The keynote article in this issue summarizes some of the lessons learned after a decade of using satellites for public service, and after five years of experimentation with information technologies designed for specialized audiences. Community service programs in the Appalachian Mountain and Rocky Mountain regions and in the state of Alaska are…

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.…

This issue of Research and Educational Practice Improvement Notes discusses three recent studies on schooling: (1) "Changing Our Schools; The Realities," by Kenneth Tye; (2) "Innovation Up Close: A Field Study in Twelve School Settings," Volume Four of a study conducted by David P. Crandall and associates; and (3)…

Sixteen vocational education evaluation problems which indicate the present situation in the states are discussed, and alternative solutions to them are suggested in this report. Each problem represents a situation that should be remedied or a need that must be met and was found to be common to a number of states attempting to develop or improve…

This theme issue focuses on the development of telephone-based videotex systems that use television sets and the telephone with the addition of a simple keyboard to access banks of information available on computers and to receive information in print on the television screen. A series of articles are included on Prestel, a telephone-based…

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…

Describing the findings and insights gained from a two-year research and development project entitled "Integrating Assessment with Instruction," this document focuses on the current measurement needs of teachers and the instructional processes for meeting those needs. The article is divided into four segments: (1) a description of the…

This Unesco report, one in a series, examines the sources of data used in educational decision making in Greece and proposes innovations in the information system to promote educational planning. The main source of quantitative data is the National Statistical Service of Greece which regularly publishes data concerned with all educational levels.…

This special issue of "Catalyst", entitled Testing Programs in Schools: What's New?, was published jointly by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association for Supervision and Curriculum. The articles emphasize desirability of designing testing programs to meet the information needs of educators and the…

An extension and re-analysis of data obtained in a national study of knowledge production and utilization in schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs) brings together a picture of the current effort being made by SCDEs in dissemination and utilization (D&U). Ninety-two masters level and doctoral SCDEs were assessed with regard to…

Emphasizing the importance of information in effective planning and decision making, this document reviews the background on data in education both before and after 1976, with particular emphasis on the Florida Educational Accountability Act and its influence on: (1) comprehensive planning; (2) student assessment; (3) management information…

This report summarizes the findings of three studies conducted by the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development in San Francisco, California. The first comprised five case studies of school principals. The second synthesized studies on collaborative arrangements for school improvement, and the third is a review of five studies…

The "ERIC Review" announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This double issue commemorates ERIC's 30th anniversary and focuses on the dissemination and use of education information. The issue includes "A Quick Guide To ERIC" (Lynn Smarte)--a reproducible training guide for…

Educational researchers, planners, and policy makers from both developed and developing nations met to present papers on and discuss the topics of information and communication in educational policy and planning. This symposium report, one of a series of Unesco reports, summarizes their papers and discussions. There are four main topics. The first…

One of a series of sixteen knowledge transformation papers, this paper deals with the nature and extent of use of evaluative data by administrators in vocational education. First, the following conditions which govern the use of the data are described: availability, reliability, credibility, utility, and consistency. Since the legitimacy of most…