1 of 30

A Brief Introduction to the Advantage Framework

David Stevens, Ph.D.

2 of 30

A Brief Introduction to the Advantage Framework

I developed the Advantage framework as part of my dissertation at the University of California, Berkeley. I began with a conceptual framework to define educational Advantage, relying heavily on the perspectives of educators, operationalized the model to generate individual-level measures of educational opportunity, and evaluated the Advantage framework using cross-sectional, longitudinal, and state-level data.

The three papers had the following goals:

Paper One: Established the validity, reliability, and functional utility of the Advantage framework.
Paper Two: Evaluated the Advantage framework using longitudinal achievement data for Grades 3–8.
Paper Three: Evaluated changes in the inequality of opportunity in California schools pre- and post-COVID (2015–2019 & 2022–2024) using measures of school-level mean Advantage.

I provide a brief introduction to the Advantage framework in the following slides.

3 of 30

What is Advantage?

Student achievement is a function of both their effort (i.e., merit) and their opportunities.

Educators regularly .

Measures of opportunity? Despite their role in a Advantage is a student-level measure of opportunity.

4 of 30

Students exposed to greater opportunity tend to demonstrate greater achievement.

5 of 30

Unfortunately, whereas achievement is regularly evaluated and measured, opportunity is not.

6 of 30

Achievement by High-Needs Status

7 of 30

Achievement

8 of 30

Opportunity (Advantage)

9 of 30

A Conceptual Framework for Advantage

10 of 30

11 of 30

12 of 30

13 of 30

14 of 30

15 of 30

16 of 30

17 of 30

18 of 30

19 of 30

20 of 30

21 of 30

A Comparison of Individual-centered vs. Group-centered methods:

Group-Centered (Gap Frameworks)		Individual-Centered (Advantage Framework)
✅	Use a deficit perspective (Harper, 2015; Milner, 2012)	No
✅	Positions White or middle class as the norm or reference group	No
✅	Reinforces stereotypes (Quinn, 2022; Steele & Aronson, 1995)	No
No	Does NOT omit groups with small numbers (Hafoka et al., 2020)	✅
No	Includes multiple student characteristics (Gutiérrez, 2008; Stevens, 2024)	✅
No	High predictive validity (Stevens, 2024)	✅
No	Explains within-group heterogeneity and inequality (Lopez et al., 2018; Reardon & Galindo, 2009; Stevens, 2024)	✅
No	Allows everyone to see salient aspects of themselves in conversations about inequality (Stevens, 2024)	✅

22 of 30

Using the Advantage framework to better understand and more effectively address inequality

23 of 30

Advantage can examine inequality at three levels:

Sample or population-level measures of inequality of opportunity:
Overall state, district, or school level.
Among schools within a district.
Among grade levels within a school.
Between classrooms, teachers, or programs within a school.

Within-group measures of inequality of opportunity.
Within districts, schools, grades, programs, etc.
Within demographic groups (i.e., within socioeconomic or ethnic-racial groups, etc.).

Individual-level measure of opportunity:
Provides context for interpreting student outcomes.

24 of 30

Controlling for Advantage helps explain

group-based differences in proficiency

25 of 30

Advantage (opportunity) varies widely within groups:

26 of 30

Advantage and Achievement vary widely within groups:

27 of 30

Advantage predicts achievement within groups

28 of 30

Advantage helps to focus resources or intervention.

29 of 30

Want to learn more?

Use the form below to send me a message or ask questions.

If you are interested in partnering or looking to hire, I am open for work!

You can view my CV using the link below.

https://academicsupportindex.com/david-stevens-cv

30 of 30

The first paper for my dissertation was recently awarded first place in the 2025 AERA Division H Outstanding Publications Competition for Category 1: Methodology.

If you are attending AERA in Denver, come to my roundtable talk on Friday at 1:30 PM in the Four Seasons Ballroom 2–3 at the Colorado Convention Center.