IES Predoctoral Program Seminar: Dr. Vivian Wong

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Field-based Research in Education, sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), welcomes Dr. Vivian Wong to our weekly seminar series.

Moving from What Works to What Replicates: A New Framework for Evidence-Based Policy Analysis
Presented by Dr. Vivian Wong, Associate Professor of Research, Statistics, and Evaluation, University of Virginia Curry School of Education and Human Development

Researchers face many choices when conducting large-scale multisite individually randomized control trials. One of the most common quantities of interest in multisite RCTs is the overall average effect. Even this quantity is non-trivial to define and estimate. The researcher can target the average effect across individuals or sites. Furthermore, the researcher can target the effect for the experimental sample or a larger population. If treatment effects vary across sites, these estimands can differ. Once an estimand is selected, an estimator must be chosen. Standard estimators, such as fixed-effects regression, can be biased. We describe 15 estimators, consider which estimands they are appropriate for, and discuss their properties in the face of cross-site effect heterogeneity. Using data from 12 large multisite RCTs, we estimate the effect (and standard error) using each estimator and compare the results. We assess the extent that these decisions matter in practice and provide guidance for applied researchers.

More information
The IES Predoctoral Program’s weekly seminar series connects program fellows and affiliates to scholars and practitioners who engage in educational research and the development of research methods.

 Seminars are likely of interest to doctoral students and faculty. If you are interested in attending, please email Melanie Bahti.