Using document analysis, this paper examines the historical emergence of the quantified child, revealing how the collection and use of data has become normalized through legitimizing discourses. First, following in the traditions of Foucault's genealogy and studies examining the sociology of numbers, this paper traces the evolution of data…

This document presents an interactive visual guide that explains what data are, how they help, and what people can do with them. It also offers ways to enact statewide policies that support effective data use.

Institutional researchers are responsible for the collection, organization, analysis, and maintenance of large amounts of personally identifiable data on students, faculty, and staff. Not only are institutional research (IR) offices required to report these data to state and federal agencies, they are also responsible for providing information to…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using renewable energy data, obtained from a comprehensive data acquisition system, on improving students' learning and developing their higher-order learning skills. This study used renewable energy data available through a data acquisition system installed and tested by the Green Research…

This publication provides program planners and others with information and analytical tools for using demographic data in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The report reviews the importance of demographic data and their relevance to programs and proper implementation of laws, discusses the collection of demographic information by…

Good information is essential to making intelligent policy decisions. The availability of information about education in Manitoba is hampered both by the questionable validity of much of the data and by the lack of centralized sources. Without attempting to be exhaustive, this booklet briefly analyzes the types of information available on…

This guide presents an introduction to the basics about data collection and discusses the uses of data in daily work. The emphasis is on youth programs in Indiana, but the information is useful for programs in other states. Ways in which program planners and advocacy activists can use data are described, and local, state, and national resources…

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,…

Proceedings of a study group that considered the utility of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) finance data for institutional and higher educational sector comparisons are presented, as are issue papers and descriptive information. The study group of representatives from higher education institutions and organizations outlined…

Twenty-eight deans of instruction (out of 29 contacted) responded to a survey eliciting information on institutional research at small junior colleges (head-count enrollment of 3,000 or less) in Texas. The survey instrument covered four general questions: (1) is there a systematic on-campus procedure for compiling information; (2) what information…

This brief, semi-technical handbook describes the various data systems of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) with summaries of background, purpose and scope, sample design, data collection procedures, questionnaire content, data release, and data uses for individual NCHS surveys. NCHS operates a diverse survey and inventory program…

This study aimed to describe, compare, and analyze the use of specific types of data utilized in decision-making by administrators of more and less effective community colleges. The study utilized a modified version of Kim Cameron's "Assessment of Organizational Effectiveness on Higher Education" to measure and rank community college…

The Vocational Education Data System (VEDS) data base was created as a result of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976. VEDS statistics were to be collected in the form of state-aggregate data (that is, state-level data is submitted by each state, based upon records and data collected by the state for this and other purposes); and VEDS data,…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) could provide better information for policy makers by (1) analyzing likely uses of the information it collects and disseminates; (2) launching more detailed investigations of educational inputs and processes; (3) taking some steps to place findings on educational outcomes in context; and (4)…

The House Subcommittee on Select Education asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to study the condition of information on education in the United States during selected years between 1973 and 1986. The resulting report covers three areas: (1) the nature and amount of federally sponsored information on education; (2) the quality of such…