In this paper 45 item-writing rules for multiple-choice tests presented in textbooks on educational measurement in a previous study are identified. The current study presents a quantitative review of the literature with respect to the empirical and theoretical evaluation of these principles of item-writing. Fifty-six studies that addressed at…

This paper argues that there will be greater use of independent learning and distance education in the future combined with increased use of technology due to the demand for continuing adult education and new methods of teaching. Research into new technology in education will become a priority as the use of technology will require large-scale…

Examples of the difficulties that public school program evaluators can have in explaning perplexing results are provided. Arguments abound over the best way to report a finding that has multiple interpretations or presentation options, and the enigma of realizing that one way to report a finding is not the only way, or even necessarily the best…

Four papers presented at the National Council on Measurement in Education meeting are critiqued. G. R. Mandeville and H. Heidari (1988), in a study of unusually effective schools, asked if correlations among cohorts of schools differ depending on the method of analysis used. It is suggested that it would be better to ask whether schools identified…

Because there is little theoretical background to explain the process of adopting computers for instruction in postsecondary institutions, this paper reviews the literature on this process from the perspective of technological innovation. Technological innovation is defined as the use of tools and techniques which extend human capability and which…

This paper highlights findings of school effectiveness research, identifies major criticisms connected with that research, and discusses implications for dissemination. An ample bibliography follows. Twelve characteristics are associated with quality schools, including high level of teacher expectation, frequent classroom visitation by principals,…

Recent commission and task force reports calling for educational improvement may carry more weight than their content deserves because of their sources. The findings of these commissions vary since each commission has its own concept of education, its own political purposes, and its own sources of data. Still, their general recommendations stress…

Data from both the 1970 and the 1980 Census are used to determine changes and trends in artist occupations and in the numbers of artists. The effects of changes in methods utilized to count artists in the 1980 Census are outlined, and estimated rates of growth by artist occupations are provided. The percentage of women artists, the ethnic…

This compilation lists research completed in the areas of health, physical education, recreation, dance, and allied areas during 1985. In the first section references are arranged under the subject area headings in alphabetical order. Master's and doctor's theses from institutions offering graduate programs in health, physical education,…

Combining and integrating the results of two separate research projects concerned with leisure time participation, this report compared southern and non-southern involvement in arts-related activities. Findings indicated that, while some regional differences do exist, they are not great. The desire to increase arts-related activities is not as…

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory was involved in selecting the "Best Report of an Evaluation" for the 1981 awards competition of Division H of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). During this process two things became apparent--there was no procedure or set of standards by which to select a best report, and…

This manual introduces the Interagency Research Information System (IRIS), a database dealing with federally-sponsored research and development efforts relating to children and youth, and outlines the general uses of the IRIS database. The classification for the subject description of materials covered by the database is described and the…

A longitudinal study designed to assess parental influence on achievement expectancies provided a unique opportunity to compare data collected before and after the media coverage of the Benbow and Stanley report discussing males' superior mathematical ability. A subsample of 231 parents of math-able children initially in 5th, 7th and 9th grades…

The study was designed to investigate: (1) the relative effectiveness of three techniques for teaching verbal problem solving to general education mathematics students in a junior college; and (2) the relationships between various student variables and problem-solving ability after treatment. Three classes (N=72) at Florida College were randomly…

Efforts to coordinate state-level Right to Read activities are reported in this document by listing objectives and indicating what activities were undertaken in support of those objectives. The activities included four regional meetings of state Right to Read project directors during which the following four problem areas were discussed: training…