The purpose of this book is to help school administrators who use educational research by describing and explaining the components of research and skills of researchers. Chapter 1 defines educational research. Chapter 2 describes streams of research on particular administrative problems. Chapter 3 illustrates the conduct of a research review and discusses reading research for decision-making. Chapter 4 introduces the major criteria commonly used to assess research quality. In chapters 5 through 10, each presents a brief case developing some practical problem in a school or district and the need to review the research regarding it. These cases focus on common problems such as school discipline and parental involvement. Also, chapter 5 through 10 address such research design elements as large-scale experiments, statistical significance, effect size, qualitative research, quasi-experimental research, correlations, causality, and measurement. Chapter 11 closes the book by drawing together the major ideas that should govern sophisticated and critical administrators' use of empirical research to address practical problems in their schools. Each chapter begins with an introduction and end with a conclusion and a list of references. (Contains a name index and subject index.) (WFA)