This dissertation considers the effects of national rankings, specifically the 2010 National Research Council (NRC)'s Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs, on higher education institutions' behavior. National research studies of graduate education require significant resources and data, yet it is uncertain how universities make…

This study concerns how intra-organizational networks affect the implementation of policies and practices in organizations. In particular, we attend to the role of the informal subgroup or clique in cultivating and distributing locally adapted and integrated knowledge, or know-how. We develop two hypotheses based on the importance of…

In the push to bring data to bear on all of the important education issues of the day, one essential fact is often overlooked: Not all indicators are created equal. This book provides a comprehensive approach for understanding how statistical measures of achievement are developed, evaluated, and interpreted. Given the extent to which…

Disparities in college access for underrepresented urban students are one of the most urgent educational problems of America's education system. In response to growing national concern, this longitudinal study investigated how school leaders worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to implement research-supported student services in order to…

Poor school adjustment is a known correlate of peer rejection in childhood. However, the impact of change in sociometric status on children's academic performance over time is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether improvement or decline in children's sociometric status would predict corresponding changes in their academic…

This is a report of a limited study of four factors that might affect a teacher's level of acceptance of mandated change. The factors are: (1) number of years the teacher and principal have worked together; (2) years of experience of the teacher involved in the change process; (3) whether the teacher has tenure; and (4) the participatory nature of…

Examines how participation in decision making affects acceptance of planned change. Hypothesizes that participation influences tactical decisions whereas direction affects strategic decisions. Reports that 222 Israeli managers, completing a battery of psychological ability tests, were given the choice to change test type. Concludes that decision…

This study investigated school administrators' perceptions of school improvement policies in a high-impact policy environment by measuring the impact of accountability, site-based management, professional development, and scheduling reform on the three dependent variables of a) academic outcomes, b) staff morale, and c) parent and community…

A study determines the effect of a six-day wilderness experience on self-concept, knowledge of and attitude toward the environment of twelfth grade students (n=61). Results indicate that changes in self-concept and environmental knowledge can occur from short-term wilderness experiences. (56 references) (MCO)

College financial officers may be assuming that current high returns on endowment investments will continue. Mean reversion theory suggests that returns may be depressed in future years, making adherence to current investment policy difficult. Institutions have several financial management alternatives to minimize such problems. (MSE)

Instructional leadership studies are plentiful but have many shortcomings, including lack of definition of key variables, problems of causality, overrepresentation of exemplary schools, and lack of validity and reliability in research design and implementation. Definitions of "leadership" and "instruction" are needed. There is…

The nation's 50 flagship universities serve disproportionately fewer low-income and minority students than in the past, according to this fifth report in the Education Trust's series on college results. Students in the entering and graduating classes at these schools look less and less like the state populations those universities were created to…

Reports of a 1974 study that examined the influence of dormitory residency on student leisure activities, especially student activism. Using questionnaires from 760 University of Hong Kong resident and nonresident undergraduates, demonstrates that living in dormitories increased likelihood of becoming activist through increasing social interaction…

This report forecasts changes in the education system of the province of Ontario to assist educators responsible for managing changes in the next decade. The report is arranged in three sections, each accompanied by tables and figures. Section 1, "Quantitative Perspectives on the Future of Ontario School Boards through 1996," by Tom…

The Composite Indicator of Changes (CIC) in average salaries and wages paid by public school systems is designed to reflect overall changes, to compare salary trends among various categories of personnel, and to analyze salary trends in an individual school system and among groups of school systems. Annual updates of the CIC are computed from data…