American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will staff will offer the following presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

Thursday, April 11

10:50 am–12:20 pm

Equity and Data: Reflecting on 20 Years of Federal Support of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems | Kristen Noel King
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Level 100, Room 112B

This paper focuses on key equity indicator data types to examine how statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) can support robust data use to enable equity-focused decision making. We use five years of data from the U.S. Department of Education’s SLDS Survey to explore how SLDSs develop and progress in storing, linking, and using data across the preschool to workforce (P-20W+) continuum. We examine two research questions: 1) How has inclusion of key data types and use of SLDS data developed over time? 2) How have systems progressed with linking key data types and making data accessible to the public? Findings provide a current and longitudinal look at SLDS development and enable awareness regarding the availability and linking of P-20W+ data.

2:30–4:00 pm

Disparities in STEM Degree Earning for LGBTQ+ Individuals: New Evidence From the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 | Elise Christopher
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Level 3, Room 310

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is a nationally representative study of 2009 ninth-graders’ important transitions through high school and into young adult outcomes. Information about motivations, expectations, and attitudes is added to rich demographic data in order to inform research about educational pathways. HSLS:09 is the fifth in a series of secondary longitudinal studies conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) since the early 1970s.

The current paper will present findings using newly released NCES data from the HSLS:09’s Postsecondary Education Administrative Records (PEAR) collection (to be released in fall 2023). This dataset has been compiled by administrative matching with the US Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to understand postsecondary enrollment and degree completion through July 2021, which was eight years after most students in the HSLS:09 cohort left high school. These data provide an updated, more comprehensive picture of postsecondary degree attainment among the 2009 ninth-grader population.

Disparities in STEM degree earning between LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual students will be a focus of the presentation. Differences by specific STEM discipline will be presented, as well as differences by gender within queer subgroups. Major and degree type choice differences for LGBTQ+ individuals compared to non-queer counterparts will be presented to elucidate patterns among other non-STEM disciplines. Other interesting enrollment and completion patterns by sexual orientation and gender identity status will be described. The dataset, complete with up to 8 years of postsecondary enrollment information, includes graduate degree enrollment as well, which will be discussed in its potential role in disparities between LGBTQ+ students and their cisgender heterosexual counterparts.

Directions for further research and suggestions for researchers planning to use SOGI data from the newest HSLS:09 dataset will wrap up the presentation.

These findings, among the first to be released from this new dataset (currently in review, about to be released from NCES), are important to document for researchers and policymakers the differential outcomes experienced in vital educational and labor force pathways for LGBTQ+ individuals. The results lay the groundwork for further research into the breakdowns in these pathways for queer adults early in their careers.             

Saturday, April 13

7:45–11:45 am

Using R and Generative AI for NAEP Data Analysis | Emmanuel Sikali
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Level 100, Room 107B

This 4-hour mini-course will introduce the unique design features of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data to researchers and provide guidance in the required data analysis strategies, including the selection and use of appropriate plausible values, sampling weights, variance estimation procedures (i.e., jackknife approaches) and the generative AI chatbot specifically designed for NAEP data analysis. The course will provide participants with hands-on practice training in analyzing public-use NAEP data files using the R package EdSurvey, which is developed for analyzing national and international large-scale assessment data with complex psychometric and sampling designs, and generative AI chatbot, which is fine-tuned with NCES-approved materials, such as technical documentation on the web, published technical memos and reports. Participants will learn how to perform the following:

• data process and manipulation,
• descriptive statistics,
• cross-tabulation and plausible value means, and
• linear and logistic regression.
• integrating their work with the chatbot, getting help with writing EdSurvey-R codes, and support from the chatbot.

The knowledge and analytic approach from this course can be applied to analyzing other large-scale national and international data with plausible values, such as PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS.

This course is designed for individuals in government, universities, private sectors, and nonprofit organizations interested in analyzing large-scale assessment data. Participants should have at least basic knowledge/skills of R software, statistical inference, and multiple regression. Working knowledge of Item Response Theory and sampling theory is preferred. Participants must have a computer preloaded with the latest R and RStudio software version to participate in the hands-on portion.

11:25 am–12:55 pm

Priorities and Shared Aspirations Across the Institute of Education Sciences: Perspectives From IES Commissioners | Peggy Carr
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Level 200, Room 202AB

This session will highlight current priorities within the Institute of Education Science around its research programs, statistical data collection, and development of evidence-based tools and resources. IES has embarked on an agenda that is transformative to the field both in accelerating learning and in developing new measures and methods for data collection and reporting. This session will include an update on IES priorities across its four centers, shared visions of supporting research and data to build evidence-based policy and practice, and detail how the education research community can be engaged in the work that IES supports.

Session remarks from each of the four IES commissioners will be followed by moderated Q&A.

3:05–4:35 pm

COVID-19 Experiences, Contexts, and Outcomes From The Nation’s Report Card | Ebony Walton
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Level 5, Salon I

The National Center for Education Statistics collected a wealth of data during and after the pandemic that provides insights on student achievement and the shifting contexts for learning. In this symposium, we will discuss fresh analyses of NCES’s data from the National Asse