The intent of this brief paper is two-fold: (1) to review selected past studies and discuss what is believed to be misdirections in their focus and inadequate methodology and (2) to report a series of studies that attempt to counter these shortcomings. It is held that, by focusing on discrete components, such as curriculum, and using limiting…

Parochial and other private secondary schools in the United States enroll disproportionately few Blacks. Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore discounted this segregation. However, their analysis of within-district segregation is inappropriate and misleading. If future analysis of an appropriate data set is undertaken, standard analysis-of-variance methods…

The existence of private schools does not necessarily lead to greater school segregation as Taeuber-James argue. Cain-Goldberger are not only incorrect in their discussion of methodology but they also misinterpret the data and misquote the authors. Morgan's efforts to use new data on Catholic schools are applauded. (IS)

There is a widespread, firm belief among Native American communities (American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians) and among professional Native educators that meaningful educational experiences require an appropriate language and cultural context. From their perspective, such context supports the traditions, knowledge, and language(s) of…

At a time when crucial questions concerning the nature of early childhood and early childhood education are being increasingly examined worldwide, an exploration of the issues, priorities, and methodologies of research in early childhood education may provide valuable material for debate. This book focuses on research in early childhood education…

Chapter 1 of this report and user's manual describes design and implementation of the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS). Chapter 2 reviews stages of sampling for national and state survey components; presents weighted and unweighted response rates for the household component; and describes non-incentive and prison sample designs. Chapter…

Despite the apparent universality of loneliness and its link to psychosocial maladjustment, research on loneliness has emerged rather recently in the history of psychology. This book brings together varied theories and lines of research on loneliness among children and adolescents to provide a source for future research. The chapters are: (1)…

The purpose of this essay is to explore both what is known and what needs to be learned about the information value of performance items "when they are used in large scale assessments." Within the context of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), there is substantial motivation for answering these questions. Over the…

Reports on an experiment designed to document the benefits of introducing computer exercises into an introductory human geography course. Suggests that the disappointing results reflect the fact that quantitative evaluation of multimedia effectiveness is ineffective due to the inherent complexity of learning. Recommends combining quantitative and…

Considers perestroika's impact on educational research in Poland. Finds perestroika has allowed researchers to more fully explore crucial social/educational problems. Points out that government control of research funding could still have censoring effects. Advocates widespread media dissemination of research findings. (CH)

Despite their claim to the contrary, Walsh and Carballo in their report, "Transitional Bilingual Education in Massachusetts: A Preliminary Study of Its Effectiveness" (1986), did not demonstrate the superiority of bilingual education because their study was marred by a number of problems, here identified. (BJV)

Maintains that the need for gathering sensitive information frequently arises in planning and implementing organizational surveys. Describes methods of designing the instrument format and the mode of data collection. Provides a description and process summary of the Randomized Response Technique (RRT). (CFR)

Makes recommendations for student research projects on local history and family history. Suggests teachers and librarians working together can overcome problems concerning accessibility to, and careful use of, genealogical materials. Suggests research projects and gives examples of cooperation between teachers and librarians who solved research…

Reports on a review of 25 content analysis studies of social studies textbooks published between 1982 and 1992. Finds that many of the problems noted in other types of social studies research also are evident in these studies. Provides recommendations for improving the quality of content analysis studies. (CFR)

Comments on problems raised in this special issue, focusing on the distinctive aspects of the risk research reported. Highlights issues like sample characteristics, measurement strategies, specificity of risk factors, and risk mechanisms. Discusses the challenges of integrating alternative models of risk, with special references to research into…