A jack knife is a pocket knife that is put to many tasks, because it's ready to hand. Often there could be a better tool for the job, such as a screwdriver, a scraper, or a can-opener, but these are not usually pocket items. In statistical terms, the expression implies making do with what's available. Another simile, of an extreme situation, is…

To assess research methods and analysis of statistical techniques employed by educational researchers, this study surveyed unpublished doctoral dissertation from 2003 to 2007. Frequently used research methods consisted of experimental research; a survey; a correlational study; and a case study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, factor…

Resampling methods including randomization test, cross-validation, the jackknife and the bootstrap are widely employed in the research areas of natural science, engineering and medicine, but they lack appreciation in educational research. The purpose of the present review is to revisit and highlight the key principles and developments of…

This "Research Commentary" addresses the quality of statistical research in mathematics education. To do so, 10 years of Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) articles were analyzed on the basis of criteria suggested by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council for…

The data presented in this report call attention to inappropriate use of the Eigenroot criterion in factor work, a practice which has probably grown out of a theoretical focus on determining basic laws of behavior, rather than a practical emphasis on providing information that will be useful to college instructors and administrators. When…

A formula for determining sample size, which originally appeared in 1960, has lacked a table for easy reference. This article supplies a graph of the function and a table of values which permits easy determination of the size of sample needed to be representative of a given population. (DG)

Approximately 2,000 titles of journals and other periodicals which have published articles in the language sciences have been collected and examined. A determination has been made of the extent of their relevance to the language sciences. In addition, behavioral data identifying journals selected by linguists as those of greatest current interest…

This report is the initial part of a 2-year study investigating first-year student attrition at Cuyahoga Community College (CCC). Of 388 students entering CCC in the fall of 1968, but not enrolling in the subsequent spring quarter, 146 (38%) supplied data on which the following results are based. A check of respondents' characteristics showed them…

This is one of a series of eight short monographs intended to aid practicing educators in planning and conducting accountability programs in schools. This booklet discusses how to determine a sampling method that is appropriate to the objectives of a particular research or evaluation effort. Short sections focus in turn on why and when to sample,…

This chartbook is designed as a graphic reference on national statistical information about disabilities. Each page contains a content question, explanatory text, and an explanatory chart or table as well as information on sources used. Key terms are shown in boldface and defined in a glossary. Section 1 provides demographic data on Americans with…

This study examines the relationship between high-stakes school accountability and its effects upon student test scores and school policies. The authors seek to understand the extent to which accountability sanctions and incentives for the poorest-performing schools in Florida explain subsequent changes in school practices and policies as well as…

To address the important issue of dropouts from their schools, the Council of Great City Schools undertook a major research effort to make sense of the disparate ways in which cities keep their dropout data, and to advise various policy makers on the development of common metrics for measuring the problem. A survey of Council member schools…

This report presents a statistical portrait of the changing role of women in the United States during the 20th century. Data are from United States Government sources--from surveys, decennial censuses, vital statistics, and administrative records. The majority of the statistics have been published previously, either in government documents or…

This article on student mobility data in Europe has a double objective: First, it investigates which data on international mobility of students are being compiled and made available--and which are not--both at the international, the national, and the programme level. Second, it presents some of the student mobility data identified, and--based on…