Overview of the EdSurvey Package

The EdSurvey package is designed to help users analyze data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) datasets. Because of their scope and complexity, these datasets require special statistical methods to analyze. The EdSurvey package gives users functions to perform analyses that account for both complex sample survey designs and the use of plausible values.

The EdSurvey package also seamlessly takes advantage of the LaF package to read in data only when it is required for an analysis. Users with computers that have insufficient memory to read in the entire NAEP datasets can still do analyses without having to write special code to read in just the appropriate variables. This is all addressed directly in the EdSurvey package—behind the scenes and without additional work by the user.

Technical Papers

Book and Journal Publication

Bailey, P., Lee, M., Nguyen, T., & Zhang, T. (2020). Using EdSurvey to Analyse PIAAC Data. In Large-Scale Cognitive Assessment (pp. 209-237). Springer, Cham.

Data Set Specific Overviews

Documents that describe the analysis of specific survey data in the EdSurvey package include the following:

• Using EdSurvey to Analyze ECLS-K:2011 Data is an introduction to the methods used in the analysis of the large-scale child development study Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) using the EdSurvey package. The vignette covers topics such as preparing the R environment for processing, creating summary tables, running linear regression models, and correlating variables.

• Using EdSurvey to Analyze NCES Data: An Illustration of Analyzing NAEP Primer is an introduction to the basics of using the EdSurvey package for analyzing NCES data, using the NAEP Primer as an example. The vignette covers topics such as preparing the R environment for processing, creating summary tables, running linear regression models, and correlating variables.

• Using EdSurvey to Analyze TIMSS Data is an introduction to the methods used in analysis of large-scale educational assessment programs such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) using the EdSurvey package. The vignette covers topics such as preparing the R environment for processing, creating summary tables, running linear regression models, and correlating variables.

• Using EdSurvey to Analyze NAEP Data With and Without Accommodations provides an overview of the use of NAEP data with accommodations and describes methods used to analyze this data.

Documents providing an overview of functions developed in the EdSurvey package include the following:

Methodology Resources

Documents that describe the statistical methodology used in the EdSurvey package include the following:

Software Requirements

Unless you already have R version 3.2.0 or later, install the latest R version—which is available online at https://cran.r-project.org/. Users also may want to install RStudio desktop, which has an interface that many find easier to follow. RStudio is available online at https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/.

Setting Up the Environment for Analyzing NCES Data

Installing and Loading EdSurvey

Inside R, run the following command to install EdSurvey as well as its package dependencies:

install.packages("EdSurvey")

Once the package is successfully installed, EdSurvey can be loaded with the following command:

library(EdSurvey)
## Warning: package 'car' was built under R version 4.1.1
## Warning: package 'carData' was built under R version 4.1.1
## Warning: package 'lfactors' was built under R version 4.1.1