A subset of Statistical Process Control (SPC) methodology known as Control Charting is introduced. SPC methodology is a collection of graphical and inferential statistics techniques used to study the progress of phenomena over time. The types of control charts covered are the null X (mean), R (Range), X (individual observations), MR (moving…

This paper is the third in an Education Commission of the States (ECS) series focusing on the problems of youth at risk of not successfully making the transition to adulthood. The topic of this paper is the use of both existing and new information to understand the magnitude, scope, and future of students who are educationally at risk. The first…

Based on an assessment of the research of others and personal research experience, suggestions are provided on the analysis and reporting of data on high school dropouts. Most of the experience upon which these insights are based is associated with schools in Boston, Massachusetts. Topics covered include types of statistics to be reported,…

In response to a frequently articulated call for "ecological" validity from instructional communication investigations, this paper reports on methodological issues which evolved during the development and application of a coding scheme for content analyzing teacher compliance-gaining messages. Starting with a consideration of the…

Computer programs are presented to plot item and test characteristic curves and item information functions for parameter estimates produced by the LOGIST and BICAL computer programs. These programs provide data in tabular format, but their usefulness in test development and measurement courses can be greatly enhanced by graphic plots of the item…

The purpose of this study was to examine the variable of estimated earnings in order to determine how forecasts might be utilized to develop a securities portfolio strategy. The hypothesis stated that there is an inverse relationship between projected change in earnings per share and security performance. Ninety-one New York Stock Exchange…

Analysis of the responses to telephone and personal interviews by 21 teacher supervisors from six school districts in Pennsylvania revealed three possible patterns of direct supervision of teachers. "Nominal" supervision consists of voicing compliance with statutory requirements for observation of teaching, a clear focus on identifying…

The Visual Arts Program of the National Endowment of the Arts undertook a survey to determine the economic conditions of artists and the processes by which they exhibit works in four cities located outside the major art centers of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The selected market areas included Houston, Minneapolis, Washington, and San…

This document describes the review, analysis, and decision-making process that Trinity University, Texas, went through to develop the three-part computer network that they use to gather and analyze EEG (electroencephalography) and EKG (electrocardiogram) data. The data are gathered in the laboratory on a PDP-1124, an analog minicomputer. Once…

A self-examination of the Central Library System (CLS) at Temple University was undertaken by a task force made up of staff members to examine the current organizational structure in the light of technological, financial, curricular, enrollment, and library service considerations, as well as such organizational concerns as work flow, appropriate…

This study investigated the concept of organizational effectiveness as proposed by Rensis Likert and his colleagues at the University of Michigan. The study focused on the causal relationship between the model's variables and on how the model could be used to analyze problems in secondary school educational administration. Data for this study were…

This discussion of how the multilevel character of data should influence analyses of the determinants of educational achievement is grounded in the context of planning explanatory analyses for the longitudinal Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS). The intention is to describe how a multilevel perspective in the specification of…

These procedural guidelines contain a "how to do it package" with sample forms, procedures, and techniques that a local vocational education program administrator can use to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. It is divided into five modules, each covering a different phase of the process so that the local administrator can undertake the…

A common problem arises in scale transformation when independent estimates of item parameters from two separate data sets must be expressed in the same metric. These item parameter estimates will be different because the metric or scale defined by each independent calibration of the items is different. The problem is frequently confronted in…

The site variability issue for Direct Instruction Follow Through sites is examined from a variety of perspectives--meta-analysis of the Abt Associates' data, norm-referenced comparisons, and a longitudinal look at stability of effects. Much of the seemingly unexplained variability found in both the Abt report and the reports by M. Kennedy and E.…