades 7 to 12. A panel of six educators reviewed 87 audiovisual programs and found that the scope of coverage emphasizes 2 major areas: major principles of the Constitution and appraisal…

College faculty may be able to improve their teaching effectiveness by a reallocation of the inputs devoted to teaching (e.g., using student evaluations early in the course), by increasing the level of the resources used in teaching, or by changing the characteristics of the inputs (teaching practicums, seminars, or sabbaticals). (Author/RM)

"Alternative certification" is a general term for nontraditional avenues that lead to teacher licensure. Alternative teacher certification programs (ACPs) are generally geared toward aspiring teachers who already have a baccalaureate degree but who require additional education methods coursework and classroom experience. Such programs vary in…

Results of two empirical studies of factors affecting academic quality give insight into ways in which educational costs, quality factors, and institutional structure increase or restrict productivity. It is found that evaluation of academic productivity is complex because of difficulties in determining inputs and outputs. Useful improvement…

This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

Since 1989, the United States Agency for International Development (AID) Africa bureau has operated under an Agency-wide Congressional Basic Education earmark, which specifically required the creation of five new basic education programs in sub-Saharan Africa between 1989 and 1991. The Bureau exceeded that goal by initiating primary education…