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This paper presents information from the ongoing research program, Monitoring the Future. The program is designed to: (1) monitor drug use and potential explanatory factors among American secondary school students, and other young adults; (2) distinguish which of three different kinds of change--maturational, historical, and/or cohort are occurring for various types of drug use; and (3) study causes, consequences, and maturational patterns associated with these different types of changes in drug use. Some 50,000 secondary school students in 435 schools are surveyed annually for the program. A follow-up survey of graduated classes yields a young adult sample of about 11,000 respondents in the age range of 19 to 32. The paper is divided into two parts. Part 1 contains the theoretical background and conceptual framework, and Part 2 elaborates on the ten objectives, their rationale, and presents a synopsis of progress to date. Some objectives include monitoring drug use and potential explanations in grades 8, 10, 12, among young adults and with ages 34 and 40; distinguishing period, age, and cohort effects; explaining secular trends and cohort differences; assessing the consequences of drug use; studying frequent or heavy-users; studying various under-represented groups; and the methodological, policy and other contributions to the field. (Contains 527 references.) (JDM)

The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the Monitoring the Future research design, including sampling, data collection procedures, measurement content, and questionnaire format. Monitoring the Future is designed to assess the changing lifestyles, values, and preferences of American youth on a continuing basis. Since the project started there has been a dramatic change in attitudes and behaviors that the project has been able to monitor, particularly concerning drug use. One important reason is that the basic study design described in the initial paper has remained constant in its fundamental characteristics and this consistency in survey methods is seen as a key condition for successfully measuring change. From the outset, the project was designed with two interrelated components, an annual nationwide survey of high school seniors, and a periodic follow-up questionnaire mailed to subsamples of each class cohort. The project has monitored four kinds of trends: (1) changes common to all cohorts in a given historical period; (2) maturational changes or age effects which show up consistently in the longitudinal data; (3) changes from one graduating class to another; and (4) longitudinal changes reflecting the differential impacts of important post-high school environments and major role transitions. (Contains 96 references and 17 appendixes.) (JDM)

This study examined graduation and attrition patterns of undergraduates who were enrolled in the fall semester but who did not return for the spring semester at a doctoral granting, metropolitan university. A total of 504 of the 1,262 students who enrolled in the fall 1992 semester but who did not return for the spring 1993 semester completed a questionnaire on persistence and attrition. Of the 504 stopouts, 482 were tracked using institutional enrollment files through the fall 1997 semester. As of the fall 1997 semester, 166 of the 482 stopouts were enrolled or had graduated from the institution, while 316 had not returned. It was found that 50 percent of the variance in freshmen persistence and attrition behavior among the stopouts was explained using a regression model containing 13 independent variables. It was also found that 16, 6, and 5 independent variables predicted 70 percent, 32 percent, and 24 percent, respectively, of the variance in persisting and nonreturning behavior among sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Two appendixes provide a copy of the nonreturning students' survey form and survey item correlations. (Contains 20 references.) (MDM)

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population of the United States that collects data on educational issues that are best explored through contact with households rather than with institutions. The NHES has been conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996. In the 1996 NHES (NHES:96), the topical components were parent/family involvement in education and civic involvement. This working paper presents information on the unit response rates, item response rates, weighting procedures, and imputation procedures in the NHES:96. The description of the response and completion rates in the first section, "Unit Response Rates," includes data on the rates for the Screener interview, the Parent/Family Involvement/Civic Involvement interview, the Youth Civic Involvement interview, and the Adult Civic Involvement interview. The next section, "Item Response and Imputation Procedures for the NHES:96," discusses reasons for nonresponse and ways to handle missing data. Imputation of missing data was done to develop complete variables used in developing sampling weights and to enable users to compute estimates more easily. The final section, "Weighting and Standard Error Calculation Procedures for the NHES:96," describes the procedures used to produce the weights for use in estimating characteristics from the NHES:96 sample and for estimating the sampling errors of those estimates. (Contains 39 tables and 7 references.) (SLD)

The National Household Education Survey for 1996 (NHES:96), a telephone survey of households taking place from January through April 1996, is designed to cover several components: (1) Household and Library (HH&L) (55,838 completed interviews); (2) Parent and Family Involvement in Education and Civic Involvement (PFI/CI) (20,792 completed interviews); (3) Youth Civic Involvement (YCI) (8,044 completed interviews); and (4) Adult Civic Involvement (ACI) (2,250 completed interviews). In the PFI/CI component, one parent was asked about the education and care of one child in grades 3 through 5 (regardless of how many children in the family) and one in grades 6 through 12, so that two children per family could be sampled if they were older and younger. For the YCI component, one child was sampled in each household with students in grades 6 through 12. The ACI component included adults aged 18 and older who were not in elementary or secondary school or the Armed Forces. The PFI/CI component focuses on children's schools and family involvement, while the Youth and Adult Civic Involvement components address civic attitudes, participation, and knowledge. This paper contains the interviewer questionnaire texts for the Screener/HH&L, the PFI/CI, YCI, and ACI interviews. (SLD)

This paper presents results of a review of mail survey response literature and provides recommendations for the application of some response-enhancing techniques to the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics. The SASS is an integrated set of surveys sponsored by the NCES and conducted by the Bureau of the Census to provide data on teachers, students, administrators, librarians, and libraries in public and private schools. The SASS uses mail questionnaires as its primary method of data collection, but in the most recent survey, only between 25% and 75% of surveys have been returned. It would not have been wise to produce SASS estimates based on the responses from mail surveys alone. After telephone interviews and a few face-to-face interviews, the response rate rose to between 80% and 100%, but obviously costs would be much reduced with better mail responses. A review of the literature indicates that response rate enhancement techniques have been grouped into the following general categories: (1) motivating a response; (2) content and appearance of correspondence; (3) postage supplied; and (4) attitudinal and behavioral modifications (not discussed in this report). Research indicates that multiple contacts are the most effective way to increase response rates, and that the SASS already includes most multiple contact techniques, with the exception of the use of special postage. Use of a fifth mail contact with two-day priority delivery is recommended. Another successful technique has been the inclusion of monetary incentives, a technique that does not seem appropriate for the SASS. The use of nonmonetary incentives, such as thank-you cards, is recommended. Making the questionnaires briefer and easier to complete is among additional recommendations. (Contains 7 tables and 24 references.) (SLD)

Institutional research has long relied on surveys to learn about student experiences. This study describes and evaluates two methods of using electronic mail to gather information from students about their experiences. Data were based on two case studies conducted during spring 1996 and fall 1997 at a 5,000-student state university. The report discusses some of the potential benefits of using e-mail to conduct survey research: faster response rates, the lack of intermediaries increases the chances that respondents will receive the survey promptly, asynchronous communication allows users to think about answers, and the medium itself may encourage users to respond more candidly. E-mail distribution lists are used to distribute questions and collect responses. Hypertext markup language (HTML) forms can be posted to an Internet web site to conduct survey research. While data from electronic surveys may not be as representative as that from a mail survey, the former is more likely to save money and time. Sample HTML form commands, a HTML form file, input types and subcommands, and HTML code used for a first-year survey are included. (Contains 10 references.) (CH)

This study, a collaborative undertaking between the college of health professions and the medical college at Thomas Jefferson University (Pennsylvania), was part of a larger project intended to examine whether a selected set of academic, demographic, and psychosocial variables are predictive of nursing and allied health student academic performance. The study compared psychosocial profiles of 71 female medical students with 182 female students in nursing and allied health fields. The survey instrument measured: loneliness, test anxiety, general anxiety, self-esteem, extroversion, external locus of control, neuroticism, stressful life events, and depression. Results indicated that medical, nursing, and allied health students differed considerably on a number of measures. Female allied health and nursing students appeared to be more depressed than female medical students, while female medical students had greater perceptions of general health and closer relationships with their fathers. The study also found a significant relationship in the expected direction between grade point average and stressful life events, test anxiety, perception of health, and self esteem. An unexpected finding was that the correlation between transfer grade point average and first semester grade point average was not significant. Six data tables are included. (Contains 21 references.) (CH)

An alternative system of course delivery, wholly online computer-managed instruction, was evaluated to estimate its contribution to total full-time-equivalent (FTE) students two years after its implementation at Christopher Newport University (Virginia). CNU ONLINE offers eight online courses and one online degree program. In Spring 1997, nearly 500 students were pursuing studies in 34 offerings through CNU ONLINE. Online students completed a survey eliciting their reasons for online enrollment and whether those reasons precluded taking the classroom equivalent. Most frequent student reasons for taking online course work included a preference for online media; interaction with online colleagues; development of online skills; reduced travel expenses; and reduced travel time. Other analyses examined the campus-wide relationship between course load and commuting distance from campus, comparing pre- and post-implementation semesters. Results supported the hypothesis of a net FTE gain, as opposed to FTE redistribution. The results suggest the potential of online instruction to reduce negative effects of distance and scheduling. The survey is appended. (Contains 12 references.) (JLS)

One prospect for the future of the Schools and Staffing Survey of the National Center for Data Collection is to continue in the direction set by its three previous rounds of surveys. Another approach, the one recommended in this paper, is to make the SASS the main vehicle of NCES for organizational information about U.S. schools from kindergarten through grade 12. The focus of the SASS should be broadened to include a wider scope of information on how American schools are organized. An examination of the limitations of the current SASS and the possibilities of new technical and methodological approaches leads to suggestions about the renewed SASS. A major focus of the new survey must be on how a school organizes its main dynamic components. A second main focus should be on how much of the school's organization is influenced by district, state, and federal educational agencies. The third focus states that the SASS must gather more information on financial resources and their flows to the point of instruction. Finally, a new SASS must include measures of school-level educational outcomes. Issues in implementing this new version of the SASS are discussed, and the reasons these changes are advisable are reviewed. (Contains 19 references.) (SLD)

This study investigated the institutional characteristics considered by 774 Australian first-year students attending the University of South Australia in their choice of this university. A self-administered survey instrument asked respondents to rate their attitudes on a Likert scale regarding their reasons for selecting this university. Results indicated that students ranked career preparation, academic program, distance from home, academic reputation, the quality of the school's research program, and library resources as strongly affecting their choice. The role of parents was not rated highly, although students used them as a source of information. The primary source of information that they used to find out about the university was the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Center guide. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/CK)

As an integral part of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) the School Administrator Questionnaire has been used to collect information from public and private school administrators regarding their demographic characteristics, academic background, professional training, and attitudes toward school management issues. The NCES reviewed the direction, purposes, and uses of the SASS. As part of this review, this paper discusses the scope, uses, and possible changes to the school administrator component of the SASS from a user's point of view. An overview of the School Administrator Questionnaire is presented across the three separate SASS surveys. Next, an assessment of the current uses of the school administrator data is given, and lastly comments and suggestions for possible changes to the school administrator survey are offered. As a survey of principals, this survey has contributed to an understanding of the school administrator workforce in the United States. To extend the usefulness of the survey, a number of changes are suggested. These include: (1) keep the core items consistent but simplify overly elaborate items; (2) expand the items on inservice and preservice training and solicit information about levels of satisfaction with training; (3) request that principals rank the relative importance of a number of school activities related to their leadership roles; (4) remove items related to principals' perceptions of school problems to make room for new items; (5) retain the locus of control items; and (6) include some questions about principal licensure procedures. (Contains 2 tables and 58 references.) (SLD)

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and the Teacher Followup Survey (TFS) have been administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1987-88, 1990-92, and 1993-95. The SASS is a large-scale survey of educational institutions in the United States. The TFS is conducted the year following the SASS to obtain more information about teachers at the sampled schools. In preparation for the next round of the SASS, the NCES decided to reassess the design of the NCES. This paper reconsiders the goals, foci, and strategies of SASS and continuing and new questionnaire content. A particular concern is the data NCES should collect to inform the educational issues most likely to be of concern in the next 10 to 20 years. The brief answer is that the NCES should continue to collect the data relevant to the fundamental dimensions of public schooling and the dimensions of the teaching force that have been considered in the past. To be prepared for the next decade, the NCES should collect data to quantify the baseline status of schools and their staffs so that changes in issues of interest can be recognized easily. In the past, SASS data have been especially useful for problem definition, evaluation of policies and programs, and also for enlightenment. and for enlightenment. In the future, it is recommended that questionnaires be designed to continue to collect useful data for these purposes and in addition to collect data more useful for evaluation of policies and programs. The following sections are included in the report: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "School Improvement versus School Change"; (3) "The Goals, Foci, and Strategy of SASS: A Reconsideration"; (4) "Dimensions of Schooling Amenable to Policy Intervention"; (5) "Review of Prior SASS Questionnaires"; (6) "Discussion and Recommendations"; and (7) "Summary." (Contains 2 tables and 14 references.) (SLD)

In 1990, a study was conducted at Rio Hondo College (Whittier, California) to determine if readers exhibited any bias in scoring test papers that were composed on a word processor as opposed to being written by hand. The study began with the formulation of tentative pilot study questions and the development of procedures to address them. Three areas of inquiry were devised: whether reader bias skewed the scores on word-processed papers; what factors contributed to reader bias; and what factors contributed to students' choices to use or not to use the word processors when they took their placement and final examinations. For the first question, 300 randomly selected, previously scored, handwritten placement essays were converted to word-processed papers, including all errors in language and surface conventions. For the other two questions, interviews and discussions were conducted. Study findings included the following: (1) papers converted to word-processed versions received lower scores than in their original handwritten state, and half of the examination readers indicated a preference for reading handwritten papers; (2) readers appeared to have higher expectations of word-processed papers; (3) the Reader Empathy Assessment Discrepancy (R-E-A-D) effect was afforded to handwritten papers, but not to word-processed papers; (4) students who produced handwritten papers reported that they felt uncomfortable about their typing skills, their amount of computer practice, and/or the technology itself; (5) students who produced word-processed papers reported that they did so because corrections were easier to make and they thought the papers would look better; and (6) factors influencing reader bias included perceived paper length and word count, ease of reading, and surface correctness. The document includes a series of recommendations, questions for further study, and 19 references. Appendixes provide the survey instruments and exam questions. (JMC)

This technical report documents the methodology of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) base year survey of eighth graders through the 1992 second followup survey of high school students and dropouts. Chapter 1 begins with an overview and history of the NELS:88 and its database, Chapter 2 contains a description of the data collection instruments. Base year through second followup sample design and weighting procedures are discussed in chapter 3, and chapter 4 describes data collection procedures, schedules, and results. Chapter 5 describes data control and preparation activities, and chapter 6 contains recommendations for future studies. The 18 appendixes contain supplemental information, including Spanish versions of the student and parent questionnaires, completion and nonresponse tables, forms used in conducting the survey, and discussions of the data files. (Contains 10 figures and 22 tables.) (SLD)

This analysis illustrates how alumni survey research can assess outcomes for graduates of master's degree programs and also be responsive to program goals, policy concerns of administrators, instructional values of the faculty, and standards of professional practice. Issues related to survey design and analysis are discussed, based on a study of 347 (a response rate of 64%) alumni of master's degree teacher education programs at a large northeastern university. Consideration is given to the design of the survey, which initially involved factor analysis of questionnaire items relating to graduates' evaluation of the program and their reported professional challenges. Attention is directed to the eight scales which were constructed after internal consistency and reliability were established; six scales covered program evaluation and two concerned professional experience. Faculty perspectives on student outcomes and professional accreditation standards were used to design three survey questions. Selected results are presented which confirm the impact of satisfaction with courses, perception of intellectual challenge, and the quality of professional preparation on graduates' overall evaluation of the program and on their reevaluation of their choice of the particular program. (Contains 16 references.) (SW)

The Student as Learner Inventory, which was developed at Alverno College (Wisconsin), is described. Alverno College is a private, 4-year liberal arts college for women with an enrollment of 2,500 students. The inventory, which is completed by entering and second semester students in an undergraduate program, is integral to the curriculum. The inventory is part of a New Student Seminar and involves: self-reflection by students on their development as learners; support for discussions by student, advisor, and instructor concerning learning issues; and identification of students "at risk" for attrition. Teachers bring students into a conversation about their learning perspective in relation to what will make them effective as learners in the curriculum. Consideration is given to: the rationale for research in a curriculum context; the contextual validity of the learning statements in the inventory; collaboration among researchers, instructors, and advisors; reframing validity as research and instruction are combined; the value of putting learning ahead of research and measurement goals; integration of research and measurement with instruction; use of qualitative and quantitative responses to interpret student responses to the inventory; measurement perspectives on score uses; items specific to the local context and philosophy of learning; and inventory revision based on statistical techniques and informed judgment. The inventory is appended, along with an educator's guide to the inventory. (Contains 34 references.) (SW)

This paper outlines the issues involved in an assessment of the extent and success of the integration of academic and vocational education. It develops questions that could be addressed to state and local education officials to assess the effects of the 1990 amendments to the Carl Perkins Act on both state policies and local practices. Section I describes the pertinent provisions in the Perkins Amendments. The paper outlines eight models of integration at the secondary level and seven conceptions of integration at the postsecondary level and clarifies the different kinds of changes that may occur when academic and vocational education are integrated. Section II reviews existing studies that describe the extent of integration before the passage of the Perkins Amendments, which could be used to determine how much change has taken place in response to the amendments. Section III outlines the methods and the general issues that guide the development of questions. Appendixes include 14 references and 4 sets of potential questions--both closed-ended and open-ended--designed to be administered by conventional survey methods to the state agency responsible for secondary vocational education; to the state agency responsible for community colleges, technical institutes, and other postsecondary institutions; to local educational agencies; and to local postsecondary institutions. (YLB)

This resource document presents four papers that were prepared by members of the Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation concerning issues related to assessments of institutional effectiveness and the use of assessment in the process of institutional accreditation. The first paper, "Outcomes Assessment, Institutional Effectiveness, and Accreditation: A Conceptual Exploration" (Peter T. Ewell), deals with some of the basic principles and issues involved in the use of outcomes assessment in accreditation, explores some of the tensions and alternatives these create, and develops recommendations for resolution. The second paper, "Incorporating Assessment into the Practice of Accreditation: A Preliminary Report" (Ralph Wolff), reports the results of a survey of those responsible for assessment activities including their practices, their level of knowledge of assessment issues, and their perception of the effectiveness of their current outcomes assessment practices. The third paper, "Methods for Outcomes Assessment Related to Institutional Accreditation" (Thomas Hogan), reviews the various methods of outcomes assessment and discusses their advantages and limitations. The last paper, (Trudy W. Banta), represents a selected 62-item bibliography of articles and documents about outcomes assessment in higher education. (GLR)

In large-scale assessments, some amount of background material is generally collected. Background questionnaires in the National Assessment of Educational Progress are the subject of this report. Most of the questions in NAEP background questionnaires have asked about course taking patterns and course content, but it is argued that the material gathered at present is of dubious quality and that information that is more extensive and valid could be collected. The questions about courses students have taken are often unnecessary or meaningless, and the coverage of courses is absent or incomplete. Information about advanced placement courses is demonstrably invalid, and information about other courses is often vague. Specific solutions, aimed at greater accuracy and detail, are proposed for these problems. A second major problem area is in the language that is used on the background questionnaires for fourth grade, which may be too difficult for the average student. Field testing these proposed changes is discussed. An attachment shows the percentage of 12th graders who report that they have taken advanced placement courses. (SLD)

This report compares estimates of selected data from the two components of the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES:93), the School Readiness (SR) survey and the School Safety and Discipline (SS&D) survey, with data from other surveys and published sources. The two different components cover a variety of topics related to education, and they include children and adolescents from age 3 through grade 12. As a result, comparisons are made from 12 national surveys from several government agencies. Observed differences are explored for the effects of differences in survey methodology, timing, definition, and question wording. Estimates from the NHES:93 SR survey for characteristics of early childhood educational experiences are, in many respects, quite similar to estimates from other surveys collecting similar data from similar populations. One of the primary reasons for the differences that do exist is the wording of survey questions. Timing of surveys, and definitions of ages also affect comparability. Findings from the SS&D component are also generally consistent with findings from other surveys. On issues where the wording is similar, the estimates tend to be similar. Appendix A contains summary descriptions of the survey data sets used for this report. (Contains 29 tables and 24 references.) (SLD)

The Private Institution Pretest Finance Survey (Pretest Survey) of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) was sent to a sample of 1,000 private colleges and universities for the fiscal year 1996. As of May 1997, the Bureau of the Census, administering the survey, had received and completed edit checks for about 50% of the institutions. This pilot test study provides a comprehensive review of 36 of the institutional responses to the Pretest Survey. The pilot test analysis consists of a detailed comparison of the data for each of the Pretest Survey participants with the institutional general purpose financial statement information. In addition, a line-by-line comparison of the Pretest revenue and expense data with the revenues, expenditures, and transfers reported in the IPEDS Finance Survey for 1996. These analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which data requirements of the Pretest Survey coincide with information in the general purpose finance statements, the extent to which the data provide information necessary to approximate expenditure and revenue data in the IPEDS Finance Survey, and the extent to which Pretest Survey requirements presented a significant reporting burden and how to reduce this burden. From the two comparisons and questionnaire results, preliminary recommendations for changes in the survey form, definitions, and instructions were prepared, and are presented for review and comment by a technical review panel. While Pretest Survey totals agreed with institutional financial statements, differences in individual categories occurred in virtually all institutions in the pilot test. The proposed changes should help resolve these and other discrepancies. Six appendixes contain materials used in survey development and the Pretest and IPED survey forms. (SLD)

In response to the need for data on higher education faculty and instructional staff, the National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) in 1987-88 and 1992-93. Both cycles of the NSOPF consisted of an institutional component and a faculty component. The earlier study surveyed only faculty with instructional responsibilities, but the later study included all individuals with faculty status. The Institution Questionnaire showed a five percentage point increase in the estimate of part-time instructional faculty between the fall of 1987 and the fall of 1992, but the Faculty Questionnaire did not show this change. Some other discrepancies between the institutional and faculty surveys were noted, and this study was conducted to understand how data about faculty members is kept at institutions and how to improve the NSOPF instruments to gain more accurate and consistent information. Site visits were conducted at five institutions and a telephone interview was held with another. Four focus groups, involving 26 people, were held at educational association meetings with representatives of colleges and universities. Specific suggestions were gathered for improvement in the following areas: (1) the Faculty List collection process; (2) definitions and categories; (3) data requested on the Faculty List Collection Form; (4) improvement of the Faculty List Documentation Form; (5) instructions for preparing machine-readable lists of faculty; and (6) institutional data systems. Six appendixes provide examples of materials used in the study, summaries of site visits and focus groups, and suggested revised NSOPF instructions and forms. (Contains four references.) (SLD)

The Bureau of the Census conducts the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) for the National Center for Education Statistics. The SASS is a set of integrated self-administered surveys designed to obtain national information on all aspects of the school system. Public and private school administrators and teachers respond to questionnaires about their schools. When the early SASS questionnaires were developed, there was little information about the design of self-administered questionnaires, but more recent research, much of it focused on SASS questionnaires, has suggested that the look of a questionnaire could be as important to the quality and quantity of data collected as the wording and sequencing of the questions themselves. Research was conducted to study the impact of questionnaire format for the most recent SASS design and to determine how well respondents comprehended the questions. Twenty cognitive interviews were conducted with teachers, five of whom held alternative certification. The most problematic questions were identified, and results of transcribed discussions about these items are presented. (Contains 3 tables, 5 figures, and 16 references.) (SLD)

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a data collection system of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which has as its mission the collection and publication of data on the condition of education in the United States by providing information on those issues that are best addressed by contacting households rather than educational institutions. The NHES is a telephone survey of households. This document contains the telephone interview guides for several components of the NHES in 1991 and 1995. The NHES:91 Screener interview, the screening items for the Adult Education survey and those for the Household Characteristics portion of the survey are presented. The 1991 Adult Education interview is also included. For the 1995 NHES, the Basic Screener is included, and the following areas of the 1995 Adult Education interview are presented: (1) Initial Background; (2) English as a Second Language; (3) Basic Skills and GED Preparation; (4) Credential; (5) Apprenticeship; (6) Career or Job Related Activities; (7) Other Formal Structured Activities; (8) Computer-Only or Interactive Video-Only Instruction on the Job; (9) Remaining Background; and (10) Household Characteristics. (SLD)

Factors affecting female participation in education in seven developing countries were examined through field visits to the following countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Jamaica, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Vanuatu. In each country, researchers interviewed key personnel, consulted local documentation, and conducted two empirical surveys designed to ascertain the views of gender and education held by primary school pupils and women training to become primary teachers. Nine groups of factors potentially affecting female participation in education were considered: geographical, sociocultural, health, economic, religious, legal, political/administrative, educational, and initiatives. Several factors, including residence in a rural area and the health effects of poverty and malnutrition, proved to affect female participation in education much more than male participation. The near-universal fundamental cultural bias in favor of males and economic factors proved to be the biggest obstacles to female participation in education in developing countries. Religious and legal factors had only indirect effects. Significant initiatives aiming to address aspects of the problem of female participation in education were noted in all seven countries; however, the political will to implement those initiatives policies was largely lacking. (Thirty-three tables/figures and the questionnaires are included. The Seychelles case study is presented as an appendix.) (MN)

This study attempted to develop a reliable and valid instrument for assessing work environment and continuous quality improvement efforts in the non-academic sectors of colleges and universities particularly those institutions who have adopted Total Quality Management programs. A model of a work environment for continuous quality improvement was developed and an instrument was designed to assess non-academic staff's perceptions of the quality process, practices, and results at the University of Michigan (UM). A literature review identified major organizational and higher education models of quality improvement. Researchers designed a study instrument of 217 items which was evaluated by pilot testing with focus groups of UM staff. The final instrument consisted of 201 items that incorporated 35 "quality culture and climate" dimensions. Items focused on perceptions at the respondents' immediate work "unit" level. All permanent non-academic staff completed the questionnaire in February 1994. Of 10,400 questionnaires distributed 4,900 were completed and returned. Results were subjected to data reduction, index development, and reliability and validity testing from which 27 factors emerged. Reliability for indices ranged from .53 to .96. Extensive appendixes contain details of methodology, factor analyses, indices descriptions, and comparisons of conceptual categories and factor indices of a quality culture and a quality climate. (Contains 44 references.) (JB)

This study tested the ability of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) to predict attrition for first-time, full-time freshmen at a predominantly white, medium-sized, liberal arts, denominational college in the southeast. A random sample of 100 students were surveyed of which 84 returned usable questionnaires (57 females, 27 male, 59 white, 23 black, 2 Hispanic). Attrition after 1 and 2 years was 32.1 percent and 55.9 percent respectively. Using logistic regression, five predictive models of the SACQ were tested and compared to other predictors of attrition. The study found that the claim that the SACQ can identify at-risk students in all institutional settings is not supported. Generally, unique combinations of SACQ items were the best predictors of attrition at both 1 and 2 year time intervals. The Attachment subscale of the SACQ did not appear to be an effective predictor of attrition. The best predictors came primarily from the Academic and Social Adjustment subscales. Generally, none of the models predicted attrition with a high degree of accuracy. Colleges should use caution when using the SACQ to target at-risk students for early intervention. (Contains 12 references.) (JB)

Selected members of the Rural Education Special Interest Group (RE/SIG) of the American Educational Research Association participated in a modified Delphi study to examine the agenda for rural educational research proposed by the Federal Interagency Committee on Education (FICE) Subcommittee on Rural Education. The Delphi technique is a procedure designed to secure opinions and judgments of experts in specialized fields and to seek consensus as to the most likely scenarios. The 28 participants validated the contents of the original 1991 FICE agenda topics and research and development areas. Through two rounds of consensus building, the participants agreed with the content of the original FICE agenda's six major topics. In addition, they agreed with the content of 31 of the 44 original FICE agenda research and development areas within each of the 6 topics. They suggested 23 new research and development areas, across the 6 major topics, during the first round of the study. In Round Two, the members validated the contents of these new areas and agreed on 16 of them for inclusion in Round Three. During Round Three, participants prioritized the six major topics and developed a research and development budget. The topics, in order of priority, are the following: (1) overall school effectiveness; (2) school-community partnerships; (3) human resources; (4) finance and governance issues; (5) use of technology; and (6) curriculum provisions. Appendices contain introductory letters and instruments for the three rounds and commentary papers by RE/SIG members. (KS)