The preparation and use of data needed to make objective, useful comparisons in higher education are considered. The needs for comparative data in higher education, including demands for accountability and strategic planning, are reviewed. In addition, data-related problems are considered: problems of narrowness, misrepresentation, sameness,…

The papers in this volume synthesize international disability policies, providing a cross-national perspective on disability definitions, the criteria for entitlement to disability benefits, and measures to facilitate a return to work for disabled individuals. Two papers, which were presented at the International Research Conference on Social…

To complement a volume of case studies, these four papers and an introduction discuss the problem of regional disparities in educational development from several different perspectives. Varying points of view are presented on the relationship between regional educational disparities and socioeconomic, political, and cultural development; the…

Most of the articles in this book evolved from papers presented during the Fourth Quadrennial International Intervisitation Program in Educational Administration held in Canada in 1978. Its purposes were to inform educational leaders from around the world about educational administration, organization, and policy in Canada and to provide a forum…

While there is certainly an abundance of excellent material concerning the world's press today, since World War II there has been an absence of any type of systematic synthesis of this information which might be used as a text or reference book by persons interested in the broad aspects of international communication. This book is intended to…

Initiating the Rural Child Care Project Monograph Series, this publication details the many factors which affect the selection and operation of a transportation service supporting rural child development centers. Relying upon its 9 years of experience, the Kentucky Youth Research Center (KYRC) presents relative advantages and disadvantages of 4…

In 1991, the first data-based analysis of the condition of public education was published, countering a prevalent view that the U.S. education system was verging on collapse. Subsequent reports followed, seven of which appear here. The reports contend that schools are about as effective as they have even been--although the population they serve…

This book presents ways in which school administrators can identify and redirect school funds to improve student performance. It quantifies the degree of overall financial inequality in the country using figures for all districts and shows how education dollars are currently spent, why these dollars are ineffectual, and how different and more…

Over the past 20 years, approaches to educational policy analysis have opened up to qualitative research methods and to sociocultural perspectives on schooling. This volume is a collection of studies that view educational policy from a variety of angles and at different levels of social life. It consists of 12 chapters: (1) "Are Pedagogical Ideals…

This book discusses constructing variables and making measures. It begins by outlining the qualities a number must meet before it qualifies as a measure of something. The basis is the measurement philosophy of G. Rasch. The first requirement for making good measures is good raw material. To achieve the possibility of comparisons, the data must…

The Board on International Comparative Studies in Education (BICSE) was established by the National Research Council (NRC) in 1988 at the request of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Under its initial mandate, the board monitored U.S. participation in…

This resource examines the role of the central office in improving instruction and therefore improving student achievement. Mac Iver and Farley-Ripple provide a comprehensive review of the available research (since the 1970s) on the role of the central office in student achievement. First, they review the research chronologically, and then by…

Despite U.S. world leadership in research in child healthcare and development, in all the statistical indicators of children's well-being the United States lags well behind most advanced industrialized societies. This book discusses U.S. public policy issues concerning the healthcare and development of children under age three. Studies are cited…

Inspired by the High/Scope educational approach, this book attempts to systematically and objectively compare different curriculum-based approaches to training early childhood teachers, and to assess how these models could individually and collectively address the problem of improving early childhood program quality nationwide. An analytical and…

This book, which is intended primarily to assist individuals charged with helping organizations implement career development systems, examines successful career development practices in U.S. and foreign organizations. Part 1 examines the state of the practice as determined by various surveys, including an American Society for Training and…