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Graham Buhrman, GraduateStudent, Educational Psychology, UW-Madison

Title: U.S. history throughyoung people’s eyes: A cluster randomized trial of Mission US.

Abstract: Accordingto the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), U.S.history content knowledge among Grade 8 students has been steadily decliningfor nearly a decade. Specifically, in 2022, only 13% of Grade 8 students wereproficient on the U.S. history assessment. Gamified history curriculum andinstruction has been suggested as a supplement to regular instruction thatcould improve students' history knowledge, critical-thinking andperspective-taking skills, and interest in studying history. As part of hisresearch apprenticeship with the Education Development Center (EDC), Graham Buhrmanshares findings from the first national efficacy-trial of MissionUS. Mission US issuite of narrative history games intended to immerse middle school students inhistorical settings to improve their learning of and interest in U.S. history.Graham discusses the challenges of conducting a large-scale efficacy trial aswell some of the novel exploratory data analysis approaches used tocharacterize heterogeneous treatment effects. 

Dominique Bradley, Ph.D., PMP, is a Senior Researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Dr. Bradley serves as co-PI for evaluations of the Full Service Community Schools initiatives for the University of Central Florida’s Center for Community Schools and Idaho’s United Way of Treasure Valley and the implementation evaluation lead for the Community Schools Initiative, Full Service Community Schools and Sustainable Community Schools Initiatives for Chicago Public Schools. She serves as the Project Director and implementation evaluation lead for Lewis University’s Full Service Community Schools Initiative. Bradley currently leads efforts to redesign the needs assessment, service planning and progress monitoring systems using the principles of improvement science methods for Chicago Public Schools.Bradley also serves as a Partnership lead, researcher, and technical assistance trainer for the Regional Education Laboratories Midwest designing interventions in middle school math and co-leading a large randomized control trial in Milwaukee, WI. Bradley has over 15 years experience in education research and project management and holds a Project Manager Professional certification. Her areas of expertise are in implementation evaluations, qualitative research methods, improvement science methods, developing and supporting networked improvement communities, supporting and evaluating research-practice partnerships, and teacher retention, preparation and support. Bradley holds a Bachelors in Sociology from Southern Oregon University and a Masters in Sociology and PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Meghan McCormick, Research & Impact Officer, Overdeck FamilyFoundation
 
Title: Long-term Effects of Social-EmotionalLearning: ExperimentalEvidence to Inform Policy and Practice 
 
Abstract: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programsare school-based preventive interventions that aim to improve children’ssocial-emotional skills and behaviors. Although meta-analytic research hasshown that SEL programs implemented in early childhood can improve academic andbehavioral outcomes at the end of treatment, there is limited work examiningprogram effects on children’s math and language skills in the longer-term.Moreover, few studies have considered variation in impacts by children’spre-intervention academic skills or examined how subsequent learningenvironments do or do not sustain initial impacts. Using an experimentaldesign, the current study leveraged administrative data available throughschool records to examine the impacts of one SEL program—INSIGHTS intoChildren’s Temperament—implemented in early elementary school on math andlanguage standardized test scores from third through sixth grade. Findingsrevealed positive average treatment effects on English/Language Arts (ELA) testscores in third and fourth grade, but not in fifth and sixth grade. Studentswho had higher academic skills at study enrollment showed lasting impacts onELA scores in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. There were no treatment impactson math skills, and no variation in effects on math achievement by baselineskills. Implications for policy, practice, and continued research on lastingeffects of early interventions will be discussion. 

No ITP Seminar in lieu of the Midwest Society of Education annual meeting