This handbook is a much expanded version of the original Learning Activities Survey published by Dr. Kathleen P. King of Fordham University in 1998. Based on her ground breaking research in this field where she used a mixed methodology research approach to study transformative learning, the book will provide a model of research, firsthand…

This is a guide for integrating data into the school-improvement process. It offers ways to use data to guide administrative and educational decision-making concerning instruction, curriculum, and programming. For those who are not statisticians, the guide can help in using and understanding data. It is based on the North Central Regional…

A model is proposed for gathering information about staff development efforts conducted by schools of education. The model can be used to evaluate staff development undertakings, report significant data, and help other institutions design comparable programs. (PP)

This article describes a research model that can help curriculum developers document both curriculum practices in the schools and perceptions of those practices by scholars, state department of education staff, teachers, and others. The model was developed to guide the collection of research data for John Goodlad's "Study of Schooling." (PP)

The changes required by many school reform policies address problems that are extremely difficult to clarify, with organizational and environmental factors densely intertwined. Accordingly, this document begins by identifying the "four C's" that must be taken into account if any strategy for school improvement is to succeed: complexity,…

An environmental scanning system was developed by the admissions office of a graduate school of management in a small southeastern university. The school's strategic planning committee felt that it would be beneficial to acquire information concerning issues, trends, and possible events that might impact upon the school in the future and to…

This monograph, based on a conceptual model called an information support circle, describes a structured management process that can be used by higher education institutions to add value to institutional data and information. The model offers a sequence of (1) thinking about the management and use of data, (2) considering problems in providing…

This book provides conceptual and practical strategies for the data and information collection and analysis needs of a diverse group of institutions, ranging from small rural community colleges to large urban research institutions. The model framework is designed for use by any size or type of institution and gives a broad overview of various…