How Does Implementation Mediate Program Impacts? Improving Current Evaluation Research Methods

Co-Principal Investigator: Moulton, Shawn

Through Monte Carlo simulation, the researchers will investigate the accuracy of the estimation of mediation effects of multiple analytic approaches under ideal modeling conditions in which all assumptions are met, under conditions in which key assumptions of the approaches are violated, and under conditions with nonlinear functional forms. Researchers will use all of the approaches to address applied questions using the Evaluation of Comprehensive Teacher Induction (CTI) data set. This will provide both an applied demonstration of the ASPES investigated in the study, an illustration of the differences in results obtained by using various approaches on the same data, and ways to diagnose potential violations of key assumptions in real data. The research team will disseminate the results of the research and recommendations for practice via peer-reviewed conference presentations and journal articles, as well as an online short course to teach applied researchers how to use ASPES and in-person workshops.