Data Project

Benjamin A. Cohen

******@***.****.*** *******@*****.***

I am an experienced evaluator and social scientist who enjoys all facets of research design, data collection, analysis,

reporting and research. I am well-versed in using a variety of data to both educate stakeholders and improve

programs and processes, whether for small scale projects or in developing large centralized evaluation systems for

multiple actors. I am comfortable working both with academic researchers and service delivery professionals.

Education

Ph.D. 2005, University of Maryland, College Park. Education Policy and

Research.

My research focused on the relationship between teacher induction

programs and teacher retention using national survey data and logistic

regression methods.

M.A. 1996, University of Maryland, College Park. Education Foundations.

My master s thesis examined the portrayal of teachers in American

literature.

Teaching Certification 1992, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Social Studies.

BS 1991, Drexel University. History/Politics.

Honors Phi Alpha Theta, International Honor Society in History

Dean s List

Professional Experience

Center for Schools and Communities, Camp Hill, PA

Statewide Evaluation Director, May 2004 to present.

Responsible for the management, design and quality of several evaluation, data collection and analysis projects

funded by Federal, State and private sources. Develop and analyze quantitative and qualitative datasets from field,

survey and administrative data collection systems. Supervise, and provide professional development for, staff.

Spearhead proposal and grant writing and other Center-wide efforts, including organizational and strategic

development. Developed the Center s first Research Brief series. Selected project experience includes:

Bullying Prevention. Develop a mixed-methodology, quasi-experimental evaluation system to assess program

effect on school-wide bullying in terms of implementation quality, and provide ongoing formative feedback

to program directors.

PPT-ELECT Initiative. Work with program managers and database architects to design a web- and paper-based

quantitative data collection system deployed in over 25 sites throughout Pennsylvania. Provide data

collection, formative evaluation, and technical assistance to sites. Provide descriptive and inferential analysis

and reporting.

Parent Information Resource Center. Manage and oversee quantitative and qualitative evaluation effort on this

initiative conducted by Temple University. The evaluation uses interviews, survey research, participant

observation and documents analysis.

Systems of Care. Design and execute evaluation plan for a complex, multilevel health care systems integration

project. Evaluation methods include qualitative analysis of staff field notes (using nVivo), descriptive

statistical analysis, focus groups, and numerous formative feedback tools.

B. A. Cohen Page 2

Project 4C. Created mixed-methodology evaluation plan and coordinated external evaluators field observations

and reporting.

Other staff and project development. Provide regular professional development and quality review for evaluation

staff and numerous contractors on several projects. Contributing author on several grant applications. Other

projects include Family Centers, Safe Schools Initiative and Heinz projects.

Temple University Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA.

Adjunct Professor. Fall 2008.

Teach graduate level research methods course in School of Education.

American Institutes for Research (AIR), Washington, DC

Research Analyst, March 1999 to March 2003.

Research Associate, March 1997 to March 1999.

Focused primarily on a wide range of activities related to the planning and implementation of a large national survey

examining teachers qualifications and working conditions. Designed questionnaires, created specifications for

statistical reports, conducted statistical analysis, developed conference proposals and presentations, planned and

developed web sites, and oversaw and supervised various projects and staff. Specific project experience at AIR

included:

Schools and Staffing Survey. Served as a survey development specialist and analyst on most aspects of survey

design and data analysis. For the design of the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), developed

questionnaires examining current education issues; conducted cognitive interviews, focus groups and related

survey research; and prepared reports to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) justifying the need

for both pilot and full administrations of the survey. Produced a report examining the prevalence of out-of-

field teaching among public school teachers.

Disclosure Risk. Lead, developed and conducted a series of analyses aimed at determining the risk of releasing

data that could identify individual respondents to the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey. Planned and

conducted several iterations of analysis, created related analytic files and databases, created documentation of

the analysis, met with stakeholders to discuss preliminary results and revised analyses, wrote final report and

advised other staff in matters related to disclosure risk analysis.

Statistics in Brief. Conceptualized, planned and conducted analysis of National Education Longitudinal Survey

(NELS) 2000 data in a small secondary study of postsecondary attainment. This project evaluated the

postsecondary attainment of students according to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Developed presentation and report materials to explain technical

aspects of the NAAL for a general audience. The work was part of a larger effort to build constituencies of

support for a national survey of adult literacy.

National Association of State Boards of Education, Alexandria, VA.

Policy Intern, Fall 2000.

Conducted research and analysis of alternative certification policies nationwide for publication as a NASBE Issues

in Brief report.

B. A. Cohen Page 3

Walter R. McDonald and Associates, Rockville, MD.

Research Assistant, 1995-1997.

Developed for publication several major national reports on child abuse and neglect. Composed and developed

documentation of research methodology and co-authored technical papers. Provided on-site technical assistance to

States for a variety of research and data quality matters. Accurately produced, maintained and validated databases;

applied analytical frameworks to large national data sets. Wrote monthly technical reports to Federal project

officers. Designed graphs and other presentations displaying a wide range of statistics and concepts.

Teaching

My teaching experience encompasses a variety of students from inner city, suburban and overseas locations, as well

as a breadth of subject matter, including social studies, art appreciation and graduate-level applied statistics.

Adjunct Professor. Teach graduate level research methods coursework at Temple University (Harrisburg

campus). 2008

Served as teaching assistant in a graduate level class on Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) offered by

the Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland and University of Michigan. 2002

Taught secondary students reading skills in Washington, D.C., public schools. 1994

Taught civics and politics lessons students from various school districts nationwide for the Close Up

Foundation. 1993

Taught conversational English and American Studies in the Slovak Republic. 1993

Completed a fourteen week student teaching internship in Reading, PA. 1992

Taught appreciation and basic art classes to elementary school students at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

1990

Tutored Philadelphia Public Schools students. 1988

Employment History

2004-Present Statewide Evaluation Director, Center for Schools and Communities.

2008 Adjunct Professor of Research Methodology, Temple University-Harrisburg.

2002-2007 Independent consultant. Clients include American Institutes for Research (AIR),

Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), Bank Street College of Education

(New York, NY), SRI International (Menlo Park, CA) and the National Association for

State Boards of Education (Alexandria, VA).

1997-2003 Research Analyst, American Institutes for Research.

Research Associate, American Institutes for Research.

2002 Teaching Assistant, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) course offered by the Joint

Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland and University of Michigan.

1995 1997 Research Assistant, Walter R. McDonald and Associates.

1994 Teacher, Sylvan Learning Systems, Ballou Senior High School, Washington, DC.

1993 Instructor, Close Up Foundation.

1992 Teacher, Gymnazium Velka Okruzna, Slovak Republic.

1990 Instructional Intern, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Computer Skills

I use SPSS/PASW, HLM, ArcGIS, SAS, Wesvar, nVivo, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Additional Training

Experimental Design. American Evaluation Association workshop.

Mail and Internet Surveys Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) Short Course.

Introduction to Survey Sampling Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) Short Course.

Exploring Data with S-Plus Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) Short Course.

B. A. Cohen Page 4

Selected Conferences / Presentations

American Evaluation Association Annual Meeting. November 2010. Implementing Bullying

Prevention (with Heather Cecil).

International Bullying Prevention Association Annual Conference. Pittsburg, PA. November 2009.

Getting OBPP Done Correlates of Bullying Prevention Program Fidelity.

American Evaluation Association Annual Meeting. November 2008. Contextual Variance in Educators'

Perceptions of School Violence (with Beth Edwards).

Eastern Evaluation Research Society. Absecon, NJ. April 2007. The Role of Third Party Evaluations:

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil? (with Virginia Roach, Sharon Dannels and Linda

LeMasters).

PPT-ELECT Coordinator s Annual Meeting. Harrisburg, PA. November 2006. Preliminary 2005-06

Outcomes of the PPT-ELECT Program: Quantitative and Qualitative Views.

American Education Research Association. San Francisco. April 2006. Division L. Moderators of

Induction Support in Texas Analysis of TxBESS Data, (with Edward Fuller).

American Education Research Association. San Francisco. April 2006. Division L. The Effect of

Teacher Induction on Teacher Supply: A Simulation, (with Andrew Wayne).

American Education Research Association. Montreal, Canada. April 2005. Division K. Enhancing the

Learning Profession: New Teacher Induction and Teacher Turnover.

American Education Research Association. New Orleans, LA. May 2002. Division K. Painful

Beginnings? What National Data Say About Teacher Induction.

American Sociological Association, Chicago, IL. August 1999. Presentation of, "A New National Data

Set: Schools and Staffing Survey 2000," (poster session).

National Center for Education Statistics Data Conference, Washington D.C.. July 1999. Presentation of,

"The Redesign of the Schools and Staffing Survey."

American Association of Public Opinion Research. St. Petersburg, FL. May 1999. Presentation of,

"Improving Respondent Selection Procedures in School Establishment Surveys: Implications

from Cognitive Interviews From the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)."

American Education Research Association. Montreal, Canada. April 1999. Division F. "From Muscular

Christianity to the Cult of Efficiency: Inter-developments of Ideology and Violence Reflected

in the Portrayal of Teachers In Three American Novels.

History of Education Society. Chicago, IL. October 1998. Presentation of The Historical Context of

One Teacher-Image: Implications for Teacher Status.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Statistical Conference,

Washington, D.C. October 1997. Presentation of Application of TIMSS Video Methodology to

SASS.

Eleventh National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Washington, DC, September 1996.

Presentation of Trends in Child Abuse and Neglect Data: National and State Implications for

Policy and Practice.

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NCANDS Advisory Meeting, Washington, DC, September 1996. Presentation of Potential Analyses of

Risk Factors on Perpetrator Data.

NCANDS State Advisory Group Meeting and DCDC Analysis Workshop, Bethesda, MD, April 1996.

Presentation of Summary Data Component 1994, Findings and Trends.

NCANDS State Advisory Group Meeting and DCDC Analysis Workshop, Washington D.C., July 1995.

Presentation of Child Victim Data; Detailed Case Data Component.

Selected Publications

Cecil, H. and Cohen, Benjamin. (2010). Bullying Behaviors in Pennsylvania Schools. Research Brief No.

3, May 2010. Center for Schools and Communities.

Cohen, Benjamin and Molnar-Main, Stacie. (2010). Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: Fidelity and

School Characteristics. Research Brief No. 2, May 2010. Center for Schools and Communities.

Cohen, Benjamin and Molnar-Main, Stacie. (2009). Understanding Bullying Prevention Implementation.

Research Brief No. 1, November 2009. Center for Schools and Communities.

Cohen, Benjamin A. (2005). Enhancing the Learning Profession : Improving New Teacher Retention

with Teacher Induction. Doctoral dissertation. University of Maryland, College Park.

Cohen, Benjamin A. (2003). Opportunistic Survey of Teacher Induction Programs and Policies in the

United States. Internal working paper. Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY.

Roach, Virginia and Cohen, Benjamin A. (2002). Moving Past the Politics: How Alternative Certification

Can Promote Comprehensive Teacher Development Reforms. National Association of State

Boards of Education, Alexandria, VA.

Seastrom, Marylin, Henke, Robin; Mcgrath, Daniel J. and Cohen, Benjamin A. (2002). Qualifications of

the Public School Teacher Workforce: Prevalence of Out-of-Field Teaching 1987-88 to 1999-

2000. (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2002).

National Center for Education Statistics (2002). Improving Respondent Selection Procedures in School

Establishment Surveys: Implications from Cognitive Interviews from the Schools and Staffing

Survey (SASS), in Selected Papers on Education Surveys: Papers Presented at the 1998 and

1999 ASA and AAPOR Meetings (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Detailed

Case Data Component Working Paper 1: 1993 Case Data From the States to the National

Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1996),

(Produced under contract).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Child

Maltreatment 1994: Reports From the States to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect,

(Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1996), (Produced under contract).

Cohen, Benjamin A., The Characterization of Teachers in John Updike s The Centaur, Unpublished

Master s Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park. 1996.

B. A. Cohen Page 6

Professional Affiliations Personal Interests

American Evaluation Association Gardening

Drawing Photography

Eastern Evaluation Research Society

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