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

促进评估方法的研究和创新（PRIME）计划旨在支持评估研究，特别强调：（1）探索确定STEM教育项目和计划的影响和有用性的创新方法;（2）建立和扩大评估STEM教育和劳动力发展计划的理论基础，包括翻译和改编其他领域的方法;以及（3）增强评价领域的能力和基础设施。该计划将支持三种类型的提案：探索性项目，包括概念验证和可行性研究;更广泛的全面项目;以及研讨会和会议。本研究建议建立进行集群随机试验（CRT）的能力，这种设计允许因果推理，鉴于美国学校系统的集群性质，这在教育中尤为重要，通过充实一个不断增长的CRT参数估计数据库，包括K-12科学教师干预的参数估计。分析，并有一个合理的计划，以确定相关文献，编码，并调整出版物的偏见和（2）估计类内相关系数（ICC）和R平方值的2级和3级CRT模型在一系列协变量使用各种数据源。

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.