Policy and Complex Systems - Volume 3 Number 2 - Fall 2017
Education System Intervention Modeling Framework
Pratik Mital A , Roxanne A . Moore B , Donna C . Llewellyn C
Abstract
Most educational policymakers and reformers do not rely on quantitative models when making resource allocation decisions for K-12 school interventions . However , schools and school districts are complex , dynamic systems affected by numerous factors . While no single model is applicable across a broad spectrum of school contexts , a unified framework can be used to build unique models for different school settings . In this work , the Education System Intervention Modeling Framework ( ESIM ) is presented — an approach for quantitatively modeling K-12 school interventions . In this article , techniques from such as agent-based modeling and social network analysis are used to model the bottom-up mechanisms of intervention implementation in schools . Variable screening methods reveal that there are several common factors likely to influence intervention sustainability , even with significant differences in the school environments . Some factors , such as turnover of teachers or administrators , can even have either a significantly positive or a negative impact , depending on the context . The framework can be used to assess risk factors and to guide decisionmaking prior to and during school interventions .
Keywords : education , interventions , complex systems , modeling , sustainability
A
Revenue Analytics
B
Georgia Institute of Technology
C
Boise State University
72 doi : 10.18278 / jpcs . 3.2.5