The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, influential in middle-grades policy, advocates a three tiered approach envisioning high-performing schools as academically rigorous, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable. This report discusses pioneering programs, critics' concerns, exemplary Michigan programs, and urban schools'…

Review of quality assurance programs in higher education in developing countries considers best practices, the relationship of quality assurance to economic development, characteristics of universities in developing countries, and barriers to quality assurance activities in these countries. Stresses that quality assurance programs in developing…

Examines popular approaches to performance and organizational improvement to see what flaws they contain and how continued practice will impede progress. Discusses benchmarking; quality management/continuous improvement; needs assessment; training; downsizing; reengineering; system(s) approach; and strategic planning. Describes the Organizational…

Discusses the application of Vygotskian principles in a teacher developmental education program, particularly the idea of teacher self-identification in culture. Defines the international perspectives in the development of the cultural historical concept. (MMU)

Presents three specific curriculum recommendations that have been implemented at one counseling psychology program to increase the didactic and experiential scientific core. Recommendations include requiring an ongoing research practicum, a qualitative methodology course, and an advanced integrative research design course specific to the…

Propositions about what works in program evaluation are presented: (1) evaluators should be involved from the beginning; (2) evaluation should be based on explicit programmatic theory; (3) quasi-experimental designs must have high internal validity; and (4) evaluators must combat the deterioration of experimental control that occurs in…

Explains how faculty at Quinnipiac College reconceptualized developmental English and designed a new program that provides additional instructional time within the regular freshman English course. Finds that developmental students are better motivated and achieve growth in reading and writing commensurate with students who had a prior semester of…

The 21st-century integrated curriculum will be based not on themes, but on broad, unchanging concepts. The concept-based curriculum will require teaching of necessary language arts and other skills as needed for in-depth concept study. This approach offers common learning for all students by broadening specific objectives of many subject areas.…

A survey of 150 full-time faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and part-time instructors and 140 students at a public research university led to recommendations for a teacher development program based on respondents' expressed needs and institutional needs. Twelve essential steps in the needs assessment process are discussed as a model for…

Presents arguments of media scholars and analysts in support of the implementation of media-literacy programs, juxtaposed with examples of how to critique media offerings. Highlights include justification for media literacy, discussion of the effect of message packaging on meaning, and illustrations that seeing is not believing. (AEF)

Describes the development process of program evaluation at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University, The Netherlands and the problem-based legal curriculum used at the school. Provides some preliminary findings and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the current program evaluation system as a tool of internal quality management. (SLD)

Based on work by the European Union's PHARE Multi-Country Programme in Distance Education, explores: (1) contextual issues related to the development of open and distance learning and the changing nature of higher education; (2) developments across Europe and associated problems; and (3) possible solutions in Central and Eastern Europe related to…

Discusses the history of a collaboration between an academic department and student affairs on a university campus. Provides details regarding the development and evaluation of a sexual assault prevention and counseling program. Highlights the advantages to this collaboration for both the psychology department and student affairs. Discusses…

Higher education institutions are responding to globalisation in various ways. This study describes and analyses challenges encountered in a recent case of global collaboration between four universities on different continents in developing a web-based master's program. The key issue was how to develop programs in a way that is fair for the…

It is well established that children of problem drinkers have an increased risk of developing mental health problems, including drinking and drug misuse problems, depression, eating disorders, conduct disorders, and delinquency. However, compared to the hundreds of studies that have examined the effects of parental problem drinking on their…