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Technical Methods Report: What to Do When Data Are Missing in Group Randomized Controlled Trials

NCEE 2009-0049
October 2009

Exhibit III.b.1.  Scenario III, Missing Data Dependent on Post-test: Data Missing for 40% of Students


    Imact Estimate   Standard Error of Imact Est.   90% Cl
Data Pre-test Data Available? Estimate True Imact Bias Bias Level Standard Estimate Unbiased Estimate Bias Bias Level % of Samples in
which 90% Cl
Contains .20
No Missing Data No 0.203 0.200 0.003 Low Bias 0.085 0.088 -0.002 Low Bias 0.892 0.892
  Yes 0.203 0.200 0.003 Low Bias 0.062 0.062 0.000 Low Bias 0.886
A. Pre-Test (X) Data Missing                    
Case Deletion No 0.133 0.200 -0.067 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.723
  Yes                  
Dummy Variable Method No 0.215 0.200 0.015 Low Bias 0.067 0.067 0.000 Low Bias 0.886
  Yes                  
Mean Value Imputation No 0.267 0.200 0.067 High Bias 0.069 0.065 0.003 Low Bias 0.749
  Yes                  
Single, Non-stochastic No 0.200 0.200 0.000 Low Bias 0.065 0.064 0.001 Low Bias 0.899
Regression Imputation Yes                  
Single, Stochastic No 0.201 0.200 0.001 Low Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.890
Regression Imputation Yes                  
Multiple Stochastic No 0.201 0.200 0.001 Low Bias 0.065 0.062 0.003 Low Bias 0.903
Regrssion Imputation (n=5) Yes                  
EM Algorithm with Multiple Imputation (n=5) No 0.202 0.200 0.002 Low Bias 0.066 0.063 0.003 Low Bias 0.899
  Yes                  
B. Post-Test (Y) Data Missing                    
Case Deletion No 0.076 0.200 -0.124 High Bias 0.087 0.087 0.000 Low Bias 0.574
  Yes 0.113 0.200 -0.067 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.723
Mean Value Imputation No 0.059 0.200 -0.142 High Bias 0.053 0.087 -0.035 Low Bias 0.261
  Yes 0.057 0.200 -0.143 High Bias 0.040 0.069 -0.030 Low Bias 0.127
Single, Non-stocastic No 0.079 0.200 -0.121 High Bias 0.088 0.087 0.000 Low Bias 0.592
Regression Imputation Yes 0.140 0.200 -0.060 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.000 Low Bias 0.758
Single, Stochastic No 0.080 0.200 -0.120 High Bias 0.090 0.089 0.001 Low Bias 0.600
Regression Imputation Yes 0.141 0.200 -0.059 High Bias 0.065 0.065 0.001 Low Bias 0.763
Multiple, Stochastic No 0.078 0.200 -0.122 High Bias 0.095 0.087 0.007 Low Bias 0.632
Regression Imputation (n=5) Yes 0.139 0.200 -0.061 High Bias 0.068 0.063 0.005 Low Bias 0.797
EM Algorithm with Multiple Imputation (n=5) No 0.080 0.200 -0.120 High Bias 0.095 0.088 0.007 Low Bias 0.636
  Yes 0.138 0.200 -0.062 High Bias 0.069 0.063 0.006 Low Bias 0.800
Weighting - Simple No 0.079 0.200 -0.121 High Bias 0.088 0.087 0.000 Low Bias 0.588
  Yes 0.135 0.200 -0.065 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.735
Weighting - Sophisticated No 0.079 0.200 -0.121 High Bias 0.088 0.087 0.000 Low Bias 0.593
  Yes 0.140 0.200 -0.060 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.761
Fully Specified Regression Models No 0.138 0.200 -0.062 High Bias 0.064 0.063 0.001 Low Bias 0.752
w/ Treatment-Covariate Interactions Yes                  
Note: When pre-test scores are available, they are used as a covariate in the analysis model. In addition, we used pre-test scores to impute values and create weights. Bias estimates were computed as described in Chapter 4 and repeated at the beginning of this appendix. The level of the bias is characterized as "High Bias" or "Low Bias" based on the criteria established in Chapter 4. 90% CI refers to the 90-percent confidence interval around the impact estimate. For more details on the simulations, see Chapter 4 and Appendix C.