This paper discusses the experiences and insight derived from the 1985-1986 Statewide Evaluation of the Early Education Program of Handicapped Children in Louisiana, the multimethod evaluation of preschool intervention projects for handicapped and at-risk children. The program served almost 5,000 handicapped preschoolers and their parents,…

Research on sex differences in communication has produced mixed and contradictory results. An erroneous overlap exists between self reports of male-female behaviors, others' reports of perceived behaviors, and stereotyped projections based on social conditioning. The solution to this confusion in gender communication research may be triangulation,…

A collaborative approach to educational research was used by an elementary school principal and a university researcher. The principal's daily activities were studied, as was the relationship of the roles she performed to instructional leadership. Data were collected mainly from participant observation and field notes. The principal performed six…

While the importance of measuring the outcomes of assistive technology (AT) is well documented, less information is available about how outcome data collection can be integrated into daily professional practice. The metaphor of a snapshot provides an intriguing method for thinking about the collection of AT outcome data. The purpose of this…

Designed for coordinators of student volunteer programs (experiential learning through community service), this manual provides information on some of the basic research approaches and tools which can be used to analyze a program's activities and effectiveness. The major areas discussed include the following: the reasons for and resources…

Begun in October 1972 as a result and demonstration project, the Alternative to Foster Care Program (ATFCP) grew out of the concern in the Seattle American Indian community over the separation of Indian parents from their children in foster care. ATFCP was to explore the development of means by which Native American families, faced with the threat…

Evaluations that use imperfect information run into both analytical and political problems. Educational accountability systems based on achievement scores are an instance. Such systems frequently turn out to be irrelevant to policy decisions, resisted by educational interest groups that fear unflattering comparisons and the misuse of results, and…

The papers given at the May 17-19, 1971 forum on Management of Information Analysis Centers held at the National Bureau of Standards in Gaithersburg, Md. are presented in four sessions separated by topic. Besides the welcoming remarks and the keynote address, session 1 contains three general papers on information analysis centers and automatic…

The primary purpose of this volume is to serve as a "how to" manual for individuals interested in replicating or expanding the data collected by the Studies. Two introductory sections discuss the development of the methodology and the organization of the methodology description. The three subsequent chapters, which constitute the body of…

This final report describes findings of a 3-year study on the effects of an Interactive Technology Literacy Curriculum (ITLC) on emergent literacy knowledge and abilities of children (ages 3 to 5) with mild to moderate disabilities. Using a case study approach, 16 preschool classes in four types of classrooms in West Central Illinois communities…

This paper describes a data-based case study of a linked array of community-based treatment services for troublesome, dual-diagnosed children and adolescents. Factors in the program's successes are described, followed by long-term data supporting treatment effectiveness. Results support applied research at this level and present a simple…

This Louisiana System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review (STAR) illustrates conceptual, methodological, and social/political issues emerging when the decision-making model used to make teacher certification decisions does not fit the assumptions of the measurement system used to collect the data. (SLD)

The United States must find ways to improve the quality of education for all its citizens, particularly those young people who are most at risk of failure. This document, the second of three volumes, contains detailed case-study data from 18 schools located across the United States. The case studies were conducted as part of a study that…

This paper describes empirically tested strategies for containing mailed questionnaire costs while maximizing survey response rates. Survey focus, critical to gaining respondent interest and completion of the survey instrument, should be selected on the basis of the theme of the study in order to reduce survey length and yield more in-depth and…

The Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) program was designed by the Centers for Disease Control as a tool to help communities plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion and health education programs. PATCH consists of three components: community mobilization, community diagnosis, and community intervention. The implementation of…