Regression modelQuasi-experimental / causal inference
Synthetic Control Method in Education Research
The Synthetic Control Method (SCM) estimates the causal effect of an education policy or intervention by constructing a weighted combination of untreated comparison units — the synthetic control — that closely mimics the treated unit's pre-intervention trajectory. Developed by Abadie, Diamond, and Hainmueller, it is especially valuable when only one or a small number of schools, districts, or countries receive a policy change and no natural comparison exists.
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Sources
- Abadie, A., Diamond, A., & Hainmueller, J. (2010). Synthetic Control Methods for Comparative Case Studies: Estimating the Effect of California's Tobacco Control Program. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 105(490), 493-505. DOI: 10.1198/jasa.2009.ap08746 ↗
- Abadie, A., Diamond, A., & Hainmueller, J. (2015). Comparative Politics and the Synthetic Control Method. American Journal of Political Science, 59(2), 495-510. DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12116 ↗