A framework for understanding methodological practices from the perspectives of internal validity, external validity, statistical control validity, and construct validity is presented. One hundred doctoral dissertations completed between 1980 and 1988 at a single urban public university were analyzed for various methodological practices and types…

This report provides the statistical tools necessary to measure the extent of error that exists in organizational record data and group survey data. It is felt that traditional methods of measuring error are inappropriate or incomplete when applied to organizational groups, especially in studies of organizational change when the same variables are…

The evolution of the two-stage cluster sampling plan is described, as are the instruments used to collect survey data from principals, teachers, specialists, and parents. Particular attention is given to the Classroom Activities Log, a unique teacher-completed instrument which provides a complete description of daily student experiences.…

This guide presents detailed information concerning the purposes and process of program evaluation, the role of the evaluator, and the development of an evaluation plan or design. Instruction is provided in selecting or developing assessment instruments, collecting and analyzing data, reporting evaluation results and applying the findings. The…

This is one of nine volumes describing the results of extensive research carried out by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) over a seven-year period. The overall aim of this extensive empirical study is to relate student competence to instructional, economic, and social factors which account for…

Preliminary research testing the reliability and the validity of the "Thinking About My School" (TAMS) instrument is reported, and extensive data and analyses are included for the benefit of those who wish to do further evaluative work. Instructions for scoring and appropriate conditions for administering TAMS to students with low…

A thorough understanding of the uses and applications of statistical techniques is integral in gaining support for library funding or new initiatives. This resource is designed to help practitioners develop and manipulate descriptive statistical information in evaluating library services, tracking and controlling limited resources, and analyzing…

By the spring of 2000, forty states had begun using student test scores to rate school performance. Twenty states have gone a step further and are attaching explicit monetary rewards or sanctions to a school's test performance. In this paper, the authors focus on accountability programs in which states measure the effectiveness of individual…

This study compared 4,594 student responses from three different surveys of incoming students at the University of South Florida (USF) with data from Florida's State University System (SUS) admissions files to determine what proportion of error occurs in the survey responses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of measurement error in…

The type, number, and scope of errors on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program applications were estimated in a replication of a 1976-1977 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Comparison Study. Information reported on BEOG applicants and IRS income tax returns was compared for various categories of applicants. The study provides information…

In the late 1970s, the Department of Defense requested that the reference population for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) be changed and updated to reflect the current youth population. Analyses of new data collected in 1980 indicated that speeded subtest scores of the new sample were atypically low and that the sample might…

Latent trait model calibration procedures were used on data obtained from a group testing program. The one-parameter model of Wright and Panchapakesan and the three-parameter logistic model of Wingersky, Wood, and Lord were selected for comparison. These models and their corresponding estimation procedures were compared, using actual and simulated…

Ten modules which present specific instructions for conducting a task survey are provided in this manual for vocational educators, supervisors, and directors. Each module contains a short descriptive paragraph of the contents of each module, a performance objective, readings, exercise activities, and feedback for those activities. The modules are…

This report is part of the Florida Department of Education, Title III, ESEA, Educational Needs Assessment study and deals exclusively with information and data collected from questionnaires administered to a sample of seven educationally relevant subpopulations within the State. These subpopulations included students, teachers, principals,…

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)