This article presents the development process of a consumer-oriented, illustrative benchmarking tool enabling consumers to use the results of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) to make informed decisions. LCA provides a wealth of information on the environmental impacts of products, but its results are very difficult to present concisely…

The political philosophy (from the U.S. Declaration of Independence) that "all men are created equal" succinctly captures the "raison d'etre" and phenomenal successes of American higher education. Today, the deepest commitment to this idea of fair play is affordable access to a higher education that offers the opportunity to cultivate knowledge,…

Based on Penn State's popular "Innovation Insights" series, this book brings together in one handy reference nearly a decade of tried and true insights into continuous quality improvements in higher education. Their five-step model for integrating planning, assessment, and improvement moves plans off the shelf and into the weekly and daily…

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a strong network of committed colleagues to launch an initiative like "SENSE." From its conception in fall 2006 to the first national administration in fall 2009, the Survey of Entering Student Engagement ("SENSE") has been supported by key individuals and groups, without whom there would have been…

This paper advocates a strategy of "full informational capture" to ensure that digital objects rich enough to be useful over time are created in the most cost-effective manner. Digital benchmarking is a systematic procedure to forecast a likely outcome. The benchmarking approach can be applied across the full continuum of the…

Success by Eight is a pilot program of the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools for students in kindergarten through grade 2. The initiative is designed to provide a group of six pilot schools with training and additional resources in implementing a specific set of components to prepare students for the third grade. These components are: (1)…

Discusses ways to evaluate school library media programs and how to demonstrate quality. Topics include how principals evaluate programs; sources of evaluative data; national, state, and local instruments; surveys and interviews; Colorado benchmarks; evaluating the use of electronic resources; and computer reporting options. (LRW)

Explains the reasons for the British Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education's benchmark statements providing a background on the benchmarks and a discussion on the preparation of the benchmarks. Introduces the articles within the symposium called the "Benchmark Standards for Higher Education." (CMK)

Provides a copy of the British benchmark statements for geography in higher education by the Quality Assurance Agency. Includes the introduction, aims of an honors program, knowledge and understanding, student skills, abilities and attributes, processes and contexts of learning, assessment, standards and levels of achievement, and the conclusion.…

Reviews the benchmark statements of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the United Kingdom. Examines the various sections within the benchmark. States that in terms of emphasizing the positive attributes of the geography discipline the statements have wide utility and applicability. (CMK)

Discussion of the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in higher education and academic libraries focuses on the identification, collection, and use of reliable data. Methods for measuring quality, including benchmarking, are described; performance measures are considered; and benchmarking techniques are examined. (11 references) (MES)

Project 2061's first product, Science for All Americans, recommends the science, mathematics, and technology skills and knowledge that students should retain after high school graduation. Soon to appear are benchmarks for science literacy, and blocks, models, and blueprints for curriculum design. The project's basic premises: the ends come first,…

Changing the culture of a college is the first and most critical step toward successful change. The Community College of Denver (CCD) has created a culture that is sustained by a heartfelt shared belief in the primacy of student success, and that has produced remarkable improvements in student success outcomes. (PGS)

Applies an established model of organizational alignment to distance education in postsecondary institutions and recommends performance-oriented approaches to support growth by analyzing goals, structure, and management practices across the organization. Presents performance improvement strategies such as benchmarking and documenting workflows,…

Identifies and discusses the myriad perspectives on measures of quality and benchmarking in distance education. Reviews the standards or benchmarks of quality that have been promulgated by various stakeholder groups. (EV)