RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

The Path to Success

21PSTEM’s staff of quantitative and qualitative researchers are experienced in program evaluation and mixed-method research studies. We have conducted a wide-range of independent program/policy evaluations, including both efficacy and effectiveness studies, as well as design experiments that use rigorous feedback for continuous program improvement. We are experts in research design and data-analysis for experimental and quasi-experimental studies, as well as the collection and analysis of survey, interview, and observation data. We have the capacity to conduct a wide range of statistical analyses including: power analyses, hierarchical/multi-level data analysis, longitudinal data analyses such as growth models, and quasi-experimental methods such as propensity score matching.

For assessment and scale development, we can apply methods from Item Response Theory (IRT). We also have the capacity to handle large complex data collection and organization. For example, as part of our IES-funded Cognitive Science Research Center, we administered assessments to over 90,000 students in several states.

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21PSTEM is a leader in STEM education and other areas of education research. Working with partners at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, University of Colorado, Lehigh University, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, Villanova University, AND LIST OTHERS have been awarded over $18 million dollars in federal research and development grants and have had their work published in some of the top journals in education, including the Educational Policy Analysis Archives, Journal of Special Educational Policy.

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21PSTEM staff and consultants with this expertise can work with local, state, and national educational organizations to set up data collection protocols, organize means of storing and accessing data to facilitate real-time analyses, and clean-up and analyze student and staff data for a variety of purposes and audiences. We can help to develop research proposals in terms of the research design and/or evaluation components, and also bringing to bear a wide and deep knowledge of the research literature on STEM education, educational leadership and policy, formative data use, and teacher growth and improvement. We can conduct independent evaluations of the impacts of policies and programs. We can also be a partner in a variety of research efforts.