A Primer for Analyzing Nested Data: Multilevel Modeling in SPSS Using an Example from a REL Study. REL 2015-046

Analyzing data that possess some form of nesting is often challenging for applied researchers or district staff who are involved in or in charge of conducting data analyses. This report provides a description of the challenges for analyzing nested data and provides a primer of how multilevel regression modeling may be used to resolve these challenges. An illustration from the companion report, The correlates of academic performance for English language learner students in a New England district (REL 2014-020), is provided to show how multilevel modeling procedures are used and how the results are interpreted. "Step by step procedure for using the Advanced Statistics module of SPSS IBM Statistics" is appended.