A study of 27 Fortune 500 companies established benchmarking as a continuous quality improvement tool used in implementing exemplary work force diversity practices. Applicable in educational settings as well, it is a lifelong educational process for the individual and the organization. (JOW)

The following methods for selecting similar units in performance monitoring are compared: (1) cluster groupings; (2) index groups; and (3) benchmark groups. Advantages and drawbacks of each method are presented, with a discussion that demonstrates the statistical superiority of the benchmark grouping method. (SLD)

Survey responses from 49 of 96 nursing programs at institutions with Carnegie classifications Doctoral I, Research I, or Research II indicated that Research I universities had 1.5 to 2 times more personnel resources per student than the other two groups. Doctoral I and Research II programs resembled each other. (SK)

Most U.S. students are failing to learn much that is useful in science, mathematics, and technology. Curricula must emphasize depth of knowledge, not breadth of information. Two American Association for the Advancement of Science reports stress basic, universal scientific literacy, curriculum benchmarks, foundations for further study, and…

Used an innovative benchmarking research methodology including surveys and site visits to identify best practices at selected adult-centered institutions. Distilled findings into one overarching theme, "Adult learner centered institutions have a culture in which flexibility, individuation, and adult-centered learning drive institutional practice,"…

Highlights classroom techniques that educators can use to promote intelligent, probing discussions on topics such as technology, human society, group behavior, social change, social conflicts, and global interdependence. Describes the graded discussion method. (SAH)

Discusses the use of benchmarking in managing enrollment. Using a case study, illustrates how benchmarking can help administrators develop strategies for planning and implementing admissions and pricing practices. (EV)

Discusses the use of benchmarking in student affairs, focusing on issues related to student housing. Provides examples of how benchmarking has influenced administrative practice at many institutions. (EV)

A study of 20 graduate students learning distance education methods found that great variance in idnviudal competence at course begining moved to similar levels at course end. Open-ended verification of competence using behavioral anchors worked well as a self-assessment and benchmarking tool to document growth in learning. (Contains 19…

Factor and regression analyses of data from 241 business students found clear differences between grade point average (GPA) and Major Field Test in Business scores. GPA had strong internal validity and reflected performance in the context of institutional priorities. The test had greater external validity and enabled benchmarking against national…

Discusses the kinds of texts that are appropriate for students at various stages of their reading development and shares criteria for determining the difficulty levels of early reading materials. Lists five general considerations: vocabulary, size and layout of print, predictability, illustration support, and complexity of concepts. (SG)

We investigate the relationship between the widening participation performance indicators adopted in UK higher education (HE) and the government's objective of increasing overall HE participation rates. We critically assess the development of performance monitoring in HE and identify weaknesses in the current performance indicators from the…

The success of standards-based education systems depends on 2 elements: strong standards, and assessments that measure what the standards expect. States that have or adopt test-based accountability programs claim that their tests are aligned to their standards. But there has been up to now no independent methodology for checking alignment. This…

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to evaluate the performance of top US business school in maintaining reputation among members of the academic and business communities. The authors generate efficiency measures and identify peers against which underperforming schools should benchmark.

Purpose: To develop a method for benchmarking teaching and learning in response to an institutional need to validate a new program in Dentistry at the University of Sydney, Australia. Design/methodology/approach: After a collaborative partner, University of Adelaide, was identified, the areas of teaching and learning to be benchmarked, PBL…