A common strategy for estimating treatment effects in observational studies using individual student-level data is analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) or hierarchical variants of it, in which outcomes (often standardized test scores) are regressed on pretreatment test scores, other student...

Availability of large, multilevel longitudinal databases in various fields including labor economics (with workers and firms observed over time) and ed- ucation research (with students and teachers observed over time) has increased the application of panel-data models with multiple levels of...

This article develops a model for longitudinal student achievement data designed to estimate heterogeneity in teacher effects across students of different achievement levels. The model specifies interactions between teacher effects and students' predicted scores on a test, estimating both...

The utility of value-added estimates of teachers' effects on student test scores depends on whether they can distinguish between high- and low-productivity teachers and predict future teacher performance. This article studies the year-to-year variability in value-added measures for elementary...

Availability of large multilevel longitudinal databases in various fields of research, including labor economics (with workers and firms observed over time) and education (with students, teachers, and schools observed over time), has increased the application of models with one level or multiple...

Inverse probability-weighted estimators are widely used in applications where data are missing due to nonresponse or censoring and in the estimation of causal effects from observational studies. Current estimators rely on ignorability assumptions for response indicators or treatment assignment...

This article presents findings from the first independent, third-party appraisal of the impact of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) on student test score gains in mathematics. TAP is a comprehensive school reform model designed to attract highly effective teachers, improve instructional...

An implementation analysis conducted as part of a 2-year experimental study of residential and nonresidential treatment programs for the dually diagnosed homeless found significant differ ences in client engagement and retention, as well as unexpected variations in the treatment conditions....

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation has created pressure for districts to improve their students' proficiency levels on state tests. Districts that fail to meet their academic targets for 3 years must use their Title I funds to pay for supplemental education services (SES) that provide...

We consider the challenges and implications of controlling for school contextual bias when modeling teacher preparation program effects. Because teachers are not randomly distributed across schools, failing to account for contextual factors in achievement models could bias preparation program...