@EdWorkingPaper{ai19-10,
title = "Interpreting Effect Sizes of Education Interventions",
author = "Matthew Kraft",
institution = "Annenberg Institute at Brown University",
number = "10",
year = "2019",
month = "Jan",
URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai190510",
abstract = {Researchers commonly interpret effect sizes by applying benchmarks proposed by Cohen over a half century ago. However, effects that are small by Cohen’s standards are often large in the context of field-based education interventions. This focus on magnitude also obscures important differences in study features, program costs, and scalability. In this paper, I propose a new framework for interpreting effect sizes of education interventions, which consists of five broadly applicable guidelines and a detailed schema for interpreting effects from causal studies with standardized achievement outcomes. The schema introduces new effect-size and cost benchmarks, while also considering program scalability. Together, the framework provides scholars and research consumers with an empirically-based, practical approach for interpreting the policy importance of effect sizes from education interventions.},
}