Provides a basic overview of the concept of cost in higher education and related issues, discusses major consumers of higher education cost data and their perspectives, outlines the major sources of data on higher education costs, and describes some of the major (and perennial) issues related to higher education costs. (EV)

Graduation rates have become a prominent feature in the landscape of high school reform and within the larger world of educational policy. Studies conducted over the past several years have repeatedly demonstrated that far fewer American students are completing high school with diplomas than had previously been realized. Whereas the conventional…

Although behavior analysis relies primarily on visual inspection for interpreting data, previous research shows that the method of display can influence the judgments. In the current study, 26 Board-Certified Behavior Analysts reviewed two data sets displayed on each of three methods--equal-interval graphs, tables, and Standard Celeration…

Complete College America and FutureWorks conducted an analysis of certificate production, the value of the certificate program, and the economic benefit it provides to the region and nation. The conclusion, based on labor market demand and both personal and economic returns, is that certificates count and the policy and trends around certificates…

Written by a social worker for social work students, this is a nuts and bolts guide to statistics that presents complex calculations and concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language. It includes numerous examples, data sets, and issues that students will encounter in social work practice. The first section introduces basic concepts and terms to…

The authors critiqued the M. K. Lovelace (2005) meta-analysis of the Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning-Style Preferences (DDMLSP). The conclusion that Lovelace reported in her meta-analysis that learning-style instruction is a beneficial form of instructional delivery is unjustified because of critical conceptual and practical problems. Those…

Coping theory and research have long focused on negative outcomes. However, a growing body of literature has indicated that individuals may experience certain benefits from stressful life events. This research explored the positive and negative changes in caregivers' lives after caring for someone who had died of complications related to HIV/AIDS.…

We reviewed a "Mental Retardation" article by Conroy et al. (2003) on consumer outcomes following the closure of the Hissom Center in Oklahoma. In this article the authors misconstrued their 254 subjects, implying they are representative of the Hissom Focus Class while failing to account for 128 subjects included in an earlier analysis.…

The "Facilities Performance Indicators Survey" ("FPI") supersedes and builds upon the two major surveys APPA conducted in the past: the Comparative Costs and Staffing (CCAS) survey and the Strategic Assessment Model (SAM). The "FPI" covers all the materials collected in CCAS and SAM, along with some select new data points and improved survey…

Are teacher salaries related to school quality in terms of student academic achievement and teacher retention? Are teacher salaries important factors influencing teacher job satisfaction? Is teacher job satisfaction related to retention? This research addressed these questions using international and national data. First, the literature will be…

The goal of this study was to estimate the effects of district efficiency on student achievement in Michigan with the hope that objective analysis might serve to ease progress through the troublesome political process any transition to an adequacy-based school finance model will encounter. This study draws upon the methodology used by Phelps and…

Every day physicians make judgments about patient management and diagnosis based on less than perfect information from many different sources. Judgment and decision-making research has taught us a great deal about such decisions, but these insights rarely find their way into the medical curriculum. One productive line of investigation in the study…

This exploratory study represents an analysis of 15 exit portfolios of students enrolled in a program to prepare teachers for urban schools. Portfolios were analyzed holistically across entries to determine the degree to which students integrated multiple concepts related to teaching in urban schools, including: asset/deficit perspectives,…

Chicago's Renaissance 2010 seeks to create 100 new and autonomous schools by 2010. These new schools are expected to increase choice for parents and students, enact innovative practices, and help create a portfolio of schools designed to make the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) more diversified, responsive, and effective. Renaissance Schools Fund…

Implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation has been accompanied by demand for data systems capable of providing a longitudinal record of each student's educational experiences and performance over time. The national Study of Education Data Systems and Decision Making is examining both the implementation of student data systems…