This report, prepared by the Delinquency and School Environments Program of the Center for Social Organization of Schools, presents a set of standards for implementing Program Development Evaluation (PDE), a method for strengthening school organizational and research effectiveness. This report supplements an earlier account of the Program…

The University of Illinois' National Center for Supercomputing Applications, a cooperative effort of the National Science Foundation, University of Illinois, the state, and industry, offers training and support services in the use of technologically advanced computing for scientific research. The computers simulate physical phenomena that are…

Analysis of the first cycle of academic program review at the College of St. Catherine (Minnesota) discusses recommendations resulting from reviews, insights about faculty and committee perceptions, and new directions for the second cycle. It is noted that the second cycle will focus more on program activities and output than on traditional input…

Discussed is the Action Research and Community Problem-Solving model as an approach to environmental education. The basic steps to this approach are described. Bridges to the community and between the sciences are proposed. (CW)

The effectiveness of manual and computer-assisted legal research (CALR) methods are examined and compared, and the limitations of each are noted. The current state of law students' research skills is then discussed, and the Brooklyn Law School (New York) response to the problem, integrating the methods, is described. (MSE)

Research in two inner-city areas of Phoenix (Arizona) and its surrounding suburbs documents the importance of analyzing a metropolitan area's economy from the perspective of industry clusters before determining economic development policies and strategies for urban revitalization. In addition, the project reveals lessons about the role of…

Which factors promote student transfer from California Community Colleges (CCC) to baccalaureate-granting institutions? How do community college practices support this transition? Which student behaviors and characteristics particularly facilitate their movement to four-year colleges and universities? The Research and Planning Group for California…

An ethnographic project to develop a model for an ethnic studies program based on community education, community involvement, and a study of community history is described. The project took place in New Harmony, Indiana, a town of 600-700 persons with a strong European heritage, especially German. Part of the project staff was selected from the…

A general laboratory course should include projects that familiarize college students with the variety of methods available to the researcher. Described are four research projects that address questions about human behavior by means of experimental, observational, survey, and archival research methods. (RM)

Qualitative case studies of graduate students, focusing on student socialization, are critical for understanding the student experience. Because of the departmental nature of graduate study, cross-departmental studies may be not be as revealing. The qualitative case study approach is particularly useful in examining minority student experiences.…

A model is presented for the articulation of programs between a secondary vocational-technical school and a community college in Pennsylvania. First, the report describes how the model was developed and field-tested using a research and development methodology and a decision-facilitation evaluation model. Next, a literature review is presented,…

Describes organization and evaluation of 13 workshops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison providing professional development for clinical research support staff. Topics included ethics, protocol development, statistics, audits, and tips and tools for successful research. Evaluation indicated the workshops met educational goals but did not…

Described are engineering programs that have used automated data acquisition systems to implement data collection and analyze experiments. Applications include a biochemical engineering laboratory, heat transfer performance, engineering materials testing, mechanical system reliability, statistical control laboratory, thermo-fluid laboratory, and a…

Museums are the fastest growing educational institutions in the United States. They provide the introduction to science for many children and are a major source of continuing education for adults. This paper discusses cooperative programs between The Children's Museum (Indianapolis) and the Indiana University School of Education. These programs…

Stressed is the importance of helping students to become independent of their instructors in gathering information. Information-gathering skills are enumerated and teaching methods are suggested. A brief annotated bibliography and definitions of materials are provided. (CW)