The paper analyses qualitative data on the topic of "international graduate student life," and especially on the cultural and academic adaptation processes that graduates go through in a new environment. The paper describes and discusses the process of the work on the data. It deals with the theories and hypotheses that were generated during the…

The purpose of strategic planning is to align the institution with the external environment. In fact, it is a complex solution to a complex problem. Environmental change is inevitable and it will always impact one's institution sooner or later. It is better to be proactive, thoughtful, and in charge of change, than to be always in a reactive mode…

Three years of assessment data have been collected since The No Child Left Behind Act took effect. The purpose of this paper was to determine what effect adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements have had on student achievement as measured by achievement level categorization across years. In measuring how well students are achieving in the wake…

This paper describes research conducted at the 2005 AHRD research conference. A qualitative case study is developed with the purpose of capturing new learning that occurs within the conference and how new learning is created. In support of the research, a three-pronged conceptual framework including communities of practice and learning…

This study evaluates the effect of treatment components through a secondary analysis of data from the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES). The study examines the relationship between treatment components, client-level factors, and treatment outcomes, and how these relationships vary by treatment modality. It seeks to understand…

With schools being held accountable for helping students achieve state standards, and assessments measuring how well schools and students are meeting standards, the types and uses of data become increasingly important. This brief outlines a study conducted by the Education Commission of the States to understand how exemplary districts use data.…

Data can help identify solutions to some of the biggest problems in schools. Yet few schools use data effectively. The purpose of this book is to help schools become aware of the advantages of collecting and using data (data analysis) for overall school improvement. The book begins with an overview of the current state of education and the…

This book offers an introduction for teachers, students, and other educational practitioners to the techniques that transform informal observation into a recognized research tool. It is intended for those with little or no experience with formal observation. Four chapters focus on: (1) "Observation as a Data-Gathering Technique" (how observation…

Data analysis has become a topic of increasing emphasis within middle school mathematics in the last few years, especially in the recent recommendations by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM 2000). In order to better inform efforts to expand data analysis's role in middle school curricula, we have begun the development of a…

The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) are designed to provide reliable, comparable data that are collected from teachers and students at the K-12 math and science classroom level. The data analysis and reporting tools are intended to assist teachers, administrators, and policymakers with planning for instructional improvement in several ways:…

In spring 1999 the Consortium on Chicago School Research conducted surveys of students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 and all teachers and principals in the Chicago Public Schools. In all, 54,660 elementary school students, 18,187 high school students, 7,905 elementary school teachers, 2,009 high school teachers, and 315 principals completed the…

SOCRATES is the European Community education action program. SOCRATES I began in 1995 and ended in 1999. SOCRATES II, begun in 2000, continues until December 31, 2006. This study sought to identify how both the principles and practices of equal opportunities between women and men were interpreted in a sample of 100 centralized and 113…

This paper describes the use of a software tool designed to facilitate the analysis of a qualitative research study that required the examination of a large quantity of unstructured text. The Metamorph software program was selected because of its unique nature as a text retrieval tool. The program is able to manipulate data using a systematic…

This paper describes the strategies used at the University of Puerto Rico (Humacao) to overcome limitations resulting from a low response rate to their alumni surveys. Evaluation of earlier experiences with alumni studies led to identification of two principles for effective alumni studies: (1) the alumni study has to be a collaborative effort…

A project has been developed to advance the capabilities of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to support the dissemination of linked data from multiple surveys, multiple components within a survey, and multiple time points. An essential element of this study is the development of a software prototype system to facilitate NCES…