This study presents a method for identifying small subsets of morphological attributes of the skeletal pelvis that have consistently high reliability in assigning the sex of unknown individuals. An inductive computer algorithm (ID3) was applied to a bootstrapped training set/test set design in which the model was developed from 70% of the sample and tested on the remaining 30%. Relative accuracy of sex classification was evaluated for seven subsets of 31 morphological features of the adult os coxae. Using 115 ossa coxarum selected from the Terry Collection, a selected suite of the three most consistently diagnostic attributes averaged 93.1% correct classification of individuals by sex over ten trials. Attribute suites developed collaboratively with three well known skeletal experts averaged 87.8, 91.3, and 89.6% correct. The full set of 31 attributes averaged 90.0% accuracy. We demonstrate a small set of three criteria, selected and ordered by ID3, that is more accurate than other combinations, and suggest that ID3 is a useful approach for developing identification systems.
The primary purpose of this study was to identzfy parent involvement practices used in Wisconsin middle level schools, and to determine the extent to which those parent involvement practices are consistent with Epstein's five-part model of parent involvement in schools. The study also examined questions involving the relationship between characteristics of the school and principal and the Epstein model of parent involvement. The predominant practices identified involved basic obligations of the parents and the school. Parent involvement in decision making and governance and with home learning also occurred, but with less frequency than practices related to providing informa tion to parents about parenting or about the school and its programs. The least prevalent practice identified was the involvement of parents as school volunteers. School characteristics injuencing parent involvement practices include enrollment, grade confgura tion, location, percentage of staf sending home positive messages about students, and the percentage of staf providing assistance to parents helping students with school work. The characteristics of the principal influencing parent involvement practices include longevity and level of educational attainment. Wisconsin public middle schools regularly engage in a variety of parent involvement practices and many of those practices displayed high and statistically significant relationships with each other. Furthermore, certain background characteristics of the school and principal were related to the types of parent involvement practices reported.
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