The Stanford Research International (SRI) classroom observation system provides a description of the classroom environment with emphasis on interactions between teachers and students and among students. Included in the SRI observation system is the Five Minute Observation (FMO), which records classroom interactions into "frames"…

The Learning in Science Project (1979-1981) studied the problems and difficulties of learning science at the 10-14 year old level in New Zealand to provide insights into the world of the science learner and provide an alternative perspective of the science classroom to that currently held by teachers and others. This paper offers practical…

An overview is provided of the career/vocational assessment process as applied to individuals with mental disabilities. Types of information that need to be gathered can be grouped into seven basic categories: medical; functional academic skills; interests and environmental preferences; interpersonal skills; work habits and attitudes; learning…

This report involved a survey of 199 postsecondary institutions in Canada to determine how many universities and colleges provide some type of library support for their off-campus and distance-education students; and to tabulate and compare the types of library support provided by those institutions. The report contains narrative, a series of 21…

The 1988 edition of this annual report aims to provide the most complete information available about the formal Minnesota child care system. It is intended to help all those interested in child care to better understand the common base of information about the state's child care system. Provided are data about: (1) the rising number of children…

Combinations of five methods of equating test forms and two methods of selecting samples of students for equating were compared for accuracy. The two sampling methods were representative sampling from the population and matching samples on the anchor test score. The equating methods were: (1) the Tucker method; (2) the Levine method; (3) the…

Policies and problems of education for the homeless are discussed. The analysis is organized in four main sections. The first describes trends, dimensions, and difficulties of homelessness among children and youth. This section is based on various reports, especially those required by federal legislation. The second section reports and interprets…

Data collected on the Eastern Kentucky University College of Education by the Office of Educational Research and Evaluation for the 1980-81 academic year are presented. Information is included on: (1) basic skills and personality tests; (2) administration of the National Teachers Examination; (3) competency examinations; (4) establishing validity…

The data presented in this report on the Detroit Public School System (DPS) are used to discover which issues, trends, and implications are expected to affect DPS through 1990. The report is divided into an external analysis, internal analysis, and key stakeholders report. In the external analysis, an environmental scan of the economic, social,…

A system for effective collection of classroom observation data from teachers in schools was developed. Drawing on the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, a procedure for coding classroom interaction into 10 categories, a system was developed to collect direct observation data with microcomputers. Software was prepared for Tandy computers. Field…

This report comprises edited versions of the presentations from the 17 participants in a conference under the sponsoreship of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. The conference was designed to enable policy-makers, educators, and business people to share perspectives on the most effective methods for identifying and collecting data that…

This hearing, which is the first of a series of hearings on the 1990 decennial census, focuses on automation activities, pretest preparations, and proposed residency rules. Gene L. Dodaro, associate director of the General Accounting Office, calls on the committee to use special purpose tests to adequately evaluate the following: (1) potential of…

The development of the research design for studying curriculum in the "A Study of Schooling" research project involved four problem areas. Defining and conceptualizing curriculum and how it works in different educational settings was a difficult, unwieldy task. Operationalizing the conceptual framework for studying curriculum so that…

A job opportunity-based curriculum planning model was developed for high school vocational agriculture programs. Three objectives were to identify boundaries of the geographical area within which past program graduates obtained entry-level position, title and description of position, and areas of high school specialization; number and titles of…

A conceptual synthesis is presented of the ways in which multilevel methods of data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting can be used in instructional improvement activities in local school districts. This discussion of multilevel methods in school settings focuses on the "what" of information needs and usage. Principles and…