Over the last fifteen years, many states have implemented high-stakes tests as part of an effort to strengthen accountability for schools, teachers, and students. Predictably, there has been vigorous disagreement regarding the contributions of such policies to increasing test scores and, more importantly, to improving student learning. A recent…

A study investigated the college application behaviors of students from different racial/ethnic groups (Whites, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans) to understand differences in the college search and choice process. Data were drawn from two large national longitudinal studies, the National Education Longitudinal Study (1988)…

This is a study of the research communities in history and political science at Kent State University (Ohio). The purpose is to provide a profile of historians and political scientists and to discover the kinds of information they use for research. A survey/questionnaire was circulated to the history and political science departments. Information…

While the emphasis in much recent research has been essentially on urban concerns, there are very substantial empirical data resources which are available for the study of nonmetropolitan social, political, and economic phenomenon. The sources of computer-readable data relevant to investigation of nonmetropolitan phenomena can be grouped into…

Describes a study that compared the expressed objectives of teachers using computer-based information handling packages in the classroom against recorded classroom outcomes. The areas of skill and knowledge acquisition, learning strategies, sociopsychological issues, and life skills are discussed. (9 references) (CLB)

Discussion of the use of CD-ROM databases for end-user searching versus online database searching in academic libraries focuses on a comparison of two databases, "Psychological Abstracts" and "Sociological Abstracts," that were searched in both formats. Factors of response time, coverage, content, and cost were investigated for…

Discussion of the cost effectiveness of searching online versus searching on CD-ROM highlights an example that compares costs for searching the ERIC database. Fixed costs and variable costs are described, labor costs are examined, implications for management are considered, and the effect of the number of databases and workstations is discussed.…

Describes experiments in Arabic information retrieval using 29 queries against a base of 355 bibliographic records. Using roots and stems as index terms worked better than words, and the root performed as well as or better than the stem at low recall levels and definitely better at high recall levels. (Contains 30 references.) (KRN)

Reports on a study of citation retrieval performance using three Internet-accessible databases and a database composed of six Wilson databases. Variables examined included citation frequency, percentage of unique periodicals cited per search, and relevancy of citations to stated search topic. The implications of the data for database selection are…

This study examines the indexing of drugs in the literature and compares actual drug indexing to stated indexing policies in selected databases. The goal is to aid health science information specialists, end-users, and/or non-subject experts to improve recall and comprehensiveness when searching for drug information by identifying the most useful…

The Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public Schools conducted a three-year study of integrated computer-based learning systems, including WICAT, Dolphin, PLATO, CCC, and DEGEM. Through cooperation with the Education Consolidation Improvement Act Chapter 1 program, four large integrated learning systems (ILS) were purchased and studied. They were installed…

Private education as an area of study offers many opportunities to educational researchers. Four types of research that would include private education are discussed and examples of research possibilities under each type are offered. The first type involves fundamental educational processes. Suggested are studies of the effects of various levels…

Discusses and compares the incorporation of technology by larger public libraries in Canada and the United States. Technology mentioned includes online public access catalogs; remote and local online database searching; microcomputers and software for public use; and fax, voice mail, and Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf and Teletype writer…

A review of the literature was undertaken to determine whether purchasing DIALOG in the CD-ROM format or subscribing to the DIALOG online format would be the better solution for middle school students interested in information retrieval. This report begins by stating the problem and defining common computer terms. A review of the related…

The Missouri School Profile System is composed of six profiles drawn from pre-existing databases, with the data organized in a manner useful to school districts for comparison purposes and returned to school districts for their use. Use of such a system should reduce or eliminate the need for special school district studies of finance or pupil…