@techreport{ai25-1295,
  title = {{Interpreting Null Effects in Education: Insights from a Tutoring Experiment}},
  author = {Elizabeth Huffaker and Carly D. Robinson and Emanuele Bardelli and Sara White and Susanna Loeb},
  institution = {Annenberg Institute at Brown University},
  type = {EdWorkingPaper},
  number = {25-1295},
  year = {2026},
  month = {November},
  doi = {10.26300/58dd-6d02},
  url = {https://edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1295},
  abstract = {We learn not only from when interventions work—but also from why they do not. Policymakers embraced high impact tutoring to address pandemic learning loss, but scaling promising practices is difficult, and not all implementations prove effective. Using random assignment, we find null (math and a low-stakes reading test) and negative (-0.09 SD on state reading scores) impacts from assignment to a virtual tutoring program. Using frameworks for interpreting null results in education experiments, we identify subject-specific heterogeneity and contribute to the literature on dosage challenges for in-school tutoring. We also identify alignment of tutoring content with classroom instruction as a moderator warranting further study. This paper offers strategies for uncovering mechanisms behind unexpected results and designing theory-driven, policy-relevant evaluations.},
}