The purpose of this paper is to discuss ways in which developmental psychology suffers from the lack of an appropriate technology of measurement and statistical analysis. The paper begins by noting that developmental psychology is the study of change; that individuals develop through a succession of "stages" which are separated by…

Research on the analysis of time-series data has shown that decisions reached through visual analysis of the data may be influenced by the statistical parameters of those data. The current study investigated the statistical properties of curriculum-based time-series data for 68 elementary resource room students in four Minnesota school districts.…

The purpose of this research project was to compile and analyze data concerning the composition and geographic distribution of South Africa's population for the purpose of future educational planning to meet the needs of four population groups. This document contains statistics and conclusions on: (1) the role of population shifts and…

The Portland, Oregon public schools conducted a needs assessment study in order to determine the status of art education prior to the implementation of a Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE) program. Designed and conducted by the research and evaluation department, the needs assessment surveyed a stratified sample of elementary and secondary…

The primary purpose of this report was to compare data obtained from the 1982 and 1985 "Survey of Public Participation in the Arts." Comparisons of core questions and responses indicate that: (1) 1985 results are very close to those obtained in 1982; (2) there was a statistically significant decline in musical theater performance…

This study examines the relationship between student absentee patterns and the characteristics of ninth grade students in Clark County School District, Nevada. It is reported that the absentee patterns of junior high school students are significantly different from those of senior high school students. The length of continuous enrollment, and…

The facts that most public services are delivered by subarea and that subareas can be identified by the socioeconomic status of the residents, often lead to discrimination in service delivery based on the wealth or prestige of the subareas. It follows that citizen satisfaction with services delivered might vary from sector to sector within a city.…

A conceptual synthesis is presented of the ways in which multilevel methods of data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting can be used in instructional improvement activities in local school districts. This discussion of multilevel methods in school settings focuses on the "what" of information needs and usage. Principles and…

A program evaluation model developed by Moraine Park Technical Institute (MPTI) is described in this report. Following background material, the four main evaluation criteria employed in the model are identified as program quality, program relevance to community needs, program impact on MPTI, and the transition and growth of MPTI graduates in the…

The most advantageous relationship between computer technology and institutional research is considered. Three potential problem areas are discussed: those associated with a central data processing center, those germane to minicomputers or terminals within the institutional research office, and those nondiscriminating types which cover both…

Instructional and program relevance of measures of student performance and use of standardized achievement tests, as measures of the quality of a student's educational experiences, are discussed. This focus is consonant with current emphasis on linking testing and instruction and on systemic efforts at program and instructional improvement.…

A computer program designed to assist a psychology department in recordkeeping and providing information to the American Psychological Association is presented. Descriptive information about the computer program is also included. The program employs the Statistical Analysis System to access a database of demographic data for students entering the…

This 1982-83 statistical survey of libraries at four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges, law libraries and miscellaneous academic institutions in the Pacific Northwest provides relevant data for comparison and inventory purposes. A total of 129 institutions responded to the questionnaire which was administered by the Pacific…

Data from 32 state assessments in mathematics (conducted in 1984 and earlier) are analyzed in this document. The high degree of variability across the states is stressed, with some of the points of variation in the test development, administration, and analysis process noted. Information is then presented on topics on which students are doing well…

This paper describes data gathering and analytic procedures, and then presents examples regarding how each fits into the naturalistic research model. From the interactionist perspective, called symbolic interactionism, meaning is of central importance. Naturalistic inquiry is a way of doing social science research which provides the methodological…