The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, a conceptual model for measuring productivity and efficiency, is presented and applied in this report. First, the DEA model is described, and three of its properties that make it particularly useful are identified; i.e., it measures efficiency of units relative to each other rather than to absolute…

This document is addressed primarily to students in analytically oriented courses in political science and secondarily to students in mathematics courses in which applications and modeling are stressed. Except for one optional exercise and material in the appendix, only high school level mathematics is assumed. The emphasis is less on mathematical…

Statistical methods employed to test individual differences in dual-task performance and the existence of a general time-sharing ability are reviewed and critiqued. Specifically, both the types of data being collected and the types of data analysis procedures have been inadequate to the critical evaluation of a hypothetical…

The data entry quality control procedures in discrete data entry tasks in the National Longitudinal Study (NLS) Fourth Follow-Up Survey are examined. Direct data entry terminals were used to key survey questionnaire item responses, telephone interview corrections, respondent background information and supplemental questionnaire responses into…

The analysis of fit of data to a measurement model for graded responses is described. The model is an extension of Rasch's dichotomous model to formats which provide more than two levels of response to items. The model contains one parameter for each person and one parameter for each "step" in an item. A dichotomously-scored item…

To examine and clarify background conditions for understanding variables which affect salary, the salary and compensation programs at two industrial and three educational organizations were subjected to a statistical audit. Data were available on 272 employees. Ten compensation variables were studied as having direct or indirect effects on salary:…

A procedure for assessing content-area and total-test dimensionality which uses response function discrepancies (RFD) was studied. Three different versions of the RFD procedure were compared to Bejar's principal axis content-area procedure and Indow and Samejima's exploratory factor analytic technique. The procedures were compared in terms of the…

The TESTFACT computer program and full-information factor analysis of test items were used in a computer simulation conducted to correct for the guessing effect. Full-information factor analysis also corrects for omitted items. The present version of TESTFACT handles up to five factors and 150 items. A preliminary smoothing of the tetrachoric…

The tests for zero partial association in a multiple contingency table have gained new importance with the introduction of graphical models. It is shown how these may be performed as exact conditional tests, using as test criteria either the ordinary likelihood ratio, the standard x squared statistic, or any other appropriate statistics. A…

This study used the Montague-Riley Test to introduce a new scoring procedure that revealed errors in cognitive processes occurring at subcomponents of an electricity problem. The test, consisting of four parts with 36 open-ended problems each, was administered to 250 high school students. A computer program, ELTEST, was written applying a…

Current budgeting techniques are reviewed in relation to their application to higher education, including (1) incremental budgeting, where decisions are based primarily upon former levels of expenditures, (2) zero-based budgeting, involving the establishment and ranking of "decision packages", (3) Planning and Programming Budgeting…

A method for statistical analysis of semantic differential data in educational evaluation is discussed. Estimated scores for unobserved affective variables are obtained using the canonical factor regression method. This method overcomes previous prolems of bias and inefficiency in computing composite affective indices. In an application of the…

The problem of selecting which sites to use in locating library and information centers in order to best achieve system objectives is modeled as a mixed zero-one linear programming problem and examined in detail. The model incorporates an objective function based on the costs of locating centers and of transmitting information to the users. The…

The purpose of this project was to develop a Master of Science program in Applied Mathematics designed specifically to meet the needs of students wishing to prepare for careers in business, industry, or government. The program emphasizes problem-solving, mathematical modeling, and areas of mathematics such as differential equations, computing, and…

To validate a proposed statistical index of instructional effectiveness, researchers identified 33 school characteristics related to instructional effectiveness and tested the relationship between these characteristics and the proposed index. The index includes two subject area indices, mathematics and reading, and is based on statistical…