This paper grew out of the finding of a previous study that small, rural elementary school districts were noticeably absent from the list of participants in federal aid programs. The author feels that the critical problem seems to be whether the small district actually makes a deliberate decision not to participate in federal programs or whether…

The purpose of this study was to empirically determine the effects of quantified violations of the underlying assumptions of parametric statistical tests commonly used in educational research, namely the correlation coefficient (r) and the t test. The effects of heterogeneity of variance, nonnormality, and nonlinear transformations of scales were…

This report presents a detailed picture of trends in the segregation of Hispanic children in American urban public schools from 1970 to 1974. A companion volume reports on trends in black school segregation from 1970 to 1974. This volume shows both the broad regional and national trends of segregation of the nation's second largest minority group,…

This study of undergraduate grading practices at Georgia State University investigated differences in grading patterns by major fields of study, controlling for such antecedents as scholastic aptitude, demographic background, course type, and longitudinal trends. The principal finding of the study was that major field is strongly associated with…

An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 593 (310 female, 283 male) freshmen entering the University of Maryland, College Park. Their responses were analyzed by analysis of variance, Scheffe post hoc tests and chi square, all at the .05 level. Results showed that women looked more favorably upon women's studies as an academic discipline than…

Item response theory bias detection procedures were applied to data from Black and White seniors on the High School and Beyond data files. Overall, the sums-of-squares statistics (weighted by the inverse of the variance errors) were the best indices for quantifying item characteristic curve differences between groups (Author/BW)

Describes a study undertaken by San Jose State University of business-related ready reference searches done at that library. The results suggest that within certain restrictions of patron questions, librarian training, search cost, and the database, ready reference online searches can be the most cost effective approach to providing business…

Describes a research study in which students were observed in eight secondary school mathematics classes and time lost from instructional activities was assessed using a time-filter. A typical child was assessed as spending slightly more than half the allocated time to time on task. Stability of results is discussed. (EAO)

A survey of the self-esteem, sex-role orientation, and perceived spouse support of women returning to work or school revealed that the first two factors were not related to the actual support received. Although most respondents felt that they had spouse support, they still perform essentially traditional domestic roles. (SK)

Type I error rates of four multivariate tests (Pilai-Bartlett trace, Johansen's test, James' first-order test, and James' second-order test) were compared for heterogeneous covariance matrices in 360 simulated experiments. The superior performance of Johansen's test and James' second-order test is discussed. (SLD)

The last 20 years have seen the development of sophisticated techniques for analysing individual data within a hierarchical context and the growing availability of good datasets to which these techniques can be applied. The modelling of pupil performance controlling for prior attainment has led to a type of analysis commonly titled…

This document presents an analysis of the 1992 nationwide Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the National Endowment for the Arts. Data were collected in household surveys. Respondents were part of a larger continuously rotating panel of adults who were interviewed monthly either by…

This report describes cluster analysis methodology and illustrates its potential merits for educational research by describing a study designed to identify the natural subgroups existing among students beginning a secondary level remedial mathematics course. Cluster analysis forms groups of relatively homogeneous subjects represented in large data…

Though item bias statistics are widely recommended for use in test development and analysis, problems arise in their interpretation. This research evaluates logistic test models and computer simulation methods for providing a frame of reference for interpreting item bias statistics. Specifically, the intent was to produce simulated sampling…

The general linear model was described, and the influence that measurement errors have on model parameters was discussed. In particular, the assumptions of classical true-score theory were used to develop algebraic relationships between the squared multiple correlations coefficient and the regression coefficients in the infallible and fallible…