Bureaucratic representation--the idea that a governmental organization is better situated to serve its clients when its employee composition reflects that of its client population--has received considerable scholarly attention in the study of public institutions in the fields of political science and public administration. In a wide variety of…

Recent research has focused on issues of retention and turnover among K-12 school administrators, yet it fails to address some important complexities in administrator career paths. This article examines three conceptual and methodological issues in the current literature involving administrative turnover: the complexity of role and place in…

The technical complexities and sheer size of international large-scale assessment (LSA) databases often cause hesitation on the part of the applied researcher interested in analyzing them. Further, inappropriate choice or application of statistical methods is a common problem in applied research using these databases. This article serves as a…

This article highlights the significance of the U.S. South in scholarly discussions regarding the academic achievement gap involving Black students. Despite national concern, patterns embedded in Black student achievement as related to geographical influences generally are ignored, especially in the South, where the majority of Black people in the…

The author suggests that we apply recent research knowledge to improve our conceptualization, measures, and methodology for studying the effects of teachers' professional development on teachers and students. She makes the case that there is a research consensus to support the use of a set of core features and a common conceptual framework in…

A strong base of research is needed to guide investments in teacher professional development (PD). This article considers the status of research on PD and articulates a particular direction for future work. Little is known about whether PD can have a positive impact on achievement when a program is delivered across a range of typical settings and…

To ensure accurate interpretation of research findings, researchers should report details about their research design, data collection method, and response rates when presenting findings from survey research. A review of 100 peer-reviewed articles reporting the results of survey research on K-12 schools with principals as the designated…

This article delineates how race has been undertheorized in research on the educational experiences and outcomes of Blacks. The authors identify two dominant traditions by which researchers have invoked race (i.e., as culture and as a variable) and outline their conceptual limitations. They analyze how these traditions mask the heterogeneity of…

The author defends the research methodology data analysis he employed in his study of academic achievement and school desegregation in private and public schools (EF)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) must use sampling techniques that produce data which are representative on national, state, and local levels. The validity of findings is enhanced when state and district comparisons are made. Multiple measures will allow the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses. The data should be…

A continuation of the discussion of the appropriateness of the original technical analysis of the data in the High School and Beyond study. (EF)

Suggests that it is inconceivable that more schooling, other relevant variables being constant, will not produce more learning. The critical question for policy is: How large is the effect? (Author/AM)

Identifies trends in educational achievement in the 1970s. Presents hypotheses concerning the relationship between research and gains/declines in educational achievement during that period. Discusses a project for individualized learning programs and its theoretical rationale, and describes a research project based on that educational improvement…

Addresses the process of interpretation from a study of the academic achievements of Native American high school students in New Mexico, illuminating the relationship of researcher subjectivity to the many decision points that each process of interpretation embodies. The article also contains a counterpoint of problematics that reveals where…