Projecting demand for vocational education teachers for a 5-year period has many methodological problems. For example, how does one define the "need for additional personnel" or determine the difference in demand for and supply of teachers? The demand figure changes drastically depending on how it is measured, while the supply changes…

This interim report of a pilot year impact study on evaluation methodology is part of a series of documents on the evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, a Head Start demonstration program aimed at promoting educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. This report deals with…

This study examines the relative effects of information on problem solving. An introductory section discusses theoretical approaches to problem solving. The major portion of the paper describes the author's research. In her study, subjects were asked to read a court transcript from a criminal case, to give their verdict in the case, and to…

A broad spectrum of methodologies pertinent to studies of schooling effects are reviewed. Methodological issues and problems are addressed according to a three-dimensional conceptual framework: (1) indicators of schooling effects; (2) study approaches; and (3) units of analysis. Problems and uses of status attainment and difference scores as…

A RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO PREDICT DROPOUT BEHAVIOR AMONG URBAN NEGRO BOYS WHO CONFRONT CONVENTIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PRESSURES. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE DETERMINING INDICATORS OF DROPOUT BEHAVIOR LIE WITHIN THE SOCIAL-PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN IN THE SYSTEMATIZED, SOMETIMES HOSTILE DEMANDS IMPOSED UPON…

The methodological parameters of evaluative research studies help to identify a conceptualization of the phenomenon under investigation. Holistic critiques that identify the conceptual models under which the research was conducted shed light on the validity of the disparate inferences made from a number of studies of schools and school…

This guide is essentially designed as a teaching aid for those who would inform planners, officials of educational ministries, school administrators, principals, and teachers about educational outcome measurements. In outline and graphic form, the guide presents topics for discussion in a seminar dealing with the application of outcome…

Suggesting that James Coleman's paper on massive school desegragation reveals methodological flaws of such magnitude that they raise serious questions as to the validity of the conclusions, this paper addresses a full sequence of perceived methodological errors found in the Coleman document, but does not dismiss the conclusions based upon initial…

Measuring cognitive achievement gains in project evaluation is dealt with. This guide provides those concerned with project evaluation with the basic tools for conducting technically sound, interpretable evaluation studies. Exotic designs are avoided and five basic models which appear feasible to implement in real-world settings are focused on.…

Many programs for individualization of instruction are based on a curriculum structure involving a careful sequencing of instructional objectives and larger units of learning content. A methodology that may be useful in the formative evaluation of the sequential and structural properties among predefined curriculum units and specific instructional…

An evaluation of the first year of "The Electric Company" is provided. Volume 1 is comprised of the following chapters: I. Introduction; II. Preparing for the Evaluation (Research Design and Sampling Procedures; Field Operations; The Treatment--the in-school viewing treatment, the at-home viewing treatment, and the content of The…

The heart of performance- and competency-based teacher education, evaluation, and accountability programs is the establishment of empirical relationships between teacher behavior as an independent variable and student achievement as a dependent variable. Before researchers can adequately establish those relationships they need to deal with the…

Statistical methods employed by Alexander and Pallas do not negate the differences between public and private school students' achievement. Instead, their work supports the conclusion that Catholic schools help average students achieve by increasing the likelihood of their enrollment in the academic track and by enhancing their performance in the…

Tuition Assistance (TA) is a military-sponsored program that reimburses military members for 75% of the tuition costs of college classes while on active duty in the hope of making military service more attractive to young people and encouraging them to remain in the military. TA's effectiveness was examined by using two models--a bivariate probit…

Argues that perception studies and ranking are lacking in validity and reliability because of small sample size, simplistic statistical analyses, and the evaluation of quality by educators. It is asserted that quality control is more valid when evaluated by the customers of education, i.e., the students. (11 references) (EA)