Weighting and variance estimation are two statistical issues involved in survey data analysis for large-scale assessment programs such as the Higher Education Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Assessment. Because survey data are always acquired by probability sampling, to draw unbiased or almost unbiased inferences for the…

This study addresses the sample error and linking bias that occur with small and unrepresentative samples in a non-equivalent groups anchor test (NEAT) design. We propose a linking method called the "synthetic function," which is a weighted average of the identity function (the trivial equating function for forms that are known to be…

Nuclear confrontation between the superpowers would clearly change the world in catastrophic ways. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in the value priorities of individuals who spontaneously expressed a concern about nuclear war and those who did not. A written questionnaire was administered to adolescents (N=5,435) from grades…

Changes initiated by the United States Bureau of the Census to data collection on family relationships in the decennial census of the population, the Current Population Survey, and the Survey of Income and Program Participation are reviewed. In the last 5 years, innovations have centered on developing new approaches to identifying the array of…

Three statistical techniques--conjoint analysis, a multiple linear regression model, and a multiple linear regression model with a surrogate person variable--were used to estimate the relative importance of five university attributes for students in the process of selecting a college. The five attributes include: availability and variety of…

Canonical correlation analysis is a sophisticated multivariate technique that subsumes all parametric methods (the "t"-test, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, multivariate analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of covariance, and discriminant analysis) as special cases. This bibliography lists 83 applications of…

Possible bias due to sampling problems or low response rates has been a troubling "nuisance" variable in empirical research since seminal and classical studies were done on these problems at the beginning of this century. Recent research suggests that: (1) earlier views of the alleged bias problem were misleading; (2) under a variety of fairly…

When the Educational Testing Service became the administrator of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1983, it introduced scales based on item response theory (IRT) as a way of presenting results of the assessment to the general public. Some properties of the scales and their uses are discussed. Initial attempts at presenting…

The use of particular statistical methods over time was studied in a review of publications from the disciplines of education, psychology, and sociology. Publications studied were the: (1) "American Educational Research Journal"; (2) "Journal of Educational Psychology"; and (3) "Sociology of Education". A total of 221…

End-user statistical computing is one way to improve the productivity of researchers; it does so by providing them with a statistical computing environment and with guidance on its appropriate use. Critical success factors include: (1) ease of use; (2) software correctness and robustness; (3) compatibility with system resources; (4) training and…

This report provides baseline data on attendance in the Chicago Public Schools. The report is divided into four sections and two tables. The first section, "The Effects of Student Assistance," examines the relationship between student attendance, achievement, and the dropout rate. The second section, "Attendance Statistics,"…

The reasons for recent endeavors to evaluate item bias are discussed, and item bias is defined. Some of the literature regarding the most promising methods of detecting item bias is reviewed. Three classes of methods for detecting item bias are discussed using concrete examples and illustrations. These methods are: (1) latent trait; (2)…

The objective of this study was to explore a new method of analyzing the performance of substate economies. Conventional analyses of economic diversity and growth are limited by their reliance on static measures of economic structure. Such measures do not capture the patterns of growth dynamics or structural change a region may be experiencing.…

BRRVAR, which uses the Balanced Repeated Replication approach, was designed for use with the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). It was created for the National Center for Education Statistics, to enlarge their capacity to estimate and analyze sampling errors for statistics generated from educational surveys with complex sampling designs. BRRVAR…