To continue to be an effective local educational leader in curricular change, fiscal policy making, and, above all, in planning for education, the school administrator must have a continuous flow of usable information on public opinion. The purpose of this book is to provide the administrator with practical methods for systematically monitoring…

After reviewing the literature, the authors defined a two dimensional framework comprising formative evaluation activity as one dimension and source of information as the other. Four types of formative evaluation activity were identified and defined. Three primary sources of information-internal, external, and contextual-were identified for…

Some stochastic approximation procedures are considered in relation to the problem of choosing a sequence of test questions to accurately estimate a given examinee's standing on a psychological dimension. Illustrations are given evaluating certain procedures in a specific context. (Author/CK)

The research presented in this document has two main hypotheses: (1) From locus of control theory, it was predicted that a warm, supportive, and consistent or stable home environment relates positively to internal control; (2) Methods derived from locus of control theory which increase an individual's observation and experience of behavior-effect…

The present study was designed to (1) investigate the changes in the structure and organization of mental abilities during childhood and adolescence of 514 students as sampled by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (5 to 15 years) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (16 to 18 Years) and (2) interpret, and possibly modify, the…

The methodology to perform benefit-cost studies exists, but there is much ambiguity concerning the implications of such studies as a result of using faulty methodology. For example, control groups are a necessity, as are adequate sampling procedures and adjustment for non-response bias and self-selection bias, and all studies do not employ this…

The measurement information generated by CRT's is designed for use in instructional management systems where classifications of pupils for treatment are to be decided on the basis of minimal data consistent with predetermined limits for the errors of misclassification. The measures obtained are content specific estimates of proficiency useful for…

The Research Triangle conducted an evaluation study of the Upward Bound Program, a nationwide program funded by the U.S. Office of Education to help selected low-income high school students prepare for and enter post secondary education. This paper describes the sample design and selection procedures used in selecting a sample of Upward Bound…

These three newsletters focus on advances and challenges in disability research. The first issue focuses on the results of a survey that investigated how many consumers with disabilities had a computer available in their home and their Internet use. The study involved administrators of Independent Living Centers (ILC) and ILC consumers. Findings…

The paper initially describes the sources of uncertainty in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data and standard errors. As NAEP sample sizes have increased, greater precision has been attained by the program. For this reason, exclusion effects are increasingly important. Two scenarios of revised NAEP results are presented (for New…

The National Education Longitudinal Studies (NELS) program is a long-term effort that now encompasses the educational experience of youth from three decades, the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The NELS program studies the educational, vocational, and personal development of students at various grade levels, and the personal, familial, social,…

Quantitative educational research with ethnic minorities has a long history, characterized by assumptions that are still operative, such as the assumption that the white male is the standard against which other groups should be compared. It has also been assumed that assessment instruments are applicable across all groups, and that sources of…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a telephone interview survey that has been conducted in the spring of 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1999. The 1999 NHES was a compilation of survey items from previous years that included three interviews, resulting in three data files. One of these components was the Youth Interview, in which…

Some longitudinal databases already available which can serve as models for future data collection and for policy making are summarized: Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP), Wisconsin High School Sample; Project TALENT; National Longitudinal Study (NLS) of the High School Class of 1972, SCOPE, and Youth in Transition. (Author/MLW)

Reports on a study of the beliefs held by students, parents, and teachers regarding desirable schooling and teaching in grades one to eight in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Examines the combined use of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies; rationales and procedures of naturalistic and rationalistic inquiry; and implications for research in…