Evaluations of educational programs or interventions are typically conducted in nonrandomly selected samples of schools or districts. Recent research has shown that nonrandom site selection can yield biased impact estimates. To estimate the external validity bias from nonrandom site selection, we combine lists of school districts that were…

This paper provides practical guidance for researchers who are designing and analyzing studies that randomize schools--which comprise three levels of clustering (students in classrooms in schools)--to measure intervention effects on student academic outcomes when information on the middle level (classrooms) is missing. This situation arises…

Adjustment methods such as propensity scores and analysis of covariance are often used for estimating treatment effects in nonexperimental data. Shadish, Clark, and Steiner used a within-study comparison to test how well these adjustments work in practice. They randomly assigned participating students to a randomized or nonrandomized experiment.…

Describes the process used to identify a rare sample of U.S. public secondary schools, those that are divided into "schools-within-schools" and provides descriptive information about the 55 schools of that kind that were found in a national search in fall 1998. Offers some tentative conclusions about the school-within-school reform approach. (SLD)

Serial Evaluation Activities (SEAs) are series' of focused evaluational studies, each dealing with a well-defined "component unit" within a complex project. Strategies for enhancing timeliness in SEAs include a comprehensive conceptual framework, a permanent institutional setting, a prearranged sample plan, utilization of item banks, and…

A number of quality assurance educational evaluation methods are illustrated. Evaluation data obtained from the Providence, Rhode Island, school district are used. The methods are: (1) from auditing, internal control; (2) from accounting, double bookkeeping; and (3) from industrial quality control, acceptance sampling and cumulative percentage…

This investigation examined the effect contextual variables had on a national sample of school board members' information needs for decision making. Importance, conflict, and content were found to be associated with board members' needs for time, information, and consultation. (Author/LMO)

Inferences that might be made from international educational assessments are discussed, considering issues of popular definition and sampling, assessment exercises, background variables, and statistical analyses. International assessments do tell something about academic achievement, but other approaches may provide more cost-effective information…

A system of school process indicators is needed to provide descriptions of educational opportunity, monitor reform, and explain student outputs. A model of school process is proposed, against which problems of definition, measurement, and sampling are identified. Criteria of importance, validity, and cost are considered. (TJH)

Studies of the relationship between policy and practice typically focus on the formal policy system alone. Yet, the public policy system does not exist in isolation. A host of nonsystem actors promote, translate, and transform policy ideas as they carry them to teachers. This study draws on neoinstitutional theories of organization to investigate…

The extent to which students with disabilities are represented in national data collection programs was investigated by reviewing nine such programs that are receiving attention in current educational reform initiatives. Results suggest that 40-50% of students with disabilities are excluded from these prominent data collection programs. (SLD)

This article examines statistical issues raised when standard methods are used to analyze educable placement data to determine possible racial discrimination. An alternate approach is offered that detects disparities while avoiding the pitfalls of present methodologies. (BS)