Educational outcomes are affected by student level, classroom level, and school level characteristics. The fact that educational data are multilevel in nature poses serious analysis questions. Though strong arguments can be made for focusing on a single level of analysis, such studies have several basic limitations: the choice of analytic level…

Four techniques for assessing differences between least-squares estimators of regression coefficients from group and individual-level data are summarized. The utility and suitability of all four approaches are discussed when (1) data are grouped by a nominal characteristic; (2) there are multiple regressors; or (3) individual-level data cannot be…

Multiple sources of complications in the analysis of multilevel educational data are described with emphasis on the determination of a method of analysis that will provide accurate estimates of teacher/class effects even when there are systematic differences in within-class regressions of outcome on input associated with teacher/class…

Two questions are investigated here: What should the unit of analysis be in investigations of educational effects and on what basis should the units be chosen Under what conditions can relationships among measurements on individuals be estimated from the relationships among measurements on aggregates of individuals? Models using standard analysis…