The purpose of this study was to describe international perspectives concerning terms, definitions, and meanings of adapted physical activity (APA) as (a) activities or service delivery, (b) a profession, and (c) an academic field of study. Gergen's social constructionism, our theory, guided analysis of multiple sources of data via qualitative…

Describes the results of a survey of 108 rural South Dakota high school principals. Reports that, although principals envision themselves as instructional leaders, a majority of the day is spent on general managerial duties and discipline, with principals more concerned about task completion than about individuals or school climate. (Author/DHP)

This article provides advice on how to plan and conduct an alumni census through the mail, drawing on the experiences of Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts, which undertook such a survey in 1992. It focuses on costs, information needs, questionnaire design, mailing considerations, reporting the results, and expected response rates.…

Decreasing enrollments and financial problems have led to considerable restructuring in North Dakota schools. One form of restructuring was the creation of dual-role administrative positions combining two or all of the roles of superintendent, elementary principal, and secondary principal. In 1987, 47 of 51 administrators holding such positions…

Techniques in using readership surveys to boost the effectiveness and acceptance of a college publication, particularly those intended for faculty and alumni, are outlined. Steps include planning the research, selecting survey participants, drafting a questionnaire, designing a survey package, monitoring response, and reviewing and presenting…

In Spring 2007, educators in 63 participating Ohio school districts across the state spoke out on working conditions in their schools by participating in a web-based survey that addressed key teaching and learning conditions related to time, empowerment, school leadership, professional development, and facilities and resources. This is the final…

Many school buildings are in dire need of renovation, expansion, or replacement. Brief case studies from around the country illustrate the importance of finding out why people vote for or against a construction referendum. Lists recommendations for a strategic campaign. (MLF)

Higher education administrators often wonder if the information they receive from the low response rates to surveys of non-matriculating applicants accurately reflects the entire population of these non-matriculants. These questions are exacerbated by evidence that response bias does exist. This paper describes how St. Mary's College in Notre…

This 8-page booklet is a survey instrument that was sent to randomly selected college and university senior administrators nationwide by the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. The 29-item questionnaire is designed to learn more about alcohol and other drug prevention efforts taking place on college campuses. Information…

A mail survey of 152 high school students visiting a major state university was undertaken to develop a profile of excellent students wanting to attend the institution. It investigated these variables: attitudes about the visit, distance from campus, parental advise, income, university reputation, scholarship availability, program availability,…

This guidebook explains how to conduct a telephone survey that will gather the information necessary for new program needs assessment in the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education system. The guidebook is based on pilot assessments conducted by Fox Valley Technical College. The guidebook contains five sections: (1) introduction--why…

A 1985 mail survey of 97 rural schools and 53 coastal (urban/suburban) schools in Queensland, Australia, investigated teacher characteristics, problems, and needs. Respondents included 504 rural teachers, 215 rural parents, 405 coastal teachers, and 179 coastal parents. The results confirm many previous findings about teaching in rural Australia.…

Two studies evaluated college student response rates to mail surveys. One found that enclosure of raffle tickets improved response rates but only for students living in campus housing. The second study showed that nonrespondents who were telephoned before receiving a second questionnaire mailing were more likely to respond. (Author/MSE)

Many theories have been proposed to help instructional designers make instructional-strategy decisions, yet it is not clear if these theories are actually used by ID practitioners. This study used a web-survey to examine the design strategies of 113 ID practitioners. The survey asked respondents to rate how frequently they used learning or ID…

This report is the culmination of a project that assessed the status of arts education in the public schools in Indiana. Detailed information on Indiana's total arts education program, including the areas of music, visual art, theater and dance education, was solicited by a comprehensive mail survey. An executive summary states that: arts literacy…