This report describes and compares different methods used to calculate and report dropout rates; discusses advantages and disadvantages of each method; explains what is known about dropout students; and outlines actions states are taking to reduce dropout rates. Data are presented on whether dropout rates are lower now than in the 1980s in…

This report provides a performance and financial evaluation of Wisconsin's charter schools. It examines charter schools that were open during the 1997-98 school year, and it includes their educational programs, administrative policies, and enrollments. The report also details program expenditures, student performance, legal issues, and the effects…

The Partnership for Research in Spatial Modeling (PRISM) project at Arizona State University (ASU) developed modeling and analytic tools to respond to the limitations of two-dimensional (2D) data representations perceived by affiliated discipline scientists, and to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of three-dimensional (3D) data that…

This book provides a resource for mathematics teachers to understanding the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) standards and implementing these standards in their teaching. Five standards are overviewed: (1) number and operation; (2) algebra; (3) geometry; (4) measurement; and (5) data analysis and probability. Lesson plans are…

This book provides a resource for mathematics teachers to understanding the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) standards and implementing these standards in their teaching. Five standards are overviewed: (1) number and operation; (2) algebra; (3) geometry; (4) measurement; and (5) data analysis and probability. Lesson plans are…

This report examines issues related to the cost effectiveness of whole school reform. The first section discusses the development of whole school reform models, criteria for model adoption, and challenges of whole school reform for evaluation. The second section, "Comparing Effectiveness," looks at models for evaluation (experimental,…

This study provides comparative data describing the quality of 1,175 psychological sites currently available on the Internet. A rating scale was used to assess six dimensions of site quality including accuracy, practicality, normalization and sense of belonging, referral, and feedback mechanisms. One-way ANOVA on the six separate quality items and…

This report provides descriptive information on charter schools that were in operation during the 1997-98 school year. The report is part of a 4-year research program that will document and analyze the charter-school movement. Data were gathered using phone surveys, repeated field visits to a sample of charter schools and their surrounding…

This assessment sample provides information on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) for grade 10 science. The sample consists of six items taken from the test booklet and scoring guides for the six items. The items assess ecosystems, mechanics, and data analysis. (MM)

Do preferences for income inequality differ systematically between the post-socialist countries of central and eastern Europe and the western established market economies? Analyzing 1999 data from a large international survey to address this question, the paper examines whether attitudes to inequality differ between east and west even after the…

This collection of activities is designed to show how graphing calculators can be used to explore statistics. The activities address such topics as data representation, distributions, and statistical tests. Teaching notes and calculator instructions are included as are blackline masters. (MM)

The passage of the Children First Act in 1988 ushered in a new era of data collection, analysis, and reporting about the overall quality and condition of education in Louisiana. Implemented in 1990, this major piece of legislation resulted in the publication of the Progress Profiles (School Report Cards, District Composite Report, and the…

This Feasibility Study to Develop a Methodology to Monitor the Impact of Changes in Competitive Food Policies had two main goals: (1) Design and test a plan for collecting and analyzing data about competitive food policies and all foods offered and served to students at school; and (2) Provide a methodology for assessing the impact of changes in…

This study helps to illuminate how a group of principals use data in light of new state and national requirements for accountability. On a very positive note, the responding principals reported using data to a great extent in their own practices, and they are encouraging their staff to use data in ways that align with the notion of effective…

This paper is an attempt toward the goal of developing an integrated quantitative theory of visual stimulus selection. (Author/RK)