Modeling the distribution of site level effects is an important problem, but it is also an incredibly difficult one. Current methods rely on distributional assumptions in multilevel models for estimation. There it is hoped that the partial pooling of site level estimates with overall estimates, designed to take into account individual variation as…

An institution that offers high-quality study abroad programs is perceived as likely to provide a stimulating learning environment for the students (Stroud, 2010). However, there are very few well-designed evaluation studies that provide evidence about the types of impacts of study abroad programs on students' academic and non-academic outcomes.…

A robust body of research has identified associations between positive teacher-child relationships--characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict--and children's academic achievement in elementary school (e.g. Roorda, 2012). Additional studies find that high-quality teacher-child relationships may promote academic resilience…