Evaluation Methods for Administrative Data: In-Person Workshop

An in-person workshop on using administrative data for rigorous policy evaluation in UK education and youth transitions.
About this Event

The UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) are pleased to offer this in-person training opportunity in partnership with Administrative Data Research (ADR) UK.

Administrative data has transformed what is possible in policy evaluation in the UK. The National Pupil Database, the Individualised Learner Record and linked earnings records let us follow whole cohorts over time, at a scale and precision that survey data cannot match. But using that data credibly takes methodological judgement — knowing which design a question calls for, what each design assumes, and where the practical traps lie.

This in-person workshop — building on the earlier online modules — runs for around six hours and supports development of practical skills in using administrative data for policy evaluation through worked examples of policy evaluation using administrative data introduced in the online modules.

The workshop

This in-person practical workshop will support you to apply a selection of evaluation methods to simulated data designed to be similar to the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset. This course will be run using R. Attendees will need to have at least basic skills in R – e.g., the ability to read in data, make links between data tables and undertake basic descriptive and regression analysis – in order to get the most out of the session. Users must bring their own laptop with R and RStudio/Positron pre-installed; further preparatory details will be sent in the run-up to the course

Who this is for

Researchers, analysts and evaluators working in UK education and youth transitions, in academia, government or the third sector. You should be comfortable with basic quantitative social science methods. Prior knowledge and/or experience of administrative data is not required, although you will get more out of the course if you have it; the workshop focuses on hand-on coding with understanding of relevant concepts introduced in the online modules assumed. You will come away with an introduction of the basics of applying these methods to administrative data.

Priority access to the in-person workshop

This workshop deliberately builds on the online modules. Places on the workshop are limited, and participants who have attended more of the online modules will be prioritised. If you are really keen to attend the hands-on session, working through the online series maximises your chances of a place.

Practical details

• Slides and code made available afterwards
• The workshop will be held in central London, venue to be confirmed closer to the time.
• Users must bring their own laptop with R and RStudio/Positron pre-installed; further preparatory details will be sent in the run-up to the course

Delivered by Professor Jake Anders, Dr Oliver Cassagneau-Francis and Dr Fabien Petit, UCL CEPEO. Funded by ADR England Youth Transitions Community Catalyst Evaluation Extension.

Questions? Contact [email protected]