This book presents 11 papers which consider the central issues, methods, and resources for work in institutional research in higher education. The primer uses the idea of a "cookbook" or "manual" for its conceptualization, organization, and format. The chapter topics focus on what are expected to be the key issues facing…

Dissertations are an important component of the effort to generate knowledge. Thus, dissertation quality may be seen by accreditation and coordinating-board reviewers as a noteworthy reflection on the quality of doctoral programs themselves. The present study reviews methodological errors within Ph.D. dissertations. The illustrative errors are…

As part of the 1978 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, a comprehensive study of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) was mandated by the 96th Congress. The objectives were to determine the educational quality of DoDDS, the relation of student progress to expectations, the availability of resources and…

This book, consisting of 13 papers, deals with the theory, practice, and reactions to participatory research in the area of social research for development. Included in the volume are the following papers: "Breaking the Monopoly of Knowledge: Research Methods, Participation, and Development," by Budd Hall; "Creating Alternative…

Participatory research is an approach that calls for a democratic interaction between the researcher and those among whom the research is conducted. While this approach has been implemented with both individuals and groups in a wide variety of settings such as geographic communities, workplace situations, adult learning groups, community issue…

The Fort Worth (Texas) Board of Education, Superintendent, and Texas State Legislature have implemented changes in the schools to increase student learning time. The purposes of this study were to determine (1) the percentage of allocated class time used for instruction; and (2) whether overall time utilization has changed since a similar 1979-80…

This paper outlines the design of two Comparative Studies of Phase IV of the Individually Guided Education (IGE) Evaluation Project. More than 2,000 elementary schools in 25 states use the IGE system. The Evaluation Project was designed to gain a comprehensive view of the system's operation and effectiveness. Phase IV investigated pupil outcomes,…

In 1982, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) proposed to implement a new, complex design for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The major features of this design are described in "A New Design for a New Era" (Messick, Beaton, and Lord, 1983). The purpose of this document is to describe the actual implementation of…

A multiple-indicator and multiple-design approach for evaluating the quality of basic skills programs in reading, writing, and mathematics that has been implemented within a statewide system of higher education in the southeastern United States was assessed. Several of the evaluation methodologies are compared in order to determine whether results…

Findings from 10 projects, sponsored by the National Institute of Education, which focused on teaching as a linguistic process, are examined in this paper, along with findings from related studies. The projects constitute first-generation indepth studies of selected classrooms and are discussed in relation to two aspects of the linguistics of…

Focusing on program evaluation, this handbook is intended for the program director and evaluator of Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) at the local district or school building level and describes ways of identifying key people concerned with the program, the kinds of information they will want, how to obtain the most important parts of that…

This conference was held to review the base year activities of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) and the First Followup Study. Planning also took place for the design of the Second Followup Study and the Cohort Study of the High School Class of 1977. The participants included invited consultants and…

Ways to increase the use of educational program evaluation findings through the meaningful involvement of potential users (teachers and administrators) are discussed. Involvement, as defined in this paper, is generally limited to the opportunity for input to the initial evaluation design and the chance to review the design and implementation plans…

A project to develop a methodology to assess the impact of the priority requirements of the Health Professions Education Assistance Act (P.L. 94-484), Section 748 and 749 is summarized. Information on 21 schools of public health and 25 programs of health administration that received formula traineeship grants were utilized, and the evaluation was…

A methodology was developed to assess the impact of the priority requirements of the Health Professions Education Assistance Act (P.L. 94-484), Sections 748 and 749 on admissions, enrollment, and related organizational processes of the programs in health administration and schools of public health receiving support. Information on 21 schools of…