The projects reviewed in this annual report of the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC) focus on four strategic areas: (1) enhancing the use of the OCLC Online Union Catalog; (2) investigating full document storage, retrieval, and presentation; (3) strengthening the interface between patron and system; and (4) providing statistical…

Noting that accurate procedures for predicting reading ability in school settings are necessary for a variety of purposes, this paper reviews methods for predicting reading ability and presents a new, more precise model for use at the second grade level. First, the paper defines reading expectancy as an informed estimate of the level of reading…

One of the most appropriate quasiexperimental approaches to compensatory education is the regression-discontinuity design. However, it remains underutilized, in part because of the need to clarify the link between the mathematical model and administrative decision-making. This paper explains the derivation of a program efficiency index congruent…

The relationship between background characteristics and salaries of male and female college graduates was assessed, and causes for salary differences were investigated. Data were drawn from the 1981 Survey of 1979-80 College Graduates, which covered individuals who received bachelor's or master's degrees from July 1, 1979, to June 30, 1980. A…

STARS (Secondary Training for Alaskan Rural Students) materials resulted from extensive rewriting of the Vocational Adult Secondary Training (VAST) materials produced by the British Columbia Department of Education, after those materials had been used with the 9th and 10th graders on Kodiak Island. Revision was done by teachers who had been using…

Researchers analyzed 127 public school teachers' strikes in New Jersey during the 36 school years from 1945 through 1981, presenting their data in over 60 tables. Data were collected from newspapers, magazines, and journals; through personal interviews; and via a questionnaire survey of affiliates of the New Jersey Education Association and the…

This unit is 1 of 12 developed for the university classroom portion of the Mathematics-Methods Program (MMP), created by the Indiana University Mathematics Education Development Center (MEDC) as an innovative program for the mathematics training of prospective elementary school teachers (PSTs). Each unit is written in an activity format that…

Using the National Longitudinal Surveys of Work Experience for Mature Men and Young Men, the paper compares the occupational structure of nonmetro and metro areas in 1971 and 1976, analyzes occupational mobility patterns of both groups in each area, and examines the relationship between occupational mobility and earnings. Transition matrices and…

The Missouri School Profile System is composed of six profiles drawn from pre-existing databases, with the data organized in a manner useful to school districts for comparison purposes and returned to school districts for their use. Use of such a system should reduce or eliminate the need for special school district studies of finance or pupil…

Designed to inform decisions about the University of Alaska's (UA's) budget, direction, scope, and academic thrusts, this report provides statewide, unit, and campus data for the two- and four-year colleges in the university system. First, a systemwide summary offers information on finances, enrollments, student loan program participation,…

Statistical profiles of Mexican American women workers and a narrative describing their role in trade unions illustrate the economic precariousness of this group and of women in general. Census and Labor Department reports document national labor trends from 1930-1980 with emphasis on the Southwest. Tables present information on occupational type,…

In light of shortages of mathematics and science teachers, alternative certification was introduced in the mid-1980s. This study examined the effect of alternative certification among math and science teachers who moved to a different school or left the profession. This was accomplished using the national "SASS" and "TFS"…

Information on the characteristics of working women in the United States and changing trends over the past quarter century are presented in this databook. (The primary source of the data is the Current Population Survey, which is conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Bureau of the Census.) Part 1 of the databook provides…

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) is a large-scale longitudinal survey effort. The current data tapes contain base-year (1972) survey data integrated with first follow-up (1973) survey data. The base-year data consist of responses to a Student Questionnaire, the results of an ability test, and information from…

Three essays on the ways in which colleges and universities use the computer as a teaching tool are presented, along with descriptions of 10 school programs that reflect the diversity of computer applications across the United States. In "A Place for Computing in Liberal Education," Karl L. Zinn likens the computer to personal resource…