MESA 8260 Selected Topics in Education Policy Research
The course will examine some issues that arise in educational accountability. The purpose is to develop a deeper understanding of the policy issues and a critical appreciation of the relevant methodological strategies. Topics include the establishment and use of state-specific performance standards under NCLB and the quantification of the relative rigor of those standards; the evaluation of school or teacher effectiveness using so-called value-added models; and the policy evaluation of school reform efforts (such as charter schools) using data from large-scale cross-sectional surveys. The latter two topics both involve causal inferences from observational studies.
Course overview
- Department
- Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment
- School
- Lynch
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Graduate
- Offered
- Biannually in the Fall
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.37 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.55 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 2
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Henry Braun | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.8 | — | 4 of 4 |
| Spring 2024 | Henry Braun | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 7 of 7 |