Across the disciplines of economics, political science, public policy, and now, education, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the preferred methodology for establishing causal inference about program impacts. But randomized experiments are not always feasible because of ethical, political, and/or practical considerations, so non-experimental…

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a regression discontinuity design (RDD) with those of an experimental design of a tiered vocabulary intervention for children at risk for reading disability to determine RDD's feasibility as a research methodology for this type of study. Researchers reanalyzed an archival dataset of a…

Four K-12 studies and one for grades 3-4 considered which math topics could be taught most effectively with a hand-held calculator, which new mathematical topics could be successfully introduced when using such calculators, and what the implications might be for problem solving. (Author/LS)

A study was performed to determine the effectiveness of short-term, tutorial-type computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in selected topics in high school chemistry. To determine CAI effectiveness, post-tests specifically designed for this study were administered at the completion of instruction and sixty days later. Control group students generally…

The paper investigates and analyses the current state of the art of criterion-referenced measurement (CRM), with a view to determining its use in training and instructional programs. It presents a reveiw of the literature pertaining to the following aspects: a brief history of CRM; a definition and comparison of criterion-referenced and…