Debate exists over the appropriate role of the regional accreditation agency in higher education. Some feel the agencies do colleges and universities a favor by holding them to specific standards, and others feel the agencies were not intended for a consumer protection function. Accreditation criteria, quantifiable and subjective, are also…

This report presents a description of the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) program. RESAs are organizations established to provide a range of educational services on a regional basis by combining some of the educational resources flowing to existing agencies. Funds for RESAs may come from federal,…

The third of three conference reports contains (1) a paper citing the needs for and discussing the characteristics, functions, and benefits of area educational service agencies, (2) panel discussion questions and answers concerning area educational districts, (3) questions and answers concerning the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services plan…

Discusses limitations of the conventional role of regional accreditation, organizational changes that lead to an improvement in educational quality, and the role of accreditation in promoting such organizational changes. Offers recommendations for increasing the impact of accreditation (e.g., more differentiated standards, more clout for…

The major purpose of this descriptive report is to provide an overview of the structure, capacity, and roles of educational service agencies (ESAs) across five states--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin--in the Great Lakes region, within the context of the broader statewide systems of support for educational improvement and progress.…

Discusses the role of regional accreditation associations in assuring quality control in distance education for higher education and considers changes due to emerging new technologies. Highlights include standards for traditional regional accreditation, the process of regional accreditation, and accommodations for distance-education programming.…

This report presents the results of a Rapid Feedback Evaluation focused on 1) policy questions raised by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) concerning its Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) program, and 2) future ARC strategies for evaluating and monitoring RESAs. RESAs are organizations established to provide a range of educational…

The document reports on a meeting of Asian social science policy experts sponsored by UNESCO. The objectives of the meeting were to review the basic elements of the social science policies of countries in Asia and Oceania, to examine the feasibility of establishing a Regional Centre for Social Science Research, and to make recommendations for…

The proceedings of the 1979 annual meeting of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges begins by listing the officers, trustees, and commissioners of the association, and outlining the program of the meeting. The minutes from the Commission on Schools include reports from: the state committees of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon,…

This paper discusses Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). There are currently 655 area agencies which were created by the 1973 amendments to the Older American Act that plan, coordinate, and pool resources for the aged. The act mandated specific goals; however, because the AAA must have external support to survive, they have had to take into account…

Papers in this publication deal with the needs of local communities for answers to their development questions, the needs of action agencies for assistance in determining appropriate development strategies, the ability of universities to respond to these needs, and problems in responding to community and agency needs. Tony Byrne, mayor of Natchez,…

Presented in 1970 at the National Training Institute for Vocational and Related Personnel, this paper discusses the current and severe problems of rural America. It is noted that, although declining, the American rural population is one of the world's largest rural populations. The document states that the obvious characteristics of rural America…

The ways in which accrediting team members perceive their role and make decisions were surveyed and approaches for improving the process were analyzed. The policy and procedures statements of the regional commissions were evaluated and a mail survey of a sample of evaluators was undertaken. Evaluators from five regional associations provided…

The directory details formal and informal agencies and organizations and the programs and projects through which they provide services to rural populations in the United States and its territories. The book gives the level at which a program is offered, its primary focus, and its target population. The book's major divisions are based on program…

The meaning of accreditation and how it has evolved is discussed, and the relationship between accrediting agencies and the federal government is examined. Accrediting agencies derive from the federal government the power to designate which school shall be eligible for federal student assistance programs and/or a national recognition and stimulus…