Discusses issues relating to the reliability, validity, utility, and information value of unobtrusive testing of library reference services; provides suggestions for practical applications of these criteria; applies study findings to library decision making and planning; and identifies topics for further methodological refinement. (Author/CLB)

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Beyond the Gap: What Educators and Researchers Are Learning from High-Achieving African American and Latino Students (Michael Sadowski); (2) Aiming for AYP:…

The recent wave of accountability reform movements has largely overlooked the needs of middle and high school counselors, yet has generated daunting pressure for guidance programs to be standards-based and data-driven. Written from the perspective of a practicing, certified counselor, this guide contains essential information needed to implement…

Along with the rapid expansion over the past decade of Head Start, a program providing comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children, their families, and their communities, has come the demand for rigorous research to demonstrate program effectiveness. This report describes the proposed design of a national study of the…

An online dialogue on gender-based analysis (GBA) was held from February 15 to March 7, 2001. Invitations and a background paper titled "Why Gender-Based Analysis?" were sent to 350 women's organizations and individuals throughout Canada. Efforts were made to ensure that aboriginal and Metis women, visible minority women, and women with…

This report provides information about test takers with disabilities who participated in a variety of accommodated administrations of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Results indicate the number of LSATs administered with accommodations increased 100% from 1990 to 1993. During that 4-year period, more than 2,700 LSATs were administered under…

This paper discusses the transfer ready concept and includes data demonstrating the accuracy and efficiency of the new transfer ready model, in contrast to the current Student-Right-to-Know model. It explains the process of calculating the percentage rates of transfer directed students (those enrolled in both transfer English and math in their…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a random digit dial telephone survey of households developed by the National Center for Education Statistics. It has been conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996, with varying components each year. The NHES 91/93/95/96 CD-ROM contains an electronic codebook (ECB) program that, after being installed…

This report provides data on the State of Delaware's performance goals and indicators for children with disabilities, their participation in assessments, the rate of long-range suspensions and expulsions, and disproportionalities based on race in identification and placement. The report is intended to serve as a baseline for future reporting on…

This workbook presents a seven-step planning process for safe and effective schools. Though specifically directed to schools in California, most of the components of the plan will pertain to schools everywhere. The workbook contains requirements of the California Education Code; many work sheets, sample forms, summary sheets, checklists, rubrics,…

This monograph, part of a series on student assessment, reports on the results of a national survey that examined institutional support for undergraduate student assessment. It provides a national profile of student assessment initiatives at baccalaureate institutions and compares it to assessment practices and support patterns found in all types…

This document reports the results of the Kansas Assessment Program for reading and mathematics for 1999. The mathematics assessment is given in grades 4, 7, and 10. Over 30% of the 4th graders met the individual student standard for excellence in mathematics, with 8% of 7th graders and only 4% of 10th graders meeting the standard. Five-year trend…

This 100-page manual serves as a technical reference for the "Healthy Water, Healthy People Water Quality Educators Guide" and the "Healthy Water Healthy People Testing Kits". Yielding in-depth information about ten water quality parameters, it answers questions about water quality testing using technical overviews, data interpretation guidelines,…

Maintains that the need for gathering sensitive information frequently arises in planning and implementing organizational surveys. Describes methods of designing the instrument format and the mode of data collection. Provides a description and process summary of the Randomized Response Technique (RRT). (CFR)

Describes an activity that introduces students to the use of database software to collect and interpret data. Asks middle school students to collect personal information regarding their dominant hand, eye, and thumb. Students use FIND and AND commands to create tables and respond to questions related to the data. (MDH)