Background: Mentoring has drawn substantial interest from policymakers, intervention theorists, and those interested in identifying promising and useful evidence-based approaches to interventions for criminal justice and child welfare outcomes (Grossman & Tierney, 1998; Jekliek et al., 2002). Mentoring is one of the most commonly-used…

Introspective interviewing can often determine the magnitude of relations more meaningfully than statistical analysis. Deduction from empirically validated premises avoids many research design problems. Guesswork can be combined with sensitivity analysis to determine the effects of guesses and missing information on conclusions. (Author/DWH)

An attempt is made here to trace the development of Coleman's research reports and public statements. Several critical evaluations of this work are then reviewed, including one the authors have carried out. It is suggested the overall research suggests six generalizations: there has been an enormous, long term trend of whites leaving the central…

The first part of this document summarizes the current state of knowledge on trends in inequality of economic well-being in the United States since World War II. It surveys alternative answers to the often asked question: Has inequality in the U.S. increased, decreased, or remained roughly the same over a period of time? Intelligent laymen, and…

Theory behind modern evaluative bibliometric techniques is reviewed at three levels: (1) policy application; (2) strategic analysis; and (3) tactical analysis. New techniques developed at each level and limitations of each approach are discussed. At all levels, the process begins with assembling data and then moves to a data-based evaluation. (SLD)

This book is considered to provide a sober, balanced, and scholarly examination of the evidence that bears on the role of genetic and environmental factors in the determination of group differences in ability in the United States. The first chapter provides something of the background and recent history of the concern with racial-ethnic…

Suggesting that James Coleman's paper on massive school desegragation reveals methodological flaws of such magnitude that they raise serious questions as to the validity of the conclusions, this paper addresses a full sequence of perceived methodological errors found in the Coleman document, but does not dismiss the conclusions based upon initial…

This research study sought to determine the impact of an agricultural leadership program on rural community development beyond self-report survey data typically collected for program evaluation. Two hundred-ninety graduates of a program that taught leadership skills to impact policy at local, state, and national levels to adults aged 25-45 who…

In order to make policy decisions, educators must evaluate educational research proposals and projects. Findings immediately related to practice are often inadequate, omitting the theoretical establishment of principles by which we can explain and predict the phenomena of our world. These theoretical linkages to the practical world of…

Having low literacy skills could impact everything from reading a newspaper and balancing a checkbook to wise consumer decisions and job advancement. This study estimates adult literacy measures for Cuyahoga County, Ohio and its municipalities. It is also important to have a sense of how many children are at risk for developing literacy problems…