Meta-analysis of Title I program evaluations shows the norm-referenced model overestimates positive effectiveness; while the regression-discontinuity design underestimates it. Potential biases include residual regression artifacts, attrition and time-of-testing problems in the norm-referenced design, and assignment, measurement, and data…

A study investigated the hypothesis that poor comprehension or recall of task demands, rather than a putative lack of goal directedness, is a possible source of learning-disabled children's poor performance of experimental tasks. Clear instructions substantially facilitated performance by both normally achieving and learning disabled children of…

A user satisfaction study undertaken at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign library to demonstrate and analyze an application of Kantor branching analysis of user frustration monitored direct and partially controlled user access to materials. Satisfaction rates and causes of user frustration are discussed. Eleven references and user group…

Presents several significant issues in science policy for the field of aging. Discusses the relationship between the public, funding agencies, and researchers as well as the setting of priorities, the independence of scientists, and the translation of research into policy and practice. (Author)

Presents a taxonomy of influences on decision making in mass media. Illustrates the use of the taxonomy and research strategy in a quantitative analysis of influences on the decision autonomy of reporters. Results indicate that reporters' experience plays the most important role in explaining their story selection/content autonomy. (PD)

This paper poses a research question about how a person's work experience affects his or her earnings and shows how the Cumulative Experience Method (CEM) can provide an answer to the question using all available information in a longitudinal data set. (Author/GDC)

A Type VI error results from inconsistency between the researchers' question of interest and the statistical procedures employed to analyze the data. An example of a research problem is analyzed to show the increase in statistical power resulting from improved research design, using multiple regression instead of analysis of variance. (CTM)

Illustrates simple, inexpensive procedures for involving readers in decisions about which comics and light features to include in a newspaper. (RL)

Winne and Walsh's Reanalysis (EJ 229 157) of Gauthier and Yarworth's study of self-concept and participation in high school activities (EJ 189 606) is addressed, particularly with respect to the statistical techniques used. The intentions of the original article are also clarified. (GDC)

Articles on attitudes of rehabilitation service providers were reviewed for: (1) attitudes toward disabled people; (2) correlates of attitudes; (3) attitude changes; (4) attitude and outcome; (5) attitudes toward other team members. Much of the research was unsatisfactory from design and sampling points of view. Recommendations are made. (Author)

Qualitative anthropological research on formal and informal child care arrangements is lacking. Research topics should include: informal arrangements such as babysitting and sibling care; comparative ethnographies of different types of centers; centers' effects on children's experiences; staff-parent interaction; and the effects of government…

The fan effect (the difficulty in retrieving any one fact after learning many about a concept) occurs only when the facts with repeated concepts are stored as independent episodes. It tells us nothing about the code formed by a pattern of interconnected concepts. (Author/CP)

A model for research on teacher effects in which the variance in student outcome post-test performance is attributed to pre-test perfomance; to separate construct domains of student, instructional, and teacher variables; and to interactions between variables in these three construct domains is presented and tested. (Author/JKS)

The internal validity of the RMC models, especially Model A, is examined. Concern centers on limiting evaluation to cognitive outcomes, using constant percentile as the no-treatment expectation, and using norms for one test to establish the expected no-treatment performance level for another test. (MH)

The inclusion of unmeasured variables in path analyses in educational research is discussed. The statistical basis for inclusion is presented, along with several examples. (JKS)