Written to assist future researchers in conducting cross-national studies of classroom behaviors, this study indicates a number of factors which may reduce the validity of comparisons made. It is based on an investigation which explored the feasibility of using the Activities Categories Instrument and the Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories…

These 11 behavior observation schedules were developed to serve as a source of data for evaluation experimental variations in instructional procedures and classroom organization, and for monitoring changes in teacher, teacher aide, and child behaviors. (MS)

Compares Wilson's database tape and the IAC "Expanded Academic Index" as explored by librarians in the State University System of Florida. Features addressed include journal coverage; abstracts and full text; subject headings, including consistency versus precision and controlled vocabularies; search software; disk storage requirements;…

Reviews study that found, through use of a "performance instruction" model, a significant misalignment between the cognitive complexity levels of planned course content and that which is tested. (32 citations) (YKH)

Discusses building self-esteem and confidence of disabled students through school library programs, based on Australian case studies. Topics include validity and reliability of case studies; the influence of teacher attitudes on student attitudes toward the disabled; physical accessibility; information literacy; information technology use; and…

Recent studies show that national control of K-12 curriculum yields important payoffs in terms of greater curricular coherence and, as a result, higher test performance on international tests such as those used in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. This paper examines the connection between national control of curriculum and…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) developed and administered tests and questionnaires in three student populations to document the quality of mathematics and science education in 45 participating countries. Study design, instrument development, and research procedures were achieved through a complex collaborative…

This report of the San Francisco (California) Regional Office of the Inspector General concludes that the U.S. Department of Education should improve its present method of allocating special education funds among the states. It finds that the basis of these allocations, reported numbers of students receiving special education in each state, is…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) was conducted for the first time in 1991 as a way to collect data on the early childhood education experiences of young children and participation in adult education. Because the NHES methodology is relatively new, field tests were necessary. A large field test of approximately 15,000 households was…

This study examined scores from 133,906 operationally scored Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) essays to determine whether the choice of composition medium has any impact on score quality for subgroups of test-takers. Results of analyses demonstrate that (a) scores assigned to word-processed essays are slightly more reliable than…

A study investigated the use of a mathematical model to predict individuals' total active Hebrew vocabulary from samples of their written and spoken language. The model is based on a generalized inverse Gaussian distribution. The subjects were Israeli junior high school students from both high and low socioeconomic groups. Hebrew language samples…

This report provides available data, presented in 64 tables, describing the incidence and prevalence of congenital disabling conditions among children and the characteristics of disabled children and youth and their caretakers. The data cover children living in United States households, institutions and other group quarters, and children…

The stability of Rasch test item difficulty parameters was investigated under varying conditions. Data were taken from a mathematics achievement test administered to over 2,000 Australian students. The experiments included: (1) relative stability of the Rasch, traditional, and z-item difficulty parameters using different sample sizes and designs;…

A detailed description is provided of the variable information acquisition (IA), which is part of the analysis in phase I of the Evaluation of Practices in Individualized Schooling. The variable is defined; the questionnaires on which the variable is based are listed; the procedures used to scale the variable are explained; the distribution of the…

An empirical study of the nature and variability of the relevance judgment process was conducted from July 1, 1965 to September 30, 1967. Volume I of the final report presents a literature review and statement of the theoretical framework of the study, a discussion of the experimental design and a summary of data analyses. The study had two…