Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is an empirical research method that has gained some popularity in the social sciences. At the same time, the literature has long been convinced that QCA is prone to committing causal fallacies when confronted with non-causal data. More specifically, beyond a certain case-to-factor ratio, the method is…

This manual provides guidance and documentation for users of the longitudinal kindergarten-fourth grade (K-4) data file of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). It mainly provides information specific to the fourth-grade round of data collection. The first chapter provides an overview of the…

This volume draws lessons from the education systems of a selection of top-scoring and rapidly improving countries as measured by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). While this volume relates these lessons to the education reform agenda in the United States, they…

This appendix accompanies the report "Taking the Lead in Science Education: Forging Next-Generation Science Standards. International Science Benchmarking Report," a study conducted by Achieve to compare the science standards of 10 countries. This appendix includes the following: (1) PISA and TIMSS Assessment Rankings; (2) Courses and…

In this set of four supplemental tables, the authors compare the baseline test scores of the treatment and matched control group samples observed in each year after KIPP entry (outcome years 1 to 4). As discussed in Chapter III, the authors used an iterative propensity score estimation procedure to calculate each student's probability of entering…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is produced annually by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to broaden understanding of the context and consequences of multiple decisions made every year in each of these areas. No single report can provide definitive answers to such broad and fundamental questions of public…

Reports findings of two research projects conducted at Temple University that investigated the usefulness of indexes as "memory assists" in locating specific items: title searching in the Social Science Index and the Humanities Index and author searches in those indexes and the Social Science Citation Index. Comparative performances are…

A comparison of records for 217 serial titles (holdings reports, selected bibliographic data elements, supplementary notes) found in both the OCLC online database and "New Serial Titles" (NST) indicates that OCLC is superior resource for current material, while NST is stronger resource for older titles. Five references are included. (EJS)

A table of critical values is provided for the simple and accurate testing of the step-down procedure proposed by R. E. Welsch (1977) and the Shaffer-Welsch procedure (1979, 1981). Advantages and use of the table are presented and discussed. (Author/SLD)

This study of catalog headings for corporate names entered in direct order which appeared in 1981 bibliographic records of the Library of Congress, National Library of Canada, British Library, and National Library of Australia reveals that an average of 87.2 percent of each agency's headings matched one or more of others. (EJS)

Library performance criteria used by managers in 62 academic, special, and public libraries are analyzed to measure the extent to which criteria proposed in the literature are actually used, to identify types of criteria in use, and to develop guidelines for future criterion selection. (Author)

Presents a methodology for characterizing computer-based learning environments that focuses on cognitive, pedagogical, and interactive features. Discusses the framework for this characterization in relation to relevant theories and findings in cognitive and instructional research. Figures and tables display results of a systematic examination of…

The relative power of the Mann-Whitney statistic, the t-statistic, the median test, a test based on exceedances (A,B), and two special cases of (A,B) the Tukey quick test and the revised Tukey quick test, was investigated via a Monte Carlo experiment. These procedures were compared across four population probability models: uniform, beta, normal,…

This study explored the use of the monographic literature in British and American literary studies and compared its findings with those of studies of humanities journals. It was found that book references were the predominant tool for humanities scholarship and that manuscripts were cited almost as often as journal articles. (EJS)

The authors previously discussed the importance of effect size and Type II errors as factors in determining sample size. Tables were developed and presented for one-factor designs with k levels. As these tables could not be used for the one sample case, comparable tables were developed and are presented. (Author/DWH)