bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Secondary School Scheduling Models and ACT Assessment Scores
Authors: Pliska Ann-Maureen , Harmston Matt T. , Hackmann Donald G.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the results of the first phase of a longitudinal study of 568 public high schools in Illinois and Iowa in which the relationships among three common secondary school scheduling types and average composite scores on the ACT Assessment were examined. Preliminary findings suggest that merely adopting a different scheduling approach without engaging in any additional reform initiatives within a school will have little effect, if any, on student achievement.
Facilitating Teacher Assistance Teams: Key Questions
Authors: Bangert Arthur W. , Cooch Clayton Greg
Published: March 2007

This article describes a problem-solving model that principals can use to lead teacher assistance teams (TATs) in their efforts to design and implement successful interventions for students who are at risk of academic failure. Critical questions that principals should ask to successfully lead TATs through the problem-solving process are identified and discussed.
Practices and Conditions that Lead to a Sense of Community in Middle Schools
Authors: Belenardo Susan J.
Published: March 2007

A survey of parents and teachers at nine middle schools demonstrates that the sense of community shared by teachers and parents who are active at a school is affected by systematic efforts by the school to involve parents in their child’s education and by the principal’s leadership style. This article discusses what is meant by a “sense of school community” and which aspects of family involvement programs and principal leadership are most predictive of a strong sense of community.
What Is Wrong with Block Scheduling?
Authors: Thomas Cheryl
Published: March 2007

Student learning styles and faculty teaching styles may have a greater effect on student achievement than restructuring school schedules. This article discusses the problems identified with block schedules and proposes three key elements for academic success when using block scheduling.
Block Scheduling: More Benefits than Challenges. Response to Thomas (2001)
Authors: Rettig Michael D. , Canady Robert Lynn
Published: March 2007

Far from a failed experiment in time management, block scheduling is being adapted in various ways by schools nationwide to suit students’ needs. This article reviews research on scheduling effects and discusses how instructional leaders have approached the issue to analyze the benefits and problems of the various scheduling formats.
Performance Pentagon: Five Strategies to Help All Students Make the Grade
Authors: Johnson Debra
Published: March 2007

A review of current literature and practice suggests promising alternatives to social promotion and grade retention. The following five alternative strategies, which strike at the root causes of poor performance, offer genuine hope for helping all students to succeed: Intensify learning, provide professional development to ensure skilled teachers, expand learning options, assess students in a manner to assist teachers, and intervene in time to arrest poor performance.
Urban Secondary Educators' Views of Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Authors: Bradley Kelly D. , Loadman William E.
Published: March 2007

This inquiry is directed at understanding the factors related to recruitment and retention of urban secondary teachers. Data were collected via selected response questionnaires from 815 public high school teachers in a large Midwest city. The findings provide implications for urban centers in the U.S. educational system from the classroom teacher's perspective, by identifying the qualities associated with the best teachers and recognizing the incentives and charac teristics connected with career satisfaction and successful recruiting techniques. Motivating factors for these teachers are intrinsic more than extrinsic.
A. The Administrator Looks at Science Education Objectives
Authors: Brooks Harold B. , Woodruff Clarence H.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Dr. Brooks discusses the what, the when, the where, the why, and the how of science education in the secondary school. He discusses various objectives that the good school administrator considers in setting up functional courses of study in science or in evaluating them. He shows how science courses must be kept in line with the time. He states "that the principal who would build well in the field of science instruction must select his objectives both general and specific with care; he must be sure that they are sound in terms of educational philosophy, community understanding, and pupil needs and interests."
B. A High School Teacher Looks at Science Education Objectives
Authors: Grant Charlotte
Published: March 2007

Miss Charlotte Grant lists and discusses ten objectives of science education. She then discusses the various implications of these objectives. She believes that "with administrative understanding and co-operation, the science teacher will go far in achieving the goals of science education."
H. A Letter to High School Science Teachers from a College Science Teacher
Authors: Rogers Eric M.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Professor Rogers suggests some of the changes which many college and university scientists would like to see made in the pattern of secondary-school science instruction. In discussing the objectives of high-school science teaching, he suggests that an understanding of the nature of science is of the utmost importance, both to the future scientists and to the future non-scientist. He points out that teach ing of scientific facts and principles in general courses in science should be severely curtailed, and that education along the lines of scientific thinking is beset with grave difficulties. He concludes his article with three specific, practical suggestions to high- school science teachers which should help them move in the directions which he has suggested.
A. Trends in High School General Science
Authors: Brandwein Paul F.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Dr. Brandwein discusses several different concepts of the term "general science," such as what might be called "exploratory science," "survey of science," "introductory science," etc. Next, he draws on his wide experience in the field, concluding that "most school systems in the country have planned or are planning for a general science experience in the junior high-school years—the seventh, eighth, and ninth grade." The bulk of the article is then devoted to a four-step de velopmental account of the evolution of general science teaching. These steps, as outlined and discussed, are: (1) a survey of subject matter, (2) an aid to understanding the environment, (3) an aid in solving problems of living, and (4) a core-program, including science, designed as an aid in meeting pupils' needs and interests.
F. Relations Between Science and Mathematics in the Secondary School
Authors: Hall Arthur J.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Dr. Hall argues for a closer integration between high-school science and mathematics, and urges teachers of each subject to tap the resources of the other. The writer examines the nature of mathematics as related to science, discusses psy chological considerations in learning mathematics, proposes the creation of a mathe matics laboratory, and discusses the possible integration of science and mathematics in the high school. He concludes his article with an analysis of the ways in which secondary-school administrators can encourage this type of development in their systems.
A. The Place of the Experiment in Science Education
Authors: Watson Fletcher G.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Professor Watson emphasizes the distinctive role of experimentation in science—how controlled observation renders science different from other fields of knowledge. He then suggests ways in which high-school laboratories can provide true experimentation for pupils, and how what may appear to be a "hopeless" labo ratory situation may be converted into one of high educational significance. The article is concluded with suggestions for administrators who wish to promote the improvement of science instruction in their schools.
B. The Atomic Age and Its Relation to High School Science Teaching
Authors: Will Burnett R.
Published: March 2007

Prof. Burnett opens his article with a retrospective glance at recent air-age educa tion, and makes a plea that education for the atomic age will not duplicate some of the shortcomings committed in the previous effort. He then discusses the charac teristics of the atomic age, including both its social implications, as well as the threats and promises it offers along more purely scientific lines.

Turning then to the responsibilities of modern science teachers, the writer dis cusses them in terms of the knowledge which he must assimilate and organize and the general education which he must pass on to all his pupils. The article is concluded with a list of major teaching objectives for literacy in the atomic age, including the principles which pupils should know, the skills which they should possess, and the behaviors which they should exhibit if the objectives of education for the atomic age are to be realized.
D. Science Education in a National Emergency
Authors: Gillette B. Frank
Published: March 2007

In this article, Dr. Gillette identifies science education for civilian defense as a somewhat specialized form of applied science. He delineates this point of view by discussing eight areas of applied science which add up to an effective contribution to education for a national emergency. These include first aid, nuclear energy and its applications, nutrition, sanitation, implications of biological warfare, fire control, possibilities of chemical warfare, and conservation of energy, material, and human resources. The writer also discusses the school's special responsibility in identifying and encouraging special science talent and in developing a generation of young people who are capable of effective problem-solving in the broadest sense. He con cludes his article with remarks about the necessity of the science teacher keeping himself and his pupils up-to-date regarding technological developments, particularly military ones, and with the science teachers share in developing emotional balance and sound social attitudes on the patt-of his pupils during the unsettled times of national military duress.
E. America's Need for More Scientists and Engineers
Authors: Boring Maynard M. , Trytten Merriam H.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the writers point out the existing demand for trained scientists in many fields of specialization. They also identify the reasons for this demand and pro vide challenging examples of present and future needs for scientific personnel. In spite of this increasing demand, enrollments in science specialties are suffering. The latter portion of these pages is devoted to the role which high schools can play in meeting this need for scientists. The writers provide specific suggestions for high- school activity in three general categories: (a) identifying young people with unusual interest and talent in science, (b) encouraging potential scientists, and (c) providing individual attention and opportunity for early specialization and broad background for those who may specialize in science.
Helping All Students Achieve to High Standards: A Partnership Between Federal and Secondary School Administrators
Authors: Heumann Judith E. , Hehir Thomas
Published: March 2007

The U.S. Department of Education wants to work with principals and assistant principals, teachers, parents, families, and students toward the common goal of creating an environment for all children that will promote continued progress in the achievement of educational equity, equality of educational opportunity, an enhanced educational experi ence for disabled and nondisabled students, and positive results for everyone involved in promoting educational excellence.
Intensive Scheduling and Special Education in Secondary Schools: Research and Recommendations
Authors: Bugaj Stephen J.
Published: March 2007

Intensive scheduling in secondary special education programs raises many questions: How might intensive scheduling affect IEP goals and objectives? Will it facilitate the inclusion of special education stu dents in regular education classes? Can it hinder the provision of "pull- out" special education services? Might intensive scheduling require the hiring of additional special education teachers or teacher aides?
Using Current Research To Make "Good" Decisions About Grouping
Authors: Rogers Karen B.
Published: March 2007

High-abitity and gifted students tend to benefit most from like-ability grouping, because the strategy provides them with the opportunity to access more advanced knowledge and skills and to practice deeper processing. Most likely, this access can be provided when instructors are not forced to divide their teaching energies and efforts among widely diverse tevels of ability and achievement.
Talent Development Through Curriculum Differentiation
Authors: Renzulli Joseph S. , Reis Sally M.
Published: March 2007

The many changes that are taking place in our schools require all educators to examine a broad range of differentiated teaching techniques for providing equitable instruction for all students. Curriculum compacting is one such process. The process is adaptable to any high school schedule or curriculum, and is flexible enough to be used within the context of rapidly changing approaches to general education.
Developing the Talents of Academically Gifted High School Students: Issues for Secondary School Administrators
Authors: Olszewski-Kubilius Paula
Published: March 2007

School administrators face many issues in dealing with gifted high school students. Among them are providing classes and academic experiences that are sufficiently challenging to keep students engaged and working in their field. Two aspects of this issue are explored here using out-of-school resources to develop academic talent to a high level, and creating conditions within the school classroom to support talented students.
Fostering Social Responsibility And Handling Disruptive Classroom Behavior
Authors: Marshall Marvin
Published: March 2007

Society and the nature of today's youth have changed, but we are still using the outmoded approach of punishment to change behavior. This article shows how to foster social responsibility and, in the process, handle irresponsible classroom behavior.
Student Discipline Methods and Resources Used by Indiana Secondary School Administrators
Authors: Killion Rocky
Published: March 2007

Secondary school administrators must be on the lookout for effective practices that decrease student discipline problems and increase student achievement. In many cases, general problems such as low self-esteem, low grades, and high dropout rates can be traced to haphazard or weak educational and discipline practices.
High School Renewal in South Carolina: An Angry Response To Abandonment
Authors: Hicks Anna T. , Anderson Lorin W.
Published: March 2007

Seventeen high schools in South Carolina have joined with the University of South Carolina to form a school-university partnership called the South Carolina High School Network for Teacher and Administrator Renewal. The creation of the network is a unique response by educators determined to continue high school renewal efforts in the face of political abandonment.
Perceptions of Teachers in South Florida Toward Block Scheduling
Authors: Hamdy Mona , Urich Ted
Published: March 2007

Many middle level and high schools have moved to block scheduling to maximize instructional time and increase academic achievement. In the center of this change are classroom teachers, who have been asked to make major adjustments in their teaching methods that will keep students interested, motivated, and on task during longer class periods.
The Untapped Power of Music: Its Role in the Curriculum and Its Effect on Academic Achievement
Authors: Kelstrom Joyce M.
Published: March 2007

The importance of music in our schools is often overlooked, and its true power is unrealized. Music deserves a place with the core subjects of math, science, history, and language arts. If it is given the opportunity, music can make a difference in the academic achievement of our students.
Into the 21st Century: Dissolving Boundaries in Schooling
Authors: Ganser Tom
Published: March 2007

Thriving in the next century will require daring, open-mindedness, and boundless flexibility. Traveling in this new territory may initially be disorienting for many educators, but it may also reveal new and excit ing vistas that will make the pathfinding personalty and professional ly rewarding.
Integrating Multicultural Activities Across the Mathematics Curriculum
Authors: Piccolino Anthony V.
Published: March 2007

Integrating multicultural activities into mathematics instruction at all grade levels helps to foster appropriate and desirable attitudes about mathematics and its role in our culture. In particular, multicultural activities can be instrumental in removing the stigma of mathematics as being an elitist discipline pursued by a select few.
When A Beloved Teacher and Coach Dies: A Case Study in One School District
Authors: Fibkins William L.
Published: March 2007

What happens inside a high school when a beloved teacher and coach dies? How does this crisis affect students, staff members, administra tors, and parents? What do their concerned voices say as the crisis evolves? And do their concerned voices get translated into an action intervention effort—a crisis plan—that offers support for all concerned?
The Principal and Student Expression: From Armbands to Tattoos
Authors: McCarthy Martha M.
Published: March 2007

Since the mid-1980s judicial decisions have broadened the discretion of school authorities to restrict student expression, and the category of protected student expression is smaller than it was in the 1970s. While some limitations on student expression are necessary to main tain a proper educational environment, any constraint must be justi fied by a sound educational rationale.
Using the 4MAT Instructional Model for Effective Leadership Development
Authors: Kaplan Leslie Schenkman
Published: March 2007

Expectations for principals as the "teachers of adults" is increasing. The 4MAT instructional model provides a user-friendly, research-based structure for principals to design powerful retreats and workshops. Using the 4MAT workshop helps principals act as instructional leaders to increase leadership behavior among all educators in their school.
School Choice Options: Why Do Students Make Choices?
Authors: Wronkovich Michael , Robinson James , Hess Caryl A.
Published: March 2007

The economic consequences that result from choice sound the biggest alarm for opponents. Can we allow the poorer schools to continue a downward spiral? Will the gulf between the educational haves and have-nots grow even wider? Will choice options reinforce old patterns of discrimination?
An Overview of School Health Services
Authors: Igoe Judith B.
Published: March 2007

There clearly is a need and a mandate for schools to provide a diverse array of physical and mental health services to students to improve their well-being and academic achievement. These may range from a core set of services to comprehensive school-based student health cen ters providing primary care and mental health counseling by a broad range of health professionals.
Understanding Depressive Illnesses in Adolescents: What Schools Can Do
Authors: McCarthy Alice R. , Cavanaugh Deanna
Published: March 2007

What are the symptoms of depression in secondary school students? What are the causes and the treatment of depression? What is the rela tionship between high-risk behaviors and depressive illness? And what are the gender differences related to the disorder? Secondary school principals should know the answers to these questions.
I’m Not Really a Doctor, but I Play One on TV
Authors: Lukes Timothy J.
Published: March 2007

Athletics can be a window to broader cultural issues, but so can the way in which athletic events are transmitted to fans. In this article, the author detects a rising arrogance among sports announcers that relate to American culture in general. Announcers no longer privilege the games they broadcast. Instead, they claim a status equal to the participant, and in doing so, they pollute the purity of the games they observe. The epitome of this practice occurs on ESPN, where glibness—the main symptom of the new arrogance—is overwhelming. This is the last straw. The glibness has been creeping into academics for a long time, and now, it seems to have tainted baseball, the last bastion of purity.
Resistive Play
Authors: Bunzl Matti
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author argues that the current Jewish sports movement exemplifies and symbolizes a “new Jewish visibility” in Vienna’s sociocultural field. It is thus part and parcel of a larger recent transformation that has brought Jewish individuals, collectivities, and institutions into Austria’s public sphere. Drawing on his ethnographic research on postwar Austrian-Jewish culture, the author argues that sport represents a privileged site in this development through its construction of an affirmative public Jewish subjectivity, negotiated, in turn, in light of the social reality of a recently expanding Jewish community.
The Hard Work of Working Out
Authors: Ginsberg Laura
Published: March 2007

The author has taken the fitness club as the institutional focus through which to explore how health, beauty, and leisure are constructed, consumed, and challenged in late-capitalist Japan. Given the cultural emphasis on effort and the pervasive and narrow standard for female beauty in Japan, the fact that most fitness club members do not want to work at working out is surprising. This grounded analysis will expose the fitness club as a contradictory space where the tensions between labor and leisure, and between health and beauty, prove to be irreconcilable.
The Canadian Press and the Problem of Responsible Journalism: An Olympic Case Study
Authors: Coulter B. Jerry
Published: March 2007

The following paper examines Canadian newspaper coverage of the Olympic Games boycotts of 1976, 1980, and 1984. It contrasts the coverage of a corporate owned, business dominated paper ( The Globe and Mail), with an independently owned and directed paper ( The Kingston Whig-Standard). The findings reveal that the independently owned paper was consistently more objective in contrast with the corporate dominated paper which consistently sought to adhere to the interests of the Cana dian corporate elite. This study reveals the value of the independent paper in assessing the na tional and international news when that paper's interests are more local in nature. Other studies may find independents that are even more one-sided than the Globe but in this case study the ad vantages of the independent become readily apparent. These findings lead to the question of how much corporate domination has damaged the Canadian news media?
From Model Minority to Economic Threat
Authors: Mayeda David Tokiharu
Published: March 2007

This article examines American media portrayals of two Japanese pitchers now playing American major league baseball: Hideo Nomo and Hideki Irabu. Data gathered for this article were drawn from the sports sections of the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. Evidence suggests that journalistic portrayals of Asian athletes have perpetuated stereotypes in regard to both Asian Americans and Asian nationals. Specifically, this article argues that portrayals of Nomo and Irabu have reified stereotypes of Asian Americans and Asian nationals as model minorities and economic threats. The author suggests that a greater cultural awareness and sensitivity be taken when writing sports articles that cover athletes from various ethnic and national backgrounds.
PRELIMINARY VALIDATION OF THE SPORT FAN MOTIVATION SCALE
Authors: Wann Daniel L.
Published: March 2007

Factors believed to be motivations responsible for sport fandom include eustress, self-esteem, escape, entertainment, economic, aesthetic, group affiliation, and family needs. However, these factors have been untested empirically, and a valid and reliable measure of sport fan motivation has been unavailable to researchers. The current two studies were an attempt to develop such a measure. The construction and validation of a 23-item Likert-scale measure, the Sport Fan Motivation Scale, are described. Discussion centers on possible uses for the instrument.
BLAMING THE VICTIM: RESISTANCE IN THE BATTLE OVER GENDER EQUITY IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Authors: Staurowsky Ellen J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the May 9, 1995, U.S. congressional oversight hearing of the Office of Civil Rights and its enforcement of Title IX in athletic departments. Sage's “blaming-the-victim” framework, used to study other persistent problems in intercollegiate athletics, was employed to analyze the testimony of witnesses at the hearing and position statements prepared by various men's sport associations prior to the hearing. An argument is made that the men's sport associations were successful in creating resistance to the enforcement of Title IX by convincingly representing male athletes as victims and females as victimizers prior to and during the hearings. Finally, a case is developed to suggest that long-term solutions to the problems associated with Title IX and gender equity exist only when an ideological shift occurs to allow for sport participation to be viewed as a basic human right.
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: SOME THOUGHTS ON THE LANGUAGE OF SPORT
Authors: Segrave Jeffrey O.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to offer some thoughts on the language of sport, particularly as it is constructed on the basis of three metaphorical conventions—namely, the conventions of violence, sex, and the machine. Although noting the masculinist perspective that these metaphors represent, the article ultimately argues that these linguistic preferences reveal important ontological insights that transcend both gender and sport itself.
PERCEPTUAL MAPPING OF BANNED SUBSTANCES IN ATHLETICS
Authors: Pan David W. , Baker John A. W.
Published: March 2007

A multidimensional scaling approach was used to investigate the differential positions of 16 banned substances relative to selected attributes as perceived by student athletes. Four factors dictating respondents' preference were extracted using a factor analysis. Differences in perceptions as defined by gender and contact versus noncontact sports were compared to identify those banned substances to which student athletes were most vulnerable. Besides alcohol, caffeine, and anabolic steroids, the results revealed that marijuana, crank / speed, heroin, and LSD / ecstasy were popular among male student-athletes, and uppers / amphetamines, and morphine among female student-athletes. Marijuana, cocaine / crack, and heroin were given a special preference in contact sports, whereas marijuana and crank / speed were preferred in noncontact sports. The results could help the development of targeted drug policies and education programs to curb the potential use of banned substances in athletics.
Telephones and Raising Bail
Authors: Lenihan Kenneth J.
Published: March 2007

Telephones were introduced as an innovation into a detention facility to help pretrial defendants raise bail money and thereby obtain release. Using an experimental design to evaluate the innovation, the results showed that persons who used the telephones were more likely to be released on bail than were those denied its use. Although the evaluation was successful, the implementation was not. The district attorney and court blocked its acceptance until a few years later when detained prisoners rioted and telephones were installed in order to reduce overcrowding.
Retrospective Pretesting in the Cognitive Domain
Authors: Rippey Robert M. , Geller Lester M. , King Donald W.
Published: March 2007

Retrospective pretesting is a methodfor inferring learning by using the students' recollec tions of their preinstruction knowledge in lieu of actual pretesting. The most significant problem encountered in such a procedure is establishing the validity of the inferred pre- course level of information; attempts to deal with that issue are presented in detail
A Head Start Reevaluation
Authors: Bentler Peter M. , Woodward J. Arthur
Published: March 2007

The Head Start data analyzed by Magidson (1977) were reanalyzed using Joreskog's (1976) LISREL methodology. Plausible statistical models were developed jor the data. The hypothesis that the Head Start program produced zero effects on the cognitive abilities of its participants was evaluated by several X 2 tests. In all cases, the null hypothe sis could not be rejected.
Tracking Developmentally Disabled Clients
Authors: Borthwick Sharon , Butkus Richard , Miller Curtis
Published: March 2007

An encoding approach was designed to track developmentally disabled clients through a continuum of services in a service delivery system. Exact matching offiles is ofprimary importance, as data files are linked together and used in decisions regarding client service plans. After four years of use, the reliability of the encoding system was evaluated and found to be an effective means of tracking clients through a service delivery system.
Political Issues in Research and Evaluation
Authors: Graycar Adam
Published: March 2007

This paper has two connected themes. First, it discusses the relationship between the concepts "research" and "evaluation" and suggests that if one is interested in social change, "evaluation" is less useful an activity than "research." Second, it describes the situation in Australia when a new, social change oriented government came to power, and in order to achieve its social development goals embarked on a number of experimental programs, one of which the author "evaluated." The paper discusses the conduct and findings of the study, and in weaving together the two themes concludes that evaluation and research have very different conceptual, intellectual, ethical, operational, and political ramifications.
Response-Shift Bias
Authors: Howard George S.
Published: March 2007

Evaluations of experimental interventions which employ self-report measures are subject to an instrumentation- related source of contamination known as response-shift bias. The difficulty arises when the experimental intervention changes the subject's evaluation standard with regard to the dimension measured with the self-report instrument. In such cases even the true experimental designs (Designs 4, 5, and 6; Campbell and Stanlev, 1963) can provide internally invalid results. Retrospective pretest ratings are recommended as one way in which response-shift bias might be attenuated. Research demonstrating re sponse-shift effects and the superiority of retrospective ratings over tradittonal self-report pretest ratings in providing a measure of change is reviewed. Finally, the current status of retrospection in psychological research is reviewed, and issues are considered for future research needed to identify the unique strengths and limitations of retrospective approaches.
Evaluating Program Implementation
Authors: Leithwood Kenneth A. , Montgomery Deborah J.
Published: March 2007

A methodologn for evaluating program implementation is described. Requirements for such a methodology are derived from an analysis of the functions to be performed by implementation evaluation, the nature of the program being implemented, and character istics of the implementation process. Central features of the methodology involve procedures for the development of a multidimensional profile of the program as it evolves in practice from non- to full implementation. The profile then serves as the basis for instrument development, data collected through the instruments locate program user behavior in relation to the dimensions and levels of use described by the profile. Uses of resulting data to serve program management goals are outlined.
Methodologically Based Discrepancies in Compensatory Education Evaluations
Authors: Trochim William M.K.
Published: March 2007

Meta-analysis of several hundred evaluations of Title I compensatory education programs shows that two distinct research designs consistently yield different results. The norm- referenced model portrays programs as positively effective while the regression-disconti nuity design shows them to be ineffective or even slightly harmful. Three potential biasing factors are discussed for each design—residual regression artifacts; attrition and time-of- testing problems in the norm-referenced design; and assignment, measurement, and data preparation problems in the regression-discontinuity design. In lieu of more definitive research the tentative conclusion is that in practice the norm-referenced design over estimates the program effect while the regression-discontinuity design underestimates it.
The Freshman Seminar Program
Authors: Mark Melvin M. , Romano John J.
Published: March 2007

The Freshman Seminar program at the Pennsylvania State University attempts to improve the quality of liberal education by giving Freshman students a detailed introduction to a particular liberal arts discipline, improved advising, and an orientation to college life. The program was introduced on a trial basis and its effects investigated using a randomized experimental design. The outcomes measured were rate of retention in the College of Liberal Arts, grade point average, credit hours completed, ratings by instructors, and various attitudes, including those toward Penn State, advising, and the value of the liberal arts. Results suggest that the program led to more favorable attitudes but not to perceptible differences in performance or retention.
Introspection, Deduction, and Guesswork in Policy Evaluation
Authors: Nagel Stuart S.
Published: March 2007

There is a need for more use of introspection, deduction, and guesswork in policy/pro gram evaluation to supplement the possible overemphasis on statistical/behavioral analysis. Introspective interviewing of knowledgeable insiders can often determine the magnitude of relations more meaningfully than statistical analysis can in view of reciprocal causation, spurious causation, multicollinearity, and other confounding factors. Deduction from empirically validated premises avoids the problem of lack of an experimental group, a control group, after-data, before-data, bureaucratic inertia, and damages from experimenting. Guesswork can be combined with sensitivity analysis to determine the effects of guesses and missing information on bottom-line conclusions where statistical analysis, introspective authority, or deduction is questionable.
Estimating Statewide Health-Risk Behavior
Authors: Deaux Edward , Callaghan John W.
Published: March 2007

A statewide key informant survey of health-risk behavior was implemented in New Mexico at the same time that a random-digit-dialed telephone survey was conducted. The results obtained from the area of the state that was sufficiently sampled by both surveys demonstrated similarities in the responses on a majority of the assessment items. Differences in responses are explained by a tendency of those directly interviewed to overreport "healthy"behavior and underreport "unhealthy"behavior. The key informant approach was also able to capture information about native and rural populations not represented in the telephone survey. A reliability test of the key informant survey was conducted, and the data indicate a significant overall correlation between the two sets of responses.
Foundation Support of Evaluation
Authors: Smith Nick L.
Published: March 2007

A computerized search of the Foundation Grants Index was conducted to identify the nature and extent of foundation awards for evaluation work. The awards granted between 1972 and 1983 are described here in terms of size of grants, nature of recipients and supporting foundations, yearly and geographic distribution patterns, and topical areas of primary support. Because so few awards were found, three follow-up questions also are addressed. What is the actual level of foundation activity in evaluation? How public is foundation work in evaluation? And to what extent is foundation evaluation activity accurately represented in the Foundation Grants Index? Foundation resource materials also are summarized.
The Effectiveness of Incentives for Residential Energy Conservation
Authors: Stern Paul C. , Aronson Elliot , Darley John M. , Hill Daniel H. , Hirst Eric , Kempton Willett , Wilbanks Thomas J.
Published: March 2007

Studies evaluating incentive programs for residential energy efficiency are examined to assess the roles of the size and type of incentive and of nonfinancial aspects of the programs and to infer lessons for policy. Larger incentives are found to increase participation, but marketing and implementation may be more important than incentive size: participation varies tenfold between programs offering identical financial incentives, with more participation in programs operated by trusted organizations and aggressively marketed by word of mouth and other attention-getting methods. Preference for grants versus loans varies with income and other household characteristics. Low-income households can be reached by strong incentives if marketing and implementation are designed carefully.
Reliable Assessment Data in Multisite Programs
Authors: Abrahams Ruby , Greenberg Jay N. , Gruenberg Leonard , Lamb Sara
Published: March 2007

Evaluation of long-term care programs has suffered from a lack of comparable, reliable data, both within and across programs. This article discusses a methodology for development of clinical/research assessment tools, training of assessment interviewers, and ongoing checking of interrater reliability, applied to a multisite national health and long-term care demonstration. Audio tapes of case managers' clinical assessment interviews are extensively used. Reliability results are fed back into an ongoing training program. First year results are reported, showing steady improvement across all sites in reliability of data from a complex assessment instrument. The program has potential for wide application and improvement of data bases that are important for future development of public policy in long-term care.
A Developmental Stage Approach To Program Planning and Evaluation
Authors: Pancer S. Mark , Westhues Anne
Published: March 2007

Human service programs can be seen as proceeding through a number of stages in the course of their development. Each stage can be characterized by a major issue or question to be answered. Evaluation research, if appropriately matched to a program's stage of development, can help inform the decision making that goes on at each step and resolve the questions that need to be answered before proceeding to subsequent stages. This article presents a brief overview of what these stages are, the questions to be answered at each stage, and the kinds of research activity that can assist in answering those questions.
Implementing Randomized Experiments
Authors: Petersilia Joan
Published: March 2007

Eleven jurisdictions across the country are participating in the Intensive Supervision Demon stration Projectfunded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The demonstration is designed to assess the effects — and costs — of sentencing convicted felons to community-based programs. One of the unique aspects of the project is that it involves random assignment of offenders to intensive probation/parole supervision or control program conditions. The demonstration will run until 1990, but it has already provided instructive insights into the issues and problems involved in managing large randomized field experiments in criminal justice. The purpose of this article is to describe the programs and sites participating in the BJA Demonstration Project. The details of the RAND evaluation are then outlined, along with the data collection methods and random assignment procedures. The remaining sections describe and discuss the author's experiences, both positive and negative, in designing and evaluating the demonstration project. The author's hope is that the lessons learned from this experiment will prove instructive and help pave the way toward more refined randomized experiments in the future.
Peer Review Practices of Mass Communication Scholarly Journals
Authors: Leslie Larry Z.
Published: March 2007

Research and publication are important to today 's teacher-scholar. Gettingpublished in refereed journals is considered by many the surest way to tenure and promotion. Peer review has not been a popular area of study, but, increasingly, questions are being raised about current peer review practices in a variety of disciplines, including mass communication. This study examines peer review practices in mass communication. Results indicate that both researchers and referees have mixed feelings about peer review and about specific journals, but that they are dissatisfied with particular philosophies that underlie scholarship in the discipline.
Sifting Statistical Significance From the Artifact of Regression- Discontinuity Design
Authors: Stanley T.D. , Robinson Ann
Published: March 2007

When the covariate of an evaluation study using regression analysis is falhbly measured, the statistical test of program effectiveness is biased. In programs where the target population is "below average, " the bias tends to suppress the beneficial effects of the program, while raising them in programs designed for those "above average. " The magnitude of this bias is calculated, and a correction method is derived and illustrated. In many cases, these biases will make practical differences in program assessment, lending further support to the general distrust of nonexperimental methods. Nonetheless, our approach improves the reliability of nonexperimen tal methods by correcting one potential source of their bias.
An Evaluation of the 1977 Canadian Firearms Legislation
Authors: Mauser Gary A. , Holmes Richard A.
Published: March 2007

This article uses a pooled cross-section, time-series model to evaluate the effect of the 1977 Canadian firearms legislation on the provincial homicide rate between 1969 and 1989. This type of model was selected because of its ability to capture variation across space as well as time. The indices included in this model, measured at the provincial level, as independent variables are: unemployment rate, percentage Status Indian, percentage immigrant, percentage male youth, the clearance rate. The results are consistent with the findings of most previous studies that the 1977 Canadian firearms legislation did not have a significant effect on homicide rates. The strongest explanatory factors were percentage Status Indian and male youth.
Adjusting the U.S. Census of 1990
Authors: Functions Loss , Freedman David A. , Wachter Kenneth W. , Cutler D. Richard , Klein Stephen P.
Published: March 2007

Considering the difficulties, the Census Bureau does a remarkably good job at counting people. This article discusses techniques for adjusting the census. If there is a large undercount, these techniques may be accurate enough for adjustment. With a small undercount, adjustment could easily degrade the accuracy of the data. The Bureau argued that errors in the census were more serious than errors in the proposed adjustment, using "loss function analysis" to balance the risks. This procedure turns out to depend on quite unreasonable assumptions. With other and more realistic assumptions, the balance favors the census. The story has a broader moral. Statistical models are often defended on grounds of robustness. However, internally generated measures of precision may be critical. If the model is at all complicated, these measures of precision may turn out to be driven by assumptions not data—the antithesis of robustness.
An Econometric Study On the Deterrent Impact of Probation
Authors: Kim Iljoong
Published: March 2007

A drug offenders data set, recently collected in Florida, is used to estimate the impact of probation, vis-à-vis imprisonment, on recidivism. Because the sample period is characterized as "getting tough on drugs, " a possible connection between the drug policy and the deterrent impact of probation is explored. Econometrically, the main concern of this article is to correct not only the bias related to the selection process, but the bias resulting from interruption of the duration variable of those who have not returned to prison by the end of the survey. After employing methodologies to correct for these biases, there remains no evidence that probation per se has any significant impact on the duration of recidivism.
Enumerating Homeless People
Authors: Koegel Paul , Burnam M. Audrey , Morton Sally C.
Published: March 2007

Decisions about how inclusive one should be in attempting to sample and/or enumerate homeless populattons are best guided by information regarding what is sacrificed when different sampling choices are made. This article draws upon data from the Course of Homelessness Study to explore how three progressively less inclusive sampling frames affect understandings of the size and characteristics of homeless populations in two Los Angeles sites. Findings suggest that less inclusive sampling frames substantially affect populatton estimates, but do not consistently produce biased estimates of population characteristics. Whether, and the extent to which, such bias is introduced varies by site, by gender, and by the population characteristic in question.
Mental Health Quality Measurement in the Department of Defense
Authors: Paris Mark L.
Published: March 2007

In response to the need for high-quality mental health care for its benefictanes at approprtate cost to the government, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) has developed a quality and utilization management program that requires contracted organizations to manage care through appropriate means. The system provides for oversight of utilization management contractors by a national quality monitoring contractor and a proposed utilization management criteria set based on an analysts of criteria sets currently used in government and industry. This article describes the program at its current level of development.
The Effect of Video-Based Interventions on Self-Care
Authors: Clark Michele C. , Lester Jerry
Published: March 2007

Caregivers for dependent, elderly community dwellers are frequently themselves at risk for illnesses exacerbated by stress. This study evaluates a videotape scenario intervention designed to increase self-care behaviors in three groups of caregivers randomly assigned to a control or to one of two experimental groups. Within the 6- to 8-week trial, attitudes toward self-care became more positive in the experimental groups, and all groups reported endorsement of behavioral changes related to self-care.
Symbols of Menarche Identified by African American Females
Authors: Hawthorne Dorothy J.
Published: March 2007

This study was conducted to identify and describe symbolic themes of menarche. The qualitative case study design was used with a purposive sample of 30 participants (15 mothers and their 15 daughters) in answering 2 questions: (a) How do 9- and 10-year-old African American girls view the meaning of their menarcheal flow?, and (b) How do African American mothers view the meaning of menarche? Data were collected through interviews 2 to 5 days after completion of menarche. A cross-case comparison analysis of the interviews revealed 4 themes: (a) vaginal bleeding, (b) sexual maturation, (c) premenarcheal sexual activity, and (d) sexual payback to fathers. With the exception of the latter, all themes were supported in earlier studies of Euro-American girls. These findings indicate the need for further research addressing self-concept at menarche, impact of menarche on family relationships, and views of fathers about sexual pay-back as a symbol of menarche.