Students generate internal feedback by comparing their current knowledge against some reference information. That information might be planned for by teachers -- usually as comments on students' performance -- although most information is accessed by students themselves during task engagement, from their interactions with others, with resources…

An emergent data analysis technique was employed to test the veracity of a conceptual framework constructed around visual data use and instruction in science classrooms. The framework incorporated all five key components Vosniadou (2007a, 2007b) described as existing in a learner's schema: framework theory, presuppositions, conceptual domains,…

It is often difficult and costly to obtain individual-level student achievement data, yet, researchers are frequently reluctant to use school-level achievement data that are widely available from state websites. We argue that public-use aggregate school-level achievement data are, in fact, sufficient to address a wide range of evaluation questions…

A key assumption in efforts to implement and improve cross-government public reporting systems is that legislators will make use of the performance information to enhance accountability and improve program and policy effectiveness. This five-year study is an assessment of expectations and actual uses of annual performance reports by elected…

This report discusses findings and implications of a study commissioned by the College Board to inform the development of the Voluntary Framework of Accountability for Community Colleges. CCRC researchers identified the performance indicators that states are already using for their community colleges and interviewed state higher education…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss and describe various measures of quality, quality indicators, and uses of information on quality with specific reference to the role or purpose of assisted living. Design and Methods: We reviewed a variety of major studies of assisted living quality. We elaborated models of assisted living based…

This paper describes seven studies (all that could be found on the subject) comparing nine respondent selection procedures with regard to their potential to reduce refusal rates and to increase representativeness of samples; particular concerns are underrepresentation of men and multiple-adult households. The paper states that (1) the seven…

The generalizability, and therefore usefulness, of some traditional reviews of literature is questioned, and the method of meta-analysis (reducing research statistics from a number of studies to a common measure) is suggested as an alternative. Research on the relationship of self and performance measures is used to illustrate this point. (MSE)

The diverse ways in which two-year colleges use and present data from the National Association of College and University Business Officers' annual study of comparative financial statistics are described and illustrated. (MSE)

Introduction: We report on the role of information in the development of rural communities where the impact of the oral tradition remains very strong. The nature of the attributes, and the particular type of communication mechanisms to be used, have been proposed as key factors in the use of information in rural communities. Method: Literature…

Comparing an institution's fund-raising cash proceeds with other institutions' is straightforward, using readily available data. However, measuring fund-raising productivity requires care in defining related expenses and resulting fund-raising achievements. Simplifying assumptions can be helpful. (Author/MSE)

A critique of rankings of Canadian universities focuses on one popular 1993 ranking and comparative data for the previous year. Several problems in the ranking procedures and results of some correlational analyses of the ranking data are discussed. Implications, particularly in the wider context of public institution accountability and the…

The results of an examination of computer data formatting and data analysis strategies from two diverse second language projects and their implications for establishing standards are outlined in the form of suggested formatting conventions and analysis procedures. The formatting suggestions address the issues of distinguishing line types,…

Proceedings of a study group that considered the utility of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) finance data for institutional and higher educational sector comparisons are presented, as are issue papers and descriptive information. The study group of representatives from higher education institutions and organizations outlined…

The usefulness of state-by-state comparisons and other educational indicators is discussed in this paper, which seeks to improve report writing and data presentation skills. The first part offers an example of a policy report that uses key education indicators to describe the Arizona education system. Tables and data interpretation describe the…