This study was conducted using archival data for 300 students of the graduating class of 1980 in a public school system which had a minimum competency testing (MCT) program. Data on normative variables (age, sex, race, and ability test scores) and performance variables (high school course of study, grade point average, absenteeism, and truancy)…

Data from studies of social entry and social rejection among preschool children were used in this discussion of the systematic use of videotaped records to answer questions about preschool children and the appropriate kind of analysis to employ with the social exchanges recorded. Collected materials were organized in a text-oriented relational…

A tracking system which monitors Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) mentally retarded students leaving the school system to make their transition to adult life, was developed to: (1) enhance the prospects for successful follow-up; (2) enable program planners to conduct systematic inquiries regarding the abilities, living arrangements, and work…

The assessment of individual or community nutritional status involves the use of indicators; when properly analyzed and interpreted, these may be used to decide what strategies to implement, or how to orient activities aimed at improving nutritional status. In primary health care programs, one approach which remains underused involves obtaining…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), a longitudinal study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, provides trend data about transitions experienced as young people develop, attend school, and embark on careers. The study began with a national sample of about 26,000 eighth graders in 1988 and follows these…

This report describes library services for the blind and physically handicapped supported by the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), Title I, funds during fiscal 1985. Trends in library services for the blind and physically handicapped determined by an examination of reports from individual states are briefly summarized for the areas of…

Developed as the result of an analysis of annual reports from state libraries, this report describes library services for the institutionalized supported by Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), Title I, funds during the fiscal year 1985. Trends identified include the funding of more specific projects, resulting in less population being…

This report describes library services funded as specified by the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), Title I, major urban resource library (MURL) provisions, and services offered by metropolitan public libraries that served as national or regional resource centers during fiscal 1985. A review of annual reports provided by state…

The paper describes three programs designed to produce strategic thinkers capable of improving the quality of human services in a variety of areas (business, health care and human services, government, military, and industry). The programs are: (1) a doctoral program in children and youth studies; (2) a doctoral program specialty in vocational,…

TIS (Technology Information System) is being used at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to develop software for Intelligent Gateway Computers (IGC) suitable for the prototyping of advanced, integrated information networks. Dedicated to information management, TIS leads the user to available information resources, on TIS or…

Under the impetus of a mandate by the Arkansas legislature to utilize survey data in program planning, a microcomputer system was developed to facilitate the convenient collection and analysis of questionnaire responses. The Questionnaire Generator/Analyzer is divided into four sections to: (1) provide a bank of questionnaire items in ten topic…

Details of the High School and Beyond's Second (1982) Follow-Up survey are presented. Probability samples of approximately 15,000 1980 sophomores and 12,200 1980 seniors were retained for the second follow-up. The former students were asked to complete a questionnaire detailing their post-high school activities. Technical aspects of the survey are…

Cason and Cason's model of performance rating was used to determine the extent to which variation in reviewer standards affected the reliability and validity of the program review process used to select papers for inclusion in the annual program. Data analyzed were the overall recommendation for acceptance and ratings on seven quality criteria…

The general goal of this paper is to help researchers conduct appropriately designed goodness of fit studies for item response model applications. The specific purposes are to describe: (1) an up-to-date set of promising and useful methods for addressing a variety of goodness of fit questions; and (2) current research studies to advance this set…

Ways in which computers and audio tape recorder techniques were used to record, index, and present data collected during two summers of field work in a rural area of Mexico are described. The research goal was to study the Otomi Indian shamans. Two computers were used: the Honeywell 6800 DPS-2 and the Osborne-1 microcomputer. The database system…