The Association for Research Libraries (ARL) questionnaire was sent to 176 academic libraries in the United States and Canada, including the 95 university libraries previously surveyed for the ACRL University Library Statistics series, and representative college and community and junior college libraries that had responded to the 1984 "100…

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

Using data from the 1986-87 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), this statistical report profiles undergraduate students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States. NPSAS data were supplemented with data from other sources, particularly, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and High School and Beyond…

The mathematical sciences, based largely in academia, are crucial not only for the development of new knowledge but also as a needed resource in the education of our technological work force. As with other scientific professions, the challenge of meeting the growing need for workers in the face of shrinking supplies will require a program of…

This annual report highlights the accomplishments of the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) during 1989. Introductory materials include a map of Alabama's Congressional districts, photographs of the executive board of APLS, and comments from the chairman of the executive board and from APLS' director. The following accomplishments are then…

The role of state agency regulation, oversight, and funding of programs at New Jersey's private, postsecondary trade schools was examined through meeting participation, review of existing regulations, and interviews with agency staff. Findings were as follows: (1) proprietary vocational schools play a large role in New Jersey's postsecondary…

During a 5-day period in 1990, a total of 1,401 reciprocal borrowers in the North Suburban Library System (NSLS) received questionnaires asking about their choice of library and other aspects of borrowing behavior to provide data on the reciprocal borrowing characteristics and patterns within the system. This survey was designed to identify the…

From the fall of 1981 through June 1984, more than 850 disabled examinees took special administration of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Grade point averages were obtained on 278 disabled students; 236 had enough complete data to be included in the study. Disabled students earned lower mean GRE scores than their nonhandicapped counterparts…

This annual report for the 1984-85 school year in the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools includes information on the academic progress being made by students and reports on various aspects of the operations of the school district. The Plan for Excellence, a blueprint adopted in early 1985 for use in Iowa's largest school district, was used to fine…

In considering the problem of measuring achievement for the evaluation of school effectiveness, there are at least three questions that need to be answered: (1) What is to be measured? (2) How is it to be measured? (3) How are the results to be analyzed? Following a discussion related to the first two questions--determining content objectives and…

To fulfill its mandate and its potential the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) must be a multi-content annual assessment of priority learning areas. This report describes a procedure under which measures of attainment can be charted over time in a broad range of skill domains, on item-invariant item response theory scales, using…

Drawing from information submitted to the Illinois Community College Board by the state's public community colleges, this report offers fall 1986 data on the personal and academic characteristics of part-time faculty. Tables are presented and analyzed, comparing part-time faculty to full-time faculty in terms of gender, racial/ethnic origin, age,…

This study examines the relative value of five empirical procedures for determining cutscores in placement of entering college freshmen. Placement test scores were obtained for all students entering in the fall, but tested in the summer of 1983 at a midwestern community college. Students who took at least one placement test in arithmetic, algebra,…

An important component of a library's collection management activities should be a measure of the effectiveness of the selection process. Effective selection should be a reflection of titles chosen compared to titles available as well as patron use of the material selected. To evaluate the collection development activities for the School of…

Studies of past, present and projected supplies of scientists and engineers and their utilization in science and engineering are reviewed in this report. It is the intent of the study to explain the differences of opinion about the future supply and utilization of scientists and engineers and also to provide an assessment. Contents discuss: (1)…