Institute of Higher Education faculty receives reviewer certification for national studies Manuel S. González Canché, assistant professor of higher education, has received certification as a reviewer for the What Works Clearinghouse™ in Postsecondary Education. The certification is granted by the Institute of Education Sciences, Mathematica Policy Research, and What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Certified reviewers demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of experimental (Randomized Control Trials) and quasi-experimental designs (Regression Discontinuity and Propensity Score Matching) in the PK-20 research pipeline. González Canché is among the first researchers certified to focus specifically on Postsecondary Education. “This certification provides a great opportunity to be involved in the evaluation process of current and high quality research methods in postsecondary education and best practices. It also implies a deeper understanding of standards valued in the grant writing process, both of which I can in turn share with colleagues and students,” he said. The What Works Clearinghouse™ (WWC) was established in 2002 as an initiative of the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the WWC is to be a resource for informed education decision making. Certified reviewers are trained to review research on the different programs, products, practices and policies in education in order to provide educators with the necessary information for making evidence-based decisions. A native of Mexico and first-generation college graduate, González Canché’s research focuses on the factors and policies for educational success, student migration, and student loan debt. He also employs data-visualization methods, including spatial econometrics, geographical information systems (GIS), representation of real-world networks, and text-mining techniques. González Canché is the co-principal investigator in the grant called “Improving the Teaching and Learning of English Language Learners: The Instructional Conversational Model.” This grant has a funding amount of $2.9 million granted by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education during the years 2012-2016. For more information about the What Works Clearinghouse visit ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/. Writer: Margaret Blanchard, 706-583-8244, mblanch@uga.edu Type of News/Audience: Research
