The 1990 High School Transcript Study provides information regarding current course offerings and students' course-taking patterns in the nation's secondary schools. Since similar studies were conducted of the course-taking patterns of 1987 and 1982 graduates, changes can be studied. Transcripts were collected from 21,589 students who graduated…

A pentagonal model, based on the star model of function understanding of C. Janvier (1987), is presented as a framework for the design and interpretation of research in the area of learning the concept of mathematical function. The five vertices of the pentagon correspond to five common representations of mathematical function: (1) graph; (2)…

Sample undercoverage issues in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are addressed. The main focus is the exclusion of certain categories of student in the base year, 1988, and in in-school follow-up rounds. A subsidiary focus is the question of how adequately transfer students were captured within the sampling procedures of…

This study investigated the kinds of knowledge and strategies beginning second-language readers used when reading texts to build their own consistent patterns of meaning and experience. Specifically, it looked at how readers' knowledge grew, where their ideas originated, and when and how their ideas were used. Subjects were five college students…

The first and second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Science Studies examined and compared science achievement in 19 and 26 countries, respectively. This paper considered 10 technical issues that arose in these 2 studies of science education and achievement. The issues discussed were the: (1) need for the…

The Secondary Schools Basic Skills Demonstration Assistance Program of 1988 offered school districts, through a competitive grant program, an opportunity to explore innovative ways of helping disadvantaged secondary school students attain grade level proficiency in basic and more advanced skills. In 1990, the sole year of funding, the program…

This paper explores the concept of benchmarking in institutional research, a comparative analysis methodology designed to help colleges and universities increase their educational quality and delivery systems. The primary purpose of benchmarking is to compare an institution to its competitors in order to improve the product (in this case…

In 1993 a new mathematics education program was implemented at Utah State University (Logan) in a cooperative effort of the university's Department of Elementary Education and Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The program is designed to increase teacher awareness and classroom utilization of teaching strategies that develop pupil…

Under the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act, institutions of higher education are required to review the effectiveness of their alcohol and drug prevention programs biannually. This guide offers a method for gathering and interpreting student survey data on alcohol-related problems based on the methodology of the College Alcohol Survey developed…

This paper reports on a study that explored the possibility of measuring distance education classes using the Media Sensor, a device designed to sample and record various electronic impulses generated during a distance education session. Research questions explored: (1) the ability of the Media Sensor to identify patterns in the audio and video…

This report summarizes the present and past status of students with disabilities in educational assessment and accountability systems, and highlights the critical emerging issues to be addressed. Issues include participation in accountability systems, graduation requirements, data management, accommodations, alternate assessments, reporting, and…

This report begins with a brief overview of the types of libraries included in Louisiana's library infrastructure and a summary of the problems faced by these libraries. The major part of the report is made up of two-page profiles of each of the state's 64 parishes. Each profile contains a locational map; an economic summary; data on academic…

This glossary includes terms used in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data collection program in the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. It is a single, comprehensive data collection system developed to encompass all institutions and…

This report presents data on salaries and a broad range of benefits and perquisites commonly included in the total compensation packages available to higher education Corporate Executive Officers. The report is based on data received from 874 institutions representing all segments of higher education: research, doctoral, and comprehensive…

This fourth annual report presents data for 1991 on high school dropout and retention rates, along with time series data for the period from 1972 to 1991. The report also examines high school completion and graduation rates and includes a discussion of new data collection efforts that have direct bearing on issues of high school dropouts and…