This report describes a project undertaken at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) between January 1, 1982 and March 31, 1984, which was designed to increase the use in program assessment and in program improvement of information derived from measures of: (1) student achievement in general education; (2) student achievement in the major…

Evaluation affects the people who participate and the situation studied, and there is no guarantee that the effects will be democratic, constructive, or equitable. A case study illustrates that even the most scrupulous attention to ethical principles and procedures for the release of information cannot always protect the interests of participants…

Because of the enormous amount of available career information, school counselors require the skills to identify the appropriate information for clients and to know its sources. Accordingly, this module consists of three training activities in career information gathering for school counselors. Activity 1, "Appropriate Information," focuses the…

This paper proposes "data driven educational leadership" as a key to meeting the challenges that face public education. Section I discusses the role of the educational leader, particularly the superintendent, in assessing the state of the school district, developing district goals, and fostering an instructional focus among school…

A two-phase project was initiated to establish a research base of needed information technology skills. Phase 1 identified and verified the technical, human, and conceptual skills needed by clerical, managerial, and professional personnel to use information technology effectively. Phase 2 was the national validation of such skills through…

The critical and central role of school library media programs in equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete successfully in a learning society and an information world was explored. An analysis of patterns of information seekers' behavior provided the basis for a discussion of the importance of considering the…

One of the difficulties encountered by novice problem solvers in introductory physics is in the area of problem solving. It has been shown in other studies that poor problem solvers are affected by the surface aspects of the problem in contrast with more efficient problem solvers who are capable of constructing a mental model of the physical…

The Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) is a nationwide computer-based communications network originally designed to transfer the health and educational records of migrant workers' children. This report assesses MSRTS data from September 1984 through June 1986 to determine the potential utility of such data for national studies of the…

This paper offers criticism of rural education research methods, and identifies areas in need of more or better systematic inquiry. It suggests the need to increase the quantity of the highest quality of research and the need for researchers to reach policy makers and "mainstream" education journals more effectively. Five main problems…

Educational researchers should be aware of the general consensus of the research community as to what is proper and improper in the conduct of educational research, since there is as yet no explicit code of ethics. Accordingly, this paper examines existing ethical standards to initiate discussion of issues specific to the educational research…

This survey investigated: (1) the extent that psychometric criteria are used in test selection; (2) the weight given to different types of psychometric information relative to other qualities of the test; and (3) possible reasons for differences among districts. Directors of testing offices, including members of the National Association of Test…

School climate is an elusive but powerful concept that has captured the attention of both researchers and practitioners, but choosing an instrument to assess climate can be very complicated. This monograph accordingly discusses four basic issues that should be considered prior to selecting an instrument to measure school climate: purpose, choice…

These training materials consist of a pretest, eight instructional units, and a posttest designed for a workshop to train counselors in using labor market information to help students improve their career decisions. Covered in the instructional units are the following topics: career decision making and the role of labor market information,…

Effective use of career resource centers (CRCs) is dependent upon having good resources, good organization and management of the resources, purposeful access strategies (a variety of assessment activities and materials), and meaningful utilization of the information. Assuming that CRCs have good resources and are well organized and managed, a more…

A study based on a randomly-selected sample of 41 Ohio State University faculty was conducted to examine faculty member's receipt and use of feedback about instruction-related activities. The faculty was also asked to identify issues relevant to evaluation practices and improvement of instruction. Faculty reported relatively little effort directed…