Indicators of Quality in Education

There are many indicators, but the following ones are divided in 3 segments respectively. These
three segments indicate the institutional fundamental structure to function it properly. These are
given as follows:

1. Teachers

Studies suggest that to ensure excellence, teachers should:

• Have high academic skills,

• Be required to teach in the field in which they received their training,
• Have more than a few years of experience (to be most effective), and
• Participate in high-quality induction and professional development programs.

In order to function this segment properly, the following indicators shall be taken into account:

1.1. The Academic Skills of Teachers

Many studies show that students learn more from teachers with strong academic skills
than they do from teachers with weak academic skills.
1.2. Teacher Assignment
Many teachers are currently teaching courses they were not trained to teach, and this
appears to affect student achievement adversely. Though several studies show mixed
results concerning the relationship between teacher degree and student test scores, most
of these studies simply assess whether a teacher has a master’s degree and do not identify
the subject in which the degree was received or the type of training a teacher received.
1.3. Teacher Experience
Studies suggest that students learn more from experienced teachers than they do from less
experienced teachers. Murnane and Phillips (1981) reported that in a large city in the
Midwest, after controlling for other student and teacher characteristics such as
race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, children taught by a teacher with five years of
experience make three to four months’ more progress in reading skills during a school
year than do children taught by a first-year teacher.
1.4. Professional Development
 The quality of the teaching force may depend on the opportunities for development
presented to those already teaching because entering teachers make up a minority of the
teaching corps. Even though experts would likely agree that professional development
should enhance student learning
2. Classrooms and Students

Within the classroom, the curriculum is the cornerstone of the academic experience. The
curriculum has three levels:

• The intended curriculum, which is defined by officials at the state and local levels;
• The implemented curriculum, which is how teachers translate the intended curriculum
into practice; and
• The attained curriculum, which is what students learn as represented by their scores on
standardized tests.

In order to function this segment properly, the following indicators shall be taken into account:

2.1. Course Content

Concerns about content in both the intended and implemented curriculum and how a lack
of focus in the curriculum affects student achievement have appeared in influential
studies.
2.2. Pedagogy
The implemented curriculum as represented by instructional delivery or pedagogy is an
increasing focus because it illuminates the black box between educational inputs and
student outcomes.
2.3. Technology
The term educational technology refers to the use of technology in educational settings,
whether it be elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, corporate
training sites, or independent study at home.
2.4. Class Size
Class size refers to the number of students in a given course or classroom, specifically
either (1) the number of students being taught by individual teachers in a course or
classroom or (2) the average number of students being taught by teachers in a school,
district, or education system. The term may also extend to the number of students
 participating in learning experiences that may not take place in a traditional classroom
setting, or it may also refer to the total number of students in a particular grade level or
“class” in a school (although this usage is less common in public education).
3. Institutions

To be included in this list, characteristics had to occur at the institutional level, have a plausible
relationship to student learning, and, where possible, be measured at the institution level. Five
institutional characteristics meet these criteria:

• Institutional leadership that provides direction, guidance, and support,

• Goals that are clearly identified, communicated, and enacted,
• A faculty that collectively takes responsibility for student learning,
• Discipline that establishes an orderly atmosphere conducive to learning, and
• Institutional academic organization and climate that challenges and supports students toward
high achievement.
3.1. Institutional Leadership
The concept of Institutional Leadership opens up some essential aspects of organizational
leadership capability that could be defined as the collective ability of leadership to detect
and cope with changes in the external environment by maintaining the primary goals of
the organization.
3.2. Goals
 To provide excellence in teaching, student engagement and adapt the curriculum to
meet the needs of the community.
 To maintain and refine support systems for enhancing college functions and student
success.
 To provide appropriate facilities and a quality and productive work, study and
learning environment aimed at engaging the college community.
 To maintain a strong commitment to excellence through professional development.
 To seek resources to support the college mission.
 To distribute resources in a manner that is productive, efficient and consistent with
the College’s mission.
 To provide college systems and practices that ensure public accountability.
  To support the College’s commitment to expand access, equity, diversity, and
enrollment.
 To provide leadership in cultural and economic development in the College’s service
area.
 To seek out and cultivate beneficial partnerships.
3.3. Discipline
Discipline is defined as the practice of teaching others to obey rules or norms by using
punishment to correct unwanted behaviors. While the word discipline seems negative, the
goal of using discipline is to teach students boundaries and limits to help students achieve
personal and academic life goals.
3.4. Academic Environment
The ‘ideal’ academic environment may be defined as one that best prepares students for
their future professional life and contributes towards their personal development,
psychosomatic and social well-being. A number of diverse factors significantly influence
the way students perceive and experience their education. These range from ‘class size’,
‘leisure time’ and ‘assessment procedures’ to ‘relations with peers and faculty’, ‘ethical
climate’ and ‘extra-curricular opportunities’.