In parallel process latent growth curve mediation models, the mediation pathways from treatment to the intercept or slope of outcome through the intercept or slope of mediator are often of interest. In this study, we developed causal mediation analysis methods for these mediation pathways. Particularly, we provided causal definitions and…

The consequence of a change in school leadership (e.g., principal turnover) on student achievement has important implications for education policy. The impact of such an event can be estimated via the popular Difference in Difference (DiD) estimator, where those schools with a turnover event are compared to a selected set of schools that did not…

The purpose of this simulation study was to assess the performance of latent variable models that take into account the complex sampling mechanism that often underlies data used in educational, psychological, and other social science research. Analyses were conducted using the multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) model, which is a flexible…

We discuss the identification, estimation, and testing of structural equation models that have causal indicators. We first provide 2 rules of identification that are particularly helpful in models with causal indicators--the 2C emitted paths rule and the exogenous X rule. We demonstrate how these rules can help us distinguish identified from…

This report summarizes the complex research literature on quantitative methods for assessing how impacts of educational interventions on instructional practices and student learning differ across students, educators, and schools. It also provides technical guidance about the use and interpretation of these methods. The research topics addressed…

This paper examines the estimation of two-stage clustered RCT designs in education research using the Neyman causal inference framework that underlies experiments. The key distinction between the considered causal models is whether potential treatment and control group outcomes are considered to be fixed for the study population (the…