Profile

Debbie Hahs-Vaughn received her Ph.D. in educational research from the University of Alabama and teaches quantitative statistics and research methods. Her research interests relate to methodological issues associated with quantitative statistical methods, program evaluation, and practitioner use of research to inform practice. She has experience in working with many complex datasets including the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class (ECLS-K), Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS), Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR), National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF), and National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH).

Dr. Hahs-Vaughn is a certified reviewer for the What Works Clearinghouse, certified in group design standards (versions 4.1 and 5.0), single case designs (version 4.1 and 5.0), and regression discontinuity designs (version 4.1).  She is the recipient of numerous research, teaching, and service awards. She is the author or co-author of ten quantitative statistics textbooks including, among others, Introduction to Statistical Concepts (2027) and Applied Multivariate Statistical Concepts (2025); a book chapter on Propensity Score Analysis; and over 80 articles in professional refereed outlets.

Dr. Hahs-Vaughn is the past Executive Editor of the Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design section of and current Consulting Editor for the Journal of Experimental Education and editorial board member for Methods in Psychology and founding consulting editor for Teaching Educational Research Methods. Professional service includes, among others, past Chair and Program Chair for the Advanced Studies of National Databases SIG (AERA), Secretary/Treasurer for multiple AERA SIGs (Advanced Studies of National Databases, Educational Statistician, Multilevel Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling), Member-at-Large for AERA’s Educational Statistician’s SIG, and Treasurer, Florida Educational Research Association. Dr. Hahs-Vaughn is a founding and governing board member of the Galileo School for Gifted Learning and previously served on the Advisory Board for the Tangelo Park Program.

• Methodological issues associated with quantitative statistical methods (e.g., methodological issues related to systematic reviews and meta-analyses; methodological issues with applying quantitative statistical methods to complex sample data)
• Analysis of complex sample data to studying substantive research questions
• Program evaluation including evaluation of and quality in research reporting, postsecondary issues, and school reform
• Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) (i.e., practitioner use of research to inform their practice)

• Ph.D., Educational Research, University of Alabama
• MBA, Marketing emphasis, Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University)
• BFA, Graphic Design, Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University)

Dr. Hahs-Vaughn’s primary research interest relates to methodological issues associated with quantitative statistics (e.g., analysis of complex survey data and methods associated with systematic reviews and meta-analyses). For example, complex sample data are data that have been collected by means other than a simple random sample. If analyzed without addressing the complex sample design, the results are likely to produce biased parameter estimates and underestimated standard errors. Methodological work related to complex samples assists others in making accurate claims when analyzing data from complex samples.

A secondary line of research relates to program evaluation, including evaluation of and quality in research reporting. Studies in which I have been involved range from assessing methodological quality of stuttering treatment to evaluating programs to assist children with autism to evaluating treatment of sporadic vestibular schwannoma to examining career preparation and more.

Through my Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL), my research focuses on understanding practitioner use of research to inform their practice with a particular focus on postsecondary environments. Studies in which I have been involved range from examining modality of statistics courses to examining program implementation by speech language pathologists to examining professional development.

• Methodological issues associated with quantitative statistics (e.g., methodological issues related to systematic reviews and meta-analyses; methodological issues with applying quantitative statistical methods to complex sample data)
• Analysis of complex sample data to studying substantive research questions
• Program evaluation including evaluation of and quality in research reporting, postsecondary issues, and school reform
• Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) (i.e., practitioner use of research to inform their practice)

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Pediatric Referral to Summer Day Camps to Treat Obesity in Children from Low-Income Households
PI: Keith Brazendale
Period: 7/1/2025-6/30/2027
Agency: NIH/NINR
Award: 1R21NR021423-01A1

Measuring Aided Language Development
PI: Jennifer Kent-Walsh
Agency: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Award: R01DC021160-01A1)

Motor Imagery for Treatment Enhancement and Efficacy (MI-TEE) in Persons with Apraxia of Speech
PI: Lauren Bislick Wilson
Agency: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Award: 1R21DC020548-01A1

• Certified Group Design (Randomized Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Designs) Reviewer (v. 5.0, 4.1, 4.0, 3.0), Single Case Design Reviewer (v. 5.0), and Regression Discontinuity Design Reviewer (v. 4.1) for the U.S. Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences (IES) What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
• 2024, 2018, 2013, and 2009 Research Incentive Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2024, 2018, 2013, and 2009 Teaching Incentive Program Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2024, 2016, and 2011 Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2024, University Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2024, 2017, and 2007 College of Education Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2015 Service Award, presented by the American Educational Research Association’s Educational Statistician’s Special Interest Group
• 2014 and 2009 College of Education Excellence in Research Award (University of Central Florida)
• 2013 Educational of the Year Award, presented by the Florida Educational Research Association
• 2012 Chuck G. Dziuban Excellence in Online Teaching Award Honorable Mention (University of Central Florida)

Editorial Service (select)

• Editorial Board, (2004-2009, 2014-present) and Executive Editor (2009-December 2013) (Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design section), Journal of Experimental Education
• Editorial Board, Methods in Psychology (2019-present)
• Consulting Editor (inaugural member), Teaching Educational Research Methods (2026-present)

Professional Organization Service (select)

• Member-at-Large, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Educational Statisticians Special Interest Group (SIG) (one-year term; 2024-2025, 2025-2026, 2026-2027)
• Secretary/Treasurer, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Advanced Studies of National Databases Special Interest Group (SIG) (two-year term; 2020-2021 and 2021-2022)
• Secretary/Treasurer, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Multilevel Modeling Special Interest Group (SIG) (one-year term; 2018-2019)
• Secretary/Treasurer, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Structural Equation Modeling Special Interest Group (SIG) (two-year term; 2015-2016 and 2016-2017)
• Secretary/Treasurer, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Educational Statisticians Special Interest Group (SIG) (two-year term; 2013-2014 and 2014-2015)

University Service (select)

• Program Coordinator, Methodology, Measurement, and Analysis (2021-present)

Community Service (select)

• Secretary, Founding & Governing Board of Directors, Galileo School for Gifted Learning (2010-present)
• Advisory Board, Tangelo Park Community (Orange County, FL) (2004-2024)

• Statistics for Educational Data
  EDF 6401; master's
  This course familiarize students with foundational descriptive and inferential statistics (t tests, chi square tests, bivariate correlation coefficients) to enable one to select appropriate methods and be able to apply them.  This course was awarded the Quality Online Course (2023).
• Fundamentals of Graduate Research in Education
  EDF 6481; master’s
  This course introduces students to the research process and prepares students to critically evaluate research in education. This course was awarded the Quality Online Course (2025).
• Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research
  EDF 7403; doctoral
  This course introduces students to ANOVA and regression quantitative statistical concepts. This course was awarded the Quality Online Course (2025) and Quality Blended Course designations (2021).
• Multilevel Data Analysis
  EDF 7474, doctoral
  This course considers the statistical foundations of multilevel linear models and focuses on their application in education and the behavioral sciences.