The symptoms of autism spectrum disorder are conceptualized to alter the quality of parent--children interactions, exposure to social learning exchanges, and ultimately the course of child development. There is evidence that modifying the procedures of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) to explicitly target social motivation enhances child…

This paper reports a feasibility study on developing computer model-based assessments of chemical reasoning at the high school level. Computer models are flash and NetLogo environments to make simultaneously available three domains in chemistry: macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic. Students interact with computer models to answer assessment…

In December 2007, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave MDRC a grant to conduct reconnaissance on promising strategies to reengage disconnected young people and improve their long-term outcomes. The primary objective of the grant was to identify key leverage points for future investment by government and foundations. MDRC consulted with…

In August 2007, an $11.2 million proposal for a shared statewide high-density storage facility was submitted to the Board of Governors, the governing body of the State University System in Florida. The project was subsequently approved at a slightly lower level and funding was delayed until 2010/2011. The experiences of coordinating data…

Describes a feasibility and practicality pilot project of a library story-telling program for two-year-olds. Parent survey results and project experience indicate that such a reading program is worth consideration by children's librarians. Recommended books for two-year-olds and their parents are listed. (CMV)

This publication contains the reports for six Iowa Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) pilot projects conducted at the following community colleges: Northeast Iowa Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College, Kirkwood Community College, Western Iowa Tech Community College, Indian Hills Community College, and Southeastern…

A 14-month pilot of INFO-U, a fully automated telephone information service, assessed the feasibility of the technology in Minnesota Extension Service (MES) county offices to respond to consumer telephone queries. The project was designed to: (1) explore the potential of regional Extension cooperation and resource sharing; (2) increase recognition…

This report describes research carried out as part of the Design of Information Systems in the Social Sciences (DISISS) project. Cluster analysis techniques were applied to a machine readable file of bibliographic data in the form of cited journal titles in order to identify groupings which could be used to structure bibliographic files. Practical…

This legislative report presents the results of a pilot project conducted in eight suburban California school districts as part of an effort to develop a testing program identifying kindergartners with potential reading problems. The project was also intended to evaluate the program's effectiveness and gauge the feasibility of statewide…

Telidon, which consists of two computerized communications systems for displaying text and graphics on a television screen under user control, is being field tested in the libraries of two York Region Board of Education (YRBE) schools in Aurora, Ontario. Beginning in spring 1983, students were able to access, via telephone, a computerized data…

Two reports discuss pilot projects using the Computer Assisted Distance Education Telecommunication Project (CADET) in Edmonton, Alberta. The first describes two studies that investigated the feasibility of telephone communication between two or more microcomputer (Apple) operators using an Amdahl mainframe computer as an intermediary. The results…

This feasibility study assesses the potential of optical technology in the development of accessible bibliographic and location data networks both in Canada and within the international MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) network. The study is divided into four parts: (1) a market survey of cataloging and interlibrary loan librarians to determine…

This study will examine the feasibility of developing a student mobility tracking system that encompasses the entire post-secondary system in BC. Currently, the vast majority of the private post-secondary sector has no formal link with institutions in the public sector. As a consequence, little is known beyond anecdotal evidence about the…

In 1988, whether the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)--the "Nation's Report Card"--could become a report card for the states was studied. A trial assessment program was authorized to determine whether state assessments following the NAEP format could produce reliable and useful estimates of educational progress. This…

This report provides a comparative cost analysis of three different methods of developing final examinations for secondary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland. Based on expenditure reports and interviews with central and school-based staff, cost estimates were developed for three kinds of exams: (1) the county-wide final…