Current preschool assessments lack the ability to capture performance variance and complex thinking skills. This study examined the relationship among student performance, student feelings, and teacher perceptions as they apply to using a formal performance assessment in a preschool setting. A formal performance assessment was administered to 71…

Often, all of the variables in a model are latent, random, or subject to measurement error, or there is not an obvious dependent variable. When any of these conditions exist, an appropriate method for estimating the linear relationships among the variables is Least Principal Components Analysis. Least Principal Components are robust, consistent,…

Simple Bayesian approaches can be applied to answer specific questions in evaluating an individualized reading program. A small reading and study skills program located in the counseling center of a major research university collected and compiled data on student characteristics such as class, number of sessions attended, grade point average, and…

The agreement between visual analysis and the results of the split-middle method of trend estimation was examined using a set of 24 stimulus graphs and 30 raters. Results revealed poor agreement between the two methods, and low sensitivity, specificity, and predictive ability for visual analysis in relation to statistical inferences. (JDD)

A model and computation procedure based on classical test score theory are presented for determination of a correlation coefficient corrected for attenuation due to unreliability. Delta and Monte Carlo method applications are discussed. A power analysis revealed no serious loss in efficiency resulting from correction for attentuation. (TJH)

Increasingly, unpopular facilities are sited in sparsely populated areas for which data are unavailable. The Local Expert Procedure (LEP) estimates selected demographic characteristics of small, rural areas by combining the housing unit method of population estimation with random sampling and key informant ethnography. Factors affecting the…

Presents two mathematical methods for fitting the logistic curve to population data supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau utilizing computer algebra software to carry out the computations and plot graphs. (JKK)

Institutional researchers frequently use national datasets such as those provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The authors of this chapter explore the adjustments required when analyzing NCES data collected using complex sample designs. (Contains 8 tables.)

In the social sciences, evaluating the effectiveness of a program or intervention often leads researchers to draw causal inferences from observational research designs. Bias in estimated causal effects becomes an obvious problem in such settings. This article presents the Heckman Model as an approach sometimes applied to observational data for the…

Cross-national inequality trends have historically been a crucial field of inquiry across the social sciences, and new methodological techniques of statistical inference have recently improved the ability to analyze these trends over time. This paper applies Monte Carlo, bootstrap inference methods to the income surveys of the Luxembourg Income…

Putative ethnic group differences in various forms of psychopathology may have important theoretical, clinical, and policy implications. Recently, it has been argued that individuals of African descent are more likely to be psychopathic than those of European descent (R. Lynn, 2002). Preliminary evidence from the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth…

This study used data from 1994 to 1999 from one large county in Pennsylvania to estimate the Medicaid expenditures of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to compare these expenditures with those of other Medicaid-eligible children. On average, children diagnosed with ASD had expenditures 10 times those of other children.…

Both business leaders and parents pressure policymakers to legislate new initiatives to improve schools. One improvement strategy has been to reduce class sizes; another has been to allocate larger school budgets. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the relationship between class size and student achievement and between…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 shifts decision-making authority for funding of local job training programs from the federal government to state and local boards, which will need local decision-making tools to inform policy. One such tool is a method proposed by S. Goetz and D. Debertin to estimate demand for educational attainment at the…

Suggests activities using large samples to simulate quality control processes in industry (specifically, manufacturing camera film). A series of small-group activities investigate the relationship of sample size to percent defective in batch sampling. Efficiency, cost of sampling, company reputation, and public relations are business factors…