In 1993, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Board started the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education to establish a framework of standards by which their field is valued. Since then, the project has produced a series of "Guidelines" to help people produce quality EE. Just as importantly, the…

Purpose: The paper aims to describe research undertaken in two post-1992 universities into staff perceptions of and reactions to the rhetoric of the national quality agenda in the UK as expressed by bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency and the discourse about quality implicit in that agenda. The research examined how academic staff engaged…

This easy-to-use introduction explores all of the contemporary issues and enduring themes in physical education, focusing on the United Kingdom but incorporating a global dimension. The wide range of topics covered include: (1) the requirements of National Curriculum Physical Education; (2) the current "state" of physical education; (3)…

The title of this document is a deliberate play on the title of the biennial reports on the progress of Bologna produced by the European Students' Union, "Bologna With Student Eyes." It is a way of paying tribute to student involvement in the Bologna reforms, and marking a parallel student working participation in the state system…

The NASPE STARS program is a national recognition program featuring three levels of excellence to recognize outstanding physical education programs in K-12 schools across America. The criteria for the award are based on the essential elements that are necessary for a quality physical education program, as defined by the published national…

UK universities are widely regarded as being among the best in the world. Maintaining the highest academic quality and standards is crucial to that reputation. This paper explains how universities ensure that students can have confidence that the time and money that they invest in their education are well spent. The UK model for assuring quality…

This article discusses methodological issues in relation to models of quality assurance for higher education. It first traces the historical development of the widely adopted pragmatic model and shows how this model has been adapted by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) for the South African context. It then sets out some basic tenets…

Approximately 1,200 institutions of higher education in the United States offer a degree in early childhood education, but recent research questions the strength of the relationship between teachers having a degree and benefits to child development and learning. However, there has been little empirical focus on the "quality" of degree programs.…

The background and status of efforts toward the development of national educational quality standards for Scotland are discussed. Issues covered include relationships between English and Scottish efforts, information provided by the Scottish Education Department, problems with local-level authorities, and the use of qualitative versus quantitative…

The background and status of efforts toward development of national educational quality standards for Israel are discussed. Major factors affecting the national situation include the relative youth and small size of the nation, centralization of the educational system, and the democratic value system of the country. (TJH)

Discusses aspects of the National Standards for Excellence in Business Education: format, organization of the standards into topic areas, how to use the standards, how to interpret and use results, the impact of the standards on business education, and how to obtain the standards. (CT)

This article presents an excerpt from "Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education. Second Edition." The purpose of the excerpt and the document as a whole is to present content standards for what a student should know and be able to do as a result of a quality physical education program. The K-12 National Physical Education…

This article offers an analysis of recent development in primary education, in particular the prevailing climate of performativity and new initiatives on creativity. Since 1989 education has been dominated by the performativity discourse accompanied by the obsession with evidence: of children's learning; of teachers' performance; and of student…

Reviews the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) national standards and guidelines for physical activity and discusses effective approaches to physical education: time for practice, appropriate practice, content sequencing, cognitive engagement, and task-specific communication. (Contains 54 references.) (JOW)

Recommends setting national standards for high-quality early childhood education and care; cites research which proves the value of quality early childhood experiences; considers teacher-child ratios and other issues relevant to teachers; and discusses differences in regulations across states and the licensing caseload burden of state regulators.…