Seven potentially useful maxims from the field of human information processing are proposed that may help institutional researchers prepare and present information for higher education decision-makers. The maxims, which are based on research and theory about how people cognitively process information, are as follows: (1) more may not be better;…

Many times in both educational and social science research it is impossible to collect data that is complete. When administering a survey, for example, people may answer some questions and not others. This missing data causes a problem for researchers using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques for data analyses. Because SEM and…

This manual contains information for conducting regular student surveys at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Questionnaires, designed for new, returning, and former student populations, are presented together with the methods by which the instruments should be administered. Guidelines for data analysis and report writing are also outlined. The…

This paper defines a conceptual model for institutional research in the community college and identifies sources of information, programs, and services that provide data necessary for implementation of the model. The model contains four specific subsystems: goal setting, program development, program review, and cost effectiveness. Each subsystem…

Individually Guided Education (IGE) is an alternative form of schooling used in a large number of elementary schools. This study of home-school- community relations in an urban, inner city IGE school starts with a summary of the literature on home-school-community relations and an overview of readings related to urban education. In addition, a…

A long-term project entitled Agricultural Manpower Needs in North Dakota examined current and projected agriculture manpower needs in the state. Objectives of the project were to develop a methodology for obtaining and interpreting agricultural manpower needs data for North Dakota, to determine emerging employment trends and identify emerging…

This report presents a comprehensive discussion of issues affecting the use of ethnographic research methods in bilingual education classroom research. Quantitative methods alone have not provided an adequate understanding of how the bilingual classroom operates, the meaningful features of the classroom, how children learn, and what…

This report presents an overview of the procedures used to produce the findings contained in three reports concerning vocational education coordination and planning. Following a summary of the findings of barriers and facilitators to coordination in vocational education planning, a description of the basic procedures for this research effort is…

An organized approach to the assessment of the present and anticipated training needs of local business and industry is presented for two-year colleges with an occupational education orientation. The manual first presents a rationale for and a definition of employer needs assessments. Next the requirements for raw and relative data are discussed,…

This resource guide is intended for local school district personnel involved in planning activities for establishing educational priorities, phase two of the Local Planning and Assessment Process (LPAP). Information is presented on the development of performance indicators and the validation of perceived needs. The guide is organized in two…

What problems are involved in the development and organization of data sources used in a research project on student aid? Problems faced are: (1) using data from sources that had combined information into different categories; (2) incomplete data on a topic; (3) the disparity in the numbers of students or dollars reported by different data…

The purpose of this evaluation is to describe and assess the political, social, economic, and educational outcomes of the voucher demonstration, and the implications of these outcomes for public policy issues. The basic hypotheses of the Demonstration, the basic public policy issues, the major evaluation questions to be considered are set forth,…

The proposed program represents a vehicle whereby Minnesota can conduct a comprehensive assessment of the State's educational progress. It can provide a means of periodically monitoring achievement in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The program is modeled after the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), an ongoing…

The purpose of the Maine Assessment of Educational Progress (MAEP) in 1972 was to complete the first phase of a 10-year comprehensive needs assessment program involving students in public and non-public schools of the state. The total program is designed to provide specific information about knowledge, skills, understandings, and attitudes in 10…

The objectives of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program for 1972-73 are: (1) to provide State officials and citizens with information which contributes to an understanding of the educational needs of the State's school children and to the analysis of the educational system's response to these needs; (2) to provide citizens and educators with…