On June 21–23, the NAEP Research and Development Program hosted its first NAEP High School Transcript Study (HSTS) Data Training Workshop at the headquarters of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Arlington, VA. In this post, we will share some highlights from the three eventful days of data training using large-scale assessment data from the HSTS.

The NAEP R&D team sought applications from graduate students, educational researchers, data analysts, and individuals interested in the analysis of HSTS data. Ultimately, 21 individuals with strong statistical knowledge and analysis skills from across the country and the globe joined to participate in the 2023 HSTS Data Training Workshop.

The participants attended lectures, learned about data analysis strategies relevant to the HSTS, and engaged in hands-on training using R to analyze the 2019 HSTS data files. The workshop also offered hands-on practice with EdSurvey, an R statistical package developed by AIR tailored to analyzing large-scale education data. In addition to receiving data analysis training, the participants learned about the HSTS lifecycle, highlights from the 2019 HSTS data, and funding opportunities for educational research using NAEP data.

After three jam-packed days of training and lectures, the HSTS Data Training Workshop concluded with success. The participants provided positive feedback regarding the workshop, with many praising the knowledge of the instructors and high quality of the informative presentations. One participant noted that the workshop featured “very well-organized flow of all prepared workshop entries,” and another participant felt that “a lot of important information came out from the interactions between the instructors and participants.”

If you missed your chance to join us for the Summer 2023 NAEP HSTS Data Training Workshop, consider staying up to date with the NAEP R&D Program by  subscribing to our mailing list. By being a subscriber, you can be the first to learn about future workshops and opportunities!