Using Statistics to Make Educational Decisions

An accessible introduction to statistics written specifically for Education students in the changing educational landscape

Government scrutiny and intensified oversight have dramatically changed the landscape of education in recent years. Observers want to know how schools compare, which district is best, which states are spending the most per student on education, whether reforms are making a difference, and why so many students are failing. Some of these questions require technical answers that educators historically redirected to outside experts, but the questions leveled at all educators have become so acute and persistent that they can no longer be outsourced. This text helps educators develop the tools and the conceptual understanding needed to provide definitive answers to difficult statistical questions facing education today.

David Tanner is a Professor in the Department of Educational Research and Administration at California State University, Fresno, where he was the Department Chair from 1990-1995. He received his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Measurement from Texas A&M University, and his areas of interest include educational psychology; statistics and measurement; educational research; quantitative and qualitative evaluation; assessing student achievement; evaluating classroom assessment instruments; and evaluating the performance of teachers and teacher candidates. He has authored several journal articles and the textbook Assessing Academic Achievement (©2001).