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Intervention studies in school systems are sometimes aimed not at changing curriculum or classroom technique, but rather at changing the way that teachers, teaching coaches, and administrators in schools work with one another--in short, changing the professional social networks of educators. Current methods of social network analysis are ill-suited to modeling the multiple partially exchangeable networks that arise in randomized field trials and observational studies in which multiple classrooms, schools, or districts are involved, and to detecting the effect of an intervention on the social network itself. To address these needs, we introduce a new modeling framework, the "Hierarchical Network Models (HNM) framework. The HNM framework can be used to extend single-network statistical network models to multiple networks, using a hierarchical modeling approach. We show how to generalize the latent space model for a single network to the HNM/multiple-network setting, and illustrate our approach with real and simulated social network data among education professionals. (Contains 1 table, 9 figures, and 1 note.)

Unfolding response models, a class of item response theory (IRT) models that assume a unimodal item response function (IRF), are often used for the measurement of attitudes. Verhelst and Verstralen (1993)and Andrich and Luo (1993) independently developed unfolding response models by relating the observed responses to a more common monotone IRT model using a latent response model (LRM; Maris, 1995). This article generalizes their approach, and suggests a data augmentation scheme for the estimation of any unfolding response model. The article introduces two Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedures for the Bayesian estimation of unfolding model parameters; one is a direct implementation of MCMC, and the second utilizes the data augmentation method. We use the estimation procedure to analyze three data sets, one simulated, and two from real attitudinal surveys. (Contains 9 figures and 7 tables.)

Extends the basic Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) strategy of R. Patz and B. Junker (1999) for Bayesian inference in complex Item Response Theory settings to address issues such as nonresponse, designed missingness, multiple raters, guessing behaviors, and partial credit (polytomous) test items. Applies the MCMC method to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (SLD)

Demonstrates Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques that are well-suited to complex models with Item Response Theory (IRT) assumptions. Develops an MCMC methodology that can be routinely implemented to fit normal IRT models, and compares the approach to approaches based on Gibbs sampling. Contains 64 references. (SLD)

Introduces two Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedures for the Bayesian estimation of unfolding model parameters. Direct implementation of MCMC; Use of the estimation procedure to analyze three data sets and two from real attitudinal surveys; Analysis of the unfolding model as a latent response model.