As sets of heterogeneous databases converge, there is a layering of values into the emergent infrastructure. This layering process is relatively irreversible in that it operates simultaneously at a very concrete and abstract level. (Contains 119 references.) (Author/YDS)

The National Child Count of Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind is the first and longest running registry and knowledge base of children who are deaf-blind in the world. Begun in 1986 on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (Baldwin, 1993), it represents a thirty plus year collaborative effort between the National Consortium on…

This report discusses an iterative methodology for logical database design (LDD). The methodology includes four phases: local information-flow modeling, global information-flow modeling, conceptual schema design, and external schema modeling. These phases are intended to make maximum use of available information and user expertise, including the…

The Data Quality Campaign is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the collection, availability and use of high-quality education data and to implement state longitudinal data systems to improve student achievement. The campaign aims to provide tools and resources that will assist state development…

This paper describes the organization, implementation, and outcomes of a joint effort between the Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast and Islands and the Vermont State Department of Education's Database Project. In 1987, the Laboratory proposed a feasibility study to examine the means and costs of accessing…

This issue of "Network News" takes a look at emerging P-16/K-16 partnerships and data systems. The first article, "P-16 Data and Accountability Systems," by Hans L'Orange and Rick Voorhees (an adaptation of a policy brief) looks at data being used for accountability within P-16 systems and provides some general characteristics…

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a seminar on planning and policy analysis is offered for doctoral students who wish to conduct planning and forecasting studies for their doctoral dissertations or who simply wish to learn such techniques. One of the major projects of the seminar is the development of an environmental scanning…

Discusses important factors to consider before deciding on hardware or software to use in building qualitative databases. Examines using the computer to store and retrieve text, store and retrieve graphics, analyze text, analyze graphic materials, distribute data stored on one machine to others, allow researchers access to data from remote sites,…

High schools are increasingly expected to use data for improvement and to provide evidence that programs and instructional practices are preparing all students to develop essential knowledge and skills. This publication describes how schools can develop the capacity to analyze and use data as a core component of improving secondary schools using…

Describes the way a relational database management system manages a large historical data collection project. Shows that such databases are practical to construct. States that the programing tasks involved are not for beginners, but the rewards of having data organized are worthwhile. (GG)

Describes the development of a menu driven database management program to handle online search statistics reporting requirements for the libraries at the University of California, Los Angeles. Advantages of the program are discussed, including cost effectiveness, autonomy of search service reports, meeting the special needs of individual…

Today many data warehousing systems are data rich, but information poor. Extracting useful information from an ocean of data to support administrative, policy, and instructional decisions becomes a major challenge to both database designers and measurement specialists. This paper focuses on the development of a data processing system that…

This article suggest three broad categories of improvements to 13 data systems on juvenile victimization: (1) systems could expand to include more jurisdictions or other population segments; (2) systems need to create more specific data items; and (3) systems need to be modified to provide continuity and interrelationships among systems. (Contains…

This paper discusses the role of transition in school reform and methodology for developing a Florida database on transition-related programs. It describes procedures for ensuring the validity and reliability of database information sources. Findings from the data collection process, concerning common program terminology and school district size…

Chapters in this book include: (1) E-Learning Indicators: A Multidimensional Model for Planning Developing and Evaluating E-Learning Software Solutions (Bekim Fetaji and Majlinda Fetaji); (2) Barriers to Effective use of Information Technology in Science Education at Yanbu Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Abdulkareem Eid S. Alwani and Safeeullah Soomro);…