The objective of this commentary is to call attention to the feasibility and importance of large-scale, systematic, quantitative analysis in international and comparative education research. We contend that although many existing databases are under- or unutilized in quantitative international-comparative research, these resources present the…

The American Council on Education has a data bank, the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, that offers aid to educational researchers. (PG)

This chapter describes the National Student Clearinghouse and discusses opportunities and challenges for tracking community college students. It also presents a system perspective on using clearinghouse data to promote more comprehensive student and graduate tracking. (Contains 2 tables.)

This chapter examines lessons learned by states that are using student unit record (SUR) data to improve outcomes for community college students and recommends steps states can take to strengthen their use of SUR databases to benefit students and communities. (Contains 1 exhibit.)

State education agencies, once passive, have assumed an important role in the collection and dissemination of education-related data for use at all levels of government and for a variety of purposes. (Author)

Gives examples of how research can inform practice in correctional education by building theory and providing evidence of impact. Describes information sources: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, National Institute for Literacy, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, and National Center for…

The ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) citations in twenty doctoral dissertations in education, completed in 1969 and 1974 at the University of Illinois, were examined in this study. These dissertations dealt with research in health occupation, reading, career, mathematics, music, and English education. Comparisons were made between…

The goal of this primer is to help policymakers and other interested individuals answer three big questions: (1) What does the research say? (2) Is the research trustworthy? (3) How can the research be used to guide policy? Answering these questions will help policymakers: (1) make evidenced-based decisions about education policies; (2) gain a…

This guide provides information on 22 databases maintained within the United States Department of Education in which information on vocational and/or adult education has been identified, including those housed in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE). The guide was developed by conducting an in-house survey, and the information it…

Some of the errors associated with use of data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) are described, 1980 HEGIS and census reports of college enrollment are compared in tables of data, and a more cautious use of HEGIS data is recommended. (MSE)

High School and Beyond (HS&B) is a longitudinal study, sponsored by the Center for Statistics (CS), of nationally representative samples of high school sophomores and seniors of 1980. In the 1980 base year survey questionnaires and cognitive tests were administered to over 30,000 sophomores and 28,000 seniors enrolled in 1,015 public and…

Designed to help educators locate the most up-to-date research and information available for decision making, this handbook summarizes a vast collection of current educational, technical, and sociological information in computer databases. As online information systems multiply and become more consumer-oriented, and as microcomputers and modems…

Questions are raised about the future of research and development evaluation. Without a set of overarching policy questions or theoretical questions, evaluation data are simply not cumulative and cannot be organized into any data base. Education has never been a data-based enterprise. The meaning of evaluation should be broadened to include the…

An action research project explored whether teacher access to information about high school students at the beginning of the semester would result in changes in instruction and interactions with students. Nine pilot project teachers received instruction in how to access the school district's student database, along with information about access to…

This paper discusses the main analytical techniques used in "Mapping Educational Research and Its Impact on Schools." The study considered the impact of the outcomes of educational research on the practice of teaching and learning in Australian schools and on educational policy and administration. Mixed methods were used, beginning with…