A manual on sampling is presented to assist audit and program reviewers, project officers, managers, and program specialists of the U.S. Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). For each of the following types of samples, definitions and examples are provided, along with information on advantages and disadvantages: simple random sampling,…

The methodologies, instruments, and procedures that were used by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in conducting its part of the Safe School Study are described in detail. The report focuses on methods, the rationale for their selection, and their implementation. It also addresses various practical problems encountered. The sample design is…

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 obtained data for 23,451 students, of whom 16,683 completed the base-year questionnaire; 21,350 completed the first follow-up; and 20,872 completed the second follow-up. This report describes the methodology for minimizing bias in the data which might be caused by nonresponse to such…

Four types of control groups are commonly used in cognitive manipulation studies: (1) no-treatment; (2) practice with own methods; (3) practice and training with competing treatments; and (4) practice and training with irrelevant treatments. There are problems associated with the use of each group as a baseline for identifying the "true"…

A STUDY CONCERNED WITH THE CHILD REARING PRACTICES OF MOTHERS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN UNDER SIX WAS UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE NORMATIVE DATA ON BREAST-FEEDING, BOWEL TRAINING, AND DISCIPLINE AND TO RELATE THE DATA TO FAMILY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. FACTORS CONSIDERED WERE OCCUPATION OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE, LEVEL OF INCOME, AND EDUCATION OF THE MOTHER. DATA…

The magnitude of the dropout problem among Indians was illustrated by a study which followed students registered in grade 8 as of November 1962 through June 1967. Statistics were gathered by area, state, type of school, tribal group, and majority-minority position of Indian students in the 6-state area of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, South…

The report investigates the problems of assessing the availability of fertility regulation methods in the household and the community. The study originated from the need to evaluate a number of proposed additions to the data collection instruments used by the World Fertility Survey (WFS). The core questionnaire was modified to add the following…

Unlike the past models guiding cross-cultural psychological research, a new paradigm facilitates multiple level investigations by incorporating both culture-specific (nested) and culture-general (crossed) independent variables within its partially-hierarchical framework. Based upon the generalizability analysis, this model generates sequential…

This study was designed to test the relationship of 4-H Club work to the interests of rural youth during their school years (grades 6-12) and to selected performances--attitudes toward and participation in adult education and occupational choices--five years after high school. It was also intended to examine the relationship between interests and…

Alternative ways of analyzing data from Aptitude Treatment Interactions were examined over a two-year period. In light of past arguments the author maintains that the questions surrounding aggregation have been badly posed and that the customary methods of analysis were either incorrect or subject to misinterpretation. Therefore, the majority of…

This paper is about the structural equation modelling of quantitative measures that are obtained from a multiple facet design. A facet is simply a set consisting of a finite number of elements. It is assumed that measures are obtained by combining each element of each facet. Methods and traits are two such facets, and a multitrait-multimethod…

Several models for optimizing incomplete sample designs with respect to information on the item parameters are presented. The following cases are considered: (1) known ability parameters; (2) unknown ability parameters; (3) item sets with multiple ability scales; and (4) response models with multiple item parameters. The models are able to cope…

Follow-up studies are necessary for investigating the long-term, enduring, anticipated effects of bilingual education. Investigations need to be based on a recognition of their value to educational audiences, the relative merits of research issues, attention to the problem of attrition, proper selection of dependent measures, and the merits of…

The concept of tailored testing for individuals is applied to the construction of tests for special groups and extended to apply to item content as well as item difficulty. It is suggested that evaluators may decide to construct tests on the basis of a unique combination of items drawn from an item bank to fit the need of a particular group. At…

Synthetic estimation is a statistical technique that estimates small-area statistics by combining national estimates of the relevant characteristics with estimates of other known characteristics of the small geographic area. The advantages of the synthetic estimation approach to local estimation are its intuitive appeal, its simplicity, and its…