The author examined school district reports on the dropout problem from several large urban school systems, looking specifically at the definition of dropout, information collection procedures, and the method used to determine the dropout rate. The need for greater consistency in such reports is discussed. (MT)

Examines budgetary cutbacks in federal data systems. Concludes that (1) justifications for cutbacks are unconvincing; (2) cutbacks have affected data availability and quality severely; (3) the feasibility of the idea that major data users should collect their own information is dubious; and (4) special evaluation studies cannot substitute for…

The director of the Office of Communication Research, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), replies to a critical analysis of the CPB's report, "A Fresh Look at the PTV Viewer." The definition of what constitutes a public television viewer (PTV) is discussed in detail. (ER)

Author argued that the attempt to gather valid data to measure educational standards is bound to fail. (Editor/RK)

Spurred by the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001, virtually every educational reform program now includes an accountability component that requires sound data collection and reporting. Improving data quality has thus emerged as a high priority for educators and policymakers across the country. The list of programs for which data quality…

Violence and crime in schools affect students and their families, school employees and administrators, law enforcement and criminal justice officials, policymakers, and communities. Enactment of strong, concise school violence reporting laws is a crucial first step on the road to making schools safe and violence free. This bulletin provides an…

This guide gives middle school teachers and principals the tools they need to get answers to their questions about program evaluation. It shows how to use the information to work more effectively and efficiently and explains how to use program evaluation techniques to make sure that the approaches selected really solve the problems of interest.…

This technical guide provides complete information on the indicators presented in "Measuring Up 2002: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education." The guide describes all indicators in "Measuring Up 2002," explains the methodology used to measure the indicators, and lists the sources of the data. Part 1 presents the methodology for…

This book is a step-by-step guide to creating and analyzing linguistic corpora. It defines a corpus as a collection of texts or parts of texts upon which some general linguistic analysis can be conducted. It begins with a discussion of the role that corpus linguistics plays in linguistic theory, demonstrating that corpora have proven to be very…

Based on a decade of evaluation experience, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has developed the Integrated Evaluation Methods (IEM) Package, a series of conceptual and methodological applications to enhance CSAT-funded evaluation activities. Products in the IEM Package are organized within an evaluation framework constructed on the…

This paper investigates measurement issues related to elements of the Internet and calls for a standardized measuring scheme to resolve the problem of the measurement. The dilemmas in measuring the elements of the Internet are identified, and previous studies are reviewed. Elements of the Internet are categorized into population, usage, protocol…

In educational assessment, what students say, do, and sometimes make is observed, and assessors attempt to infer what students know, can do, or have accomplished more generally. Some links in the chain of inference depend on statistical models and probability-based reasoning, and it is with these links that terms such as validity, reliability, and…

Basic questions about the evaluation of professional development efforts are explored, including the nature and purposes of evaluation, the critical levels of professional development evaluation, and the difference between evidence and proof in evaluation. Evaluation, which is defined as the systematic investigation of merit or worth, can be…

The purpose of this study was to systematically examine three follow-up data collection procedures-telephone, mail, and personal visits-to contribute additional information relative to follow-up feasibility and effectiveness. The investigation also examined the effect of a comprehensive follow-up approach in providing a representiative sample of a…