Resources for Supporting Postsecondary Education Randomized Controlled Trials

Resources for Conducting Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in Postsecondary Education

The Higher Education Randomized Controlled Trial (THE-RCT) Network equips researchers with resources to conduct high-quality, efficient postsecondary RCTs that follow best open science practices and support cross-study analyses.

Phase 1

Planning

Forecasting the Size of the Evaluation Sample
Informed Consent Process (coming soon)
Preanalysis Plan
Minimum Detectable Effects / Power Calculations
Data-Sharing Agreement (coming soon)
Core Baseline Set (coming soon)
Designing a College Recruitment Plan for Generalizability
Communication with the Data-Sharing Organization (coming soon)
Cost-Feasibility Analysis

Phase 2

Implementation and Analyses

Core Outcome Set (coming soon)
Code for Processing National Student Clearinghouse Data
Implementation, Fidelity, and Service Contrast
Cost Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Benefit-Cost Analysis

Phase 3

Interpreting Results

Empirical Benchmarks for Interpreting Effects
Intervention Return on Investment (College Perspective)
Generalizability of Findings in a Completed Evaluation

Supporters

This project was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305D240057 to MDRC. The opinions that are expressed herein are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education.

THE-RCT Network | MDRC Staff