Instructor: P. Wesley Schultz The focus will be on fundamental concepts that are needed to guide decisions for appropriate data analyses, interpretations, and presentations. The goal of the course is to help participants avoid errors and improve skills as data analysts, communicators of statistical findings, and consumers of data analyses. Topics include data screening and cleaning, selecting appropriate methods for analysis, detecting statistical pitfalls and dealing with them, avoiding silly statistical mistakes, interpreting statistical output, and presenting findings to lay and professional audiences. Examples will include applications of basic distributions and statistical tests (e.g., z, t, chi-square, correlation, regression). Recommended Audience: The goal of the course is to help participants avoid errors and improve skills as data analysts, communicators of statistical findings, and consumers of data analyses. This course is especially suited for entry-level evaluators looking to develop their expertise with the foundational logic and methods of data analysis. Mid-level professionals seeking a refresher and greater facility with data analysis will also find this course helpful. TEI Certificate: This course fulfills the following requirements: - Design & Analysis elective for the Certificate in Evaluation Practice (CEP) - Analytic Approaches course for the Certificate in Advanced Evaluation Practices (CAEP) - Quantitative Focus elective for the Certificate in Analytic Evaluation Methods (CAEM)