In their effort to provide quality programing for their diverse student body, the Des Moines Public Schools continually evaluate their teaching and student outcomes. This report presents results about student performance on the following tests: (1) Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS); (2) Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED); (3) American…

In 1992-93, high school and college forms of a questionnaire on rank in class (RIC), grade point average (GPA), and college admissions were developed and mailed to high schools and colleges. Usable returns were received from 2,175 high schools and 1,109 colleges and universities. To elaborate on questionnaire data, in-depth interviews were…

A benefit of using the multifaceted Rasch model is the ability to factor out or control for confounding factors in the estimation of person ability and item difficulty. This study experiments with a variation of the multifaceted Rasch analysis in calibrating the effects of demographic characteristics that are intended to overcome the problem of…

The merits of the multilevel model for educational research and its uses for school effectiveness research are considered. The main goal of the paper is to establish what intelligent applications of multilevel models can do, helping researchers decide what they must do to make a rational choice between models. Multilevel models are random line…

The 1990 census shows about 5 million children living in the 13 states comprising Appalachia. Ninety percent of Appalachian children are white and nine percent are black, with the majority of black children living in the southern subregion. Children represent a quarter of the region's residents, but their numbers have declined by 11 percent since…

In 1986, a study was conducted of the level of job satisfaction among full-time faculty in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Questionnaires were distributed to 1,000 randomly selected full-time faculty in the nine colleges in the LACCD. A total of 439 surveys were returned, for a 43.9% response rate. Study findings included the…

In 1990, a study was conducted to identify the work values and degree of job satisfaction of potential minority leaders in community colleges and technical institutes, and to examine the relationship between participation in a minority leadership development program and work values and job satisfaction. The study sample was drawn from an applicant…

Barriers to the implementation of technology-based materials in elementary school mathematics classrooms were studied using naturalistic inquiry and multiple methods of data collection in keeping with ethnographic principles. Qualitative data were gathered from interviews with teachers and administrators, reviews of school documents, observations…

Information is provided about the Delaware Educational Assessment Program and the performance of Delaware public school students as measured by a nationally-normed standardized achievement test. The Stanford Achievement Test, Eighth Edition was administered statewide, allowing comparisons with national performance and with the performance of…

Tracking the changes in the community college from the 1960's to the 1980's, this report focuses on attendance patterns of community college students and relates them to students' educational objectives, fields of study, and demographic characteristics. The report relies on findings from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of…

Characteristics of the Houston, Texas, Independent School District (HISD) prekindergarten program are reported. Implemented in 1985, and largely funded by the state, the program is offered to 4-year-old students who are classified as limited English proficient (LEP) or are from families with an income at or below the subsistence level.…

This paper examines issues in designing post-school follow-up studies in special education. The examination focuses on survey research techniques, which are widely used in the investigation of post-school adjustment of former students with handicaps. In special education, survey research studies are used commonly to address many important…

Intended for use in conjunction with guidance and instruction from a teacher or tutor, this guide provides an overview of the philosophy of quality as well as some tools used in business and industry today. Each of four sections consists of a teacher explanation of the topics followed by student worksheets with annotated teacher keys. The first…

In spring 1991, a survey was conducted of 991 community and technical colleges nationwide to determine the extent to which they engaged in environmental scanning (ES) activities. In particular, the study sought to identify those institutions that currently conduct environmental scans; the nature of the links between ES and program development,…

This report presents the objectives, methodology, and results of a study which assessed the selection and utilization of four MEDLINE search systems by faculty and medical residents at the George Washington University Medical Center. The four systems, which were provided or sponsored by the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, offer a wide range of…