Describes a study of the nature and extent of community colleges' involvement in needs assessment practices. Presents findings with respect to institutional characteristics and settings, extent of involvement, need assessment projects' characteristics and impacts, and the relationship between institutional characteristics and the extent of…

Comments on how reading research studies sometimes work their effects in wonderous ways. Illustrates this in humorous reviews of several recent research reports. (HOD)

Develops a model for analyzing the behavior of commissions and discusses the role of social science in the model. Uses the model to examine Boston's Safe Schools Commission, with data on how social science was used by the commission being used to suggest several modifications to the model. (Author/JN)

Education currently faces a crisis in curriculum reform which presents a danger to pedagogical programs. Changes in teacher education programs should be based on research and should be accomplished by a reflective and rational process. Methods of reform are explored. (DF)

Effective teaching capsules were devised to disseminate current research findings to public school facilities. This method of staff development reports on effective teaching methods and subject matter information. (DF)

Discusses the findings and implications of effective schools research for teacher training programs, emphasizing the argument that depressed achievement derives from school disability rather than familial disadvantage. Also examines the effective teacher's need for knowledge of psychometrics and an understanding of how dependent effective teaching…

Preservice teacher education faculty members were interviewed to discover how they learn about research, how research is used in their classes, and how research that is useful in training prospective teachers is characterized. Findings and implications for further study are discussed. (DF)

In this review of the literature evaluating the effectiveness of continuing medical education (CME), 238 studies from 1935 to 1982 were reviewed and annotated using previously established and tested assessment criteria. CME interventions were found to have an impact on physician competence and, less consistently, on physician performance and…

Examines the state of educational policy analysis, discussing the field's history, conceptual approaches to policy, areas of policy that have been studied, and methodological issues. Concludes with speculation on the future of policy research. (MCG)

Reviews research concerning sustained silent reading and lists factors that are important in determining whether such a reading program is successful. (FL)

Current psychological research data do not support the Social Security Administration's (SSA) decision regarding eligibility for psychiatric disability benefits. Structured work evaluation--a procedure allowed but not endorsed by SSA policies--is the best predictor of a person's ability to work. (CMG)

Describes the dominant model of development, the factors that have led to its decline, and the emerging alternatives. Implications of this shift in thinking on the role of communication in development are discussed and suggestions for using field experiments and network analysis are proposed. (MH)

The goal of this primer is to help policymakers and other interested individuals answer three big questions: (1) What does the research say? (2) Is the research trustworthy? (3) How can the research be used to guide policy? Answering these questions will help policymakers: (1) make evidenced-based decisions about education policies; (2) gain a…

This paper explains the mission of the Institute of Education Sciences and outlines the activities the Institute is undertaking. It also shares the reflections of the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences on the fit, and sometimes misfit, between the current activities of the education research community and the needs of practitioners…