Beginning with the earliest efforts to regulate schools, the author reveals the rationale behind accountability and outlines the historical development of how US federal and state policies, accreditation practices, private-sector interests, and internal requirements have become so important to institutional success and survival

As higher education becomes a key determinant for economic competitiveness, institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate their fitness to meet the needs of society and individuals. Blending innovative research with richly contextualised examples this unique Research Handbook provides authoritative insights from around the globe on how best to understand, assess and improve quality, performance and accountability in higher education.

This comprehensive volume clarifies the historical, technical, and philosophical details present in the various quality assurance theories and policy systems of the American higher education system. The authors, E. Grady Bogue and Kimberely Bingham Hall, examine the theories of quality, including goal achievement, outcomes, value-added impacts, and reputation. They trace the philosophical heritage and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of quality assurance policy systems such as accreditation, rankings and ratings, outcomes, licensure, program reviews, follow-up studies, and total quality management. They also recommend a set of policy principles for improving their integration and effectiveness. Besides offering the details of policy systems for defining, developing, and demonstrating quality, this work also delves into the moral and ethical issues inherent in quality measures of higher education institutions. Bogue and Hall assert that quality cannot exist without integrity in personnel, policies, and programs. Political and academic officers must work together more closely in order to design appropriate collegiate accountability systems. Administrators, professors, and government leaders would all benefit from this thorough analysis of past and present quality assurance programs and the subsequent recommendations for future policies.

This book examines current practices in assessment of learning and accountability at a time when accrediting boards, the federal government and state legislatures are requiring higher education to account for such outcomes as student retention, graduation, and learning.

Meet calls for increased quality and understand accreditation expectations Author Linda Suskie is internationally recognized for her work in higher education assessment, and she is a former vice president of a major regional accreditor. In Five Dimensions of Quality: A Common Sense Guide to Accreditation and Accountability in Higher Education she provides a simple, straightforward model for understanding and meeting the calls for increased quality in higher education ever-present in today's culture. Whether your institution is seeking accreditation or not, the five dimensions she outlines will help you to identify ways to improve institutional quality and demonstrate that quality to constituents. For those wading through the accreditation process, which has become more difficult in recent years due to increasing regulation and pressure for greater accountability, Suskie offers expert guidance on understanding the underlying principles of the expectations of accrediting bodies. Using the model presented here, which is much easier to understand than the sometimes complex resources provided by individual accrediting bodies, American colleges and universities can understand what they need to do to earn and maintain their regional accreditation as well as improve overall institutional quality for their students. You'll be able to: Identify ways to improve institutional quality Demonstrate the quality of your institution to internal and external constituents Avoid wasting time and energy on misguided institutional processes to comply with accreditation requirements By focusing on why colleges and universities should take particular actions rather than only on what those actions should be, Five Dimensions of Quality gives them the knowledge and strategies to prepare for a successful review. It is an ideal resource for leaders, accreditation committee members, and everyone on campus.

This study addresses debates on academic standards and quality assurance from the perspectives of institutional leaders, national quality bodies and higher education researchers. It includes the results of studies of the impact of external quality assurance upon management and decision making.

The study of educational leadership makes little sense unless it is in relation to who the leaders are, how they are leading, what is being led and with what effect. Based on the premise that learning is at the heart of leadership and that leaders themselves should be learners, the Leadership for Learning series explores the connections between educational leadership, policy, curriculum, human resources, and accountability. Each book in the series approaches its subject matter through a three-fold structure of process, themes and impact. Series Editors - Clive Dimmock, Mark Brundrett and Les Bell What is the role of leadership in developing strategies that enhance learning outcomes? Leadership for Quality and Accountability in Education addresses the interconnected issues of quality and accountability in the education system and provides a coherent framework within which these issues can be analysed. The authors outline the significance of promoting quality in all educational establishments and go on to discuss why quality and accountability have become so essential to the framework of leadership in education, how quality and accountability have been utilised on a national and international scale and what the defining characteristics of these terms are. The book is divided into three sections which explore three linked key aspects: Part I focuses on the concept and nature of quality and accountability and the process of developing a culture of quality; Part II addresses the issues of managing staff and resources, leadership for high-quality teaching and learning and relationships with stakeholders; Part III considers the impact and prospect of quality and accountability, including internal evaluation and external inspection. The book will appeal to educational leaders and managers, advisors and inspectors, and academic researchers. It will also be of particular relevance to Masters and doctoral degree students specialising in school leadership and management.