The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing and summarizing the data for Indicator 1--Graduation--from the 2007- 08 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and amended State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted by states to the Office of Special Education…

The Secretary of Education (Secretary) establishes requirements, definitions, and approval criteria for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (Stabilization or SFSF) program. The Secretary may use one or more of these requirements, definitions, and approval criteria in awarding funds under this program in fiscal year (FY) 2010. These requirements,…

This generation of young people is on track to be less-educated than their parents--for the first time in American history. This, at the same time the world and workplace are changing dramatically and rapidly--when students, more than ever, need high levels of skill in order to compete. Advance Illinois has developed this report "We Can Do…

This videocassette introduces SPEEDE/ExPRESS, a system for the electronic transfer of student records. The electronic transfer of student transcripts and other records has numerous benefits for students, in terms of timely transfer, and for administrators who will find it easier and quicker to transfer records rapidly through electronic means,…

This handbook was designed to help school leaders develop a system of collaborative assessment, strategic planning, and accountability in schools and districts. It offers practical guidelines to help solve three problems central to school leadership: (1) determining a vision; (2) identifying areas requiring change; and (3) demonstrating…

This report presents results of a project to produce a set of strategies to ensure the compatibility of Australian state and territory information systems with the requirements of the National Management Information and Statistics System (NATMISS) and the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard…

The term "research paper," in the sense of researched paper, is a tautology: all expository discourses are researched in some way. One of the first duties of writing instructors is to help students see the difference between reporting on information that already exists about a topic, in what is sometimes referred to as a "library…

In 1965, as the University of Akron (Ohio) was approaching its centennial, it was decided to create two archival programs. One was the University Archives, which preserves records and other items dealing with the history and development of the institution. A different approach, but one that was closely intertwined with the University Archives, was…

The school year 1991-92 was the first in which states reported school district level data on the numbers and types of dropouts in the Common Core of Data (CCD) Agency Universe Survey. Information included numbers of male and female dropouts in 5 racial/ethnic categories for grades 7 through 12. The CCD defined a dropout as a student who had been…

The U.S. Department of Education and various education commentators maintain that dropout rates have been decreasing for African-Americans and the school population as a whole. This paper presents evidence that dropout rates may be going up rather than down and identifies reasons for the conflicting data. The reasons include varied definitions of…

Many historical and traditional symbols are recorded in cemeteries. The symbols and motifs on tombstones profile individual lives, but they also convey information regarding a society's order, values, religious practices, and realities at the time of the individual's death. The primary goals of this research effort were to identify a variety of…

This guide presents an introduction to the basics about data collection and discusses the uses of data in daily work. The emphasis is on youth programs in Indiana, but the information is useful for programs in other states. Ways in which program planners and advocacy activists can use data are described, and local, state, and national resources…

VTLOGANL is a project to enhance and develop new methods and computer software to aid the social science researcher using video tape. This paper describes the latest release of the VTLOGANL program and provides a brief description of its capabilities. VTLOGANL is a BASIC program designed for an MS-DOS computer system. It uses Indexed Sequential…

This study investigated the extent to which data collected on play behavior differ when two different data collection methods, observation alone and observation plus interview, were used. A secondary objective was to compare data collected using both methods in an indoor and outdoor play environment. The social and cognitive play behavior for a…

Although the field of statistics is receiving increasing recognition in the media and everyday life, concern continues about the quality of statistical education and statistical analysis and the application of statistical methods. This paper focuses on three areas of concern: (1) the quality of data, especially missing data; (2) the interpretation…