This article discusses procedures that have been developed to empower students with disabilities to take responsibility for graphing data reflecting their own academic performance. It discusses training methods for teaching students self-graphing and the benefits of self-monitoring. Examples are provided of different types of computer graphs.…

Reviews the meanings of race and ethnicity as they are used in nursing and health-related research and highlights advantages and disadvantages of their use as variables. Suggests methods of improving the quality of data related to race and ethnicity as they are associated with health outcomes. (Contains 30 references.) (JOW)

The gender of participants in 1,929 articles (1991-2000) in journals relevant to mental retardation was determined. Gender was not reported in 26%. When gender was reported, 6% of the investigators used females only, 8% used males only, and 60% used both sexes, respectively. The need to specify gender is stressed. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Describes how Thales, one of the Seven Sages of ancient times, used shadows and similar triangles to measure the heights of the pyramids. Includes activities on surveying. (YDS)

Discusses four complementary interventions required for principals to improve classroom visits: Provide clear, grade-specific curriculum proficiency targets; develop results-oriented, teacher team-planned curriculum units; adopt Japanese lesson study approach to teaching; and use data to improve teaching and learning. (PKP)

Design of in-company training for students must consider objectives, staff, methods, duration, and timing. Data collection tools to monitor progress and evaluate performance are critical. A support team to provide guidance, information, and placement assistance is also an important element. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

Describes a model used by Michigan school districts, in collaboration with Michigan State University, in ongoing program- improvement efforts. The model is intended to help physical education leaders systematically address assessment of core program objectives, collect accurate data that directly affects instruction, then aggregate the data and…

Asserts that collecting assessment data from students is key to shaping effective instruction. Both informal and formal data about student learning not only shape instruction but also determine its effectiveness. Contends that continuous assessment that drives curriculum is a means of enhancing student and teacher performance. (Contains seven…

This article examines issues in the measurement of quality of life (QOL) within the field of learning disabilities. Discussion considers objective and subjective measures, value-based and value-free approaches, and traditional versus participatory approaches. The issue of using self-reports or proxies to gather and measure QOL data is addressed. A…

The study evaluated effects of a data collection inservice package on the frequency of collecting student progress data by four staff members in an integrated preschool program. Individualized instruction and feedback produced consistent increases in the amount of data collection, but minimal generalization to non-targeted children and maintenance…

The article identifies two data collection procedures (participant observation and interviewing) employed in qualitative research and discusses how these procedures can be used to investigate emerging issues in supported education for students with severe disabilities. (DB)

Described are features and functions of the Behavioral Observation System--Computerized (BOSCO), which was developed for TRS-80 laptop computers to integrate data collection and analysis functions and allow continuous recording of behavioral data during observation sessions. Applications are illustrated through brief descriptions of several…

Offers an overview of trends and issues in student tracking, including methods of collecting data, determining which data should be gathered, obtaining follow-up data, and using results to inform decisions about institutional planning and improvement. (DMM)

Data on survey methodology employed in follow-up surveys of graduates was collected, via questionnaire, from 226 teacher education programs. Response rates correlated significantly with number of attempts to reach graduates. Other variables included questionnaire length, postage provisions, use of incentives, response deadline, and personalization…

Describes situations in which children developed mathematical concepts through processes of sorting and classifying, comparing, measuring, matching with one-to-one correspondence, and enumerating. Data were gathered while observing informal discourse, during sharing sessions, and in a reading session. (MKR)