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Conducting a Randomized Control Trial in Middle Schools: Challenges and Solutions
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kelly Feighan,
Research for Better Schools,
feighan@rbs.org
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| Jill Feldman,
Research for Better Schools,
feldman@rbs.org
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| Abstract:
With funding awarded by the US Department of Education through the Striving Readers initiative, eight Memphis middle schools are participating in a four-year randomized control trial (RCT) of an intervention that targets struggling readers (defined as students two or more grade levels behind in reading). Researchers randomly selected 480 eligible students to participate in the intervention, and are comparing their progress with a control group of students who instead receive conventional English Language Arts or reading instruction. Researchers reflect on the successes and challenges of conducting the RCT, as they work with a strong district team to ensure adherence to the originally proposed design while balancing the need to accommodate local issues and maintain schools' support of the study, which is critical to its success.
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Obtaining Buy-In to Conduct Randomized Controlled Trials in Schools: Lessons Learned From the Communities in Schools (CIS) National Evaluation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Heather Clawson,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
hclawson@icfi.com
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| Eric Metcalf,
Communities in Schools, Central Texas,
emetcalf@cisaustin.org
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| Mike Massey,
Communities in Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg,
mmassey@cischarlotte.org
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| Susan Siegel,
Communities in Schools,
siegels@cisnet.org
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| Abstract:
Communities In Schools, Inc. (CIS) is a nationwide initiative to connect community resources with schools to help at-risk students successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. CIS is currently in the midst of a comprehensive, rigorous three-year national evaluation, culminating in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to ascertain program effectiveness. While randomized controlled trials are widely considered to be the “gold standard” in research, it is generally difficult to obtain buy-in from program, school, and district staff to conduct them. In this presentation, we will draw from our experience working with Austin, TX and Charlotte, NC public schools to provide evaluators with strategies for enlisting cooperation in the conduct of highly rigorous evaluations. We will also present a step-by-step plan to implement an RCT within a school. This presentation will include the unique insights of both evaluators and “front-line” program staff.
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The Consequences of No Child Left Behind: Challenges to Achieving the "Gold Standard" in a Large Urban School District
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| Presenter(s):
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| Cheri Hodson,
Los Angeles Unified School District,
cheri.hodson@lausd.net
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| Regino Chavez,
Los Angeles Unified School District,
regino.chavez@lausd.net
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| Abstract:
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) sets forth rigorous requirements to ensure that research is scientifically based. Randomized assignment to at least two conditions is an essential component of the “gold standard” of research. However, how does this actually play out in practice? What influences whether this type of a study can actually be carried out within large urban school districts? This paper relates the experience of three research evaluations undertaken in the spirit of NCLB within a large school district in California.
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