Reviews concepts of aptitude and aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) and summarizes lessons learned in ATI research on educational treatments to help ATI research on psychotherapeutic treatments. Research design and data analysis recommendations address aptitude distributions, multivariate aptitude complexes, detective work with scatterplots,…

Reviews research on data mining (DM) and knowledge discovery (KD). Discusses popular conceptions of information growth, the knowledge acquisition process, major elements of the DM process, and evaluation methods. Research on DM and KD is divided into two categories: analysis of numerical databases and analysis of non-numerical or textual…

Explains the statistical technique of survival analysis which is suggested as appropriate for evaluation of longitudinal speech and language data. In survival analysis, probabilities are calculated not just for groups but also for individuals in a group, a major advantage for clinical studies. Both nonparametric and semiparametric survival…

Presents different real-world mathematics activities on data display and data analysis with pie charts from different time periods. (ASK)

Describes a procedure for teaching experimental design to students in the social sciences. Argues that by replicating Solomon Asch's and H. Kelley's classic studies on impression formation, students learn how to conduct experiments, analyze data, and evaluate the significance of research. Provides instructions for implementing the strategy. (DSK)

Describes content-validity theory and illustrates new and traditional approaches for conducting content-validity studies. Newer approaches are based on multidimensional scaling analysis of item-similarity ratings, while traditional approaches are based on ratings of item-objective congruence and relevance. (Author/SLD)

Highlights effective graphical methods for screening and cleaning data, exploring and identifying models, and displaying data in counseling-psychology publications. Argues that graphs are not ancillary to scientific publications but are essential and, in some cases, sufficient expositions of results. (Author/GCP)

In a data-driven school culture, there is an institutionalized willingness to use numbers systematically to reveal important patterns and answer focused questions about policy, methods, and outcomes. A central data team relies on input from teachers, ultimately responsible for student success. Massachusetts applications and examples are described.…

Provides guidelines for building a consistent and reliable database of expenditures within an institution of higher education. Stresses the importance of involving key constituencies, including both data providers and data users, in decisions about building the data elements for such a database and the resulting campus cost studies. (DB)

Describes the use of geographic information systems (GIS) by a "local learning team" to map socioeconomic patterns in Jackson County, Kentucky, and to evaluate the distribution of local funding and the geographic equity of representation related to the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community program. Discusses advantages and disadvantages…

Identifies the stages of acquisition of gateway drugs in fourth, fifth, and sixth graders (N=811). Research confirmed the existence of discrete stages of acquisition. The concept of gateway drugs was supported in that subjects indicated further progression through the stages of acquisition of alcohol use than through use of other substances.…

Evaluation data about extension programs are subject to variation. Program improvement requires control of this variance. Statistical quality control charts provide a means of measuring variation, determining sources, and making modifications. (SK)

Over the past decade, quantitative methods have evolved to provide evaluators with more effective means for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information. The advances discussed are: (1) facilitating advances that consist of changes that make carrying out quantitative evaluation easier; (2) advances in measurement; and (3) advances in…

Describes and assesses missing data methods currently used to analyze data from matrix sampling designs implemented by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Several improved methods are developed, and these models are evaluated using an EM algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood estimates followed by multiple imputation of complete data…

Responds to criticism by Levy, Wong, Benbenisty, and Mattaini (1996) of Rubin and Knox's (1996) article (CG 548 550) concerning data analysis in single-case evaluations. Refutes assertions that the intention of the article was to reject all single-case methodology. The intention was to emphasize the limitations inherent in applying such methods in…