The "Forum Guide to Metadata" presents and examines the ways in which metadata can be used by education agencies to improve data quality and promote a better understanding of education data. Supported by metadata-related case studies from state and local education agencies, the guide highlights the uses of metadata from a technical point…

An opportunistic experiment is a type of randomized controlled trial that studies the effects of a planned intervention or policy change with minimal added disruption and cost. This guide defines opportunistic experiments and provides examples, discusses issues to consider when identifying potential opportunistic experiments, and outlines the…

Teacher and principal surveys are among the most common data collection techniques employed in education research. Yet there is remarkably little research on survey methods in education, or about the most cost-effective way to raise response rates among teachers and principals. In an effort to explore various methods for increasing survey response…

Many school district strategic plans and education conferences are aggressively embracing technology to improve teaching and learning. Classroom technology typically includes blended learning, personalized learning, online courses for students, and professional development for teachers, among many other things. As districts wrestle with tighter…

Providing post-secondary education in correctional settings has emerged as one of the best ways to reduce recidivism, save taxpayer dollars, and promote post release employment and community reintegration. While a number of studies exist, this paper argues persistent challenges connected to research design, data collection, and the communication…

Summarizes relatively simple and inexpensive methods for collecting data from agricultural field studies. Describes methods involving on-farm testing, crop yield measurement, quality evaluations, weed control effectiveness, plant nutrient status, and other measures. Contains 29 references illustrating how these methods were used to conduct…

With the increased use of the follow-up study on graduates, it has become necessary to research and compare the results of alternative methods of data collection on a diverse student population. The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective data collection method by examining the rate and nature of responses and the cost of three…

Describes a study comparing nine different methods of data collection with nine different kinds of data sought. Each was assigned a value on a scale of 0 to 5. The resulting chart indicates the method of collection having the highest probability of success for the purpose required. (Author/JEG)

This study found an inverse relationship between county income level or school system size and per pupil accountability cost; the burden of cost for accountability falls heaviest on the poorest and smallest school districts. State legislators must be cognizant of the costs of providing accountability. (Author/WM)

There are basically four dimensions to a systems analysis that we find in current educational research: (1) Collecting information, (2) analyzing input-output relationships, (3) deriving models built upon these relationships to evaluate alternatives and to derive feasible solutions, and (4) attempting to derive the best solution consistent with…

This report focuses on the goals of American education and suggested programs for NIE. The goals discussed are those that the American educational systems seems to be aimed at. They are classified into two main categories: output goals, essentially the ends which the system is geared to achieve, and process goals, attributes of the processes…

The purposes of this paper are four-fold: (1) to delineate the principal aims and policy objectives of Office of Management and Budget Forms Clearance (OMB FC), as embodied in Federal legislation and executive directives since 1942; (2) to identify the major current thrusts of OMB FC; (3) to suggest possible future policy directions of OMB FC,…

Seven Oaks School, a high school in Winnipeg (Canada) recently conducted a followup study of its graduates using a unique approach. High school seniors helped develop the structured interview instrument and carried out the research. As it gathered important information to help the school district in its planning, the study provided students with…

The report describes activities conducted during a 12-month baseline period preceding a series of longitudinal studies of the costs and effects of various types of early intervention with handicapped children conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University. A systems theory perspective forms the theoretical base for…

During the fall of 1976, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) initiated a statewide study of educational needs as they related to the missions of the DPI. Part of this study, called the Statewide Assessment of Educational Needs (SWAN), was a citizens' opinion poll designed to review state-level priorities. Three topics were…