The debate over whether the 50 states are meaningful units for macro-sociological research has mostly been conducted on the basis of deductive reasoning. Three sets of analyses that are intended to provide much needed empirical data on this issue were studied. The first set involved all variables in the "County and City Data Book" used…

The feasibility of employing survey data that uses the states of the United States as the societal units in macro-level sociological research was studied. The range of issues available for research opened to investigation would be greatly expanded if it were possible to aggregate national survey data to produce state-level statistics for variables…

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…

This study was undertaken to determine the physical and motor fitness levels of elementary school students in Georgia. Components of the study included: (1) the students' physical and motor fitness levels when taught by physical education specialists and classroom teachers; (2) the relationship of motor performance variables to reading and…

The effect of a basic competency education program on the achievement of high, average, and low-achieving students was examined for the Alabama Basic Competency Education program (BCE). California Achievement Tests scores in reading, mathematics, and language were examined for 3 years prior to initiation of the BCE program and for 3 years…

An analysis was made of the professional and psycho-social characteristics of 24 Wisconsin women who held management positions in the leisure services field. Comparisons were made between these managers and other women employed in leisure services, but the major focus was in delineating the uniqueness of these women managers and comparing how they…

To investigate how the number of years students spend studying academic subjects affects their achievement, this study compiled data from a nationwide longitudinal study of 58,000 high school students begun in 1980, and from 1982 College Board testing files. Years of instruction in seven subject areas were related, using statewide averages, to…

A study examined the written English proficiency of Windsor, Ontario francophone eighth-graders being educated entirely in French and compared it to norms for English-speaking eighth-grade children educated in English or French. Results suggest that these francophone students compare favorably with anglophone groups in syntactic maturity and…

In the context of an increased emphasis on accountability in higher education and time taken to earn a baccalaureate degree, the Board of Regents of the State University System of Florida conducted a national survey of 75 public universities concerning the minimum credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree for various disciplines. The…