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Researchers and policymakers can both benefit from timely access to research. EdWorkingPapers is a platform for prompt and open dissemination of high-quality studies. By connecting researchers and informing policymakers, the series accelerates progress in education.
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NEW EdWorkingPapers
Unequal Foundations: Racial Disparities in School Building Conditions in New York State
School infrastructure is a critical yet often overlooked factor shaping student health, learning, and well-being. This study examines racial disparities in public school building conditions across New York State using building inspection data linked to demographic and fiscal data. Schools serving more students of color are significantly more likely to have poor overall conditions, inadequate… more →
Let’s Chat: Leveraging Chatbot Outreach for Improved Course Performance
This study provides pre-registered, experimental evidence on the use of non-generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to support students in large-enrollment undergraduate courses. We find the chatbot messaging increased students’ final grades and engagement with academic supports, such as tutoring. Treatment effects were generally consistent across student demographics, with the… more →
Boosting Dual Enrollment Participation by Simplifying Access for High School Students
Despite the promise of dual enrollment to expand college access, racial disparities in participation persist, and limited research examines policies designed to reduce access barriers. Using statewide student-level data from 2013–14 to 2021–22 and difference-in-differences approaches, I estimate the causal impact of College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnerships, which aimed to reduce… more →
Principal Effects on Teacher Working Conditions
Research on school principals highlights their role in shaping teachers’ work environments, but most evidence is qualitative or correlational. We provide plausibly causal estimates of how principals affect a wide range of teacher working conditions using data from Illinois, where the State Board of Education collects detailed information on working conditions annually. Our identification… more →
Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives
Limited resources hinder community college completion. Even with strategies shown to improve outcomes, decisionmakers still ask: What does it cost? Can we afford it? I present the first comparative cost analyses of six student success initiatives: basic needs supports, college/career success courses, early alerts, embedded tutoring, retention/emergency aid, and first-year experience… more →
Does Relative Performance Feedback Improve Academic Outcomes? Evidence from a Randomised Controlled Trial in a Spanish University
The effects of relative performance feedback on student achievement remain contested in the economics of education literature. Some studies find that providing students with information about their standing relative to peers improves academic outcomes, while others show negative effects driven by reduced effort among students who learn they perform better than expected. This paper provides new… more →
Policy and Practice Series
Webinar Series
Improving Student Attendance in the ICE Era
Join us for our next EdWorkingPapers Webinar, where we’ll bring timely, policy-relevant research to life through live conversation. In our spring session on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30pm ET, researchers will describe the effects of immigration enforcement actions on student attendance and practical strategies schools are using to improve attendance and build trust with families.
When: Wednesday, June 17 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm ET
During this interactive session, you hear from:
Andrew Camp (Annenberg Institute at Brown University) and author team presenting "Immigration Enforcement Actions and Empty Desks: Persistent and Acute Attendance Effects"
Jeremy Singer (University of Michigan-Flint) and author team presenting "What are schools doing to improve attendance? Evidence from Michigan and Georgia"
Thomas Dee (Stanford University) moderating