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The West Texas Measles Outbreak and Student Absences
Declining child-vaccination rates are driving a measles resurgence in the US, yet little evidence documents how these outbreaks may disrupt schooling. Using daily absence data from a school district at the center of the West Texas outbreak, this preregistered analysis finds absences increased 41 percent relative to the within-year variation from two prior years, with larger effects among… more →
No Pay? No Way! Teacher Compensation Reforms and the Market for Graduate Degrees
Graduate degrees in education provide financial stability for many institutions, yet reformers have sought to decouple teacher pay from these credentials. Without a wage premium, educators may skip advanced study, reducing enrollment at nearby universities. Using a natural experiment in Tennessee, we show that eliminating a graduate degree wage premium for teachers led to a 27% (140 student)… more →
More Often or Longer? The Effects of the Academic Schedule on Postsecondary Academic Outcomes
One of the most common scheduling decisions in higher education is the determination of biweekly or triweekly classes. On the surface, these two formats are equivalent in terms of the number of minutes in a course (75 minutes twice a week or 50 minutes three times a week). However, the two structures may have different pros and cons for both students and faculty and it is ambiguous which… more →
The Influence of Partisanship in Local School Board Elections: Evidence from Exit Polling in Michigan & Rhode Island
Education in the U.S. has long been shaped by local school boards elected in nonpartisan contests, a structure intended to shield schools from broader political forces. Today, many states are considering reforms to make school board elections partisan, yet the impact on voters remains unclear. Using exit poll data from 839 voters in Michigan (nonpartisan elections) and Rhode Island (partisan… more →
Assessing Permanent School Closures: A Conceptual Framework
Amid widespread declining enrollment, the expiration of COVID-19 ESSER funding, and looming uncertainty in federal P-12 education involvement, many school districts may soon consider permanent school closures. While extant permanent school closure literature provides a starting point for future analyses, it often fails to advise the breadth of contexts in which future closures may occur,… more →
Effects of a non-traditional teacher preparation program on non-test outcomes: evidence from relay graduate school of education in New York City
This study examines the effects of a non-traditional teacher preparation program, the Relay Graduate School of Education, on non-test outcomes for New York City public school students in Grades 3–8. By controlling for student and school fixed effects, I use plausibly random variation in Relay teacher assignments within students over time to identify causal Relay program effects. Results… more →
Policy and Practice Series
Webinar Series
The Bigger Picture: Key Trends in America’s Changing Education Landscape
Are the enrollment and achievement declines we’re seeing just pandemic fallout, or something deeper? The papers featured in this webinar provide essential context for evaluating common narratives about recent changes in student achievement and enrollment.