In educational contexts where many domains subject to improvement are interdependent and causal evidence is frequently lacking it is difficult, if not impossible, for policymakers and educational practitioners to decide which domain should be invested in. This paper proposes a new method that uses Conditional Mean Independent Correlations (CMIC)…

This handbook on conducting research was written for school social workers and contains these articles: (1) "The School Social Work Practitioner and Research: An Overview" (Elizabeth Timberlake and Lewis Carr); (2) "Defining Empirically Based Practice" (Deborah Siegel); (3) "Future Research in School Social Work Services: An Update" (Christine…

Describes a program to assess the reading skills of deaf elementary school students, focusing on four concerns: areas and abilities to be assessed, sources of information, record keeping, and use of evaluation information to guide instruction. The assessment materials are available free of charge in exchange for feedback about their usefulness.…

This paper translates research findings on systematic preference assessment with individuals with nonsymbolic or limited symbolic communication skills into guidelines for planning such assessments to reduce the risk of missing or misinterpreting the person's preferences. It offers four questions for guiding the planning of preference assessments,…

Coordination between research and practice in performance appraisal is essential. Specifically, researchers should focus on utilization methods while practitioners should focus on appraisal content. Cognitive process research may increase raters' ability to judge accurately but fails to address raters' willingness to provide accurate ratings. (BL)

Ways a microcomputer can be used to establish and maintain an evaluation database and types of data management features possible on a microcomputer are described in this report, which contains step-by-step procedures and numerous examples for establishing a database, manipulating data, and designing and printing reports. Following a brief…

A matrix management system designed for use by a highly technical nuclear weapons research and development facility to improve productivity and flexibility by the use of multiple authority, responsibility, and accountability relationships is described. (MSE)

Application of a multidimensional measure of university research activity, the Research Activity Index (RAI), is described and compared to the more common use of research and development expenditures as a criterion of activity. The RAI incorporates seven expenditure variables, three graduate-student-related variables, and a research library…

This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

Outlines the foundations of the qualitative and quantitative approaches to research and discusses the implications of these two completely different approaches in educational research. Points out they are not complementary as they are separate scientific paradigms.(MD)

Examines factors influencing research-practice gaps in the assessment and treatment of adults with neurologic communication disorders. Both researchers and clinicians are urged to learn alternative research strategies, build partnerships, and take advantage of new information technologies. Strategies are suggested for directly applying, adapting,…

This article describes a multistep method for identifying effective teacher-developed instructional procedures and translating them for wide-scale use. The method employs both objective and naturalistic assessments of academic gain and engagement and was used to identify effective practices of teachers of 59 fourth- and fifth-grade students with…

This book presents an instructional improvement system based on critical instructional factors identified by research. Teaching activities are provided for each of four components of effective teaching--planning, managing, delivering, and evaluating instruction. For each component, several teaching principles are identified and explained, and for…

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of assessment and evaluation. Issues,…

Based on Larry Hutchins' analysis of the school effectiveness literature, the Profile of School Excellence (PRO-S/E) is a diagnostic tool keyed to 11 instructional and organizational variables which are positively related to effective/excellent schools and which are alterable. The variables are: needs basis; objectives; expectations; roles and…