PD26-13 Doing Surveys & Research with the RAND Survey Panels

Session Type: Professional Development Course

Abstract

This course provides researchers with a primer on use and analyses of the many free nationally-representative and state-representative PreK-12 teacher and principal survey datasets available through the RAND American Educator Panels (AEP). Some of the many datasets available for analyses include the COVID-19 Survey, the American Instructional Resources Survey, and the American Mathematics Educator Study. These large-scale datasets are publicly available for analysis to examine broad topics and research questions in education research. Course participants will: (1) understand key features of probability-based sampling that ensures nationally representative survey data and the importance of methodological transparency in provision of that data; (2) identify key AEP datasets for addressing their interests and research questions; (3) produce basic descriptive data regarding survey items of interest to them; (4) examine subgroup comparisons for survey items of interest; and (5) consider appropriate data visualizations for displaying results.

The course will include a series of short presentations and small group activities. This course is intended for a broad audience, including faculty, researchers, and graduate students interested in using AEP data for their research, as well as policymakers and practitioners interested in learning more about the data. There are no prerequisites for attendance or critical pre-work. Participants should bring a laptop. Those who wish to use a statistical package to explore data should have that package installed on their laptops prior to the workshop.

Sub Unit

• Professional Development and Training Committee

Directors

• Julia Heath Kaufman, RAND Corporation

• Sy Doan, RAND Corporation

Instructors

• Elizabeth D. Steiner, RAND Corporation

• Erin Daniels, MGT

• Jaleh Shambayati, MGT