This guide will help researchers design and implement impact studies in education so that the findings are more generalizable to the study's target population. Guidance is provided on key steps that researchers can take, including defining the target population, selecting a sample of schools--and replacement schools, when needed--managing school…

This present volume is the third in a series of education sector analysis (ESA) guidelines following two volumes published in 2014. The series provides methodologies and applied examples for diagnosing education systems and informing national education policies and plans. This volume proposes guidelines to strengthen national capacities in…

State longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) promise a rich source of data for education research. SLDSs contain statewide student data that can be linked over time and to additional data sources for education management, reporting, improvement, and research, and ultimately for informing education policy and practice. Authored by Karen Levesque, Robert…

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide methods for comprehensive education sector analyses to support the preparation and monitoring of education sector plans. They are an update of a 1999 document that has been used to support the preparation of approximately 70 Education Country Status Reports (CSR) in more than 40 countries. The goal of…

Since its inception, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has been committed to the practice of documenting its statistical methods for its customers and of seeking to avoid misinterpretation of its published data. The reason for this policy is to assure customers that proper statistical standards and techniques have been observed,…

Sponsored by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), the second edition of this groundbreaking handbook assembles in one place the existing research-based knowledge in education finance and policy, with particular attention to elementary and secondary education. Chapters from the first edition have been fully updated and revised…

An adapted alternating treatments design (AATD) is presented as an alternative to withdrawal, multiple baseline, and multiple probe designs for instructional research. The AATD requires that two equivalent sets of instructional items be developed, that each set be taught with a different methodology, and that effects are sought in differential…

Suggests a post hoc analysis procedure for use with the type of data likely in mastery testing--skewed, nonnormal in distribution with a truncated range. It is suggested that various characteristics of the data be examined if analysis using parametric multivariate techniques is conducted. (Author/CL)

One type of qualitative (descriptive) research that holds promise for studying gifted education is the ethnographic approach, which focuses on the students' and teachers' points of view and considers their social and cultural interaction. The process of ethnographic research demands several components, such as: theory (shared sets of explanations…

In this introduction to the applicaton of meta-analysis as a quantitative synthesis technique, several alternative approaches to research synthesis are described. Their advantages and disadvantages, as compared to those of the techniques of meta-analysis. Decisions that must be faced by the prospective user of meta-analysis are described.…

The article examines a different methodology, i.e., qualitative research, as a way to broaden the research perspective in special education. Qualitative research is defined and compared to quantitative research. Subsequently, areas in which qualitative methodology could make a contribution to research in special education are discussed. (Author/CL)

The article provides guidelines for readers who must read research articles but lack formal training in research and statistics. While discussing the purpose and content of each section of a research article (such as review of the literature, materials and procedures, and results) the author uses actual articles to illustrate her points.…

Meta-analysis, applying data analysis to quantitative summaries of individual studies, is described in terms of procedures and advantages (inclusiveness and examination of interactions across studies) for special education research. (CL)

The article reviews methodological problems in research using single-case experimental designs, including use of pre- and quasi-experimental single-case designs, presentation and analysis of data, lack of inadequate demonstration of experimental reliability, and improper or ineffective use of generalization. The authors suggest solutions and…

Notes the current popularity of qualitative research in the field of reading, tells how the techniques of participant observation and interviewing are used by qualitative researchers, and offers suggestions for conducting qualitative research. (GT)