This paper documents the authors' efforts at constructing, deploying, and analyzing Snapshot Surveys in a range of educational settings. The Snapshot Survey Service is an Internet-based technology that enables educators at the local, state, and even national level to survey, quickly and at low-cost, other educators on issues that are particularly…

The principal investigators of this study were asked by a midwestern urban high school to assist in the analysis of data collected on students who had dropped out of high school. The data were to be reviewed to determine the cause of the high school's dropout rate. Variables investigated included attendance, grade point average, fourth grade…

With schools being held accountable for helping students achieve state standards, and assessments measuring how well schools and students are meeting standards, the types and uses of data become increasingly important. This brief outlines a study conducted by the Education Commission of the States to understand how exemplary districts use data.…

Data can help identify solutions to some of the biggest problems in schools. Yet few schools use data effectively. The purpose of this book is to help schools become aware of the advantages of collecting and using data (data analysis) for overall school improvement. The book begins with an overview of the current state of education and the…

The Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange was established in 1994. Its membership increased from 163 colleges and universities in 1994 to more than 400 in 2001. Over the past 8 years, the routine of working with a large and diverse group of institutions has culminated in a valuable collection of experiences and lessons. The 8-year…

This book offers an introduction for teachers, students, and other educational practitioners to the techniques that transform informal observation into a recognized research tool. It is intended for those with little or no experience with formal observation. Four chapters focus on: (1) "Observation as a Data-Gathering Technique" (how observation…

Understanding the cost of resources used in substance abuse treatment is of critical concern to policymakers, payers, and providers of care. The Alcohol and Drug Services Study (ADSS) was performed from 1996 to 1999. ADSS is a national study conducted in three phases to collect representative data on the characteristics of substance abuse…

The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) are designed to provide reliable, comparable data that are collected from teachers and students at the K-12 math and science classroom level. The data analysis and reporting tools are intended to assist teachers, administrators, and policymakers with planning for instructional improvement in several ways:…

This study presents survey data from school district administrators on the rules and regulations that govern non-school use of public school facilities as adopted by 165 Missouri Public School Districts. It compares whether districts having written policies governing non-school use of facilities differed from districts with no such policies…

This handbook is designed for anyone seeking a methodical approach to needs assessment, but it is intended primarily for human resource development (HRD) professionals and for those who must validate HRD programs. It lays the foundations for needs assessment, discusses the "whats" and "whys," and then reviews the "how tos." These chapters review…

A manual has been designed to assist Texas Education Agency investigators in their attempt to take a state-wide inventory of elementary and secondary school facilities and educational technology. This manual examines data collection activities, data storage and maintenance, deliverables, and reporting. Every campus is expected to be inventoried…

This new edition is the result of an extensive review of the standards as defined in 1981. Taken as a set, the 30 current standards provide a working philosophy for evaluation. They define the Joint Committee on Standards for Education Evaluation's conception of the principles that should guide and govern program evaluation efforts, and they offer…

This project serves as a followup to an earlier report (J. Nichols, W. Ludwin, and P. Iadicola, in press) in which the student discipline and suspension data for a large urban school corporation in the Midwest were explored. In the earlier project, flawed data collection procedures by the school corporation made analysis of the data tentative and…

Harvard Family Research Project's series of Out-of-School Time Evaluation Snapshots distills the wealth of information compiled in our Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database into a single report. Each Snapshot examines a specific aspect of out-of-school time (OST) evaluation. This Snapshot describes the common data collection methods used…

This report has been created to provide information on how public institutions of higher education in Virginia utilize their Educational and General space as well as compare the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's (SCHEV) space utilization guidelines with those used in other State Higher Education Executive Offices. The State Council…