As mandated by Congress, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) surveys the educational accomplishments of U.S. students and monitors changes in those accomplishments. NAEP tracks the educational achievement of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders over time in selected content areas, and has been tracking achievement for 30 years. The goals…

This study is the final report from the National Center for Education Statistics task force on redesign of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Following an executive summary outlining the need for changes and a series of recommendations, Section 1 details the reasons, goals, and processes involved in the IPEDS redesign.…

This monograph reports on a national survey of state higher education agencies concerning the current status of student transition data systems. The survey found that 48 states are currently addressing at least one of four student transition areas, with 42 states concerned with postsecondary education (PSE) to PSE transition, 33 states with K-12…

This report presents an analysis of the statistics concerning the status of education for students with special needs in member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Special needs students are defined as those who have disabilities with clear biological causes, or who are experiencing learning difficulties, or who…

An instrument was developed to record adult basic education instructional time and funding data and predict future cost allocation to meet governmental regulations. Findings of a literature review were as follows: funding for such activities is tied to accounting for previous expenditures; continued funding is contingent upon post-activity…

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) and the Migrant Head Start (MHS) program have served millions of migrant children, but little is known about program outcomes. The Government Accounting Office examined: (1) MEP and MHS goals, operations, clients, and services; (2) coordination of MEP and MHS services within and between programs by the…

This paper reports on initial implementation of a state required process for determining eligibility of children and adolescents for Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Programs. Three criteria are used for determining eligibility: a diagnosable mental, behavior, or emotional disorder; impairment of one year's duration; and establishment of…

This brief paper summarizes data from a survey of state education agencies (SEAs) on changes related to Braille instruction since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Major findings from analyses of the 44 responding agencies include the following: (1) 25 SEAs have counts of the number of…

Discusses the use of computers for nine different tasks in biological education: information retrieval, data accumulation, data analysis, simulation and systems analysis, decision making, experimental control, course review, computer-managed instruction, and word processing. (PEB)

The development of a low cost input system is discussed in terms of the appropriateness of imposing program-controlled answering strategies on candidates attempting a conventional multiple choice objective question achievement test. Systems used for the management of learning and strategies students use to answer tests are highlighted. (Author/EJS)

Investigated pragmatic transfer in American learners of Japanese responding to compliments. The study used a closed role play to collect interlanguage data from the learners and normative data from Japanese and American native speakers. Findings substantiate a utility of pragmatic transfer research for improving instructional approach and course…

This discussion of collaboration between general and special educators focuses on selection of instructional interventions in mainstream settings and curriculum-based methods of evaluating programs designed to increase the academic performance of students with and without disabilities. It then suggests ways to incorporate data-based decision…

Notes that large-scale qualitative research projects tend to produce vast data pools from observation journals, interview transcripts, and other material that often is barely analyzed in the originating project. Argues that this material represents a valuable research resource. Includes six suggested rules for the use of older data. (MJP)

Reports on the concerns of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers in Canada regarding their students' use of pocket bilingual electronic dictionaries (EDs). The article highlights the ED's features, uses, and effectiveness as a tool for learning ESL at the secondary level and ESL students' perceptions of the ED's usefulness. (nine references)…

A University of Portsmouth (England) study assessed the utility of students' group assessments of courses in generating appropriate feedback. It considered the effectiveness of student consultation meetings, usefulness of the results in course development, how this group process compares with schoolwide course evaluation surveys, and how students…