The current status of discipline in Arizona public schools is assessed and alternative forms of discipline are reviewed in this report on classroom discipline. Methodology involved a literature review, an informal survey of 330 Arizona schools, and an attitudinal survey of 300 educators and non-educators. Overall findings indicate that most…

The impact of participation rate and nine educational/demographic variables on state mean Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for the class of 1985 was studied. It is misleading to compare scores on standardized tests without considering proportions of potential examinees taking the test, and the SAT needs to be renormed. (SLD)

A means of generating an interstate cost-of-living (COL) index from market basket data collected at the standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) level is described. Models developed for four regions explain differences in the COL among over 180 SMSAs. An adjusted average teacher salary for each state is also generated. (TJH)

This report examines three federal programs (Head Start, WIC--special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children, and immunization) designed to prepare children for a healthy start in life and school and shows, county-by-county, how well Minnesota children are served. It notes that during 1992-93, only 31 percent of eligible…

The California Student Substance Use Survey marks a milestone in the state's efforts to monitor, understand, and prevent adolescent substance use and abuse. Chapter 1 presents the methodology. This survey follows a shift in California policy to a written parental consent requirement. Sample characteristics, consent procedures, and methods of data…

The statewide school survey monitors trends in substance use among public school students, identifies emerging problem areas, and serves as a basis of comparison for local school surveys. Chapter 1, "Description of Survey and Study Limitations," includes a brief history, survey methods, and terminology. Chapter 2 presents a "Comparison to the 1996…

Analysis of the available data suggests that New York's elementary and secondary schools, taken as a whole, compiled a good record of achievement during the 1982-83 school year. Three kinds of test data were analyzed. One was the result of a study which involved the collection of scores on three commercially available standardized tests: the…

Emphasizes agriculture's economic importance and lists the top 10 states according to 4 possible criteria for determining economic dependence on agriculture: number of food and fiber system jobs, number of farmworkers, proportion of food and fiber system jobs, and proportion of farmworkers to total food and fiber system jobs. (JHZ)

One hundred teachers of the visually handicapped in Texas's public day schools were surveyed to help schools improve recruitment. Data are presented on (1) the teachers' professional training and certification, (2) job characteristics, (3) teachers' reasons for choosing their profession, and (4) their attitudes toward their positions. (MCG)

Examined social support for students as it relates to individual and provincial characteristics in Canada using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth and census data for 7,648 students aged 8 to 11 years. Findings show that perceived personal support does not fluctuate with provincial characteristics, but is less for…

Uses measures drawn from the "Information Power" guidelines for school library media programs and data from a national survey to compare the performance of the states in providing library collections and services in public schools. Tables present data on sample size, collection effort scores, and service scale scores. Raw data on collections and…

Two attempts to adjust state mean Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for differential participation rates are examined. Both attempts are rejected, and five rules for performing adjustments are outlined to foster follow-up checks on untested assumptions. National Assessment of Educational Progress state data are determined to be more accurate.…

This paper examines whether the existence of national education goals implies a new federal role in school finance. Disparities across the 50 states in terms of fiscal capacity and tax effort, education spending, and several measures of educational outcomes are analyzed. The next section summarizes a study of variables that predict states with…

In response to instances of violent acts involving children and teens both as victims and perpetrators, the Maine Legislature passed a resolve to study the issue and to identify and describe the extent of the problem among children, teenagers, and young adults in Maine. Results of a survey (n=542) designed to: (1) ascertain the perceptions of…

Findings of a study that examined middle-level school practices and the educational needs of Illinois youth aged 10-14 are presented in this report. A questionnaire mailed to all junior high/middle schools (576 schools) and K-8 schools in Illinois (705 schools) elicited response rates of 75 and 42 percent, respectively, or a total of 774 usable…