General extrinsic and intrinsic forces pressing for change in schools are examined, and specific attention is paid to five problem areas that illustrate the complexity of issues facing those who wish to study or facilitate educational change. Extrinsic pressure arises from ongoing societal change in the face of a dichotomy between educational…

This brief guide to interview training in survey research is designed for persons without previous training or experience in interviewing. Basic techniques of interviewing are presented in such a manner as to facilitate the training of persons with varying educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Topics include: the interviewer's role in the…

In the face of more sophisticated data collection technology, California voters have demonstrated an increasing concern about their own privacy. In response, Assemblyman Cullen has proposed a bill to the state legislature which would require anyone opening an automated information system to send notice to the Secretary of State. This notice would…

Three different methods of data collection in which subjects judged proximity between object pairs were examined. One method required subjects to partition objects into homogeneous subsets; the second entailed rating object pairs on a similarity-dissimilarity continuum; and the third involved comparing interobject proximities to a fixed standard.…

This report describes part of the research conducted under Work Unit MODE, which examined methodological approaches in acquiring valid research data pertinent to critical social problems. It describes a study in which rates of nontherapeutic drug use obtained by a random urine screening program among Army personnel were compared with rates…

The methodology used in carrying out a project, the aim of which was to develop a pamphlet which would be meaningful and easily understood by teachers, dealing with classroom application of research on reinforcement principles is described. Preliminary steps of the project included: (1) a review of literature; (2) data gathering by conducting a…

Modern technology has given us the ability to record, store, retrieve, and disseminate large volumes of data. Though technically efficient, such a procedure can be misused and thus constitute an invasion of privacy. Most school systems maintain extensive student records, but few have systematic policies regarding dissemination of such information.…

This five-part document presents the results of a feasibility study on administrative reorganization commissioned by the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, School District. The first section describes the research design, the data collection techniques, and the involvement of Harrisburg personnel in the study. Section two provides nineteen generalizations…

The Regional Medical Libraries and Regional Medical Programs are making efforts to improve access to the scholarly record of medicine to all health professionals through hospital and other clinical environments. This working paper furnishes an explanation of: (1) the background and preparation of hospital library survey forms used by the Ohio…

Information systems developed to support university planning must be designed to insure that all planning needs can be met. Only highly flexible, highly integrated information systems can meet current planning requirements. Such systems should be designed in a modular fashion and employ user-oriented languages to select and combine the system…

In order to assess the impact of different college environments on student development and to provide a source of current, readily available information about college students, the American Council on Education (ACE) has undertaken a large-scale program of longitudinal research on the higher educational system. The program will be based primarily…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), responding to a need for systematic data collection and utilization for the effective management of increasingly complex institutions of higher education, appointed a design committee to develop a conceptual framework and guidelines for a management information systems project. The…

Data Collection and reduction procedures used in the system for the Analysis of Classroom Communication (SACC) are presented. The SACC is a system devised for the systematic observation of verbal and non-verbal classroom behavior. Coders employ data sheets which contain numbered cells for recording behavior at five second intervals. Each sheet…

In appraising the Individually Prescribed Instruction system, three sources of information were utilized: a main instrument, the Degree of Implementation Study, and two additional investigations, the Report of Student Progress and the report of the school visitation monitors. To determine the degree of implementation, a sample of the student…

This report evaluates a long-range, districtwide guidance program designed to identify elementary school children who are potential high school dropouts. Interviews with a small group of identified potential dropouts who remained in school and graduated resulted in the identification of factors associated with staying in school. A Svan-type scale…