Practical work involving laboratory experiments is agreed upon to be an essential component of secondary science education. Practical work encompasses a broad range of activity types. The different forms of practical work are not equal in terms of cognitive demand and learning benefit. Inquiry-based investigations provide experience of cognitive…

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is the fifth in a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) secondary longitudinal studies. The core research questions for HSLS:09 explore secondary to postsecondary transition plans and the evolution of those plans; the paths into and out of science, technology, engineering,…

Graphical representation of statistical data is the focus of this resource handbook. Only graphs which present numerical information are discussed. Activities involving the making, interpreting, and use of various types of graphs and tables are included. Sections are also included which discuss statistical terms, normal distribution and…

The preparation of a data tape and users guide is reported. The tape contains about 700 cases with nearly two thousand variables collected over a three-year period as part of a curriculum evaluation study. The student group is the eleven- to fourteen-year-old population that participated in the field test of the BSCS Human Sciences Program.…

This data file user's manual documents the procedures used to collect and process high school transcripts for a large sample of the younger cohort (1980 sophomores) in the High School and Beyond survey. The manual provides the user with the technical assistance needed to use the computer file and also discusses the following: (1) sample design for…

The students in a low-ability first-year classroom of a secondary school use a questionnaire and punched cards to collect and organize data about their classmates. The first five minutes and the first four minutes after the first quarter of an hour of the resulting class discussion are included. (MN)

Discusses the important role of graphs in conveying scientific information and the use of computer software in amplifying the value of graphs as tools for scientific investigation. Topics discussed include: skills required for analyzing and interpreting graphs, software design, and teaching and learning strategies. (JRH)

Presents an outdoor activity requiring students to collect data and suggests some possible applications of the data. (ASK)

The structure and documentation of High School and Beyond First Follow-Up data files represent a departure from Base Year practices. The Base Year student file contains data from both the senior and sophomore cohorts. Due to the more complex design of the First Follow-Up and resulting increase in the volume of available data, separate First…

It is necessary to have a relevant secondary school data processing curriculum as the first step toward career preparation in data processing. The curriculum should be patterned on local business needs. (JOW)

Technical aspects of the first followup survey for the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are documented and summarized. Some information overlaps materials in the users' manuals for this followup, such as the overview and general descriptions of data collection, sampling, weighting, variance estimation, nonresponse patterns,…

Reviews fourteen econometric and forecasting programs for the IBM PC family of computers. The comparison is based on analytical capabilities, cost, operating characteristics, and user-friendliness. Concludes that the programs do not differ enough to provide grounds for rejection of one program in favor of another. Includes names and addresses for…

This publication describes an evaluation design developed to assess school-to-work (STW) efforts throughout the Saginaw Valley STW Partnership area in Michigan. An introduction is followed by an overview of the aim of evaluation. Section 3 describes how the variables pertinent to the evaluation of the STW program initiative were identified,…

The pamphlets included in this volume are technical reports prepared as outgrowths of the Student Information Systems of the Western Nevada Regional Education Center (WN-REC) funded by a Title III (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) grant. These reports describe methods of interpreting the printouts from the Student Information System;…

This manual has been produced to familiarize data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the first follow-up dropout component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Necessary documentation is also provided for use of the data files. The base-year population covered by the NELS:88 included…