A national survey of 1000 parents concerning disciplinary practices and violence included questions about whether the children had been sexually abused, to assess the feasibility of epidemiological research on contemporaneous sexual abuse using parental interviews rather than the usual adult retrospective approach. Results indicated rates of…

Discusses the quality of school-level data collected as part of state accountability systems, including the reliability and validity of school-level test scores as a measure of the value added by schools to student learning, outlining ways that these data can be usefully analyzed; illustrating challenges inherent in doing so; and discussing…

Presents a lesson involving the measurement of wood beams and the prediction and testing of their stress limits. Provides an example of a problem with multiple solutions, each with different consequences. (KHR)

A model for monitoring the Web site development process in the public sector is proposed and tested empirically with a sample of local government Web sites. Four factors in the matrix of the framework--publicity, local service, differentiation and participation--together with two dimensions of attracting and delivering were proved to be important…

A case study approach taken with three years of data on a hospital's trauma program indicate that, although service user data is important, its political importance far outweighs evaluation value and utility, especially for hard-to-access samples. Implications of this challenge to traditional assumptions for program evaluation are discussed. (SLD)

This article reviews routine-based teaching and monitoring and offers guidelines for using these strategies to track the progress of individual children with disabilities. The Individual Activity-Objective Matrix and the Group-Objective Matrix are explained as ways to help teachers to structure opportunities for a child to learn and practice…

This study collected normative behavioral data from extemporaneous 3-minute conversations of 50 typically developing adolescents. Analysis found the following high frequency behaviors: directing gaze at the partner, nodding and showing neutral and positive facial expressions, using back-channel responses, and giving contingent responses.…

Presents a science activity designed to involve students in experimental procedures such as data collection and analysis by extracting peroxidase from plant sources. (YDS)

Discusses the importance of the fourth cycle of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS; National Center for Education Statistics) and the data it offers about: (1) teacher supply and demand; (2) teacher and administrator preparation and qualifications; (3) schools as places for work and learning; and (4) implementation of school programs and…

Argues that, since at least 1969, the Census Bureau, under pressure from political special interest groups, has misrepresented the "racial" character of the U.S. population and has misplaced 6 to 8 million persons of Native American ancestry into a scientifically useless "Hispanic/Spanish" category. Contains approximately 45…

Argues the virtues of integrating teaching and research to extend the scope and rejuvenate undergraduate project work. Describes how University of Wales (Cardiff) undergraduate students implemented a research design that involved using a detailed questionnaire to determine the shopping preferences in Cardiff. (LS)

Gives a brief history of the U.S. census. Outlines attempts to make the 1990 census the most accurate in history by using a computerized mapping system, and describes special efforts to count the homeless and the transient populations. Suggests how educators may adapt materials offered by the government to their classrooms. (LS)

Examines the importance of the census to the management of a democratic government. States that the census has historically served as a means for apportioning representatives among the states and preventing corruption in political representation. Provides suggestions for teaching about the census in government classes. (LS)

Techniques are presented to teach students with severe and multiple handicaps to record their performance data using adapted mechanical or electronic counting devices such as calculators. Described are the purposes of self-recording, materials needed, training guidelines, and evaluation procedures. (JDD)

Examines issues associated with the design of and statistical inferences from embedded experiments which vary the questionnaire content into sample surveys of broad populations. Provides an example of context effects in attitude surveys, a summary, and conclusions. (RT)