Planning Cluster Randomized Trials: An Empirical Investigation of Design Parameters for Studies of Science Teacher Interventions

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

The Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) program seeks to support research on evaluation with special emphasis on: (1) exploring innovative approaches for determining the impacts and usefulness of STEM education projects and programs; (2) building on and expanding the theoretical foundations for evaluating STEM education and workforce development initiatives, including translating and adapting approaches from other fields; and (3) growing the capacity and infrastructure of the evaluation field. Three types of proposals will be supported by the program: Exploratory Projects that include proof-of-concept and feasibility studies; more extensive Full-Scale Projects; and workshops and conferences. This study proposes to build capacity for conducting cluster randomized trials (CRT), a design permitting causal inference that is especially important in education given the clustered nature of the U.S. school system, by fleshing out a growing database of CRT parameter estimates to include those for K-12 science teacher interventions. The study will (1) estimate effect sizes that use meta-analysis with a reasonable plan for identifying the relevant literature, coding, and adjusting for publication bias and (2) estimate intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and R-squared values for both 2- and 3-level CRT models across a range of covariates using a variety of data sources.