Results of a study of trends in college-going decisions of new high school graduates between 1972 and 1980 are presented, along with a model of college choice. The focus is the choice between college and noncollege options. Based on a review of empirical and theoretical work on college choice over the past 25 years, information is provided on key…

This study investigated the effects of medium of instruction, task difficulty, and gender on continuing motivation. A total of 139 fifth and sixth graders with previous computer experience completed an initial learning task in one of the two media formats (computer or paper/pencil) and under either a hard or easy difficulty level. Students' choice…

Efforts of the Department of Education (ED) to simplify the Pell Grant formula by reducing the number of data elements used to calculate awards (i.e., data element reduction) are evaluated. A framework is developed to assess the critical characteristics of individual data elements, to eliminate elements from the formula, and to develop proposals…

The Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement (DESSI) study examined the adoption or development and implementation in 146 schools in 10 states of 61 practices that were part of 4 federal or state programs. Local schools in the study sample were asked to identify those individuals (facilitators) who had helped them with a particular new…

A workbook for financial self-assessment of small, private colleges is presented, along with information on the field testing stage. Eight small private colleges helped develop the workbook, which is intended to assist trustees, presidents, and business officers evaluate financial strengths and weaknesses of the school. Included is a checklist of…

This paper argues that no single measurement strategy serves all purposes and that applying methods and techniques which allow a variety of data elements to be retrieved and juxtaposed may be an investment in the future. Item response theory, Rasch model, and latent trait theory are all approaches to a single conceptual topic. An abbreviated look…

To better understand ways to improve education, large longitudinal data sets are required, such as the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 which follows students through their schooling and into the labor market. In addition, data comparing the performance of state and local school systems is essential for educational accountability. The…

Educational data collection may be fraught with problems because of individuals' resentment and resistance to providing data. State and local education agencies often report that data requests from federal agencies represent an administrative burden, especially when they are not an expected part of the personnel workload. Educators may not know…

New types of data must be collected to reflect changes in the educational delivery system as training is provided by nontraditional or non-institutional services. Educational data should be derived not only from schools, but also from private industry, the military, volunteer organizations, and other agencies which provide training. Data should be…

This "fastback" outlines the steps to take in computerizing school administration. After an introduction that lists the potential benefits of microcomputers in administrative offices, the booklet begins by delineating a three-step process for establishing an administrative computer system: (1) creating a district-level committee of administrators,…

The Memphis Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT), one of seven ACOT locations, was a joint project of the city schools and Apple Computer. The ACOT consisted of a class of 30 fifth grade students in an inner city school, who were selected on the basis of the willingness of the students and their parents to participate and to use computers in the…

Severely physically disabled children may need special communication techniques or aids to help them in conversation/interaction and writing. An individual with speech problems may need an augmentative communication system, and selection of the right system, whether non-electronic or electronic, can be a complex process. To assist in the task of…

A microcomputer can be used in many different ways to assist people with disabilities. A computer's usefulness for a given individual is determined by the computer applications that are needed and by the specific problems the disability presents. In general, there are currently three ways that people with disabilities can use a microcomputer: (1)…

Three conference papers on rehabilitation technology, authored by staff members of the Trace Research and Development Center, form this collection. The first, "Keyboard Equivalent for Mouse Input" by Charles Lee and Gregg Vanderheiden, describes implementation of a keyboard mouse input device using the numeric keypad. The paper discusses…

This report lists contract salaries of superintendents and the minimum and maximum salaries scheduled in 1987-88 by 1,728 responding school systems for 21 other selected professional positions surveyed. The length of the school year is also noted. Eighteen summary tables show percentile distributions, means, and ranges of minimum and maximum…