This report describes the design of a Policy Research Center (PRC) for the U.S. Office of Education. The PRC was conceived as a place to produce information and to develop systematic ways of understanding complex processes that would help educational policy planners (1) make better decisions about current problems, (2) anticipate the future, and…

The Anchor Test Study provides a method for translating a pupil's score on any one of eight widely used standardized reading tests for Grades 4, 5, and 6 to a corresponding score on any of the other seven tests, as well as furnishing new nationally representative norms for each of the eight tests. In addition, the Study presents new estimates of…

"Excessive" noise outburst behavior of 24 second graders was effectively controlled under automated stimulus conditions. A voice operated relay transmitted signals to an automated combination light display and outburst time/total running time meters; under 2 conditions, the light display functioned first as a primary, then as a secondary…

This paper describes the development of the Survey of Pupil Opinion, an attitude-assessment instrument adapted to the reading and "palatability" levels of high school students in compensatory programs. An initial pool of 100 items assumed to reflect "attitude toward school" was reduced to a 30-item instrument. Results revealed that, for each of…

The 1992-93 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF-93), the second cycle of this study, surveyed institutions and faculty, with a sample of 974 public and private nonproprietary higher education institutions and 31,354 faculty members. The study was designed to provide a national profile of faculty, including their professional…

Noting the fascination of both researchers and the general public with possible gender differences in human cognition and whether these differences originate in biology, childhood influences, or cultural stereotypes, this book summarizes research studies on gender differences in cognition. The book examines social and cultural implications of this…

These Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) state action plans were initially developed in 1998 for the central regional states, which include Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They detail the states' specific technical assistance needs, as well as the services to be provided by Mid-Continent…

Draws an interesting and instructive parallel between the work of film director Alfred Hitchcock, a master craftsman and technician, and the process of academic research. Briefly identifies shared qualities of specific concepts clearly communicated: all of the parts serve the whole, and respect for the audience. (MJP)

Provides an introduction and an overview of Michel Foucault's archaeology and genealogy as eligible and appropriate art educational research methods. Briefly reviews Foucault's work on subjectivity and governmentality and provides relevant samples. Discusses similar postmodernist theorists and includes a 62-item bibliography. (MJP)

Analyzes academic success among 992 secondary school students in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Finds students in traditional schools scored higher in traditional curriculum areas and girls scored higher than boys. Results confirm school expansion did not increase educational quality except in the new curriculum area of social studies. (NL)

This commentary on a previous article that demonstrates three ways of analyzing qualitative interview data (content, cultural models, and narrative analyses), discusses the importance of focusing on cultural models of quality of life in assessing early intervention programs, forging partnerships between families and researchers, and linking…

Research indicates that peer interaction can have a substantial impact on the lives of adolescents with disabilities. However, social interaction among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and their general education peers typically occurs infrequently in secondary schools. This paper provides a critical analysis of twenty-six empirical…

This paper addresses issues in assessment of college students, outcome studies, and attrition research in the context of trends toward requiring greater accountability from institutions of higher education. First the paper considers how assessment, student outcomes studies, and attrition research terminology might be more clearly defined. It…

This proposed study will examine collaborative organizational interactions and the effectiveness of collaborative projects and other joint activities between institutions of higher education and external groups and organizations. The project will use B. Gray's theory delineating three key conditions for collaborative interaction: the degree to…

"3-2-1 CONTACT Extras" (Extras) are television specials produced by "3-2-1 CONTACT," a television series on science and technology for 8- to 12-year-olds. The production of each Extra is typically accompanied by an extensive program of formative research, designed to examine issues of comprehension and appeal, that helps guide…