The proceedings of the 1984 annual meeting of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, which focused on the issue of educational excellence, are presented. Five papers on educational excellence as well as the business meeting of the Association are included. In "Educational Excellence: Aspirations and Realities," Alexander W. Astin considers traditional conceptions of excellence and proposes a new approach to excellence that emphasizes educational impact. Implications for accreditation are also addressed. Three articles entitled "From the Need for Excellence to the Achievement of Excellence" are presented. James L. Doud covers excellence in elementary school, including specific recommendations. The need for excellence and its attainment in secondary schools is discussed by Saul Cooperman, while excellence in higher education is addressed by Richard Berendzen. The final article, "Achieving Excellence in Public and Private Education: Closing the Widening Gap," by Richard M. Millard considers contributions to declining educational quality and the definition of quality. Additional contents include: reports of the Association's officers; reports on elementary and secondary schools and colleges; lists of Association staff; and the Association's charter and by-laws. (SW)