Recent developments in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have addressed criticisms of previous assessments and have focused on state education departments as the major clients for test results. NAEP currently indicates progress in academic learning but does not define which aspects of schools are responsible for successes and…

This paper presents a list of key items in the field of elementary and secondary education, statistics for which are frequently requested. Each item is followed by the date of the latest published or available National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) statistics. With the exception of Census data, all of these data should be collected by the…

If the modern conservatorium is to prosper in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape, it will need to provide a learning experience that produces multi-skilled and adaptable graduates who are self-monitoring and self-directing. By implication, teaching practices that have dominated in the past will need to be re-thought, and…

The paper proposes a simple methodology to estimate an affluence line that depends on the knowledge of the income distribution and the poverty line for a given population. The idea that poverty is morally unacceptable and can be eradicated through redistribution of wealth provides the grounds for the methodology. The line is defined as the value…

Two categories of elementary-secondary data collected by the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) are discussed: teacher data, and school finance data. Current NCES practices and their limitations are discussed, additional data needs for research and policymaking are identified, and modifications for data collection are suggested.…

Two major discussions are combined in this paper: (1) learning opportunities, vocational skills, and access to occupations; and (2) data on teachers. Data and analyses are needed in such areas as the supply of scientific and computer personnel to determine oversupplies or shortages, and the relationship of corporate training to other sources of…

This national and state review provides a synthesis of current thinking and practice concerning prekindergarten programs in public schools. Section I discusses the need for preschool programs in terms of the changing family and workforce, the baby "boomlet," and socioeconomic factors. Section II reviews early childhood programs,…

Describes the results of a 1990 survey of public, school, special, and university libraries that investigated attitudes toward technological applications and implementations. Topics include the use of various technologies, including CD-ROM; budget allocations to technology; patrons' use of technology; staff training; the necessity for planning;…

This study evaluated the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Word Processing Center by surveying faculty and administrative use of word processing and personal computers. Questionnaires were sent to all faculty and academic and administrative departments, and 130 responses were received from faculty, 33 from academic departments, and 47 from…

A sample of 472 superintendents in New York State participated in this study, which examined the presence of sex discrimination in the selection of secondary school principals. The superintendents were asked to rate a hypothetical applicant resume that included credentials and a photograph. A hypothetical job description of a secondary school…

Although approximately 24% of children in all forms of child care in the United States receive evening or overnight care, most nighttime child care is unregulated by state licensing standards and faces a number of serious problems. For example, a survey of licensed centers and licensed day care homes offering night care in Seattle, Washington,…

Based on data from two experiments, this article attempts to assess degree to which people differ in interpretations of questions referring to library services and the implications for interpreting survey results. Sources of error in questionnaire research--sampling, response (question interpretation, response decision, category choices)--are…

Responding to a reinterpretation of survey results concerning teacher education in learning disabilities (LD), the survey authors contend that practitioners must agree on definitions that limit, rather than extend, the LD population to differentiate the preservice requirements for teachers of LD students from those for general classroom teachers.…

Reports on a survey of the undergraduate programs of 50 engineering schools which was designed to investigate the engineering curriculum with regard to core courses in statics and dynamics. Indicates that only about one-third of the schools require these courses. Argues for their return to the programs. (TW)

Describes an opinion survey distributed to software publishers and software preview centers in which participants ranked suggested criteria for identifying or certifying preview centers, development of center policies and procedures, and the role of schools in the process. A revised survey is included to which readers are encouraged to respond.…