The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has endorsed a "Closing the Gap" agenda designed to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. The agenda is distilled in a series of targets, one of which is the goal of halving the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 attainment or equivalent (Certificate II or above) attainment rates by…

The following organizations and agencies sent their suggestions and comments on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Elementary/Secondary Education Data Redesign Project: American Association for Counseling and Development, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Library Association, Indiana University,…

THIS PAPER HAS TWO PURPOSES--(1) TO PRESENT A SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY REGARDING RESEARCH REQUESTS IN 15 BIG CITY SCHOOLS AND SOME COMMENTARY ON THE PROCESSING OF SUCH REQUESTS AND (2) TO MAKE THEORETICAL SPECULATIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS IN LARGE SCHOOL SYSTEMS WHICH OPERATE AS RESEARCH RESTRAINTS. IT IS…

Problems with the scope, validity, and accuracy of statistical data on Puerto Ricans have led to difficulties in research on that population. This situation has contributed to the restricted access of Puerto Ricans to government-sponsored programs and to public services, such as education, that are necessary for social equality. (Author/GC)

Policy implications stemming from empirical analyses that evaluate national federal compensatory programs are clouded because negative findings could be due to either the nature of the educational process or the inadequacy of the data collection and analysis technique. This paper constructs a framework within which the separate effects of each are…

This collection of four symposium papers explores research and data problems in big-city schools. The papers are "Data Accessibility: Policies and Organizational Strictures in Big-City Schools" by W.G. Monahan (ED 019 749), "Some Data Problems in Systems Research" by M.C. Alkin and W.L. Duff, Jr. (ED 021 324), "Towards Adequate Educational and…

The paper discusses problems faced by policy makers in utilizing social science research in decision making on educational issues and problems. The term social science research is interpreted as including both educational evaluation and educational research. The history of social science research and critical issues associated with social science…

This report is a record of a one-day seminar sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The theme of the conference was the timely issue of the role of nonpublic schools in educating American children. The participants were: (1) representatives of private schools, (2) federal policymakers; and (3) researchers. Jay Noell…

While the need for improved literacy in the work force is generally accepted, questions still remain as to what levels of literacy are required for different jobs and who will provide the necessary adult literacy training. To answer these questions, researchers must develop a database of information about literacy needs and deficiences. Developing…

Reviews materials developed by the now-defunct Russian President's Coordinating Committee for Handicapped Affairs. Reveals a system barely meeting the needs of its handicapped citizens and hampered by inadequate accounting and reporting. Provides a broad range of information on the handicapped in Russia based on approximate data. (MJP)

At the request of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement, the Panel to Evaluate the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) was established in 1985 by the National Academy of Sciences. This report culminates an extensive two-year study of NCES and reflects the panel's broad view of the center's…

In an effort to standardize the definition of the two-year college student transfer rate and to collect national transfer data, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) has solicited data annually since 1989 from a sample of 240 public and private two-year colleges nationwide. The CSCC has standardized the definition of "transfer…

Four evaluation methods for determining educational policy are objectivism; subjectivism; emotive-imperative; and instrumentalism. For the objectivist, the rationale for undertaking an evaluation is based on empirical verification or non-verification of claims of existing policies or activities. Secondly, the objectivist is interested in…

Because of various flaws in their design, most research studies that have up to now examined the transition of youth to the work setting have failed to pinpoint ways of improving existing programs. Many of these design flaws (including lack of a uniform set of outcome measures, failure to routinely incorporate control groups, and failure to design…

A study examined the effectiveness of policies and procedures used for vocational job preparatory student placement and followup in Florida's public schools. During the study, researchers (1) conducted interviews with approximately 40 persons having statewide knowledge of or involvement in some phase of vocational education placement and followup…