Search Results: (1-15 of 47 records)
| Pub Number | Title |  Date |
|---|---|---|
| NCEE 20094033 | The Late Pretest Problem in Randomized Control Trials of Education Interventions
The Late Pretest Problem in Randomized Control Trials of Education Interventions, by Peter Schochet, addresses pretest-posttest experimental designs that are often used in randomized control trials (RCTs) in the education field to improve the precision of the estimated treatment effects. For logistic reasons, however, pretest data are often collected after random assignment, so that including them in the analysis could bias the posttest impact estimates. Thus, the issue of whether to collect and use late pretest data in RCTs involves a variance-bias tradeoff. This paper addresses this issue both theoretically and empirically for several commonly-used impact estimators using a loss function approach that is grounded in the causal inference literature. The key finding is that for RCTs of interventions that aim to improve student test scores, estimators that include late pretests will typically be preferred to estimators that exclude them or that instead include uncontaminated baseline test score data from other sources. This result holds as long as the growth in test score impacts do not grow very quickly early in the school year. |
12/1/2008 |
| IES 20096010 | Rigor and Relevance Redux: Director's Biennial Report to Congress
The Institute of Education Sciences has issued the third and final Director's Biennial Report to Congress to be prepared by the Institute's first director, Dr. Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst. Required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the report includes a description of the activities of IES and its four National Education Centers, as well as a summary of all IES grants and contracts during the biennium in excess of $100,000. The report also includes the Director's recommendations for continued progress and effectiveness of IES. Among the report's highlights:
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11/21/2008 |
| NBES 20096011 | National Board for Education Sciences 5-Year Report, 2003 Through 2008
The framework for the Institute’s nonideological, high-quality work was wisely established by Congress in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA). Because that Act has generated such strong results, the Board is recommending its rapid reauthorization, with a set of modest amendments meant to improve its clarity and make it even stronger. The Board recognizes that transformation of education into an evidence-based field is an enormous task. It will need to involve everyone from federal and state policymakers to local education leaders, administrators, teachers, and parents. Over the past 6 years, a new direction has been set for education research. We now need to stay on course to arrive at this destination. This report presents the Board’s evaluation of the Institute. The Board examined the ways in which and the extent to which the Institute has been successful in advancing the rigor and improving the relevance of education research, and facilitating evidence-based decisionmaking. |
11/20/2008 |
| NBES 20086009 | National Board for Education Sciences 2008 Annual Report: August 2007 through July 2008
On November 5, 2002, Congress passed the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA), establishing the Institute of Education Sciences (IES, or the Institute) and its board of directors, the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES, or the Board). The Institute reports to Congress yearly on the condition of education in the United States. The Institute provides thorough and objective evaluations of federal programs, sponsors research relevant and useful to educators and others (such as policymakers), and serves as a trusted source of unbiased information on what works in education. The NBES consists of voting and ex-officio members (see Appendix A). The 15 voting members of the Board are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Members Richard Milgram and Herbert Walberg completed their respective terms in November 2007. Board chair Craig Ramey finished his term in March 2008. In 2007 and 2008, the President nominated and the Senate confirmed the following individuals to serve a second term on the Board: Jonathan Baron, Carol D'Amico, F. Philip Handy, Eric Hanushek, and Sally Shaywitz. In November 2008, the Board will have nine member vacancies without taking into account nominations and pending confirmations beyond the release of this report. During this reporting period (August 2007 through July 2008), the Board held meetings in September 2007 and January and May 2008. |
9/5/2008 |
| NBES 20086005 | National Board for Education Sciences 2007 Annual Report: August 2006 to July 2007
On November 5, 2002, Congress passed the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA), establishing the Institute of Education Sciences (IES, or the Institute) and its advisory board, the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES, or the Board). The Institute reports to Congress yearly on the condition of education in the United States. The Institute provides thorough and objective evaluations of federal programs, sponsors research relevant and useful to educators and others (such as policymakers), and serves as a trusted source of gold-standard, reliable, unbiased information on what works in education. |
6/20/2008 |
| NCEE 20084012 | National Assessment of Title I: Final Report
This two-volume report, and Summary of Key Findings, presents findings from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I on the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on follow-up findings from Closing the Reading Gap, an evaluation of the impact of supplemental remedial reading programs on achievement of 3rd and 5th grade students. As part of NCLB, the Congress mandated a National Assessment of Title I (Section 1501) to evaluate the implementation and impact of the program. This mandate also required the establishment of an Independent Review Panel (IRP) to advise the Secretary on methodological and other issues that arise in carrying out the National Assessment and the studies that contribute to this assessment. In addition, the law specifically requires a longitudinal study of Title I schools to examine the implementation and impact of the Title I program. Results from that study are included in Volume I. |
11/15/2007 |
| NCES 2007397 | Data Files: NCES Comparable Wage Index
The Comparable Wage Index (CWI) is a measure of the systematic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not educators. It can be used by researchers to adjust district-level finance data at different levels in order to make better comparisons across geographic areas. The CWI was developed by Dr. Lori L. Taylor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. This documentation describes four geographic levels of the CWI, which are presented in four separate files. These files are the school district, labor market, state, and a combined regional and national file. The school district file provides a CWI for each local education agency (LEA) in the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) database. For each LEA there is a series of indexes for the years 1997 - 2005. The file can be merged with school district finance data, and this merged file can be used to produce finance data adjusted for geographic cost differences. This file also includes four agency typology variables. The additional files allow for similar geographic cost adjustments for larger geographic areas. |
9/4/2007 |
| NFES 2007801 | Forum Guide to Core Finance Data Elements
This document provides an overview of key finance data terms. It also covers the 2 NCES public school finance surveys: the state-level National Public Education Financial Survey and the School District Finance Survey (or F-33). Differences and similarities between the two surveys are described. Chapter 3 contains definitions for key finance data elements. Chapter 4 contains a listing and defininitons of key finance indicators and economic adjustment indexes. |
7/17/2007 |
| NFES 2007808 | Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data: A Resource for Local Education Agencies
This curriculum supports efforts to improve the quality of education data by serving as training materials for K-12 school and district staff. It provides lesson plans, instructional handouts, and related resources, and presents concepts necessary to help schools develop a culture for improving data quality. |
7/11/2007 |
| IES 20076004 | IES 2007 Biennial Report to Congress
The Institute of Education Sciences has issued the Director's Biennial Report to Congress, covering activities and accomplishments of the Institute in 2005 and 2006. Transmitted by Director Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst as required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the report includes a description of the activities of IES and its four National Education Centers, as well as a summary of all IES grants and contracts during the biennium in excess of $100,000. Since IES's first Biennial Report two years ago, said Whitehurst, "IES has been transformed from an organization under construction to one that is fully formed and operational." |
5/13/2007 |
| NCES 2005150 | Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 1993/2003 Data Analysis System (DAS) On-line
The DAS contains data from the 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:1993/2003). This study is the third follow-up of a national sample of students who completed bachelor degrees in academic year 1992-1993 and were first surveyed as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. This DAS allows users to conduct analyses on data gathered in this study while on-line via the web. |
9/20/2006 |
| NCES 2006865 | Documentation for the NCES Comparable Wage Index Files
The Comparable Wage Index (CWI) is a measure of the systematic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not educators. It can be used by researchers to adjust district-level finance data at different levels in order to make better comparisons across geographic areas. The CWI was developed by Dr. Lori L. Taylor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University and William J. Fowler, Jr. at NCES. Dr. Taylor’s research was supported by a contract with the National Center for Education Statistics. The complete description of the research is provided in the NCES Research and Development “A Comparable Wage Approach to Geographic Cost Adjustment” (NCES 2006-321). This documentation describes four geographic levels of the CWI, which are presented in four separate files. These files are the school district, labor market, state, and a combined regional and national file. The school district file provides a CWI for each local education agency (LEA) in the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) database. For each LEA there is a series of indexes for the years 1997 - 2004. The file can be merged with school district finance data, and this merged file can be used to produce finance data adjusted for geographic cost differences. This file also includes four agency typology variables. The additional files allow for similar geographic cost adjustments for larger geographic areas. NCES has sponsored the development of other geographic adjustment indexes in the past; the latest was for the 1993-94 school year. |
6/15/2006 |
| IES 2005AR | IES 2005 Biennial Report to Congress
Established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences is the research arm of the Department of Education. Its mission is to expand knowledge and provide information on the condition of education, practices that improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs. Its goal is the transformation of education into an evidence-based field in which decision makers routinely seek out the best available research and data before adopting programs or practices that will affect significant numbers of students. |
5/13/2006 |
| NCEE 20035001 | Random Assignment in Program Evaluation and Intervention Research: Questions and Answers
Random Assignment in Program Evaluation and Intervention Research: Questions and Answers What is the purpose of education program evaluation? The basic purpose of program evaluation research is to test (1) whether education programs help the students they are designed to serve and (2) whether new ideas for education programs still under development are worthy of extension to a wider selection of schools and settings. The term "program" refers to a specific set of education practices or interventions that are thought to have an impact on a given set of education outcomes. |
5/6/2006 |
| NCEE EB2003 | Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported By Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide
This Guide seeks to provide educational practitioners with user-friendly tools to distinguish practices supported by rigorous evidence from those that are not. |
5/6/2006 |
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