| Using Interviews to Understand the Assignment Mechanism in a Nonexperimental Study: The Case of Eighth Grade Algebra. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 22158701 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Many inquiries regarding the causal effects of policies or programs are based on research designs where the treatment assignment process is unknown, and thus valid inferences depend on tenuous assumptions about the assignment mechanism. This article draws attention to the importance of understanding the assignment mechanism in policy and program evaluation studies, and illustrates how information collected through interviews can develop a richer understanding of the assignment mechanism. Focusing on the issue of student assignment to algebra in 8th grade, I show how a preliminary data collection effort aimed at understanding the assignment mechanism is particularly beneficial in multisite observational studies in education. The findings, based on ten interviews and administrative data from a large school district, draw attention to the often ignored heterogeneity in the assignment mechanism across schools. These findings likely extend beyond the current research project in question to related educational policy issues such as ability grouping, tracking, differential course taking, and curricular intensity, as well as other social programs in which the assignment mechanism can differ across sites. |
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Authors:
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Jordan H Rickles |
Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2011-12-7 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Evaluation review Volume: - ISSN: 1552-3926 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Dec |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-12-13 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8004942 Medline TA: Eval Rev Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
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Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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