This study aims to recommend applications of quality assurance for schools of basic education by analysing the school quality assurance applications of some countries which were successful at international tests and by interviewing university lecturers. This current study first analyses the quality assurance applications used in schools in some…

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) focuses on education and seeks to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education, providing opportunities for all. In this context, it seeks to promote intersectionality (gender and ethnicity) as a fundamental factor in education, and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…

In 2013, the National Academy of Education's (NAEd) report on teacher education program evaluation in the United States provided a substantial synthesis of how the nation approaches quality assurance for teacher education programs (Feuer et al., 2013). The United States, having no federal requirements for such quality assurance, proves to be a…

In an effort to understand the impact of the international education network, Teach for All, this paper focuses on one Teach For All affiliate program, Ako Matatupu/TFNZ (AM/TFNZ), to consider how Teach For All and its affiliates are reshaping notions of teacher expertise and professionalism as it defines itself in contrast to university-based…

This article synthesises findings from two systematic reviews that examined evidence of the link between large-scale assessments (LSAs) and education policy in economically developing countries and in countries of the Asia-Pacific. Analyses summarise evidence of assessment characteristics and policy goals of LSAs that influence education policy,…

"Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki," the ten year strategic plan for early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand, identified reviewing the delivery of professional development as one strategy for "promoting the effective delivery of 'Te Whariki'"(Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 15) within the overall goal of…

The E-Learning Maturity Model (eMM) is a quality improvement framework designed to help institutional leaders assess their institution's e-learning maturity. This paper reviews the eMM, drawing on examples of assessments conducted in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA to show how it helps institutional leaders assess and compare their…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become a policy priority in many countries. A growing body of research recognises that it provides a wide range of benefits, including social and economic benefits, better child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and…

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…

Evaluation of the quality management system (QMS) of the New Zealand Playcentre Federation, provider of early childhood education, found that it helped establish and maintain national standards of quality. Although foundation programs are staffed by volunteers, their flexibility is not limited nor their philosophy threatened by adherence to the…

Parents' views on the goals of early childhood programs and on characteristics of a high quality center were examined in a study that also investigated parents' understandings of quality in three different types of early childhood services. The study was part of a major project on the quality of early childhood centers, which was funded by the New…

This paper examines the problem of defining quality in early childhood centers, the nature of evaluation methods, and the contributions of research to the promotion of high quality. The concept of quality is multidimensional and dynamic, and there is no consensus about a definition of quality in the literature. Quality can be viewed from many…

Linked with professional development programs to support the implementation of Te Whariki, the national early childhood curriculum in New Zealand, a project was designed to: (1) construct a framework for assessment and evaluation in early childhood programs in Aotearoe-New Zealand; and (2) use this framework to develop an evaluation process…

This guide is designed to assist early childhood services in New Zealand to develop quality improvement systems and undertake quality reviews. The guide extends concepts and ideas from the government's Revised Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices (DOPs), Quality in Action, and Te Whariki. Section 1 of the guide explains what a quality…

This report describes the history, features, and basis of bulk funding in New Zealand's early childhood services. The report likens bulk funding to a "quasi voucher" system and reviews research studies and evidence of the impact of bulk funding on kindergartens and childcare centers. The review shows that limited funding has pressured…