For the educator looking for an accessible guide to developing effective questionnaires or the graduate student doing research for a thesis or dissertation, this book offers both novice and experienced researchers a user-friendly guidebook for constructing a basic questionnaire, collecting and analyzing the data, and then reporting it. New to this edition is the significant discussion of the value of using the Internet and pitfalls to avoid when gathering information and developing and distributing questionnaires.

"The authors' thoughtful treatment and discussion of the subject deftly walks the reader through each stage of the survey questionnaire process. The book uses terrific examples, gives clear direction, and is an essential reference for survey research in education." -Lawrence Machi, Professor of Organizational Leadership University of La Verne "More and more, district leaders are needing to collect perceptual data through surveys. This book provides guidance in a concise format for busy educators who may not have had training related to survey development." -Ronald L. Russell, Associate Director Loess Hills Area Education Agency 13, IA A user-friendly guide to developing questionnaires that work! Since the first edition of Your Opinion, Please! was published, the demand for accurate information and efficient ways of collecting data has increased in all arenas, and the field of education is no exception. Written by experts, this accessible resource presents the vital elements for creating any type of survey or questionnaire. The second edition has been updated with a significant discussion on the value of using the Internet-and pitfalls to avoid-when gathering information and developing and distributing questionnaires. The updates also include a new chapter on designing questionnaires, in response to the increasing body of research focused on the design elements of questionnaire development. The authors show novice and experienced researchers how to construct a basic questionnaire, collect and analyze the data, and report the results. The material takes readers through the essential stages of questionnaire development and covers: Establishing and clarifying the guiding questions Designing the questionnaire Formatting responses Categorizing responses by group type This user-friendly guidebook also provides examples throughout to illustrate the questionnaire development process, a sample completed survey for reference, and a section on frequently asked questions.

'A wonderful tool! No educational jargon to weed through. The author meshes the real world with the ideal world and provides a concrete guide for principals to work with their faculty' - Marie Blum, Superintendent, Canaseraga Central School, NY 'Provides insight, evidence, humor, and most important, practical tools every educator and school leader can use. With the wisdom earned through decades of work in schools of every conceivable description, Cox guides us through the belief systems and data analysis, as well as the impact of demographic characteristics, teaching practices, and leadership decisions on student achievement' - Douglas Reeves, Chairman, Center for Performance Assessment Focus on program quality-not just test scores-and watch student achievement climb! In this remarkable book, renowned educational consultant Jim Cox offers a smarter way to look at data, putting test scores in context, not in isolation. Rather than focusing on last year's findings for school improvement, educators can learn how to evaluate the processes and practices that lead to those data by using a user-friendly, three-pronged framework for school improvement: teacher quality, program elements, and leadership. This concise, practical guide offers easy-to-use tools and techniques for schools and districts to evaluate their programs using both quantiative and qualitative data. School leaders will learn to look at data, program evaluation, and school improvement differently and discover how to effectively * Define a quality program * Analyze what is and is not working * Avoid "test score fatigue" Packed with worksheets, step-by-step instructions, and an extensive appendix of tools, this book provides readers with a complete improvement plan to put into action today!