Most assessment arguments are about measurement. When is it better to use direct versus indirect measures of student learning? Is one standardized test of critical thinking better than another? Is applying rubrics to student work better than using standardized tests? How valid are self-reported measures of learning? Although these arguments are…

The vast amount of research conducted on student persistence over the past thirty years is indicative of the continuing and evolving interest in retention of students. Framed through multiple perspectives, this retention research is driven by the fact that more students leave institutions without graduating, year after year. Much more than an…

This concluding chapter reviews some of the methodological issues that analysts need to consider when evaluating the success of character-development programs.

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)

Some ways in which research on student financial aid can be conducted and used to further institutional goals and objectives are presented. Four topics for inclusion in an institution's research agenda are suggested: recruiting, measuring the aid program's effectiveness, expanding aid resources, and analyzing family financial capacity. (Author/MSE)

Graphics, survey research, and multivariate statistical techniques were applied at a private liberal arts college to help development professionals better understand and predict alumni giving behavior, on both an aggregate and an individual basis. (Author)

Comparative data are relatively easy to obtain, but effective use of the information requires careful planning and may produce unanticipated results. (MSE)

This chapter describes how an action research framework facilitates using evaluation and assessment results to improve programs and demonstrate institutional effectiveness. (Contains 1 table.)