An opportunistic experiment is a type of randomized controlled trial that studies the effects of a planned intervention or policy change with minimal added disruption and cost. This guide defines opportunistic experiments and provides examples, discusses issues to consider when identifying potential opportunistic experiments, and outlines the…

This guide is designed to help researchers make sure that their research reports include enough information about study measures so that readers can assess the quality of the study's methods and results. The guide also provides examples of write-ups about measures and suggests resources for learning more about these topics. The guide assumes…

In preparation for a major research study on change in schools, a 3-month pilot study of principals in 10 schools was conducted in central Texas. The main purpose of the study was to investigate different ways to document the actions taken by the principals to facilitate implementation of innovations in their schools. In this paper, the procedures…

The report describes activities conducted during a 12-month baseline period preceding a series of longitudinal studies of the costs and effects of various types of early intervention with handicapped children conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University. A systems theory perspective forms the theoretical base for…

The report describes second-year project activities of the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) at Utah State University, relating to a 5-year project to conduct 16 longitudinal studies of the effects and costs of alternative types of early intervention with handicapped children. Six of the studies are to investigate effects of varying the…

This paper reports on findings of the first of a series of cross-sectional surveys to evaluate a community-based child abuse prevention initiative in Boston (Massachusetts). The survey assessed social support, attitudes about parenting, perceptions of the neighborhood, and ways in which these relate to child abuse. (Author/DB)

A revised system was developed for documenting the rights restrictions of persons with mental retardation at a state residential facility. The system included a new form, response effort reduction, inservice training for staff, and staff feedback. Results showed an immediate and sustained reduction in documentation errors of 96 direct-care and…

The purpose of this report was to explore one way in which quantitative and qualitative paradigms in program evaluation can be employed to reinforce each other. An evaluation was conducted of a large number of special education programs for preschoolers with handicaps in Louisiana. Since 1978, Louisiana has funded programs in 65 public school…