The various elements of the management approach to tertiary education (broadly, all institutions of further and higher education maintained by local authorities) are identified, with the principal focus on the general approach known as "Management by Objectives" (MBO). The arguments for and against its use and possible hazards following…

The book, second in a series concerning the habilitation of the severely and profoundly retarded, was compiled to facilitate rapid professional dissemination of reports from the Specialized Training Program at the University of Oregon. Titles and authors in the section "Issues in Habilitation" include "Vocational Training and…

The goals and output evaluation to aid in the effective allocation of scarce resources at the University of Leeds (in Britain) is the focus of the book. The first chapter describes the purpose of the book, defines the terms effectiveness and efficiency, and presents the theoretical background of the study. The following goals and performance…

What is meant by "accountability" varies a great deal. It is not, however, the tools such as merit salary plans, voucher plans, and management techniques that are used to achieve accountability. Accountability has from its earliest days been tied to testing. In discussing testing, it is necessary to discuss the pros and cons of standardized, or…

Competency-based instruction provides the mechanism necessary to implement the democratic and humanitarian philosophies espoused by community colleges. This document discusses the need for competency-based instruction, identifies instructional methods, and provides insights into the curricular ends of this type of instruction. An instructional…

This article presents views of proponents and opponents to standardized tests, isolates the major weakness of testing--questionable validity--and offers several recommendations for the betterment of test development and use. Some major misuses of tests include the following: (a) tests are at times administered with no clear purpose; (b) test…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is bolder than all previous federal education laws, setting ambitious goals for universal student achievement and authorizing severe remedies for schools not reaching them. In a nation where most youngsters are far from proficient in reading and mathematics and where innumerable efforts to boost learning levels…

These papers examine causes of the crisis in school leadership, offering an innovative proposal for a new kind of institution that will train school principals to be turn-around artists. The approach involves close collaboration between the new institution and entire school districts, combining face-to-face instruction with Web-based delivery. Ten…

What really happens in an inspection of a primary school? Some answers to this question, with a focus on the technical and emotional results of such evaluations, are provided in this text. It is based on a research project involving over 80 interviews in 12 case studies of inspections carried out in England. The book, which is intended for primary…

This book suggests that the welfare of children has been routinely subordinated to the interests and supposed rights of various groups of adults (parents, teachers, taxpayers, and advocates). It suggests that a truly child-centered approach to education reform would yield dramatically different conclusions regarding the morality and…

The book inquires into social purposes of schools and the translation of these purposes into educational goals, the functions of schools, and the aims of education. The author advances the thesis that schools are educational institutions. Chapter 2 discusses how social purposes have emerged in light of current realities, and distinguishes between…

This book examines the relationship between higher education and state and federal government and proposes the deregulation of higher education. The book notes that deregulation works in preserving and sometimes increasing quality and in maintaining access and diversity, although it does not automatically reduce costs. Part 1 presents the case for…

This book explores what makes a school excellent. Schools are considered excellent, "good enough," or bad, depending upon multiple factors; "good enough" implies that a school could be doing better. The use and misuse of testing and educational assessment are discussed. Academic assessment based on multiple measures is recommended over high-stakes…

This collection of papers examines the hidden risks that teacher researchers may face in action research. There are 12 papers in three parts. Part 1, "School-Based Researchers," includes: (1) "Drafting Ethical Guidelines for Teacher Research in Schools" (Marian M. Mohr); (2) "'Tuesday Night' Revisited: Learning to Survive" (Leslie Turner Minarik);…

The selections in this volume explore the debates surrounding issues of affordability, access, and accountability in higher education. The contributors identify these issues as the three key policy issues facing public higher education in the opening years of the new century. Following an introduction, "The Changing Dynamics of Affordability,…