This discussion focuses on the problems involved in the interpretation and verification of the data gathered and presented by the North American Collections Inventory Project. It suggests that the National Shelflist Count is a better resource for collection management and shared library resources decisions. (CLB)

A new type of multiple-choice test was developed and used in the teaching and assessment of knowledge of medical biology at a university in Hungary. The test includes experimental data and requires students to interpret data and to draw conclusions from results. A description of the test, experiences with the test, and one test are included. (RH)

Institutional comparison groups can be selected in several ways, depending on the comparison issue. The method chosen involves both technical and political considerations. (Author/MSE)

Alphabet Math is an investigation of the order of usage of letters in the alphabet. Children collect individual data then compare and interpret it to make inferences. The inferences are compared to analyses of larger samples. How this is done is described. (MT)

Describes a methodology for student involvement in courseware evaluation and for utilizing student reactions in purchasing and implementation decisions. The evaluation forms used in a survey of 2,308 Indiana students are presented, and the results of that survey are discussed. (18 references) (CLB)

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) gives students a feel for the data being considered. Four applications of EDA are discussed: the use of displays, resistant statistics, transformations, and smoothing. (RM)

This article reviews and analyzes the literature from 1980 through 1983 dealing with summative evaluation of training and development efforts in industry and business. An analysis is made to determine to what extent evaluation process components used by professional program evaluators are addressed by each of the articles reviewed. (CT)

In Portugal, the word "literacy" acquired public importance in October 1995, in the first national literacy assessment report. In the last few years, "reading habits" and not "literacy" became a privileged research object, and it is the amount and kind of reading that is being measured, with the results taken as…

The study involved implementing and evaluating activities that actively engage students in the process of gathering, processing and analyzing data derived from human body measurements, with students using their prior knowledge acquired in science, mathematics, and computer classes to interpret this information. In the classroom activities…

Examines census data from five major U.S. metropolitan areas relative to age-adjusted, per capita receipt of funds that show spending in central cities increasing at a faster rate than in their suburbs. It notes concerns of direct payments to individuals that are not need-based and with direct loans and insurance programs that strongly favor the…

Using the split-middle methods of trend estimation, evaluates the accuracy of interpretation of single subject data by comparing raters' visual analysis of behavior change with statistical determination of behavior change. Results indicate visual analysis accuracy was less than chance. Rater and student characteristics largely did not affect the…

Examines data on racial identification from the 2000 Census to document the mixed race population of children in the United States. Using California data as an example, the article considers various methods for tabulating multiple-response race data, noting the impact of each on demographic conclusions. Discusses how federal guidelines on race…

Describes a study that used interview data to adapt SERVQUAL, a survey to determine customer perceptions of service quality, to LibQUAL[TM], a Web-based survey to investigate users' perceptions of library service quality. Offers hypotheses regarding how data was categorized as it was. (Author/LRW)

Describes a model used by Michigan school districts, in collaboration with Michigan State University, in ongoing program- improvement efforts. The model is intended to help physical education leaders systematically address assessment of core program objectives, collect accurate data that directly affects instruction, then aggregate the data and…

Asserts that collecting assessment data from students is key to shaping effective instruction. Both informal and formal data about student learning not only shape instruction but also determine its effectiveness. Contends that continuous assessment that drives curriculum is a means of enhancing student and teacher performance. (Contains seven…