A practical guide for designing and carrying out qualitative case study in education is provided. How-to advice for managing all phases of case study research is included. The focus is on case studies that draw from what is commonly known as the qualitative research paradigm rather than a quantitative, positivistic, experimental orientation. Three…

The linking of research and action, basic methods of social research, and the uses of research in distance teaching are examined, with examples drawn from the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre and other distance teaching programs. Ways in which research can be useful and early stages of research design and planning are discussed. An explanation of…

This research investigated the value students attached to the laboratory activities while studying physics using the learning cycle curriculum construction and teaching procedures. Among the procedures used to supply students laboratory data were video-taped demonstrations, "live" teacher demonstration, presenting data in written form…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) conducts three surveys to contribute to more informed and better decision-making. The Questions for Teachers and Questions for Administrators surveys are both sent out annually to determine the attitudes of District staff on issues of importance districtwide. The…

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the analysis of data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In simplest terms, the analysis can be characterized as establishing baseline estimates of the percentages of young Americans possessing certain skills, knowledge, understandings, and attitudes and…

In order to ascertain what data elements should commonly be considered in the development of a meaningful procedure for recording and analyzing library reference transaction data for planning purposes, a comparison was made between the development, use, and results of surveys designed and tested at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the…

There has been an increasing call for school psychologists to spend time collecting data that are functionally related to the planning of academic interventions. In order to identify the problem and plan for remediation, data must be taken that bear directly on the child's academic problems in the classroom and the curricular sequences actually…

This booklet describes the lessons learned in introducing a computer system in a nursing home. It is suggested that a computer system can open up channels of communication, increase accountability, reduce time spent on paperwork, satisfy the information needs of regulators, and improve resident care planning. Criteria for selecting a computer…

The purpose of this guide is to help teachers and elementary principals create kindergarten environments designed to meet children's developmental needs. Section 1 describes the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual characteristics of kindergartners. Section 2 discusses the recruiting and enrolling of students; the parent handbook; home…

The Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers collected data to identify specific elements collected by each state, and to isolate discrepancies in ways different states define, collect, and report fiscal data. A shuttle survey was designed to verify what information states collect on revenues and…

Based on an assessment of the research of others and personal research experience, suggestions are provided on the analysis and reporting of data on high school dropouts. Most of the experience upon which these insights are based is associated with schools in Boston, Massachusetts. Topics covered include types of statistics to be reported,…

This manual contains descriptions of all required and optional data elements used by LONESTAR, the computer-based student follow-up and tracking system developed for Texas community colleges. For each element, the following information is provided: (1) element title (i.e., the official name used in all references to the element in tracking system…

Attitudes and preferences toward mail surveys were studied from the viewpoint of the recipient. Approximately 386 residents of a small rural community in Florida were sent a questionnaire about attitudes toward mail surveys, with half receiving a follow-up card after 4 days. A total of 123 usable questionnaires were returned. Respondents were…

Introductory material offers observations useful to British readers regarding a Canadian educational program assessment manual, which is the main component of this document. The manual was developed at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and revised based upon the experiences of the biological sciences technology and broadcast technology…

This paper presents a fixed effects model on the impact of individual high schools on adult earnings. This model not only captures the effects on observed and unobserved characteristics of high school on earnings, but also can control for selection bias resulting from correlation between school quality and student ability. The principal data used…