QUALITY ASSURANCE
Quality assurance is the aspect of standards-based accountability which ensures that educational programs as a whole are meeting standards for program quality. Examples of program quality criteria include setting standards for the qualifications of teaching staff, facilities and equipment, and ongoing professional development. Program quality criteria in these areas support accountability efforts by ensuring that all sites meet at least minimal levels of quality. In addition to setting minimum standards, other strategies such as industry-based program certification, state accreditation, and program monitoring are used by states to keep track of how programs are performing. Quality assurance strategies support programs or schools by providing a network of sites and colleagues as resources for continued improvement at the site level. In many cases, these quality assurance efforts are, or will be, tied to at least a part of program funding.
