IES Methods Training in Economic Evaluation

We are excited to offer two in-person sessions of our IES-funded Methods Training in Economic Evaluation at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) in 2024. The training sessions will including the following options:

  1. 5-day training designed for education researchers who are undertaking or planning to undertake cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost analyses in education. Dates: May 20 - 24, 2024

  2. 3-day training designed for state and local analysts who support significant policy decisions and the allocation of educational resources within and across districts. Dates: May 29 - 31, 2024

These training programs are developed by Dr. Brooks Bowden (Penn GSE), Dr. Henry Levin (Teachers College, Columbia University), Dr. Clive Belfield (Queens College, CUNY), Dr. Rob Shand (American University), and Dr. Viviana Rodriguez (University of Texas-San Antonio).

Each training session will serve 30 trainees. Following IES requirements, applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents; researchers must be conducting research on matters related to U.S. education policy. There is no cost to attend the training, but participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and meals. Financial support is available for select attendees based upon need and merit of the application.

  • The 5-day training is designed for researchers who conduct research on and evaluations of educational interventions, enabling them to apply methods of economic evaluation to education policy issues. Training participants should primarily be individuals who have received their doctorate prior to the beginning of training and are working in the field of education research. Applicants with master's degrees who have been working in the field of education research will also be considered, though preference will be given to applicants who have already completed a Ph.D.

    The 3-day training for analysts is designed for state/local decision-makers in educational policy. This includes state, legislative, and district personnel with responsibility for educational resource allocation decisions. Researchers who work in partnerships with states and districts are also welcome to apply to this training, especially as members of a group application with state and local employees. Teams of up to four individuals are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants for this training must have at least a Bachelor’s degree; a Master’s degree is preferred.

    For both trainings, applicants should have a clearly articulated need for training in these methods and a plan to apply them in current or future work.

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents conducting research on matters related to U.S. education policy or working for states or districts within the United States.

    Applicants must have at least a Bachelor’s degree. A Master’s degree is preferred for the 3-day analyst training, and a doctorate is preferred for the 5-day researcher training.

    Each application will be reviewed individually, however the spirit of the program encourages broad participation. The Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education welcomes diversity and encourages applications from women and minorities.

This training program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Award #R305B200034.

Since the program began in 2015, we have served over 200 U.S. researchers and analysts. Videos from previous training sessions are available via the link below.