In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards. The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the CCSS; each…

In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the…

This is the second in a series of briefs summarizing findings from the newest and most rigorous research related to racial and socioeconomic diversity in public schools. The studies on which this brief is based were published recently in three special issues of the peer-reviewed journal, "Teachers College Record," edited by Professors…

A dialog between two fictional teachers provides some basic examples of how research that uses approved methodology may provide results that are significant statistically but not significant practically. (PGD)

The second half of a dialogue between two fictional teachers examines the significance of statistical significance in research and considers the factors affecting the extent to which research results provide important or useful information. (PGD)

The usefulness of meta-analysis in summarizing domains of primary research has led to widespread use of the techniques. Often, however, the researcher will have several options when cumulating empirical studies and readers will have questions regarding judgment calls made during a meta-analysis. In these cases, it is helpful to consult the primary…

This article suggests ways in which the consumer of educational research can critically evaluate research reports in terms of sample and methodology, design and statistical treatment, and results and interpretation. The reader is alerted to sources of deliberate and nondeliberate bias and to fallacious use and/or interpretation of statistics.…

The days in which the school practitioner could get by without a knowledge of statistics are over. Educators today need to be able to evaluate data, and data are statistics. It is necessary to deal with statistics when they appear and to provide them when they are needed or expected. This book attempts to provide an understanding of statistics,…

Uses imaginary tools to create distributions of sample means, the differences among them, the mean difference scores, and the raw score populations. Using this technique helps students grasp the distinctions between them. Generalizes to hypothesis testing aids in answering probability questions, and enhances teaching techniques. (Author/NL)

Describes how the statistical technique of meta-analysis can be used to help resolve conflicting studies in social sciences. (ZWH)

From the perspective of the student audience, the general results of the study suggest that, as teacher custodialism increases, the more robust are acts of student brinksmanship, the less robust is the teacher's pupil control behavior, and the less the teacher is liked by students. (Author)

Defines educational research as a systematic attempt to find answers to puzzling or confusing questions that fall into four categories: descriptions, relations between factors, searches for causes of given phenomena, and searches for consequences. Illustrates qualitative research by using a case study and quantitative research by describing…

Analyzes the course evaluations of 323 geography graduates of British Universities 6 years after graduation. Finds that 25 percent would not repeat their choice of a geography degree; and those most satisfied had excelled in their degree and used it to find interesting, well-paying jobs. Relates the findings' consequences to market pressures on…

Reports a project in which the cued spelling technique was utilized among seven to nine year olds. Concludes that cued spelling is a technique that children can successfully utilize in a peer-tutoring format after relatively brief training using a minimum of special materials. (DB)

Reports on a statistical study on student assessment of professors and courses. Discusses the loglinear probability model that was used to find that students' evaluations of an economics course and several behavior attributes of the course's instructor were interactive and significant. (DB)