This guide for district and school leaders shows how to recognize opportunities to embed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) into planned policies or programs. Opportunistic RCTs can generate strong evidence for informing education decisions--with minimal added cost and disruption. The guide also outlines the key steps to conduct RCTs and responds…

This manual provides guidance and documentation for users of the longitudinal kindergarten-fourth grade (K-4) data file of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). It mainly provides information specific to the fourth-grade round of data collection. The first chapter provides an overview of the…

Bullying is one type of violence that threatens a youth's well-being in schools and neighborhoods. The impacts of bullying are felt by individuals, families, schools, and society and may result in youths feeling powerless, intimidated, and humiliated by the aggressive acts of other youth(s). This document is designed as a tool to help…

This technical report and user's guide is designed to provide researchers with an overview of the design and implementation of the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), as well as with information on how to access the PISA 2009 data. This information is meant to supplement that presented in Organization for Economic Cooperation…

This report compares three approaches to descriptive research, focusing on the kinds of descriptions developed and on the methods used to develop the descriptions. The main emphasis in all three approaches is on verbal data. In these approaches the importance of interpretation and its intuitive nature are emphasized. The three approaches, however,…

This guide is designed as a resource for leaders and evaluators of K-12 online learning programs. In this guide, the term "online learning" is used to refer to a range of education programs and resources in the K-12 arena, including distance learning courses offered by universities, private providers, or teachers at other schools;…

Setting up a successful interinstitutional data-sharing project involves commonsense guidelines: be clear about what is wanted, take advantage of what already exists, use appropriate technology, staff adequately, recognize institutional differences, and concentrate on achieving insight rather than precision. (Author/MSE)

The future of faculty development programs will benefit most from a systematic assessment of program goals, a factor often ignored or taken for granted while program process and product are evaluated. (MSE)

Presents survey results that identify the occupation of school-district-level technology director: their salaries and educational levels, length of service, budgetary demands, and job responsibilities. Results show the following: average technology director budgets are between $200,000 and $399,000; their average salaries are between $50,000 and…

Bryn Mawr College is developing a data gathering workbook to aid small institutions in the analysis of financial options. Growth-rate balance and data gathering and analysis workbooks are described along with four problem areas: growth-rate imbalance, asset depletion, control indicators, and quality shifts. (MLW)

Data on which to base interinstitutional comparisons can be obtained directly from institutions or from a variety of secondary and tertiary sources such as national surveys, statistical publications, newsletters, directories, and organizations. Lists of these sources are included. (MSE)

This study demonstrated the use of self-recorded audiotape to collect data on students' perceptions, attitudes, and use of learning activities in written teaching texts. The process of asking students to respond to questions within the teaching text was straightforward and presented few problems in subsequent analysis. On several indicators…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a survey of the educational achievement of American students and changes in their achievement across time. The NAEP has collected information for over 20 years to assist educators and policy makers. This guide intends to: document current NAEP methods for both state and national…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the "Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative, continuing assessment of what U.S. students know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP provides a comprehensive measure of students' learning at critical junctures in their school experience. The…

This manual details a research design for the longitudinal and comparative evaluation of nursing education currently being conducted by the National Second Step Project at Sonoma State University. Chapter 1 describes the purpose, background, and context and substance of the Second Step model. Chapter 2 considers the design of a multicampus…