This book contains 24 essays addressing higher education evaluation and published in the International Journal of Institutional Management in Higher Education between 1979 and 1986. They are as follows: "The Evaluation of Higher Education: An Introductory Note" (Maurice Kogan); "Allocation of Public Funds on Instructional Performance/Quality…

A project was developed to identify issues affecting the relationships between minority communities and vocational schools in Massachusetts. Meetings with members of the project's advisory committee and three 1-day conferences involving more than 300 persons and organizations were organized. Five major categories of issues were identified: access,…

Pending legislation for the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act mandates the development of performance indicators or standards, which are also called educational indicators, quality indicators, outcome indicators, performance standards, and performance measures. There is general agreement that indicators or standards…

These standards are provided to promote the achievement of excellence in Maryland's public school prekindergarten programs. To that end, this document delineates standards of quality and provides a list of indicators that concretely describe what a program will look like if the standards are being met. The standards and indicators address seven…

Views of the chief academic officers at Minnesota colleges concerning assessment were surveyed. Responses were received from 17 private colleges, 5 University of Minnesota campuses, 7 state universities, 18 community colleges, and 33 area vocational-technical institutes. For each type of institution, survey results are presented concerning: the…

Summaries of conference discussions on state funding of public higher education are presented. Attention is directed to the practice and the context of state funding. The following topics are addressed: current state priorities and relationships between state government and publicly-supported institutions, funding for quality, incentives in the…

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) together with the American Association for Higher Education recently conducted five case studies of state-based approaches to assessment in undergraduate education in Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Virginia. The case studies, in turn, are part of the Missouri Governor John Ashcroft's…

California's goals for postsecondary education and major environmental factors that influence the attainment of these goals are reviewed. Goals stated by the California Postsecondary Education Commission are to provide access for residents to participate in the type of undergraduate education for which they are qualified, without restrictions due…

As part of the Maryland Accountability Program, basic skills test scores were used to identify eighteen high residual (HRS) and twelve low residual (LRS) elementary schools--schools with generally high or low student achievement. Questionnaires were administered to teachers, principals, students, and teacher aides to identify susbstantial…

Six essays are collected on the subject of the quality of institutions and their instruction. In "When Does a College Deserve to be called 'High Quality'," by Alexander W. Astin, various perspectives of quality are outlined and commented upon: the mystical view, reputational view, resources view, outcomes view, and value-added view. Problems with…

Otis R. Bowen, Governor of Indiana, presents his view of the role of statewide boards of higher education. After reviewing suggestions proposed by an earlier speaker, Bowen focuses on four areas deemed important for statewide boards. The first area is scope; it is suggested that a review of existing programs be made to assess the viability of the…

There is currently a conflict between educational accountability and the distrust of standardized testing. Concern for the quality of education is based on evidence of students' academic dificiencies, the decline in test scores, and increasing education costs and school taxes. As a result of criticism, states have mandated, or are considering,…

The downward trend in educational quality, as evidenced by sinking Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and other evaluatory measures, is examined. Both secondary school teachers and university faculty are held accountable for lowering academic standards, and much critical attention is paid to the precipitant implementation of innovative educational…

Since 1970, in response to a variety of external and internal pressures, many postsecondary institutions have undertaken projects to improve the quality of undergraduate education by rethinking what is involved in a liberal education and revising the process as well as the content of the education they offer. Innovative programs, instructional…

In this 1971 annual report of the National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children, the Council had as its central concern the question: "What is best for the children?" Instead of another Title I ESEA evaluative survey, the Council concentrated on three elements affecting the success of Title I -- delivery of…