Co-Principal Investigators: Mark Lipsey and David Cordray

Well-executed randomized experiments provide the strongest evidence about causal effects of education interventions, products, and services. Consequently, they have a crucial role to play in establishing a base of knowledge for the improvement and reform of American education. Yet, the number of individuals with the knowledge and experience necessary to design, implement, analyze, and interpret randomized field experiments in education is surprisingly small. The purpose of this project is to build the capacity of researchers within the education science community to carry out cluster randomized field experiments. The annual Training Institute will focus on methods for designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting field-based randomized controlled trials of educational interventions, products, and services. Each of the Training Institutes will have 30 participants and will take place over two weeks during the summer. The venue for the Training Institute will alternate each year between Northwestern University and Vanderbilt University.

** This project was submitted to and funded as an Unsolicited application in FY 2008.