Examines a Danish English-language reading proficiency test offered to freshman students to diagnose weaknesses which may impede their academic careers. To facilitate the assessment of what parts can be transferred and used in other language areas, the article discusses the test construction, development and improvement. (11 references) (Author/CK)

Presents an activity developed for back-to-back general science and mathematics classes involving measurement, data analysis, and consumer mathematics. Students compare brands of popcorn for number of popped and unpopped kernels, volume, size, color, texture, and flavor, and develop advertisements for the best brands. Suggests possible extension…

Conducts a scenario-based usability test with 10 data analysts using visual querying (visually analyzing data with interactive graphics). Details a range of difficulties found in visual selection that, at times, gave rise to inaccurate selections, invalid conclusions, and misguided decisions. Argues that support for visual selection must be built…

Reports on a study of innovative city and county government programs in four western states. The study discovered widely divergent assessments of the same programs, dependent upon whether the survey instruments used qualitative or quantitative techniques. Discusses the possible reasons for this and the implications for future research. (MJP)

Commentaries from 10 researchers concerning "Alcohol Abuse in Urban Indian Adolescents and Women: A Longitudinal Study for Assessment and Risk Evaluation" (R. Dale Walker and others). Reviewers commend the project for adding to the sparse longitudinal research on Indian peoples, while also pointing out problems and issues specific to…

Announces the availability of a new dataset on U.S. politics, the "Record of American Democracy." Includes information on the type of data contained in the set and the extent of the data. Provides information on accessing the dataset via the World Wide Web. (DSK)

Analyzes telecommunications data in public schools in the framework of individual rights to equal educational opportunities, drawing from the Equality of Educational Opportunity (EEO) report (Coleman, 1966). Examines data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (1996) to determine if there were significant differences in access…

On-campus networked personal computer (PC) usage at La Trobe University Library was surveyed during September 2005. The survey's objectives were to confirm peak usage times, to measure some of the relevant parameters of online PC usage, and to determine the effect that 24 new networked PCs had on service quality. The survey found that clients…

The incorporation of technology into library processes has tremendously impacted staff and users alike. The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries is no exception. Sixteen years of reference statistics are analyzed to examine the relationships between the implementation of CD-ROMs and web-based resources and the number of reference questions.…

This study focuses on the impact of race, and its intersection with gender, in influencing and/or preventing the development of disordered body image. Specifically, Black samples are examined to see the role that racial identity plays in the process of developing such attitudes. Using qualitative data analysis methods rooted in grounded theory,…

In this paper we argue that the use of audit trail data for research and evaluation purposes has attracted scepticism due to real and perceived difficulties associated with the data's interpretation. We suggest that educational technology researchers and evaluators need to better understand how audit trail data can be processed and analysed…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to find if differences exist among 88 African American, Caucasian, and Latino families who received child welfare services. Method: A secondary data analysis of cross-sectional survey data employing standardized measures was used for this study. Family preservation (FP) services were received by 49…

In this article, John Forbes, administrative analyst for the 80,000-student Fresno Unified School District in Fresno, and Terrence Young, chief information officer for the 70,000-student Guilford Country Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina, share their strategies for getting staff on board with Web-based data systems. These are the strategies:…

While a growing body of research reveals the beneficial effects of music on education performance the value of music in educating the young child is not being recognized. If research of students in the school system indicates that learning through the arts can benefit the "whole" child, that math achievement scores are significantly…

Today's school counselors are under increasing pressure to document their effectiveness by using data and producing quantitative accountability reports. This guide from recognized counselor educators and trainers gives preservice and inservice school counselors the tools to identify evidence-based practices in their field and to use data in…