William Buchanan

William Buchanan received a PhD at TUI University where his dissertation research focused on the causal effects of poverty on musical achievement in the US. He makes use of geospatial analysis (i.e., using ArcGIS software to measure resource allocation, concentration, and geographical differences in resource availability), econometrics (i.e., instrumental variable methods, regression discontinuity designs, differences-in-differences estimators, fixed-effects models, and others), and structural equation models (i.e., path analysis of observed data, latent variable modeling, etc…) to conduct quasi-experimental data analysis with a national data set from the US Department of Education. His use of multi-disciplinary approaches to research allowed him to integrate theory and statistical methodology from economics, education, and psychology.  He has also provided statistical consulting and research services to a wide variety of public school districts, businesses, and institutions of higher education.

William Buchanan is also an aspiring Stata programmer and has helped his client to automate their data analysis by providing custom written Stata programs (i.e., .do and .ado).  He also uses SPSS 16, LISREL 8.8, HLM 6.0, R, G*Power 3.2, ArcGIS, and other software packages to perform data analysis.  Additionally, he uses StatTransfer 10 and is able to accept data files in almost any format and can provide data files in the format of your choice.

Specialties: music education, developmental psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, education, education policy, program evaluation, arts integration in education, econometric methods in educational research, contextual factors in education/developmental psychology, LaTeX typesetting software.

Education Researcher (campus-based university)

• Researched and developed a school accountability model with the Associate Director of Accountability for Brockton Public Schools
• Provided technical support to Brockton Public Schools staff regarding the use of statistical software packages such as Stata 11
• Review the literature regarding accountability in education, accountability models, and accountability target selection

Education Consultant

• Brockton Public Schools (Brockton, MA) – Program Evaluation and Written Deliverable
• Used quasi-experimental econometric methods (i.e., regression discontinuity, instrumental variables, etc to assess the causal relationship between the district’s 21st Century Schools programming and educational outcomes
• Wrote custom programs to automate the data analysis process using Stata 11MP
• Provided clients with graphical representations of data to facilitate the dissemination and understanding of the results of the analyses
• RI College Crusade (Providence, RI) – Qualitative Research and Analysis
• Conducted focus groups with program participants in the 12th and 8th grades
• Analyzed and reported findings of the focus group to improve the service delivery model
• Prepare focus group findings to be used for as a component of a $16m GEARUP grant application
• Bear Paw Tutors (Providence, RI) – Assessment and Curriculum Consultation
• Leveraged personal connections to facilitate dialogue between CEO and COO with other local organizations to develop partnerships with K-12 schools and districts
• Developed multi-faceted partnerships between Bear Paw Tutors, out of school time organizations, and educational institutions throughout cities and towns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
• Assisted in providing strategic planning, research, and networking to grow organizational capacity
• Providence After School Alliance (PASA) – Quantitative Data Analysis and Written Deliverable
• Prepared reports and presentations for a variety of audiences by summarizing data and findings, developing graphic representations of the data, and providing comprehensive reporting of all data mining tasks
• Analyzed longitudinal data for over 3,000 students in STATA with multivariate techniques for panel data
• Worked independently selecting appropriate methods to accurately analyze data
• Providence Public School Department (PPSD) – Quantitative Data Analysis and Data Packet
• Worked independently to help produce data packets for turnaround schools in an urban district
• Gathered and analyzed data from parent surveys to draw logical conclusions of parent inclusion and participation
• Developed reporting tables using MS Excel and created graphic representations of data
• Used SPSS to compute requested statistics for three years of assessment data in a district of 24,000+ students

Executive

• Assisted the Director of Education Outreach in the coordination of education outreach events and programs such as the Day at College program for local middle school students

Urban Education Fellow

• Provided policy analysis and research support in extended learning opportunities as a research intern/fellow for the Office of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
• Presented research findings to the State of Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Education and to the Director of the Race To The Top Assessment Competition

Non-Commissioned Officer Bandsman (US Army)          Jun 2006 – Jun 2009

• Produced high-quality musical compositions and arrangements for diplomacy missions throughout Iraq, include several performances for Iraq civilians and government leaders which led to recognition from the US Ambassador to Iraq
• Maintained calendar for training appointments, created system to track correspondence and contact information of unit leadership teams, and reserved space at training facilities on COB Speicher (Iraq)
• Worked with members of the US Department of State to donate over $40k in music equipment to Iraqi civilians
• Ensured the safety, transportation, and delivery of over $1M in music equipment while deployed to Iraq

Selected Research and Communications Experiences

Research:

Political Science and Public Policy
The Role of Teachers’ Union Contributions to School Committee Campaigns in RI on Election Outcomes: a Longitudinal Analysis.  Research for Dr. Kenneth K. Wong’s Policy Implementation in Education course (Brown University).

Education Policy and Reform
Implemented Extended Learning Time Policies: Barriers and Support Structures.  Research for the Office of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Policy Brief for RI Commissioner of Education
Designed a Comprehensive Assessment Strategy.  Research, with Roxana Del Campo and C. Andrew Morse, for Dr. Kenneth K. Wong’s Urban Politics and School Governance course to be presented to RI Commissioner of Education Debra Gist.

Presentations:

Student Assessment Designs
Developed a Robust System of Educational Standards and Assessment: Suggestions for Race To The Top Assessment Competition.  Presented to Director of RTTT program at Boston, MA Conference

Current Trends in Education Policy and Reform
Expanded Learning Time Initiative: Results from Urban Education Policy Summer Practicum.  Presented at Annenberg Institute for School Reform

Selected Awards and Recognition

Urban Education Fellowship (Brown University), Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education, Pi Lambda Theta International Honors Society in Education, Berklee Achievement Scholarship (3 awards), Army Commendation Medal (3 awards), Army Achievement Medal, Charles A. Morvillo Memorial Scholarship, John Hope Settlement House Alumni Scholarship, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Badge, Dr. Vincent A. Cianci Memorial Scholarship, Brooks Pharmacy Scholarship, Battalion Soldier of the Month, and Battalion Soldier of the Quarter

Professional Affiliations

American Psychological Association, New York Academy of Arts and Sciences, Music Educators National Conference, Pi Lambda Theta International Honors Society in Education, Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education, Rhode Island Music Educators Association, Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Berklee College of Music Alumni Association, Hope Arts High School Alumni, Volunteers in Providence Schools, and the Society for Research in Music Education (Special Research Interest Groups: Learning and Development, Social Sciences, and Perception and Cognition)

Additional Skills, Qualifications, and Education

Advanced Programming in Stata Course

Introduction to Programming Stata Course

Annenberg Institute for School Reform Grantwriting Seminar

Proficient using Stata and SPSS for data analysis and management

Learning R, HLM, and LISREL

Experienced with MS Office Suite of Products

Proficient typesetting documents in LaTeX2e

ARTICLES

Before You Pay a Data Analyst to Assist With Your Thesis or Dissertation...

Mentoring

Managing Your Data Effectively in Stata

Using Stata to Automate Summary Statistics in Longitudinal Data

What is Indexing?

What's New in Stata 12?

FEEDBACK

“Will was an amazing consultant and teacher. He was patient and very thorough. I would highly recommend him to others that I know who are in need of his services.” - Terry Carter

“He was patient and very thorough. I would highly recommend him to others in need of statistics help services. Received: statistical consulting, data analysis, interpretation of results, presentation of results.” Terrence Carter, Chief Learning Officer, AUSL