The use of Cuisenaire rods to illustrate finite mathematical systems is presented. (CR)

Describes and evaluates a circuitless flow model for forecasting future student attributes and enrollment projections, compared with a simple Markov chain model. Data from a study of secondary students are used to illustrate the analytical methodologies and to contrast results of the Markov chain and circuitless flow models. (JG)

This paper describes several computer-based strategies for producing secondary school schedules and presents the results of research into the feasibility of determining optimal teacher-course assignments by use of an operations research model. (Author/JG)

The applications of a recently developed computer program for microcomputers in developing models in an institutional research environment are considered. The VISICALC program requires no user programming skills, is available for all major brands of microcomputers, and provides for easy exchange of information between users of different computing…

A mastery test is frequently described as follows: an examinee responds to n dichotomously scored test items. Depending upon the examinee's observed (number correct) score, a mastery decision is made and the examinee is advanced to the next level of instruction. Otherwise, a nonmastery decision is made and the examinee is given remedial work. This…

The methods and approaches for estimating the operating characteristics of the discrete item responses without assuming any mathematical form have been developed and expanded. It has been made possible that, even if the test information function of a given test is not constant for the interval of ability of interest, it is used as the Old Test.…

Three separate papers are included in this report. The first describes a two-stage procedure for choosing from among several instructional programs the one which maximizes the probability of passing the test. The second gives the exact sample sizes required to determine whether a squared multiple correlation coefficient is above or below a known…

Three equating methods were compared in terms of magnitude of scale drift: equipercentile equating, linear equating, and item response theory (IRT) equating. A sample of approximately 2670 cases was selected for each pairing of a form of the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) and an anchor test. Of the two conventional equating methods,…

Conducted to design software partitioning techniques for use by the Air Force to partition a large flight simulator program for optimal execution on alternative configurations, this study resulted in a mathematical model which defines characteristics for an optimal partition, and a manually demonstrated partitioning algorithm design which…

Present systems for the apportionment of grants from the state or federal level to local public school districts are based primarily on measures of district wealth as modified by weightings for the characteristics of the student population. Until recently little attention has been given to differences among districts in the costs of providing…

Whenever one uses ordinary least squares regression, one is making an implicit assumption that all of the independent variables have been measured without error. Such an assumption is obviously unrealistic for most social data. One approach for estimating such regression models is to measure implied coefficients between latent variables for which…

Internal validity is described as a matter of how well a particular instance of data collection or generation can be described and explained. It is a property of the procedures used in the collection or generation of data. The notion of internal validity is examined in order to establish a method of quantitatively estimating it. A coefficient of…

The advantages of the Delphi Technique are that it relies on collective expert judgment, prevents the excessive influence in decision-making of those in positions of status, and encourages consensus. The technique consists of five steps: (1) asking experts to list items relevant to a topic; (2) returning the list to the participants and asking…

The Goodman technique of log linear analysis is ideal for family research, because it is designed for categorical (non-quantitative) variables. Variables are dichotomized (for example, married/divorced, childless/with children) or otherwise categorized (for example, level of permissiveness, life cycle stage). Contingency tables are then…