Tests for mean differences on latent constructs using the LISREL approach to multigroup structural-equation modeling were demonstrated for High School and Beyond data concerning the sophomore cohort. Senior year achievement test scores for 3,700 public and 300 Catholic school students were compared after controlling for background and sophomore…

Presents an introductory lesson on remote sensing and image processing to be used in cooperative groups. Students are asked to solve a problem by gathering information, making inferences, transforming data into other forms, and making and testing hypotheses. Includes four expansions of the lesson and a reproducible student worksheet. (MKR)

Suggests that intuition and visualization are effective methods of introducing engineering principles to pre-engineering students. Describes the development of computer simulation software as part of a "Pre-Engineering College On Disk" course. The computer game helps students visualize the relationship between shell trajectory and its…

This paper reports on five related studies on upper elementary school students' beliefs about the role of real-world knowledge in solving mathematical word problems, and on possibilities of overcoming their unrealistic mathematical modeling. Findings from the first study of 75 Belgian fifth-grade students showed that as a consequence of current…

This report presents a brief enrollment history of Howard Community College (HCC) for 1975 to 1991 and provides enrollment projections through 1993. In addition, the report discusses the use of the age cohort model to project credit enrollments, the change ratio model to project credit and credit-free enrollments, and the use of multivariate…

Separate but related developments in the new generation of school effectiveness research are discussed. The first part of the report presents a short historical overview that traces the change from a largely individualistic research approach to one that is more holistic. Whether schools make a difference is explored, and, if so, what makes them…

Relying on estimates of variance explained to assess the practical significance of research findings is now common practice. It is suggested that such estimates can offer an inaccurate picture, often underestimating the practical significance of statistically small effects. As an example, research on employment discrimination indicates that in…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) was conducted for the first time in 1991 as a way to collect data on the early childhood education experiences of young children and participation in adult education. Because the NHES methodology is relatively new, field tests were necessary. A large field test of approximately 15,000 households was…

The partial credit model of G. N. Masters (1982), a one-parameter unidimensional polychotomous Rasch model, was used to reduce the error of measurement, particularly for students near the cut score, and to permit measurement to reflect the actual ability of a student more accurately by reducing the degree of misfit for students near the cut…

State testing programs often attempt to provide annual information for use in student guidance and qualification, school and program evaluation, and broad policy decisions. With the development of a new type of assessment instrument, the "duplex design," the several functions of state testing programs can be served in a single test…

Outlining both methods and results, this report describes Bismarck Junior College's (BJC's) use of the American Council on Education's model for assessing the short-term, current impacts of a college on local business volume. After chapters 1 and 2 discuss the value and focus of economic impact studies, chapter 3 describes BJC in terms of its…

A study investigated the use of a mathematical model to predict individuals' total active Hebrew vocabulary from samples of their written and spoken language. The model is based on a generalized inverse Gaussian distribution. The subjects were Israeli junior high school students from both high and low socioeconomic groups. Hebrew language samples…

This report outlines the activities of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, for the year ending June 30, 1986. Progress was made in expanding and enhancing the policy research program, which comprises four divisions. The natural resources and conservation program participated with the Soil Conservation…

The stability of Rasch test item difficulty parameters was investigated under varying conditions. Data were taken from a mathematics achievement test administered to over 2,000 Australian students. The experiments included: (1) relative stability of the Rasch, traditional, and z-item difficulty parameters using different sample sizes and designs;…

This paper discusses the use of the LISREL computer program to compare two groups of Ontario students who studied French as a second language in either a regular or an immersion program. Longitudinal data on growth in mathematical ability, from grade 4 to grade 6, are analyzed using seven different mathematical models. The paper illustrates the…