Issues of confidentiality in educational data collection and access are examined in this paper, with attention to the treatment of confidential data. Confidentiality problems faced by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) are discussed in relation to the 1988 Hawkins-Stafford amendments, which protect the privacy rights of…

Methods of data collection are reviewed that were used in 39 studies of interlanguage pragmatics, defined narrowly as the investigation of non-native speakers' comprehension and production of speech acts, and the acquisition of second language-related speech act knowledge. Data collection instruments are distinguished according to the degree to…

Describes a curriculum evaluation model that includes a focus of evaluation and the method of evaluation. Identifies three distinct modes of evaluation: unstructured subjective observation, semi-structured consensus of opinion, and structured objective observation. Outlines the role played by curriculum evaluation in science education today. (GS)

This study was concerned with designing, organizing, executing, and analyzing a goal assessment program for a large suburban high school district. (Author/RK)

Presents a list of recommendations concerning global data collection and sharing which will enable a genuine interdisciplinary and transsectoral analysis of environmental pollutants and their effects in order to influence environmental management. (Experts attending the conference represented 13 countries.) (BR)

Article investigated the possible effects of drug abuse upon the central nervous system by comparing the incidence of EEG abnormality in drug abusers and non-users. (Author/RK)

Students may feel much more affirmative about grading, school rules, facilities, homework, etc., than the administration and staff give them credit for. This article cites the revealing findings of a student/faculty attitude survey. Try it at your school? (Editor)

Before creating a linguistic map of Mexican dialects, it is necessary to determine the dialect regions of the country. An extensive questionnaire must be written and distributed to collect data from a representative sample of the population for an accurate picture of the language. (CK) (Text in Spanish.)

Holdings of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and fiscal year (FY) 1985 data acquisitions and software enhancements are discussed. NCHEMS currently hold many years of data from surveys conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Science Foundation, the Bureau of the Census, the…

This report describes and evaluates the initial data collection system of the Department of Labor's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and focuses on recently proposed revisions to reporting requirements. Focus is placed on the collection of data on the Title II program for disadvantaged youths and adults. After describing the system generally,…

Population shifts directly affect the bottom line, so the basics of demography are now basic to business as well. Demographics combine demographic data with socioeconomic and geographic factors to help business and other managers know the market for the goods and services they offer. This guide explains market, product, and site analyses,…

The changing structure of Southern farming amid the pressures of the farm crisis produces an information gap that has forced policymakers to rely on trial and error in institutional design. Existing data systems monitoring the farm sector either use the county as the primary observation unit, or they survey different individual farmers each year.…

Communication scholars should be skilled in the use of focus groups in communication research and in interpreting the data this approach generates. The focus group is a discussion group that concentrates on a particular topic or topics and typically consists of eight to 12 participants. The group is facilitated by a moderator who follows a…

A software package is described that collects and reduces eye behavior data (eye position and pupil size) using an IBM-PC compatible computer. Written in C language for speed and portability, it includes several features: (1) data can be simultaneously collected from other sources (such as electroencephalography and electromyography); (2)…

Intended for administrators, the booklet outlines procedures for evaluating district special education programs. An introductory chapter presents the rationale for evaluation as an efficient management tool. A review of the literature addresses five stages in evaluation: (1) defining the evaluation model, (2) collecting evaluation information, (3)…