The collection of observational data in natural settings and in real time requires equipment that is light and easily used, and programs that permit rapid and flexible encoding of data. This paper describes a set of four programs for collecting and analyzing continuous time sample, focal-individual data as described by J. Altmann (1974), using a…

This report provides results of a study that measured lender profitability in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program and compares these results with the profitability of other types of lending. Data analysis reveals credit card lending to be the highest average level of profitability over the 5-year period considered. Other lending types, in…

Much composition research, even qualitative research, posits a world "out there" waiting to be understood and seeks causes of phenomena without considering the subjective states of researchers or study participants. Because of this, many researchers consider social phenomena as "things" which coerce human behavior. But even…

Multiple group factor analysis is described and illustrated through a simulation involving 5,000 examinees. The estimation process of the group factors were implemented using the TESTFACT program of Wilson and others (1987). Group factor analysis is described as a special case of confirmatory factor analysis. Group factors can be computed based on…

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate that a systematic approach to the graphical analysis of Rasch model residuals can lead to an increased understanding of ordered response data, and that residual patterns do change in predictable ways, and that summary statistics need not be the only piece of evidence for assuring the fit between model…

The primary function of the Title I Technical Assistance Center (TAC) was to facilitate the implementation of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) in local school districts by providing technical assistance in evaluation to state education agency and local education agency personnel involved in Title I activities. However,…

The last decade has seen the emergence in the policy arena of a new form of qualitative research, one intended to strenghten its ability to generalize while preserving in-depth description. These multisite qualitative studies address the same research question using similar data collection and analysis procedures in a number of settings. To gain…

The data analysis problem posed by a repeated measures design that includes a single observation on a covariate for each subject is considered. The current paper discusses how best to capture a possible dependence of the effect of the within-subject factor on the level of the covariate. Procedures originally explicated by Rogosa (1980) for dealing…

Indexing is a tool that can be used with longitudinal, quantitative data for analysis of relative changes and for comparisons of changes among items. For greater accuracy, raw financial data should be deflated into constant dollars prior to indexing. This paper demonstrates the procedures for indexing, statistical deflation, and the use of…

Various procedures, technologies, and products were developed by the Massachusetts Board of Regents and the Massachusetts Community Colleges in implementing the student followup component of the Vocational Education Data System (VEDS). The Board of Regents took the lead in coordinating the VEDS followup study among the 15 state-supported community…

Data on the intrinsic characteristics of an educational program are essential in pilot testing new programs in order to determine how successfully design components have achieved their intended purpose. At the outset of an evaluation of such data, it is necessary to define the evaluator's role and determine what intrinsic information will be…

Designed for use by Michigan community colleges wishing to conduct a self-study of their occupational programs, this manual provides step-by-step instructions and instrumentation for implementing the Program Review in Occupational Education (PROE) model. PROE is a component of the Michigan Community College Occupational Education Evaluation System…

The extent to which 230 university students following a one-year psychology course were 'active' (i.e., competitively or recreationally involved) in sport or 'non-participant' was compared with their scores on measures of personality, attitude, social class, sex, previous school involvement in sport, and attainment in university course work.…

This study tested the hypothesis that if a course is designed to encourage creative thinking and the corresponding examination provided a valid test of the extent to which the course objectives have been achieved, one could reasonably expect measures of divergent thinking ability and achievement in the examination to be positively correlated.…

The study focuses on the development and partial validation of scales measuring a complex of attitudes toward human fertility. Attitudes were collected from a 270-item questionnaire and factor, multiple regression, and correlation analyses of the collected data were conducted. Inferences for the development of a population education curriculum are…