The unparalleled residue of unsifted primary materials relating to the nineteenth century London theater present tremendous opportunities and challenges for theater historians. The histories of individual London theaters may be studied for insights into changes that distinguished nineteenth century theater from that of the eighteenth century; and…

In 1976, a study determined that student retention had increased markedly following Barstow College's transition from a semester to a quarter system. In 1979, another study was conducted to determine: (1) the accuracy of the 1976 figures; (2) the effect of the shortness of the time period considered in the 1976 study on its reliability; (3) the…

Criteria for the evaluation of quality technical educational programs must be identified if follow-up studies are to be effective. Current research shows that problems in the development of such criteria include the tendency to evaluate programs on the basis of organizational structure rather than on the quality of the instructional program…

Statewide assessment data available from two school years, two grade levels, and five sources (achievement tests; student, principal, and teacher questionnaires; and principal interviews), were aggregated to more closely investigate the relationship between student/school characteristics and student achievement. To organize this large number of…

This paper reports survey results, from a sample of 76 women past child bearing age with varying numbers of offspring, which suggest that not only sibling absence but also distinctive characteristics of mothers would be considered in studies of the personal and social characteristics of only children. (Among the maternal characteristics mentioned…

The activities at the President's Assembly on State Policy Research at the University of Illinois, which was convened to explore a series of questions related to the interaction between universities and the agencies that create public policy, are reported. The report of the assembly, which is a statement representing general agreement among the…

The recent conceptualization of organizations as "open" adaptive systems rather than "closed" systems has lead to increased interest in the relationship between the organization and its significant environmental influences. In order to study the perceived sources of internal (organizational) and external (environmental)…

This essay discusses methodological and ethical problems in the implementation and evaluation of home-based intervention programs for young children and their families. Part I notes the difficulties in (1) selecting an appropriate research design to evaluate a program (e.g., preventing sample bias), (2) specifying precisely the intervention method…

TWO CHIEF AIMS OF THIS CHAPTER ARE TO TAKE A BROAD NEW LOOK AT THE MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS OF CONCERN TO MANPOWER POLICY AND TO POINT THE WAY TOWARD MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND SENSITIVE MEASURES OF PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS. IN ADDITION TO THE REDUCTION OF JOBLESSNESS AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT, SOME OF THE IMPROTANT AREAS OF MANPOWER CONCERN WHICH…

Reactions to the papers read at the Pittsburgh conference on the theory and practice of beginning reading (April 1976) are provided in this document, with particular attention to the way that the content of those papers relates to compensatory education issues. The problem areas under which the discussion is organized are as follows: the search…

The concept of community satisfaction is often discussed in sociological research on subjective social indicators. The hypothesis of this paper is that clearer understanding of the concept of community satisfaction is necessary if research measuring the concept is to be valid. The paper concentrates on three areas of concern. Section I reviews…

Dealing specifically with the social science research role in rehabilitation facilities, this monograph addresses the development of research as it occurs within service organizations. It examines the research role from the perspective of both the person in the role and the host organization. The second chapter describes the development and…

This paper examines how potential conflicts produced by ethical issues such as confidence and confidentiality can affect the research methodology of educational research and evaluation projects. Despite the differences in site selection, clientele, and relationship to treatment, both evaluators and researchers must make adjustments in method to…

The problem of variability of data, even in presumable homogeneous subgroupings of handicapped children, which contaminates the results of many special education curriculum evaluation studies is examined with a study of 103 second-grade learning disabled students. The distortion of statistics calculated on samples of extreme variability; coupled…

Social science researchers and policy makers are not oriented toward supporting one another or sharing information that might be useful in solving social problems. Only recently have public funding agencies supported social science communication research; previously such funding came through private agencies. It seems likely that funds will…