Hello Educational Statisticians (EdStats) SIG members!

Welcome to both our returning and new members! The EdStats SIG is dedicated to fostering excellence and innovation in educational statistics. We warmly invite submissions from a diverse range of research interests, methodologies, and applications, reflecting the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of educational statistics.

Areas of particular interest to our SIG include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Advanced Statistical Modeling: Techniques such as structural equation modeling, multilevel and longitudinal modeling, Bayesian methods, causal inference, and meta-analysis.
• Measurement and Psychometrics: Focus on measurement theory, measurement invariance, and psychometric evaluation.
• AI & Computational Data Science: Methods including machine learning, data mining, and research of LLM (e.g., GPT, BERT).

We also strongly encourage you to apply or nominate colleagues and students for our prestigious awards:

• Graduate Student Best Paper Award: Recognizing exceptional research contributions from emerging scholars.
• Annual Service Award: Honoring members who have significantly contributed to the success and vitality of our SIG.

Your active participation, submissions, and nominations help strengthen our vibrant community. We look forward to your contributions and another successful year ahead!

Warm regards,

Xinya Liang, Chair, Educational Statisticians SIG (2025-2026)
Associate Professor, University of Arkansas

Chair: Tracy Sweet

Program chair: Xinya Liang

Webmaster: Audrey J. Leroux 

Newsletter editor: Betsy J. Becker

Member at large: Michael B. Frisby

Member at large: Debbie L. Hahs-Vaughn

Secretary/Treasurer: Yi Feng

AERA Educational Statisticians Graduate Student Best Paper Award

Rationale for Establishing the Award:  The award is designed to encourage graduate students to prepare and present research papers at the annual conference.  

Eligibility Criteria: 

To be eligible, the graduate student must:

1. Be a current member of the Educational Statisticians SIG.
2. Be first or sole author on a paper presented at the annual AERA conference (and be listed in the program as presenting author on the paper in either a paper presentation or roundtable session).  The nominee may have faculty or other graduate students as co-authors but, in this case, must be listed as first author on the paper and be presenting the paper.
3. Upload the full version of the paper to be presented on the AERA portal.

AERA Educational Statisticians Special Interest Group Annual Service Award

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Educational Statisticians SIG is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the Educational Statisticians SIG Annual Service Award.  The Service Award is designed to recognize individuals who have provided exceptional contributions to the field of educational statistics and to the Educational Statisticians SIG.  The award winner will be announced at the AERA Educational Statisticians SIG business meeting. 

Eligibility Criteria:

• The nominee must have contributed a significant amount of high-quality service to the field of educational statistics and to the Educational Statisticians SIG.
• The nominee must be a current member of the Educational Statisticians SIG.
• The nominee must have been a member of the Educational Statisticians SIG for a minimum of five years.

Nominations Must Include the Following Two Items:

• A letter of nomination from at least one professional colleague who is also an Educational Statisticians SIG member providing evidence of the nominee’s service contribution to the field of educational statistics and to the Educational Statisticians SIG.
• The nominee’s curriculum vita.

The deadline for nomination submissions is TBA.  To apply for the 2026 Educational Statisticians SIG Annual Service Award or to receive more information, please contact Xinya Liang: xl014@uark,edu.