Skip to main content

Psychological Sciences

Psychological Sciences
  2. People
  3. Profile

David Cordray

Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Emeritus

David Cordray's research has focused on estimating the numerical effects of social interventions directed at-risk populations (e.g. homeless, substance abusers). In addition to conducting multi-site evaluations of intervention programs, he has contributed to the development of methodological refinements of quasi-experimental designs, meta-analysis, and non-traditional forms of casual inquiry.

Current Research

  • Program Director: Experimental Education Research Training Program - ExpERT. Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences August, 2004 -August 2009. Approximately $4.9 million.
  • Co-PI (with Jim Pellegrino and Susan Goldman; University of Illinois, Chicago Circle). What Works? Integrating Technology and Effective Pedagogy. Funded by the Atlantic Philanthropic Fund. Approximately $2,000,000. (November, 2003 to present).
  • Principal Investigator: Assessing Expertise. Funded by the Learning Sciences Institute, Vanderbilt University, $49,500. June, 2002 to June 2004.
  • Assessment and Evaluation (A&E) Thrust Leader (PI, Tom Harris). VaNTH Engineering Research Center. November, 1999 to present. (The A&E Trust receives between $250,000 - $300,000 per year); total approximately $17,000,000.
  • Principal Investigator: Evaluation of the Kellogg Foundation Birthing Center (6 year project). Approximately $500,000. September, 1999- 2004.
  • Principal Investigator. National Evaluation of NIAAA supported R&D program for homeless alcohol and substance abusers, 9/15/90-7/31/94. (Approximately $250,000, total costs, per year, total award, $980,000)
  • Principal Investigator. Meta-analysis of job training programs, Russell Sage Foundation. 6/92-12-93, (18 months, approximately $57,000).

Previous Positions

  • Co-Director, Center for Evaluation Research and Methodology, Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies, Vanderbilt University (8/97 to 10/01)
  • Member, Technical Work Group, Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance, U.S. Department of Education/WESTAT. 1996-2002.
  • Member, Evaluation Review Panel, Office of the Deputy Secretary, U. S. Department of Education, 1992-2001.
  • Director, Center for the Study of At-Risk Populations and Public Assistance Policy, VIPPS (9/90-8/97).
  • Member, Panel on Needle Exchange and Bleach Distribution Programs (1995). Preventing HIV Transmission: The Role of Sterile Needles and Bleach. J. Norman, D. Vlahov, and L. Moses (Eds.) Washington DC: National Academy Press.
  • President, American Evaluation Association (1991-1993).
  • Assistant Director, Program Evaluation and Methodology Division, United States General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (11/84 to 7/89).
  • Committee on the Assessment of Family Violence Interventions (1998) Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs. R. Chalk and P. King (Eds.), Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Representative Publications

  • Books and Monographs
  • Cook, T. D., Cooper, H. M., Cordray, D. S., Hartman, H., Hedges, L. V., Lewis, T., Light, R., J., & Mosteller, F. M. (1992). Meta-analysis for explanation: A casebook. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
  • Education Information: Changes in Funds and Priorities Have Affected Production and Quality. (GAO/PEMD-88-4, November 4, 1987) .
  • R&D Funding: The Department of Education Perspective. (GAO/PEMD-88-18FS, May 1988) .
  • Cordray, D. S. & Lipsey, M. W. (Eds.). (1987). Evaluation studies review annual, Volume 11. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Cordray, D. S., Bloom H. S., & Light, R. J. (Eds.). (1987) Evaluation practice in review. New Directions in Program Evaluation, 34.
  • Boruch, R. F., Wortman, P. M., Cordray, D. S., & Associates. (1982). Reanalyzing program evaluations: Policies and practices for secondary analysis of social and education programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Selected Articles and Chapters
  • Cordray, D.S. & Pion, G.M. (in press). Treatment strength and integrity: Models and methods. In R. Bootzin & P. McKnight (Eds.), Contributions of Lee Sechrest to methodology and evaluation. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
  • Nyquist, J. & Cordray, D.S. (2004). The benefits of considering feedback as a larger system of formative assessment: A meta-analysis. Under revision.
  • Spickard, A. III, Smithers, J., Cordray, D.S., & Gigante, J. (2003). A randomized trial of an online lecture with audio versus without audio. Medical Education.
  • Cordray, D.S., Pion, G.M., Harris, A. & Norris, P. (2003). Assessing the Effectiveness of Educational Innovations. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, May/June, 2003.
  • Pion, G.M. & Cordray, D.S. (2003). Research methods: An overview. In J.W. Guthrie et al. (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Education, 2nd Edition, New York, New York: MacMillan. Pp.2020-2025.
  • Cordray, D.S. (2001). Secondary analysis. In N.J. Smelser and P.B. Baltes (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. London: Pergamon. 2, 645-648.
  • Cordray, D.S. (2000). Broadening the scope of experimental inquiry. Crime and Delinquency, 46(3), 401-424.
  • Lipsey, M.W. & Cordray, D.S. (2000) Evaluation methods for social intervention. Annual Review of Psychology. 51, 345-375.
  • Orwin, R.G, Sonnefeld, L.J., Cordray, D.S., Pion, G.M., and Perl, H.I. (1998) Constructing quantiatitve implementation scales from categorical service data: Examples from a multisite evaluation. Evaluation Review, 22(2), 245-288.
  • Cordray, D. S. (1994). Strengthening causal interpretation of non-experimental data: The role of meta-analysis. New Directions in Program Evaluation, 60, 59-96.
  • Orwin, R. G., Cordray, D. S., & Huebner, R. B. (1994). Judicious application of randomized designs. New Directions in Program Evaluation, 63, 73-86.
  • Boruch, R. F., Cordray, D. S., Pion, G. M., & Leviton, L. (1983). Recommendations to the Congress and their rationale: The Holtzman Project. Evaluation Review, 7, 5-36. Selected Presentations
  • Cordray, D.S. Assessment and evaluation of educational programs within NSF-supported Engineering Research Centers (ERCs). Invited presentation, November 3, 2003. Annual Directors' Meeting for National Science Foundation Supported ERCs. Washington, DC.
  • Cordray, D.S. Designing evaluations to yield compelling evidence: Multiple modes of inquiry. Plenary Address, Second OERI Technology Evaluation Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, August 20, 2000.
  • Cordray, D.S. Evaluating training programs on incidents of domestic violence. Invited presentation to the National Research Council's Committee on Training Health Professionals in Detecting Incidents of Domestic Violence, Washington, DC, March, 2000
  • Cordray, D.S. Differential program effects: Distinguishing theory and implementation successes and failures. Presentation at the American Evaluation Association Annual Meetings, Chicago, IL, November 5, 1998.
  • Editorial Experience
  • Associate Editor, Evaluation Review (1985-1988)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Evaluation Studies Review Annual (1987)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, New Directions for Program Evaluation (1986-1997)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Evaluation and Program Planning, (1992-1997)

Honors

National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, Lifetime Member (November, 2003)

  • American Evaluation Association Service Award (November, 1993)
  • Meritorious Service Award, U.S. Comptroller General, United States General Accounting Office, November 19, 1986.
  • National Research Service Award, Post-doctoral Training - Division of Methodology and Evaluation Research, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University. National Institute of Mental Health (1-T32- MH151113-01). (9/78-8/79)