Three methods for the estimation of the reliability of single dichotomous items are discussed. All methods are based on the assumptions of nondecreasing and nonintersecting item response functions and the Mokken model of double monotonicity. Based on analytical and Monte Carlo studies, it is concluded that one method is superior to the other two…

Technical aspects of the first followup survey for the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are documented and summarized. Some information overlaps materials in the users' manuals for this followup, such as the overview and general descriptions of data collection, sampling, weighting, variance estimation, nonresponse patterns,…

Political and legislative pressures have posed a number of measurement issues and challenges to the development of sound, valid voluntary national tests (VNTs). This paper focuses on what appear to be the most difficult technical issues related to the VNT proposed by President Clinton in 1997. Technical issues refer to psychometric issues, as…

This book is intended for a one-semester or one-term course in educational research. It is designed to enable students to become intelligent consumers of educational research and to introduce its basic principles to those who eventually may be involved in research in their work. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to Research in Education"; (2)…

This manual has been produced to familiarize data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the first follow-up component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). A corollary objective is to provide the necessary documentation for use of the data file. Use of the data set does not require the…

The effectiveness of five methods used to estimate the population parameters of a variable of interest from a random sample in the presence of non-response to mail surveys was tested in conditions that vary the return rate and the relationship of the variable of interest to the likelihood of response. Data from 125,092 adult Alabama residents in…

This textbook for teaching reasoning processes and decision making under conditions of uncertainty is written at an introductory level. Based on a translation of a Hebrew book, the text is intended for the general training of military and civilian personnel required to process, sort, and/or evaluate incomplete, unreliable information. Potential…

Summaries are presented of individual state practices for collecting selected universe terms and data elements for the Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Project is a joint effort of the states and Federal government to improve the quality and timeliness of data collected, analyzed, and reported…

This digest describes the organization of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and what is included in a typical NAEP assessment. The way in which the NAEP selects students for assessments and how the assessments are used are discussed. The NAEP is a congressionally mandated project of the National Center for Education…

Use of clustering methods with data from the 1987 High School Transcript (HST) component of the 1986 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is discussed in an attempt to persuade data analysts and researchers that they should be interested in problems traditionally turned over to samplers. Nearly all surveys used by the National Center…

Suggestions and guidelines for using the Bureau of the Census' Current Population Survey (CPS) files are provided. CPS is based on the civilian component of a national probability sample of households and is conducted by the Bureau of the Census. The survey gathers employment data on a continuing basis, as well as supplemental information on such…

Equity topics that need special attention from higher education researchers are discussed. It is argued that focusing on the increased numbers of women students, faculty, and administrators may disguise more complex issues. It is advocated that when researchers propose to study "women," they should identify which women are being examined. When…

The basic communication theory course offered at Central Michigan University is designed to provide students with an understanding of fundamental concepts and terminology, and to expose them to theory and research in communication. The course gives students the opportunity to engage in simulations and other in-class activities, thus making…

This paper discusses distribution theory and power computations for four common "tests of combined significance." These tests are calculated using one-sided sample probabilities or p values from independent studies (or hypothesis tests), and provide an overall significance level for the series of results. Noncentral asymptotic sampling…

This paper analyzes data needs for policy purposes and is divided into three sections: (1) revenue and expenditure data; (2) human resources data; and (3) time and curriculum resources data. Federal data collection concerned with resources should identify the state as the unit of analysis, should broaden the definition of resources beyond revenues…