The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance to data management staff within health planning agencies concerning the assemblage, analysis, and application of data for the purposes of health planning and resources development. Detailed information concerning practical, step-by-step approaches to data acquisition, analysis, and use is…

The concept, focus, operation, and benefits of Florida's data-based, locally directed vocational education evaluation program is described. (BM)

Provides a detailed guide to preparing library budgets and describes several types of budgets. Steps to preparing a final document are outlined, including identifying objectives, assessing and prioritizing needs, data collection and analysis, presentation to the funding agency, and evaluation and monitoring of the final budget. (CLB)

A noncomputerized system was developed for collection, storage, and analysis of student performance data in an early childhood special education program. Formative evaluation data for 12 students during one school quarter indicated that the staff made 719 data-based decisions, resulting in reteaching, moving ahead, or branching within cumulative…

Reports results of a pilot study and full survey of preservation/conservation concerns about the non-rare book collections at the Syracuse University libraries. The methodology is described, including physical characteristics of the collections that were examined and statistical analyses used. (CLB)

Practical considerations associated with local norms development are discussed. A local norming project administering the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised to 398 elementary Mexican--American children is presented in detail. The utility of local norms and their interpretation is discussed in the context of this local project. (Author/BW)

The importance to alumni of a nontraditional program and the negotiability of the degree to the alumni, their employers and peers, and graduate schools was examined. Data indicated that the main reasons for selecting a nontraditional program were a flexible schedule and the need to maintain a regular working day. (Author/MLW)

Assesses the classroom environment to determine effectiveness of learning groups and offers suggestions for developing a "good" class, diagnosing peer interactions, and developing feedback between teachers and students. (Author/DB)

Investigates principals' behaviors which give rise to feelings of concern and pleasure in teachers generally. Sought to isolate common elements in these behaviors and more fully understand the interaction between principals and teachers. (Author/RK)

A survey of teachers in a number of secondary schools was conducted to gather their views on the condition of working relationships among members of the school community. Some of the findings are reported here. (Editor)

As a condition of receiving federal funding for elementary and secondary education programs, states each year provide vast amounts of data to Education. While the need for information that informs evaluation is important (particularly with the No Child Left Behind Act), Education's data gathering has heretofore presented some problems. It has been…

In recent years, researchers have argued that the shortage of highly qualified teachers in poor school districts may have less to do with attracting new teachers than with retaining them. To provide the scientific evidence that will support sound decisions about teacher induction, Mathematica is examining whether high-intensity teacher induction…

This guide for Connecticut policymakers and advocacy groups provides instructions for conducting a community assessment--gathering and analyzing data on child well-being, using social indicators. The guide first details the steps for a community assessment: create goals and objectives, identify outcomes and indicators, develop a plan, find…

The shift of public policymaking regarding children and families from the federal to the state and local levels has increased demand for measures of child well-being in states and communities. However, it is difficult to obtain reliable data about the well-being of rural children in states or communities. Of 61 key indicators of child well-being,…

This fourth annual study reports on state practices in 1999-2000 concerning reporting on the participation and performance of students with disabilities in statewide assessments. Unlike previous reports, the unit of analysis was the state assessments rather than all publicly available print reports. The report describes the assessment systems used…