Between 1989 and 1991, the Planning, Development and Evaluation (PDE) Committee of Washtenaw Community College (Michigan) designed a faculty assessment process focusing on professional development and academic planning. It is an approach in which all educators (faculty and administrators) work together, using the PDE system to continually define…

New state laws and regulations designed to improve teacher quality are described in this policy brief. The new policies represent eight strategies for dealing with teaching quality issues: testing and screening; teacher compensation; preservice training and certification; staff development; enhanced management and supervision; teacher job…

Despite complaints from undergraduate students concerning language and pedagogical skills of international teaching assistants (ITAs), institutions of higher education continue to appoint ITAs to teach. Legislative mandates have appeared to assess and improve language and pedagogical skills of ITAs, and the academies have likewise responded with…

This paper explores the issues surrounding quality in higher education and its necessary adaptation to the online world of educational delivery. A historical perspective on quality standards is presented, and characteristics of recent models for quality control are outlined. Quality-related issues in Walden University's (Minnesota) two new online,…

This publication is a guide to assessing the subject-matter competence of prospective physical education teachers in California. The guide was developed as part of a statewide response to legislated entry and exit standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. An introduction describes the regulations and executive order, which are…

Structuring the initial teacher employment interview adds validity to selection and appropriately utilizes human resources. Five aspects of an effective interview program include: (1) developing a job analysis plan; (2) reviewing the applications; (3) planning for the interview; (4) the interview instrument; and (5) legal implications. An…

Students at West Virginia University pursuing teaching certification in special education in the areas of mental retardation, learning disabilities, or behavior disorders complete a practicum experience. As many of the students are off-campus in rural areas and are employed full-time in teaching positions, a heavy demand was created for…

A program training model used at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to prepare special education graduate and undergraduate students to work with paraprofessionals is described. Topics addressed include the following: (1) improvement of instruction and services to handicapped students through use of paraprofessionals; (2) significant role of…

This report discusses the Quality Assurance Program at the OSU/WOSC School of Education, a merged school serving Oregon State University and Western Oregon State College. This major reform in teacher education is designed to bring a high level of accountability to teacher education and is called a "Warranty of First-Year Teachers." If,…

Eight priority recommendations are outlined for attracting and preparing teachers, developing the new teachers, improving the teaching climate, and rewarding effective teaching. Consideration is given to issues related to effective teaching within the framework of seven areas: (l) early student interest; (2) entry into teacher education; (3)…

As a response to demands for educational accountability, a contingency contracting model was developed at Prince George's Community College (Maryland). This human process-oriented system of accountability contains both planning and evaluation processes. The planning processes include development of goals and objectives based on assessment of the…

Management-by-objectives (MBO) focuses attention on objectives stated as end accomplishments rather than the activities which bring about those accomplishments. MBO identifies eight major areas of management which become involved in the process: (1) planning, (2) performance appraisal, (3) individual motivation, (4) coordination, (5) control, (6)…

Objectives of the Rockford Elementary Career Education Project and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) network were used as an organizing framework to discuss project accomplishments. Statements, data, findings, and discussions are presented for the nine project objectives which involved all 57 elementary schools in the Rockford…

This booklet presents information to international visitors on higher education in the United States. Section 1, "Introduction to U.S. Higher Education, Its Governance, Administration, and Accreditation," discusses: federal government and state roles; types of institutions of higher education; administrative structure; and accreditation, quality,…

This paper describes the transformation of Idaho State University's teacher education program in response to various initiatives regarding educational change. The transformation process involved framing a standards-based preparation program. Developers created a Core Standards for Beginning Teachers that established exit outcomes for prospective…