A data-management system adhering to seven principles (concerned with defining and measuring characteristics and their interrelationships) is feasible and exists in parts, if not as an integrated whole. Present data-collection and reportage systems lack the real-time, analytic longitudinal characteristics that contemporary technology promises and…

Examines data collected by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on the identification and classification of special education students. Analysis suggests that the OSEP count data, by themselves, do not indicate how many children have disabilities or what types of disabilities they have, and the data cannot by used to evaluate…

Synthesizes findings from 36 studies that validated the Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning-Style Preferences. Questions are raised regarding the validity of the model, the nature of the literature base, the interpretation of the meta-analytic findings, and the conclusions. The article concludes that the model has not been adequately validated.…

This paper examines the relationship between job sprawl and the spatial mismatch between blacks and jobs. Using data from a variety of sources, including the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census and U.S. Department of Commerce's ZIP Code Business Patterns, I control extensively for metropolitan area characteristics and other factors. In addition, I use…

The authors work with 22 educators from a variety of disciplines during a 3-year time span to understand what authentic teaching means and to explore how authenticity is manifested in practice. Using a grounded theory approach, the authors interview participants twice per year, observe their classes, and hold focus groups at the end of the…

Institutional researchers frequently use national datasets such as those provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The authors of this chapter explore the adjustments required when analyzing NCES data collected using complex sample designs. (Contains 8 tables.)

Time limits represent a substantial departure from previous welfare policy. Theory suggests that their effects should vary according to the age of the youngest child of the family. I test this prediction using data from the Current Population Survey and find that time limits indeed have larger effects on families with younger children. I further…

Few examples exist on how to use survey data to inform public environmental education programs. I suggest a process for interpreting statewide survey data with the four questions that give insights into local context and make it possible to gain insight into potential target audiences and community priorities. The four questions are: What…

Over the past decade, apoptosis has emerged as an important field of study central to ongoing research in many diverse fields, from developmental biology to cancer research. Apoptosis proceeds by a highly coordinated series of events that includes enzyme activation, DNA fragmentation, and alterations in plasma membrane permeability. The detection…

In the evaluation of an experimental, full inclusion model in the Netherlands, data on participating pupils with special needs were collected. The evaluation focused on social/emotional functioning, pupil behaviour and the quality of education. Independent assessors were invited to study the files of 24 pupils and evaluate their development and…

The analytical approaches used to develop and evaluate policies at the water-use planning sites are intended to provide insight to decisionmakers and to help stakeholders structure their thinking and deliberations. These objectives are fundamentally different from those of evaluation approaches favored by many economists, which seek to provide a…

In 2004 the Australian Flexible Learning Framework developed a suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the uptake, use and impact of e-learning in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. These indicators were used to design items for a survey to gather quantitative data for benchmarking. A series of four surveys gathered…

Students in small rural schools in British Columbia face barriers to accessing senior science courses. A case study employing questionnaire and interview methods sought the perspectives of principals, teachers, and students in the affected schools on this issue. Interpretive data analysis revealed the following barriers as key factors that affect…

This paper summarizes the literature on research studies in informatics and changes in learning, particularly computer-assisted instruction. Research results themselves are often inconclusive when no allowances are made for different generations of hardware and software or computer types, when the computer is treated as the only variable in the…

A recent conference on statistics education recommended that more emphasis be placed on the interpretation of research (IOR). Ways for developing and assessing IOR and providing a systematic framework for creating and selecting instructional materials for the independent assessment of specific IOR concepts are the focus of this paper. The…