Select a sample of schools, including replacement schools when needed, to support generalizable impact studies¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The guide recommends that researchers sample schools in a way that represents the target population, and plan for "replacement schools, when needed" when originally selected schools decline to participate. This sampling-and-replacement step is presented as one of the key actions researchers can take so that study findings are more generalizable to the study's target population.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Researchers must plan a school selection procedure and a replacement-school process in advance

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• education researchers designing impact studies

Target Learning Goals¶

• selecting school samples that support generalizable findings

Related Strategies¶

• Assess and adjust for differences between the study sample and the target population
• Actively manage school recruitment to protect the generalizability of impact studies
• Define the target population as the first step in designing a generalizable impact study

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Tipton, E., & Olsen, R. B. (2022). Enhancing the Generalizability of Impact Studies in Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE 2022-003). https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/