This report examines the limitations of research that has been conducted on the effects of retention and social promotion. It reexamines seven research studies that provide strong evidence based on strong methodology that includes the following three characteristics: (1) the studies identify the basis of comparison, that is, whether they are…

JOBS (Job Opportunities in the Business Sector) participation data from federal reports for December 1990 were reviewed for 9 of the 10 states of the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Kentucky information was not available at the time of review. Although federal…

A quality control review of Connecticut's Sustained Effects studies was undertaken by the Chapter 1 Evaluation Technical Assistance Center (TAC) operated by RMC Research Corporation. Nineteen Connecticut school districts had selected from among four basic evaluation designs in implementing the Chapter 1 Sustained Effects requirement during 1982 to…

This paper describes briefly the following surveys that have been conducted to determine the amount and thrust of employee training in the United States: (1) household surveys including the Current Population Survey, the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience, the Survey of Income and Program Participation, and the University of…

The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security (SRKCS) Act, voted into law in late 1990, requires colleges and universities to disclose graduation rates and statistics on campus crime. For institutions offering sub-baccalaureate vocational and technical degrees, the Act supersedes Track Record Disclosure (TRD) Regulations requiring institutions to…

The question of how standardized tests can be better developed to improve educational program evaluation is probed in this paper. After the first section's brief introduction, section 2 explores the thesis that tests developed in terms of selection and inference may not serve current social functions of educational testing. To clarify this thesis,…

Even though attrition presents a serious threat to the validity of longitudinal research, there is a lack of standardization for reporting it. To examine the effectiveness of four tests for attrition -- two for external validity and two for internal validity -- the tests were applied to two large scale projects: the first, Project HASP, is a…

In the first of four symposium papers, Clark reviews the research on learning from media and uses his argument that media comparison studies show no differences in learning attributable to any one medium over another to dispute recent research on computer-assisted instruction. He also takes the position that the media attribute argument (i.e.,…

This exploration of the future of research in special education identifies components of "good research" and reasons for the existence of poor quality research. It cites the difficulty in identifying links between research findings and innovations in practice. Factors that will influence the future of research in special education are noted, such…

In an effort to review the effectiveness and the impact of the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) at El Paso Community College (EPCC) and to identify and report any significant problems with the quality of service being provided to the college president and other key policy and decision makers, an evaluation plan and survey test instrument…

A two-part survey of Ohio employers of JTP (Job Training Partnership) Ohio Title IIA participants asked 497 employers about: (1) their attitudes and opinions toward JTP Ohio and their participation in JTP programs (272 responses) and (2) employment and earning data for Title IIA participants who worked in the firm after ending their JTP training…

The project documented in this report identified barriers researchers encounter in gaining access to--i.e., identifying, acquiring, handling, and using--published information and measured the seriousness of the more significant barriers. Fifty-one barriers were identified, and a method of measuring their seriousness was developed. Thirty of the…

The Criminal Justice Initiative (CJI) was conducted in Washington, D.C. from fiscal year 1984 through fiscal year 1986 to relieve overcrowded prison conditions by reducing the recidivism rate. Objectives of the project included hiring additional prison staff to provide security and increase prisoner processing, expanding the education program, and…

The problems of integrating the multiple dimensions of a language contact situation in linguistic research have been of concern in recent years. The use of macro- (collective or group) and micro- (individual) levels of linguistic analysis illustrates this concern. Quebec's International Center for Research on Bilingualism has developed an…

A detailed review of research was conducted on the relationship of social support of older adults to their general health and well being, and the findings were applied to educational outcomes and performance. The following dimensions of social support were examined: (1) an ecological framework or perspective of social support, (2) definitions and…