The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) surveys, which take place every three years, have been designed to collect information about 15-year-old students in participating countries. PISA examines how well students are prepared to meet the challenges of the future,…

Two years into an aggressive expansion plan, Aspire Public Schools was on track in terms of school openings, but behind on its goals to add a layer of management. The schools were performing well, but the nonprofit's leaders were stretched paper thin and concerned about the organization's ability to perform in the face of more growth. Determined…

In many countries in both the Mediterranean region and the European Union (EU), interest in the quality of, and improvements to, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems has increased progressively in recent years. The main reason underlying this interest is a growing awareness of the key role played by education and training…

In this publication ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) has taken the opportunity to bring together two distinct but related reports. Part 1 examines the language of European quality assurance. It grew out of the debates and discussions at an ENQA workshop in Warwick in June 2006. The success of the workshop…

UK universities are widely regarded as being among the best in the world. Maintaining the highest academic quality and standards is crucial to that reputation. This paper explains how universities ensure that students can have confidence that the time and money that they invest in their education are well spent. The UK model for assuring quality…

This Supplement has been prepared to be used with U.S. Office of Education Bulletin 1939, No. 2, which is the latest complete bulletin of accredited secondary schools in the United States. It shows under each State: First, names of schools which should be added to the corresponding lists (both local and regional) in the bulletin; next, those which…

This study adopted Jarzabkowski's (2005) qualitative, activity-based strategy as practice method to investigate leadership and management of interdisciplinary work. Interviews were conducted with 10 academics in Australia and the United Kingdom. Challenges raised by leaders of academic work can be grouped at various levels according to which…

Continuous quality improvement is the clarion call across all business schools which is driving the emphasis on assessing the attainment of learning outcomes. An issue that deems special attention in assurance of learning outcomes is related to consistency across courses and, more specifically, across multiple sections of the same course taught by…

States have made tremendous progress in developing longitudinal data systems that can track student progress and answer critical policy questions. However, more work is needed, particularly on certain elements. Data on course-taking and grades (element 6), college readiness test scores (element 7), and other feedback from post-secondary…

With the increase in student numbers and political concern to ensure fair access to higher education, universities have been reviewing their admissions processes in order to improve their transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. The process contains relatively discrete activities--applications and admissions--in which both the applicants and…

This paper considers endeavors to disseminate distance higher education in the Arab region. In particular, three different structures are examined: distance education programs provided by traditional universities, open or distance education universities offering only programs from a distance, and a virtual university. Shortcomings of these…

This publication follows the August 2007 publication of the final report of the Joint Quality Review Group (JQRG) of the Scottish Funding Council members. The JQRG report: "sets out the Joint Quality Review Group's final proposals for quality enhancement and assurance processes in the college and university sectors." The overall model…

This document supplements the advice given in "How good is our school?" (HGIOS)--third edition and "The Child at the Centre"--second edition which set out comprehensive quality frameworks and provide helpful advice on the process of improvement through self-evaluation. In particular, this document provides advice on the…

This document represents an innovative and radical landmark in the development of external quality arrangements for Scotland's colleges. The quality framework and arrangements for annual engagement, subject-based aspect reports, and external review reflect new thinking nationally, within HMIE, in the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding…

In a field as complex as educational technology, conflict is common; consensus is not. Yet there is widespread agreement on at least one point: A more organized and persuasive body of evidence on technology's benefits to classroom practice is needed. The current climate calling for accountability through evidence-based research has been building…