This study was conducted to test the validity of previously developed theories as to why individuals select teaching as a career and to determine whether the orientation of preservice and inservice teachers differs regarding reasons for choosing the teaching profession. A 58-item instrument, "Orientations for Teaching Survey," was designed, with…

This notebook contains the revised standards and guidelines for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as well as an updated and consolidated version of NCES legislation. It is intended for NCES staff and contractors as a guide in their data collection, analysis, and dissemination. These standards and guidelines define the limits of…

The codebook for the Postsecondary Education Transcript File of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72), which is a machine-readable data file containing information on transcripts from NLS-72 senior cohort members who reported attending a postsecondary institution after high school, is presented. Records were…

This report analyzes and describes the results of survey research conducted with teachers, curriculum consultants, instructional television specialists, and others regarding the instructional effectiveness and the uses of "Understanding Taxes," a taxpayer education program aimed primarily at high school students. Written surveys were mailed to…

The role of survey data in assessing teacher supply, demand, and shortage is illustrated through a description of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics. This survey exemplifies a method that involves: (1) a sample survey; (2) representative surveys; (3) cross-sectional surveys; and (4) comprehensive…

This companion study to the three-part report, "National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools, 1986-87," offers administrators and policymakers accurate and timely data for comparing staffing ratios in their own school systems with those of similar enrollment size and expenditure level. Pupil-staff and teacher-staff ratios were…

A study examined the needs of older students (individuals 26 years old and older) enrolled in college. The population of the study included undergraduate adult learners enrolled in the 18 institutions participating in the Higher Education for Adult Mental Health Project. Usable surveys were returned by 852 individuals from 14 of the 18…

The value of statistical research depends on valid comparisons which can usefully influence educational policy. Educational research needs to extend the measures of learning (such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress) through nationally-calibrated absolute measures and through computer-assisted and adaptive testing. Direct sampling…

Assessment of student learning and development has become a national issue. The status of local campus initiatives was considered in a national survey designed to determine (1) the extent to which assessment programs have been developed or are being developed, (2) the objectives and source of initiation, and (3) assessment techniques. Emphasis was…

In 1989, a study was conducted of the performance of Redwood High School (RHS) graduates at the College of the Sequoias (COS), in California. The study analyzed information provided by the high school and data available from COS's student information system, including RHS grade point average (GPA), college GPA, units attempted and passed, first…

Undergraduate English faculty and faculty in six graduate fields were surveyed about students' academic listening needs. The objectives were (1) to obtain perceptions of the importance to academic success of various listening skills and activities, (2) to assess the degree to which both native and non-native speakers experience difficulties with…

The three-year neurology manpower study reported here was directed toward (1) identifying the presently available neurological manpower and the demographic and professional characteristics of neurologists and neurologists-in-training in the United States as of 1971; (2) determining the current and emerging patterns for utilizing neurological…

In 1974, as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) survey in writing, 4,600 17-year-old high school students were asked to write an essay defending their position on women's place in the home. About half responded that it should be a women's choice whether to be a homemaker, career woman, or both. About twenty percent said…

The purpose of this study is to provide the Florida State Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education with the baseline data needed to make a valid evaluation of preservice and inservice teacher education programs. District directors and community college deans were asked to respond to a comprehensive questionnaire regarding supply and…

One way that a school system can systematically assess its needs and assure that plans for improvement reflect the participation of all concerned groups is through use of the School Community Climate Survey (SCCS). The SCCS is a process for gathering information on people's attitudes, analyzing these attitudes in terms of perceived needs,…