Grant Closed

Proposal for an RCT Training Institute

NCER

Program: Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences

Program topic(s): Methods Training for Education Research

Award amount: $1,581,931

Principal investigator: Larry Hedges

Awardee:

Northwestern University

Year: 2008

Award period: 3 years (09/01/2008 - 08/31/2011)

Project type:

Training

Award number: R305U080001

Purpose

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 was to build the capacity of researchers within the education science community to carry out cluster randomized field experiments.

Project Activities

The annual Training Institute focused on methods for designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting field-based randomized controlled trials of educational interventions, products, and services. Each of the Training Institutes had approximately 30 participants and took place over two weeks during the summer. The venue for the Training Institute alternated each year between Northwestern University and Vanderbilt University.

Key outcomes

The summer institutes on randomized trials have been continuously supported since this initial investment and continue to expand the capacity of researchers in the education sciences to carry out cluster randomized field experiments. Each institute has have received positive immediate and long-term responses from participants.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Christina Chhin

Education Research Analyst

NCER

Project contributors

Mark Lipsey

Co-principal investigator

Director of the Center for Evaluation Research and Methodology and a Senior Research Associate at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies

Vanderbilt University

David Cordray

Co-principal investigator

Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology

Vanderbilt University

Additional project information

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

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Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.