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Benchmarking Education Standards
Abstract
Recently, standards have become the currency of education reform efforts in the U.S. However, there is no international consensus on what constitutes “world-class” education. The New Standards Project has designed research to describe standards in other countries by using the case-study approach of ethnography to collect data (e.g., curricula, texts, exams, student work, and professional views). The review/analysis of the data is organized by a set of fundamental questions, the answers to which constitute a contextualized account of what students are expected to know and be able to do.
... The main objective of benchmarking is to find the key or secret of success from an educational institution that is the best in its class and then adapt and improve it to be applied to institutions that carry out benchmarking in various field (Resnick et al., 1995). Benchmarking is not just collecting data but, more importantly, the secret behind the performance achievement that can be seen in the data obtained. ...
In management and institutional development, modification of the Islamic education curriculum is a must because of the times' demands and globalization's development. Therefore, pesantren need curriculum and learning management that follows the needs of the times and becomes a bridge for achieving the vision and mission of the institution. This article seeks to understand the form of curriculum and learning management in the context of modernizing the education and learning governance system in line with the times at Tarbiyatul Mu'allimien Al-Islamiyah (TMI) Al-Amien Prenduan. The approach used in this study is a qualitative research approach with a case study type of research. At the same time, the data analysis technique used in this study is the data analysis technique of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, which consists of data condensation, data display, and data verification. The results of the study show that the distinctiveness of the modernization of Islamic educational institutions through curriculum management and learning at Tarbiyatul Mu'allimien Al-Islamiyah (TMI) Al-Amien Prenduan is carried out through external benchmarking activities in the fields of curriculum development and learning, curriculum development and program variations, and organizing education compelling character. The application of curriculum and learning management at TMI Wanita Al-Amien Prenduan also refers to three essential activities in students' daily lives. These activities are organized into intra-curricular, extra-curricular, and co-curricular activities.
... Benchmarking in academia is nothing new as most schools look at what their peers or aspiring schools are doing to benchmark their programs. Concerns about benchmarking higher education to provide better quality education and preparation for students entering the job market surfaced as early as 1995 (Resnick et al., 1995;Alstete, 1995). Alstete (1995) noted the link between the quality of the education process and the ability of students to meet new challenges in their respective career fields. ...
Purpose
This paper aims to provide the results of a survey of supply chain management (SCM) courses in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large-scale study of undergraduate SCM course syllabi taught at universities.
Design/methodology/approach
The unit of analysis is an SCM syllabus. Content analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course coverage including requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. This aggregated information was used to compare historical research findings in this area, with the current skills identified as important for career success. This data provides the input for a gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners.
Findings
Data gathering efforts yielded a sample of 109 undergraduate courses representing 79 schools across North America. The aggregate number of topics covered in undergraduate courses totaled 120. The primary evaluation techniques include exams, projects and homework. Details regarding content and assessment techniques are provided along with a gap analysis between the coverage of supply chain courses and the needs identified by previous academic research.
Originality/value
This study is the first large-scale content analysis of undergraduate SCM course syllabi. The goal is to use this data as a means of continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience on a longitudinal basis. The findings are designed to foster information sharing and provide data for benchmarking efforts in the development of SCM courses and curricula in academia, as well as training, development and recruitment efforts by professionals in the field of SCM.
... Since the 1990s, benchmarking has become a fad in education policy aimed at fabricating and securing the quality of educational systems at all levels (cf. Ozga et al., 2011;Resnick et al., 1995;Scheerens, 2004;Soguel and Jaccard, 2008). In consequence, the idea of benchmarking the quality of education has advanced to a cornerstone of the agenda of influential stakeholders, such as the European Union (2002) or the OECD (Scheerens and Hendriks, 2004). ...
This paper investigates the fitness-for-purpose and soundness of bibliometric parameters for measuring and elucidating the performance of researchers in the field of education sciences in Germany and other European countries for the purpose of benchmarking. In order to take into account the specificities of the publication pattern of researchers in education sciences, bibliometric data are used as benchmarks. Specifically, the analysis is based on the data of Scopus and SCImago and exploits the contributions of educational researchers from Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Scandinavian countries to leading international journals within the period 2010 to 2015–2016. The results demonstrate that the visibility of German education in international journals is not as bad as is often assumed. Nevertheless, substantial shortcomings are revealed. After discussing some factors responsible for these shortcomings, the article concludes with considerations on possible consequences to be drawn from the status quo of international visibility of German educational science.
... Participants attaining the benchnark (of 1550) have the advantages of, among others, a greater possibility of enrolling at a higher educational institution with a length of study time of 4 years (rather than 2 years), more possibility of survival up to the second and third academic years, and having a higher FYGPA (First-Year Grade Point Average). One of the important components in benchmarking is a set of performance standards based on testees " response to questions (Resnick, Nolan & Resnick, 1995, p.454). A description of someone " s cognitive process could be obtained by using as a basis for his or her response to a test item given. ...
The aim of this article was to classify The Indonesian Scholastic Aptitude Test or Tes Bakat Skolastik (TBS) results for each subtest and describe scholastic aptitudes in each subtest. The subject of this study was 36,125 prospective students who took the selection test in some universities. Data analysis began by estimating testees’ ability using the Item Response Theory, and benchmarking process using the scale anchoring method applying ASP.net web server technology. The results of this research are four benchmarks (based on cutoff scores) on each subtest, characters which differentiate potential for each benchmark, and measurement error on each benchmark. The items netted give a description of the scholastic aptitude potential clearly and indicate uniqueness so that it could distinguish difference in potential between a lower bench and a higher bench. At a higher bench, a higher level of reasoning power is required in analyzing and processing needed information so that the individual concerned could do the problem solving with the right solution. The items netted at a lower bench in the three subtests tend to be few so that the error of measurement at such a bench still tends to be higher compared to that at a higher bench.
... Congress funded the act with a $105 million appropriation for 1994, which provided incentives for states to develop a plan toward meeting the goals of the legislation. Goals 2000 also established a National Education Standards and Improvement Council to review and certify the voluntary state standards and assessment systems (Resnick, 1995). It was in this context of setting high "world class" academic standards and the establishment of the standards-based reform movement that assessment first emerged as a high-leverage strategy to hold schools and districts accountable for attending to a set of common standards for student performance. ...
... This was observed as Tucker (1996) adapted benchmarking for educational environments by transferring quality improvement concepts into an educator-focused dialog reducing jargon, simplifying activities, and communicating benchmarking techniques for the broader consumption and application among educators. Describing other positive educational applications of benchmarking, Resnick (1995) advocated its use to identify educational best practices, partners, tools and processes for reform in the United States through comparisons of educational policy, goals, standards and issues to join U.S. educational standards with some of the best educational models in the world. In this way, benchmarking was viewed as a specialized asset to establish comparative research for educational improvement with new processes, procedures, policies and results attained from informed. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the use of The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) functional unit standards for Campus Activities Programs (CAP) as approximate benchmarks informing the initial steps in a large, multi-campus benchmarking process. The study was framed within Astin's (1985) theory of involvement underpinning the CAS unit standards examined (Miller, 2003). The study also utilized assumptions and principles found in the Upcraft and Shuh (1996) benchmarking model for student affairs.A survey consisting of 126-items collected campus activities program leader demographic information, commentary and opinions. Thirty two campus activities personnel working at 20 university campus locations participated in the study. Ratings of the applicability and importance of CAS standards statements for 13 component areas produced summary means used for the selection of quality improvement benchmarks.Personnel rated highly the applicability of CAS standard components to improving the campus activities program as well as the importance the standards provided to work. Approximate CAS benchmarks were selected for the program examined using a gap analysis of the difference represented between the ratings. Findings indicated the CAS standards represent a suitable framework from which staff can be empowered to identify and define quality improvement benchmarks for campus activities programs. Variation of responses in the study indicated that the component area of Facilities, Technology, Equipment, called for expanded definition and refinement. Further study should explore the role of CAS as a central resource in higher education providing approximate benchmarks to inform benchmarking and the identification of best practice programs, services, and operations in student affairs. Additional study suggested expanding the survey and extension of methods utilizing the CAS standards as a basis for the construction of functional unit quality improvement benchmarks in student affairs.
... ince A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) was published, several large-scale reform efforts have attempted to bring about systemic improvements in U.S. student achievement—from the standards movement (Resnick, Nolan, & Resnick, 1995), to the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), to the more recent Common Core State Standards, which are designed to ensure that all students are college ready (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010). Much attention has been paid to the role of professional development in these reform efforts to ensure that new expectations for teaching and learning are met (Borko, 2004; Darling-Hammond, 1996; Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995), especially in light of evidence of declines in the quality of those entering the teaching profession (Corcoran, Evans, & Schwab, 2004). ...
For over a decade, professional learning communities (PLCs) have been touted as an effective way to build upon the knowledge and skills of experienced teachers, yet much of the evidence base is derived from self-reports by practitioners. Although several generations of school reform (the standards movement, No Child Left Behind, and now the Common Core State Standards) have cited improving teacher effectiveness as key to improving student achievement, little change has occurred in the nature of professional development. This article argues that professional development generally, and PLCs in particular, would benefit from the insights gleaned from the extensive literature on teacher expertise that focuses on how well teachers understand the content they teach and how well they understand how students learn that content.
... Most countries present curricular intentions in curriculum guides, programs of study, textbooks, and similar documents. Comparison of these instruments has proven useful in describing differences in the opportunities afforded children to learn school subjects (Schmidt, McKnight, Valverde, Houang, & Wiley, 1997; Schmidt, Raizen, Britton, Bianchi, & Wolfe, 1997; Valverde, Bianchi, Houang, Schmidt, & Wolfe, 2002), in explaining differences in mean educational achievement across educational systems (McKnight & Valverde, 1999; Schmidt et al., 2001 ), in understanding the governance of curriculum (Benavot, Cha, Kamens, Meyer, & Wong, 1991; Resnick, Nolan, & Resnick, 1995; Valverde, 2000; Valverde & Schmidt, 2000 ), and in understanding the contribution of curriculum policies to economic growth (Benavot, 1992). High-stakes examinations are also instruments that help scholars understand the goals of educational systems. ...
A study of curriculum goals set forth in school-leaving examinations in mathe- matics and biology from Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia benchmarked against the French baccalaureat examinations. This investiga- tion uncovers and contrasts the goals of secondary education as they are put forward in the tests that are used in the certification of completion of second- ary studies in these countries. The work takes advantage of a metric developed for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study efforts to measure educational goals for school mathematics and science. Tests from the sample of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries are found to emphasize traditional content and the ability to recall and apply routine procedures and algorithms. These goals are contrasted with French school-leaving examina- tions and the implications of these findings for understanding and assessing curriculum policy in MENA, in a context of educational reform and the chal- lenges of economic competiveness are considered.
... By means of Rasch modelling, a common scale of performance can be constructed corresponding to various content areas, giving an indication of what pupils know and can do (Martin, Gregory, O'Connor, & Stemler, 2001). Thus, by constructing these benchmarks , schools can describe what they are doing and track performance within their own systems (Resnick, Nolan, & Resnick, 1995). ...
In information-rich environments, schools are often presented with a myriad of data from which decisions need to be made. The use of the information on a classroom level may be facilitated if performance could be described in terms of levels of proficiency or benchmarks. The aim of this article is to explore benchmarks using data from a monitoring system on secondary school level. Seventeen secondary schools, purposively sampled for maximum variation, participated in this project. Pupils from a random sample of 2 Grade 8 classes per school completed the assessments (n = 1706). Using a dichotomous Rasch model, person item distribution maps were generated for mathematics, and different difficulty levels were constructed from the items that corresponded to the ability levels of pupils as well as the reporting protocol of the National Department of Education. Implications for benchmarking and standard setting are discussed based on the results provided in the article.
... Examinations constitute one aspect of overall educational quality (Resnick, Nolan & Resnick, 1995). Curriculum-based external examinations (viz., administered by agencies outside the schools; Bishop, 1996) measure a student's performance against a common external standard by means of a consistently applied grading system (Bishop, 1998(Bishop, , 1999). ...
The high-stakes Lebanese Brevet examinations are undertaken by almost all school students at the end of year9 and include
papers in Chemistry and Physics. This research presents an analysis of the 2007 examinations in these two science subjects
using official statistics and response patterns arising from samples of candidate scripts. The examinations themselves appeared
to be a significant source of student shortcomings, and recommendations are put forward to address their deficiencies and
exploit their potential feedback functions.
... There are, for example, benchmarking clubs, networks and exchanges -groups of organizations that have formed collectivities to facilitate the sharing of information and the arrangement of visits for benchmarking purposes; there are numerous data sources and other resources available, sometimes at a price, for organizations that wish to benchmark independently of the established cooperatives; and there are software packages and consulting firms specifically focused on the conduct of benchmarking. A relevant example: CHEBA (Consortium for Higher Education Benchmarking Analysis) 5 provides a forum for the exchange of performance measurements and benchmarking data for all levels of higher education around the world. The association is currently a free organization with fees assessed only when members want to join specific benchmarking efforts. ...
Increasing competition, demands for accountability, and higher volumes ofavailable information are changing the methods of how institutions of higher educationoperate in nowadays. For higher education to enact substantial and sustainable changesin efficiency and productivity a new way of thinking or paradigm that builds efficiencyand a desire for continual learning must be integrated into institutional structures. Toolsare also being developed that measure or benchmark the progress and success of theseefforts. Among the improvement strategies and techniques, benchmarking has emerged asa useful, easily understood, and effective tool for staying competitive. This is why thepresent article aims to emphasize the importance of benchmarking in the highereducation quality assessment.
Critically assessing meanings of the term “public”, this book situates the emergence and expansion of “public services” within market-based forms of production and consumption.
It highlights the potential for making public services more progressive within market societies, but underscores their ongoing capture by private interests and emphasizes the inherent limits of reform within a “bourgeois public sphere”. The author explores opportunities for more expansive forms of non-marketized public services, examining emerging debates on the theory and practice of equitable, participatory and sustainable forms of publicness that go beyond mere ownership. The book then asks how we can build a robust international “pro-public” movement that juggles universal needs with local context.
With a focus on essential public services such as water, electricity and health, the text is global in its scope and written for a broad audience. It will be useful for those interested in social and public policy, public services and public administration, political theory, economic geography, social movements, sustainability and development.
Purpose
This paper aims to provide the results of a survey of courses dedicated to the field of supply chain management in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large-scale study of graduate supply chain management courses taught at universities globally.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course content: requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. This aggregated information was used to compare historical research findings in this area, with the current skills identified as important for career success. This data provides input for a gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners.
Findings
Data gathering efforts yielded a sample of 112 graduate courses representing 61 schools across the world. The aggregate number of topics covered in graduate courses totaled 114. The primary evaluation techniques include exams, projects and homework. Details regarding content and assessment techniques are provided along with a gap analysis between the supply chain management course content and the needs identified by APICS Supply Chain Manager Competency Model (2014).
Originality/value
The goal is to use this data as a means of continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience on a longitudinal basis. The findings are designed to foster information sharing and provide data for benchmarking efforts in the development of supply chain management courses and curricula in academia, as well as training, development and recruitment efforts by professionals in the field of supply chain management.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengestimasi validitas prediktif Tes Bakat Skolastik (TBS) dan mendeskripsikan bakat skolastik pada setiap subtes TBS (benchmarking). Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data sekunder yang diperoleh dari Pusat Penilaian Pendidikan berupa data seleksi penerimaan beasiswa masuk Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN). Analisis prediksi menggunakan model persamaan struktural dengan program Lisrel 8.80 dan proses benchmarking yang diawali dengan estimasi kemampuan orang menggunakan model Item Response Theory, selanjutnya pemetaan butir soal menggunakan teknologi web server ASP.net dengan program c#. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan model prediksi TBS sesuai dengan data empiris. Varian yang dijelaskan oleh potensi bakat skolastik terhadap prestasi seseorang adalah 14 % dan prediksi pada jurusan IPS cenderung lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan jurusan IPA. Proses benchmarking menghasilkan empat bench pada setiap subtesnya. Setiap bench mempunyai karakteristik potensi yang berbeda. Karakteristik yang membedakan potensi antar bench pada subtes verbal adalah perbedaan derajat keumuman pemakaian kata-kata, pola hubungan kata dan aktifitas kognitif. Sementara itu pada subtes kuantitatif yang membedakan karakteristiknya adalah pola deretan angka, bentuk operasi matematika dan bilangan, dan bentuk bangun geometri. Pada subtes penalaran karakteristik yang membedakan adalah sifat premis, karakteristik hubungan antar konsep dan proses
Data collected for this study are organised based on whether they are from the quantitative or qualitative portions of the study. Quantitative data are presented first, in this chapter, because they represent the known history of performance and assessment at IGAD leading up to the qualitative portion of the study, which is presented in the next chapter.
This study describes how the Grade Ten New Standards Reference Examination is used in an urban school district to predict student achievement on the Grade Eleven Pennsylvania State System of Assessment. It was hypothesized that proficient scores on the New Standards Reference Examination are closely associated with high scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. It was found that a high correlation of agreement exists between the two assessments on proficiency levels which support the hypothesis that the Grade Ten New Standards Reference Examination is a valid predictor of how well students will perform on the Grade Eleven Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.
This qualitative case study analyzes the process of writing academic standards in one U.S. state, Missouri. The researchers took a critical pragmatic approach, which entailed close examination of the intentions and interactions of various participants in the writing process (teachers, politicians, business leaders, the public), in order to understand the text that was finally produced. School reform legislation delegated responsibility for writing the standards to a teacher work group, but the teachers found that their “professional” status and their intention to write standards that reflected a “constructivist” view of knowledge would meet with opposition. Politicians, who held different assumptions about the audience, organization, and content of the standards, exercised their greater power to control the outcome of the process. As the researchers analyzed public records and documents generated during the writing process, they constructed a chronological narrative detailing points of tension among political actors. From the narrative, they identified four conflicts that significantly influenced the final wording of the standards. They argue that as a consequence of these conflicts, Missouri’s standards are characterized by a dichotomous view of content and process; bland, seemingly value–neutral language; and lack of specificity. Such conflicts and outcomes are not limited to this context. A comparative, international perspective shows that they seem to occur when groups in societies marked by political conflicts over education attempt to codify what “all students should know.”
The Dearing Report in the UK supported the use of benchmarking in higher education, taking as its stimulus the use of benchmarking in industrial and commercial contexts. The UK Government''s concern regarding academic standards has raised the question of whether benchmarking could be applied to them.This article reports on a pilot study of the benchmarking of academic standards in the UK, and demonstrates -- with reference to empirical data -- that benchmarking in this context needs to be approached differently from benchmarking in industrial/commercial milieux, since it requires a combination of finely-drawn comparisons and professional judgements if valid conclusions are to be drawn. It is argued that the complexity which underpins academic standards is inimical to the production of statements about standards that will be applicable across the span of a diverse national system of higher education. The argument presented can be applied, mutatis mutandis, to systems of higher education beyond the UK.
The study summarizes the research literature on the effect of testing on student achievement, which comprises several hundred studies conducted from the early 20th century to the present day. Only qualitative studies, however, are included here (N = 244). Qualitative studies overwhelmingly find testing's effect on student achievement to be positive: ninety-three percent of the studies analyzed reported positive effects, whereas only seven percent reported mixed effects, negative effects, or no change.
Unlabelled:
This article describes the education quality control systems (for mathematics) used by those countries that performed best on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Enforced quality control measures are defined as "decision points"--where adherence to the curriculum and instruction system can be reinforced. Most decision points involve stakes for the student, teacher, or school. They involve potential consequences for failure to adhere to the system and to follow the program at a reasonable pace. Generally, countries with more decision points perform better on the TIMSS. When the number of decision points and TIMSS test scores are adjusted for country wealth, the relationship between the degree of (enforced) quality control and student achievement appears to be positive and exponential.
Conclusion:
The more (enforced) quality control measures employed in an education system, the greater is students' academic achievement.
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