The authors describe the University of Central Florida's top-down/bottom-up action analytics approach to using data to inform decision-making at the University of Central Florida. The top-down approach utilizes information about programs, modalities, and college implementation of Web initiatives. The bottom-up approach continuously monitors…

Background: Disability research data often exist in the form of individual records located within discrete registers that may extend across sensitive political boundaries. Method: This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with using linked health and administrative data for disability research, with examples from research…

This chapter describes the National Student Clearinghouse and discusses opportunities and challenges for tracking community college students. It also presents a system perspective on using clearinghouse data to promote more comprehensive student and graduate tracking. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper provides information about OERI-funded databases containing information about teachers and teaching, and offers a way of thinking about the use of these databases. It is pointed out that while the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) is committed to making its work more accessible to policy, research, and practitioner…

State education agencies, once passive, have assumed an important role in the collection and dissemination of education-related data for use at all levels of government and for a variety of purposes. (Author)

Describes the Refugee Data Center (RDC) (New York City), a hub for linking refugees with voluntary resettlement agencies. The RDC maintains a database on refugees as they progress toward final resettlement in the United States. At present, RDC files include refugees from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. (SLD)

This digest highlights features of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), explains how to use the system most effectively, and offers suggestions on how teacher education faculty can present and use the ERIC system to supplement classroom instruction. Following a description of how resources in ERIC can be helpful to teachers and…

Comments on the usefulness of the Baccalaureate and beyond Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up as a dataset that offers the opportunity to examine many questions about the outcomes for bachelor's degree recipients over an extended period of time. (SLD)

This digest highlights features of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), explains how to use the system most effectively, and offers suggestions on how health and physical education teacher education faculty can present and use the ERIC system to supplement classroom instruction. Following a description of how resources in ERIC can…

Discusses the use of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in the study of history. Topics include timelines; computer-based historical simulations; databases; accessible multimedia; hypermedia; CD-ROMs; and use of the World Wide Web, both for teaching and learning and for sharing findings from historical investigations with historians…

This directed study, part of the applied research and development effort of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education, focused on the use of emerging telecommunications technology to facilitate communication among vocational education program improvement agencies. The study attempted to introduce and implement new developments in…

Intended for academics interested in small town research with an applied focus, this paper argues that high quality research aimed at data base development must occur before academics can work with practitioners in any policy forum. The paper begins by documenting the lack of research on small and rural governments and the need for a sound data…

The Institute of Family Studies has completed its fourth year of operation, and government and public demand for input from the Institute is growing beyond its capacity. This report focuses on current operating difficulties as well as on the structure and activities of the Institute. The first section, entitled "Structure and…

Reviews recent and current research and development projects in the United Kingdom dealing with online information systems. Main areas of research (systems design, impact on user behavior and organizational structure, ergonomics and bibliographic factors) and research techniques (features analysis, transaction log analysis, surveys and comparative…

To assist in local school improvement, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) has developed an approach in which teams of local educational leaders are made aware of the results of effective schooling research and are trained in the processes of change and improvement. Research reviews have shown specific elements of schooling at the…