Competitor information gathering is a key aspect of business planning. Information can be collected from either published or unpublished sources. Unpublished information will often be verified based on material from published sources. Published information is more likely to be factual and includes financial, stockmarket, press, market and…

This comprehensive resource guide describes programs and services for young children (prenatal to age 8) and their families in Alaska. Information for the resource guide was collected from state departmental budget documents, program guides, annual reports, and program personnel. In compiling this information, certain trends concerning children's…

This volume is a collection of 12 papers of particular interest to librarians specializing in chemistry. The articles discuss the educational role of librarians in several types of institutions, offer new ways of providing information, and describe ways of coping with increasing prices and formats of journals. The first paper offers an overview of…

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, selected a nationally representative sample of approximately 22,000 kindergartners in the fall of 1998 and is following these children through the end of the fifth grade. Baseline data about these children, their families, and their kindergarten programs were collected…

This report highlights services and programs of the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office that provide access to postsecondary education, noting efforts to provide services efficiently through increased use of technology and collaborations. After an introduction which discusses the Office's functions, nine sections examine: (1) "Student…

This book contains reports of two projects--one in Ethiopia, one in Palestine--that integrated a Geographical Information System (GIS) into the educational planning process. (A GIS is a computer program that combines two databases: numerical data such as traditional data on schools, teachers, and students; and geographic data such as the location…

This paper discusses the main analytical techniques used in "Mapping Educational Research and Its Impact on Schools." The study considered the impact of the outcomes of educational research on the practice of teaching and learning in Australian schools and on educational policy and administration. Mixed methods were used, beginning with…

This study compared occupational projections for Alabama with graduation rates in corresponding academic programs to provide a context for state and institutional policy decisions on new program initiatives and to comply with recent program viability legislation. The study examined number of degrees conferred, employment projections, and…

This report provides a synopsis of findings from an interim report of an ongoing national study of Title I schoolwide programs conducted by the Laboratory for Student Success in conjunction with other Regional Educational Laboratories. The study is designed to develop a national database on program features, implementation requirements, and…

This report documents the design, administration, and data analysis procedure of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) for 1996. It indicates the technical decisions that were made and the rationale behind them. Detailed substantive findings are not presented in this report. These chapters provide technical information about the…

Reviews research in computer assisted instruction in areas dealing with communication subject variables as measurable outcomes or effects. These include reading comprehension/skills, composition, and organizational communication and information utilization. A model for future analysis is then proposed. Included in an appendix is a list of…

Lessons and strategies for the institutional researcher dealing with faculty reduction are reviewed: developing a database; defining circumstances necessary for retrenchment; developing policies regarding participation and program discontinuance; examining alternatives; reviewing role and mission statements, legal standards and procedures;…

Distributed data bases in statewide and multi-institutional systems are discussed. It is suggested that traditional approaches to data processing and current data base software are inappropriate for a distributed data base system. (BH)

Discusses the design of a model-based management information system in terms of mathematical/statistical, information processing, and human factors issues and presents a prototype system for interlibrary loan networks. (Author/CWM)

Describes the State of Iowa Libraries Online project (SILO) which was developed to demonstrate new information technologies available to libraries. Focuses on two interlinked components of the project: Web-based union catalog development and statewide deployment of the ANS/NISO Z39.50 information retrieval standard. Includes recommendations for…