Issues concerning the collection and uses of data about college student retention are considered. Some of the documented findings about student retention in U.S. colleges is summarized, with attention to both national data and data for colleges belonging to the United Negro College Fund. Difficulties in obtaining useful retention data are…

The major part of this report of the Intergovernmental Conference on Scientific and Technical Information (UNISIST II), held in Paris May 28-June 1, 1979, focuses on three sets of recommendations which were unanimously approved after combining the recommendations proposed by various groups and blocs: (1) recommendations to the United Nations…

Principals who make the decision and investment to produce a school newsletter should follow these guidelines to obtain an informative and attractive product. The first step is to define the purpose of the newsletter, then determine the target audience--probably parents--and write the newsletter with them in mind. Next, decide what the newsletter…

Principles that institutional researchers should follow are discussed. The most important dictate is to present decision-makers the bare minimum of information necessary for the task; the material should be simple, short, and succinct. A report to assist decision-makers should not include extensive supporting documentation. The first step is to…

Although most school districts and schools are routinely involved in data collection, they do not typically use the data they collect in a systematic fashion to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop improvement strategies. One reason for the lack of data use is the perception that the data are being collected for someone else's purposes.…

In order to further define the role of information centers in institutional research activities, two hypotheses are advanced: there are distinctive markets for information center activities within the university; and different services, products and delivery mechanisms are needed to serve each market. Following a discussion of the evolution of the…

This special issue focuses on needs of parents of children with disabilities. In the first article, "You Are Not Alone," Patricia McGill Smith considers the emotions that many parents of exceptional children experience and offers a perspective for living and coping with the impact of disability upon the family. The second article,…

A survey of a random sample of 165 Oregon school board members examined the degree to which they agreed with four standards for appropriate school board behavior. The standards were drawn from the literature intended to educate school board members about their proper roles. The respondents agreed strongly with three of the standards: that the…

This special issue presents 15 papers presented at an invitational conference on the role of information in the economic development of the southeastern region of the United States: (1) "Three Days in February: A Summary Report on the Role of Information in the Economy of the Southeast Conference" (Joel Sigmon); (2) "Impressions of…

An international conference attended by 59 participants from 12 countries was organized to present Yugoslavia as a case study to the international audience, to bring to the Yugoslav audience a variety of international experiences in library and information science education and training, and to acquaint participants with some of the new…

This essay derives from roundtable discussions of teams from seven research universities involved in a Knight Collaborative Engagement on Academic Indicators and Information Systems to Guide Resource Decisions. While colleges and universities are built on the premise that good data, well tested by an often adversarial process of discovery and…

This issue of the newsletter of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) Clearinghouse on Development Communication contains: a report from the Acapulco conference of the new International Program for the Development of Communication; an article on the roles of radio and print in national health campaigns in developing countries; a…

One of a series of sixteen knowledge transformation papers, this paper reviews data sources for objective evaluation of vocational education, including the need for such information and the problems associated with its use. First, a list is given of thirty-five data elements necessary to evaluate a skill training problem at the secondary,…

A survey of 71 rural Illinois school psychologists examined the frequency of their professional contacts, their level of computer knowledge, and their access to technology. Results indicate that although rural school psychologists serve an average of 1,620 students, practice in an average of 5.5 schools, and work for 2.2 school districts,…

Characteristics in the college academic setting and the external environment that affect the decision-making structure and that the dean should consider before reorganization are examined. Concepts and theories about governance, decision-making, organizational structure, and characteristics of effective decision makers are also briefly reviewed. A…