Because pre-academic and social-emotional capabilities at kindergarten entry predict later academic and social success, there has been great concern with the level of "readiness" at kindergarten entry. Many states require a kindergarten readiness assessment (KRA). However, how readiness is defined, who or what entity is doing the…

In this paper, we describe a framework for data analysis that can be embedded into a base application. Since it is important to analyze the data directly inside the application where the data is entered, a tool that allows the scientists to easily work with their data, supports and motivates the execution of further analysis of their data, which…

The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE, 2005) defines response to intervention (RTI) as the practice of providing high-quality instruction and intervention based on a student's needs, changing instruction and/or goals through frequent monitoring of progress, and applying the student response data to important…

The method of Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) incorporates aspects of both systematic direct observation and behavior rating scales to provide an efficient means to collect time series data. This study extended the development and evaluation of DBR Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) as a behavior assessment tool. Eighty-eight undergraduate students used…

The current literature is replete with instances of imprecise and conflicting usage of "qualitative" and "quantitative" evaluation. This paper presents a framework for making distinctions among several related concepts to eliminate this potential source of confusion. In the process, the terms "qualitative" and…

The use of fieldwork in evaluation presents the fieldworker and agencies connected with educational evaluation with a number of critical problems. Four of these problems are identified and discussed: 1) definition of the "problem"; 2) multiplicity of signals, expectations, and responses; 3) dispensation of fieldwork data; and 4) collection of data…

This issue of "Residential Group Care Quarterly" contains the following articles: (1) "National Definitions and Data Collection for Residential Care Facilities' Use of Restraint and Seclusion" (Lloyd Bullard); (2) "CWLA Publishes Best Practices in Behavior Support and Intervention Assessment Instrument" (Nupur Gupta); (3) "Initial Findings of an…

The Secretary of Education (Secretary) establishes requirements, definitions, and approval criteria for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (Stabilization or SFSF) program. The Secretary may use one or more of these requirements, definitions, and approval criteria in awarding funds under this program in fiscal year (FY) 2010. These requirements,…

An evaluation was conducted to study the fiscal section of the State Library Agencies Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), examining Parts K, L, and M. The evaluation was designed to check for duplication of data collection between the survey and the compliance materials of the Office of Library Programs (OLP), a former…

Criteria used in the equating process proposed in the literature are reviewed. The discussion begins by examining how equating is defined. The controversy over the best criterion, the utility of some, and whether a criterion is needed at all means that much work needs to be done in this area. (SLD)

Recommendations designed to assist states in the creation of meaningful definitions of types of schools and students for use in the Council of Chief State School Officers' Education Data Improvement Project are presented. The Project's goals are to promote and facilitate the reform and refinement of the National Center for Education Statistics'…

This report addresses the three issues of concern with national surveys expressed in the report "School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1990-91." These issues were: (1) numbers of schools with libraries; (2) levels at which these libraries are staffed; and (3) the role libraries and their staffs play in schools. Data came…

Meta-analysis is a collection of systematic techniques for resolving apparent contradictions in research findings. Meta-analysts translate results from different studies to a common metric and statistically explore the relations between study characteristics and findings. Since G. Glass first used the term "meta-analysis" in 1976, it has…

One of a series of sixteen knowledge transformation papers, this paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of longitudinal studies as a method for evaluating vocational programs. First, longitudinal methods are defined for the differences between them and cross-sectional studies are established. The results of a literature search conducted…

The terms, definitions, and procedures used by states in obtaining student counts are investigated as part of the Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Project describes state collection of data elements currently contained in the common core of data of the National Center for Education Statistics.…