This article describes four measurement tools that are of potential value for institutional researchers as greater demands are being placed upon their work. The author describes scale development, select methods for setting passing scores, validating passing scores and the topic of equating--both equipercentile and linear. Not only should…

Action research can play an important role in institutional research endeavors to improve the quality of organizational performance in higher education. This article outlines how the action research perspective informed a research design that integrated fragmented and isolated student success initiatives at a large urban two-year institution where…

This article sketches a research agenda for the further study of community college student transitions. Specific techniques are depicted as are potential data sources that can be used to pursue that agenda. The role of student tracking systems in transition research is discussed as well as the applicability of national surveys to the study of…

Discusses the need to adopt a strategically guided model for community college research that changes the basis for assessment from institutional performance in a commoditized market to institutional advantage in a turbulent market. Focuses on how research data can be generated and used to achieve an advantage by differentiating one institution…

Outlines findings of a survey asking community college presidents in four states to list the questions and issues that should be given priority in college research agendas. Indicates that questions relating to student characteristics and success, curriculum, organizational and community development, articulation, faculty, and leadership were the…

Describes an institutional research office's establishment of an outcomes-oriented self-assessment model rooted in the college's mission and goals. Reports that the framework enables institutional research departments to evaluate their effectiveness, and more importantly, to use the results of self-assessment to plan future activities, thereby…

The Gulf Coast Association for Institutional Research (GCAIR) conducted a study of those concurrent/dual credit (CDC) students enrolled fall semester, 2001. The purpose was to determine a profile for this group of students which included gender, ethnicity, GPA, re enrollment, etc. Since there has been little research done on these students,…

A regularly administered employee opinion survey is an important institutional outcomes measurement tool. It can provide robust benchmarks and standards for a whole range of dimensions of a healthy workplace. This kind of survey should also be a critically important component of the process of engaging employees in the development of the…

This essay builds on and extends scholarly discussion of the role and functions of Institutional Research (IR), especially with regard to the community college. As institutional "conscience," the primary value of IR is assisting in the identification of organizational weaknesses and challenges and helping to convert weaknesses into strengths and…

Describes the College of Lake County's (Illinois) development of an enrollment projection process that satisfies the need for information for institutional planning and budget forecasting. The process includes statistically driven projections and adjustments to the projections that reflect unique conditions within the disciplines and requires much…

Research that has traditionally supported program accreditation has tended to be primarily descriptive in nature, focusing on outcomes such as the satisfaction of graduates and passing rates on licensure exams. The study reported here illustrates how research employing multivariate methodologies can go beyond such descriptive reporting to address…

This paper identifies a need to study the success of students taking college course offerings using distance education. Measurement issues are discussed, including a proposal for definition of some key variables involved in studying distance delivery by institutional researchers. Concerns about student outcomes are identified using data from two…

Provides an annotated bibliography of selected sources on applied community college research from 1992 available through the ERIC database. Includes research on instructional concerns, managerial concerns, student surveys (longitudinal), student surveys (cross-sectional), and student follow-up studies. (43 sources) (MAB)

Examines the limitations of traditional transfer rate indicators, suggesting that their use as measures of institutional effectiveness is inappropriate. Reviews methodologies of two national transfer rate models in terms of the importance of time frames for transfer, minimum credit hour thresholds, curriculum intent, and student intent. Recommends…