A 1986 national survey of state agencies showed that level of foster care for handicapped children was lower than that shown by a 1981 national study of county agencies. Outlines limitations of collection of data from states and of comparison of two surveys. Discusses noteworthy increases in foster care that have occurred in some states since…

Focuses on methodological issues involved in choosing instruments to monitor behavior, once a comprehensive evaluation has suggested trials on Ritalin. Case examples illustrate problems of teacher compliance in filling out measures, supplying adequate placebos, and obtaining physical cooperation. Emerging school-based methodologies are discussed…

Describes "Studying Children in Context" as a reader- friendly book that situates studying children within the process of conducting qualitative research. Notes strengths including discussion of ethics and methods of data generation and organization, and inclusion of case studies that illuminate researchers' struggles. Notes limitations…

A longitudinal study was planned to track a class in a prekindergarten program to determine program effectiveness. There are many problems in conducting a longitudinal study, most of which revolve around the long-term commitment required. A carefully designed information system is important. For the study in question, computer software and…

This report summarizes activities of the National Center on Educational Outcomes directed at producing a report on the status of students with disabilities from the secondary analysis of state-collected achievement data. Although 27 states reported that large-scale achievement data were available for some students with disabilities, potentially…

Error profiles for the Fall Enrollment Survey of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) were developed as part of an assessment of the quality of survey data. Three statistics were of particular interest: the count of full-time equivalent students, the breakdown by race/ethnicity, and the count of unclassified students. Attention…

With increasing reliance being placed on the results of their surveys, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recognized a need for these survey results to be valid and reliable. As part of the work of the Statistical Analysis Group in Education (SAGE), an effort was undertaken to investigate validity and reliability in survey…

A study was sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to: (1) document and analyze the information needs of various groups (e.g., the legislature, state agencies, and community colleges) with respect to the state's community colleges and to prepare a matrix of information needs and uses; (2) inventory the…

The Urban Community Colleges Transfer Opportunities Program (UCCTOP) was initiated in 1983 to stimulate the transfer of minority students from community colleges to universities. Collecting data on the effects of the UCCTOP activities proved to be one of the most difficult aspects of the project as community colleges typically do not have reliable…

In 1986, the Center for Education Statistics (CES) initiated a series of meetings with a wide range of private school representatives. At these meetings, a need for more complete information on the data collection efforts of the various private groups was identified, and as a result, CES agreed to investigate the extent and nature of the education…

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,…

This paper deals with two questions: (1) what are the the applications that might be made of microcomputers in evaluation? and (2) what are the kinds of problems (personnel, organizational, and technical) that must be overcome if microcomputers are to be used effectively? The applications include proposals and planning, management, data…

This paper examines the major problems which confront researchers who wish to study sensitive topics in family relations. The major obstacles typically encountered are (1) locating subjects; (2) getting cooperation; and (3) obtaining valid and reliable data. A second section of the paper discusses methods of overcoming these obstacles. One…

The serious problems faced in the ESAA (Emergency School Aid Act) data collection effort (magnitude of the data to be collected, many kinds of respondents, and sensitivity of much of the data) are discussed. Procedures for overcoming obstacles are described. These include limiting collection to essential data, tailoring instruments to respondents,…

The relative precision of four methods of estimating missing data in principal components analysis was investigated. Artificial data with known characteristics, obtained from Cattell's "Plasmode: 30-10-4-2," was used with one third of the data on half of the variables being systematically eliminated. The four methods of missing data estimation…