MAP Academy | CYFS | Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools

Study: Link between older, younger siblings’ dating decisions

When making decisions about dating, sex, and even marriage, Latino teens are likely to follow in the footsteps of their older siblings, according to a study led by CYFS research assistant professor Lorey Wheeler.

“We’re all in relationships at some point in our lives, and we know they affect our health later in life,” said Wheeler, who also co-directs CYFS’ Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics. “Within the context of learning about relationships, it is important to know how older siblings influence that developmental process.” Full Article

Arthur receives student paper, travel awards

Ann Arthur, CYFS graduate assistant, has earned student paper and travel awards from the International Conference on Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing.

During the Nov. 9-13 conference in Miami, Florida, Arthur will present her paper, “Advances in Questionnaire Design for Youth.” She developed the paper while working on a project with CYFS’ Nebraska Academy for Analytics, Psychometrics and Analytics (MAP Academy). Full Article

Team supports 4-H program evaluation

CYFS methodologists with the MAP Academy are helping 4H enhance a set of survey instruments. The team includes, from left, Jarrod Stevens, Natalie Koziol, Lorey Wheeler, Ann Arthur, Michelle Howell Smith and Leslie Hawley. — CYFS methodologists with the MAP Academy are developing measures to help 4-H assess youth development outcomes. The team includes, from left, Jared Stevens, Natalie Koziol, Lorey Wheeler, Ann Arthur, Michelle Howell Smith and Leslie Hawley.

A CYFS team is traveling nationwide to help 4-H assess its impact—one that extends to nearly six million youth through school and community programs, clubs and camps.

The team is working to enhance the 4-H Common Measures, a collection of multiple survey instruments that assess youth development outcomes. The team’s revisions began last year with input from a national advisory board. They are now heading into the field to get perspectives from the survey’s intended demographic—4-H youth and leaders. Full Article

Methodologists discuss cross-cultural measurement

The April 15 Methodology Applications Series was led by Leslie Hawley, Betty-Jean Usher-Tate and Sara Gonzalez. View video.

The Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics continued its Methodology Applications Series on Friday, April 15. The series is free and open to the public.

The April 15 presentation, titled “Evaluating Measurement Invariance with Cross-Cultural Sensitivity,” was led by Leslie Hawley, CYFS research assistant professor, and doctoral students Betty-Jean Usher-Tate and Sara Gonzalez. Full Article

Spybrook leads fall Emerging Scholars Series

Jessaca Spybrook leads the Emerging Scholars Series. — Jessaca Spybrook begins the fall Emerging Scholars Series with a keynote presentation. Video available.

The MAP Academy hosted Jessaca Spybrook, associate professor of educational leadership, research, and technology at Western Michigan University, for the Dec. 3-4 Emerging Scholars Series. The series featured a keynote presentation, statistics workshop and an early career meeting for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Full Article

Video available for Enders methodology workshop

Craig Enders, author and professor of quantitative psychology at UCLA, leads the 2015 fall Nebraska Methodology Workshop.

UNL alumnus Craig Enders returned to campus Oct. 26 to host the MAP Academy’s Fall 2015 Nebraska Methodology Workshop: “Dealing with Missing Data.”

There have been substantial methodological advances in the area of missing data analyses during the last 25 years. Methodologists currently regard maximum likelihood estimation (ML) and multiple imputation (MI) as two state-of-the-art handling procedures for missing data. Full Article

Registration available for upcoming Emerging Scholars Series

The MAP Academy will host the Emerging Scholars Series Dec. 3-4 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The series features Jessaca Spybrook, associate professor of educational leadership, research, and technology at Western Michigan University.

The series begins Thursday, Dec. 3 with a keynote presentation titled “Moving Beyond the Average Treatment Effect: A Look at Power Analyses for Moderator Effects in Cluster Randomized Trials.” This presentation is free, open to the public and requires no registration. Full Article

CEHS launches bureau for education research, evaluation

Greg Welch, research associate professor, right, is heading CEHS’ Nebraska Bureau for Education Research, Evaluation and Policy, along with Benjamin Baumfalk, graduate assistant. Through the bureau, researchers will conduct education evaluation and policy research from preschool through higher education. — Greg Welch, CYFS research associate professor, right, is heading CEHS’ Nebraska Bureau for Education Research, Evaluation and Policy, along with Benjamin Baumfalk, graduate assistant.

UNL’s College of Education and Human Sciences, together with CYFS, has launched an interdisciplinary research initiative to improve education from preschool through higher education.

Led by Greg Welch, research associate professor, the Nebraska Bureau for Education Research, Evaluation and Policy will pursue evaluation and policy research opportunities in partnership with educational entities throughout the state, including the Nebraska Department of Education. The bureau will give special attention to accountability policies that promote improvement in education systems. Full Article