The results from high-stakes assessments have often been used to merely grade and rank schools and students. But a new trend is emerging, according to this brief. Educators are beginning to see the power of using assessment data to improve instruction. This brief discusses ways to use data to improve instruction at the school, classroom, and…

This report to Congress examines issues in the transition of students with disabilities into postsecondary education or employment. Major findings are: (1) most IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) youth complete high school, but data on transitions are limited; (2) problems impeding the transition of IDEA youth into postsecondary…

This paper demonstrates that an electronic tutoring program can collect data that enables a far more reliable assessment of students' skills than a standard examination. Socratic electronic homework tutor, CyberTutor can integrate effectively instruction and assessment. CyberTutor assessment has about 62 times less variance due to random test…

This 20-minute videotape features 2 schools that have maintained a school culture based on using myriad data sources and processes to fuel their school-improvement activities. In the video the voices of teachers and administrators in each school articulate the ways they have used data to improve student achievement. They highlight numerous data…

This training module presents a social skills curriculum designed to be utilized as a tool for parents and teachers to increase levels of interaction between preschool children with and without autism. The curriculum consists of five social skills that were chosen based on evidence suggesting that they tend to result in more lengthy interactions…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on research methods in human resource development (HRD) that was conducted as part of a conference on HRD. "Utilizing Electronic Mail To Survey Human Resource Development Practitioners: A Comparison between Electronic Mail and the U.S. Postal Service for the Purpose of Data Collection:…

This annual report provides information about dropouts in Texas public schools for the 1996-97 school year. The report includes (1) historical dropout information; (2) a summary of dropout rates based on dropout characteristics and school district characteristics; (3) a listing of dropout rates broken down by county, district, and campus; and (4)…

The teacher's guide of "Assessing Toxic Risk" aims to help students conduct scientific research on relevant environmental topics. Using the research protocols in this book, students learn to carry out experiments known as bioassays. In this way, the toxicity of substances is evaluated by measuring its effect on living things. The text is…

The goal of the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse is to uphold the principles of the Library Bill of Rights in all types of libraries by improving communication between librarians, board members, professional associations, and other concerned groups in Oregon about challenges to intellectual freedom, and by increasing awareness as to how…

This paper discusses the initial development and testing of a Web-based instrument for collecting daily data on instruction. This teacher log was developed for use in the Study of Instructional Improvement, a longitudinal study on school improvement in high poverty areas. The researchers wanted to further develop the potential of teacher logs by…

Contains 16 articles presenting issues and practices concerning assessment and appraisal as they relate to counselors. Addresses specific areas of concern to counselors and provides commentaries differing in style and emphasis. Includes discussions of issues and an integration of many practices and procedures. (RC)

In an extensive review of research on participation in adult education, the author discusses limitations and problems in past studies. If lifelong learning principles are to be adopted worldwide, he suggests that participation data be systematically collected and experimental research be rigorously conducted. (SK)

Provides a brief overview of single-subject research designs. This method exercises its power by examining changes in single subjects' responses over time across experimental conditions. Describes a classroom project in which students collect repeated measures of their own behavior and graph the data. (MJP)

Outlines a science curriculum reform effort aimed at enabling students to collect original data concerning an environmental parameter such as water quality on a yearly basis. Students track the overall health of the stream by analyzing both biotic and abiotic factors. (DDR)

Focuses on a Web-based version of a national survey for the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) of public library involvement with the Internet. Describes the procedures used to develop the Web-based questionnaire, identifies issues concerning Web-based research, and presents recommendations for the future…