EdWorkingPapers
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 … in Relay teacher assignments within students over time to identify causal Relay program effects. Results indicate … and marginally effective at reducing suspensions compared to non-Relay teachers. The program shows a particular impact …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 indicate… more →
Unlocking College Potential: The Role of Student Expectations and Non-Cognitive Skills in College Success
… US, and combined this information with administrative data to create a comprehensive data set that, in addition to the usual academic performance data, cognitive ability … measures, and demographics, also included measures of non-cognitive skills, personality traits, student …Attending college is a significant human capital investment but only about 60% of those who start college will have a completed degree six years later. This makes identifying the skills associated with college success an important policy concern. We surveyed over 1,100 entering college freshmen, majoring in business and engineering at a public university in the US, and combined this information… more →
U.S. Schools’ Proximity to Environmental Hazard Sites: A National Analysis
… of U.S. PreK-12 public and private schools’ proximity to known environmental hazard sites tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Superfund sites, Brownfields, and Toxics Release Inventory facilities. …We conduct a nationwide assessment of U.S. PreK-12 public and private schools’ proximity to known environmental hazard sites tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Superfund sites, Brownfields, and Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Prior research documents a range of negative health and academic consequences for youth exposed to pollution and legacy contaminants released by these… more →
“Non-Submitters:” Evidence on Students Who Start but Don’t Complete a College Application
… techniques, data visualizations, and fixed effects models to explore this population of college-interested “non-submitters” to observe application behaviors; document differences across …Not all students who could benefit from college apply. With novel data on over 1.2 million high schoolers, we show that nearly 25% start but never complete a college application. We use descriptive techniques, data visualizations, and fixed effects models to explore this population of college-interested “non-submitters” to observe application behaviors; document differences across individual,… more →
More Money for Less Time? Examining the Relative and Heterogenous Financial Returns to Non-Degree Credentials and Degree Programs
… There is a large and growing number of non-degree credential offerings between a high school diploma … degree. Nevertheless, research on the financial returns to non-degree credentials and degree-granting programs is often narrow and siloed. To fill this gap, we leverage a national sample of …There is a large and growing number of non-degree credential offerings between a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree, as well as degree programs beyond a bachelor’s degree. Nevertheless, research on the financial returns to non-degree credentials and degree-granting programs is often narrow and siloed. To fill this gap, we leverage a national sample of individuals across nine MSAs and… more →
Can Information and Advising Affect Postsecondary Participation and Attainment for Non-Traditional Students? Evidence from a Large-Scale Experiment with the U.S. Army
… Non-traditional students disproportionately enroll in … large-scale, multi-arm field experiment with the U.S. Army to investigate whether personalized information and the offer … we also provided service members with opportunities to connect with a college advisor. We find no overall impact …Non-traditional students disproportionately enroll in institutions with weaker graduation and earnings outcomes. One hypothesis is that these students would have made different choices had they been provided with better information or supports during the decision-making process. We conducted a large-scale, multi-arm field experiment with the U.S. Army to investigate whether personalized… more →
Supportive Teacher Working Conditions as a Tool to Retain Non-Local Teachers in Rural Schools
… hiring homegrown teachers because they are more likely to stay than non-local teachers; however, administrators need to hire non-local candidates to meet their staffing needs. …Rural school administrators prefer hiring homegrown teachers because they are more likely to stay than non-local teachers; however, administrators need to hire non-local candidates to meet their staffing needs. Our examination of rural teachers’ preferences for local was guided by person-organization fit theory. Specifically, we investigated the role of teacher working conditions (TWC) in the… more →
The Disciplinary Differences in the Characteristics And Effects of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
… variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hired through temporary and … colleges. Using an instrumental variables strategy to address student sorting, our analyses indicate that taking … Long-term non-tenure faculty are generally comparable to tenure-track faculty in student subsequent interest, but …Using data with detailed instructor employment information from a state college system, this study examines disciplinary variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hired through temporary and long-term employment. We identify substantial differences in the demographic and employment characteristics between the two types of non-tenure-line faculty, where the… more →
Falling Behind as Peers Age Up: The Effects of Peer Age on Student Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Outcomes
… explores the impact of peer age on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes using a randomized sample of middle … friendships, and the school environment they are exposed to are the primary drivers of our main findings. These … importance of addressing age disparities within classrooms to enhance students' cognitive and non-cognitive development. …Understanding the factors that influence student outcomes is crucial for both parents and schools when designing effective educational strategies. This paper explores the impact of peer age on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes using a randomized sample of middle school students. By analyzing how exogenous variations in peer age affect students' academic performance, self-expectations and… more →
College Students and Career Aspirations: Nudging Student Interest in Teaching
… survey undergraduate students at a large public university to understand the pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors driving their college major and career … of working as a teacher in the future. Students, relative to existing statistics, generally believe they would earn …We survey undergraduate students at a large public university to understand the pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors driving their college major and career decisions with a focus on K-12 teaching. While the average student reports there is a 6% chance they will pursue teaching, almost 27% report a nonzero chance of working as a teacher in the future. Students, relative to existing statistics,… more →
Diversity Trends Among Faculty in STEM and non-STEM Fields at Selective Public Universities in the U.S. from 2016 to 2023
… followed by large university investments in initiatives to promote diversity, which combined with existing diversity dynamics, have helped to shape recent faculty diversity trends. We document diversity trends among faculty in STEM and non-STEM fields since the protests in 2015-16. We find that …During the 2015-16 academic year, racial protests swept across college campuses in the U.S. These protests were followed by large university investments in initiatives to promote diversity, which combined with existing diversity dynamics, have helped to shape recent faculty diversity trends. We document diversity trends among faculty in STEM and non-STEM fields since the protests in 2015-16. We… more →
The Unintended Effects of the Common Core State Standards on Non-Targeted Subjects
… estimate spillovers of the CCSS on student achievement in non-targeted subjects in models with state and year fixed … the CCSS had a negative effect on student achievement in non-targeted subjects. This negative effect is largest for … Unintended Effects of the Common Core State Standards on Non-Targeted Subjects …From 2010 onwards, most US states have aligned their education standards by adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English Language Arts. The CCSS did not target other subjects such as science and social studies. We estimate spillovers of the CCSS on student achievement in non-targeted subjects in models with state and year fixed effects. Using student achievement data from… more →
Impacts of state aid for non-traditional students on educational and labor market outcomes
… Up to three-fourths of college students can be classified as “non-traditional”, yet whether typical policy interventions … is understudied. I use a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impacts of a state financial aid program …Up to three-fourths of college students can be classified as “non-traditional”, yet whether typical policy interventions improves their education and labor market outcomes is understudied. I use a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impacts of a state financial aid program aimed towards non-traditional students. Eligibility has no impacts on degree completion for students intending to… more →
The Impact of Low-Ability Peers on Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Outcomes: Random Assignment Evidence on the Effects and Operating Channels
… from China. We exploit the random assignment of students to junior high school classrooms and find that the proportion … primary school (“repeaters”), has negative effects on non-repeaters’ cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. An exploration of the mechanisms …This paper presents new experimental estimates of the impact of low-ability peers on own outcomes using nationally representative data from China. We exploit the random assignment of students to junior high school classrooms and find that the proportion of low-ability peers, defined as having been retained during primary school (“repeaters”), has negative effects on non-repeaters’ cognitive and… more →
Beyond the Shutdown: Tracking Language Growth in Early Head Start Children Before, During, and After COVID-19
… Start from pre-COVID, through the pandemic peak and beyond to 2025. Study children were aged 2-43 months (N = 2,763; 47% … 42% Hispanic of any race; 46% Black/African American, Non-Hispanic; 6% White, Non-Hispanic; 4% Multi/biracial, Non-Hispanic; 3% Other race …Understanding early language outcomes for low-income children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important concern for researchers, policymakers, and educators. We examined language environments and language development among infants and toddlers in Early Head Start from pre-COVID, through the pandemic peak and beyond to 2025. Study children were aged 2-43 months (N = 2,763; 47% girls; 42… more →
The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis
… in 17 states since 2021. These new policies promise to be one of the most far-reaching reforms in U.S. education history. We make two contributions to understanding this policy. First, we provide a rich … that adopted universal vouchers between 2021 and 2024 to non-universal voucher states. We find that universal vouchers …Three-quarters of a century after Milton Friedman popularized the idea, universal school vouchers have suddenly become a reality in 17 states since 2021. These new policies promise to be one of the most far-reaching reforms in U.S. education history. We make two contributions to understanding this policy. First, we provide a rich description of the private school sector nationally. We show that… more →
Do 2 weeks of instruction time matter? Using a natural experiment to estimate the effect of a calendar change on students' performance
… regards the optimal amount of instruction time required to improve academic performance. This paper considers an … regulatory change that reduced the school calendar of non-fee-paying schools (public and charter schools) in the … we found that this regulatory change contributed to a significant deterioration in academic performance, …One of the most obvious and not sufficiently well understood political decisions in education regards the optimal amount of instruction time required to improve academic performance. This paper considers an unexpected, exogenous regulatory change that reduced the school calendar of non-fee-paying schools (public and charter schools) in the Madrid region (Spain) by two weeks during the 2017/2018… more →
Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students
… differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical …Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students’ educational outcomes. This study explores this… more →
Does Course Structure Increase STEM Employment for Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Technology Training Programs? Evidence from LaunchCode
… offered by LaunchCode (LC101, Women+, and CodeCamp) to understand if tailored structures within coding bootcamp … in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)—lead to increased program persistence for women, underrepresented … times as like to complete the apprenticeship. We find that non-completing CodeCamp students found a STEM job much faster …We examine three coding bootcamps offered by LaunchCode (LC101, Women+, and CodeCamp) to understand if tailored structures within coding bootcamp programs—designed for underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)—lead to increased program persistence for women, underrepresented minorities, and low-income individuals. We also examine if these tailored structures… more →
The Reliability of Classroom Observations and Student Surveys in Non-Research Settings: Evidence from a Middle-Income Country
… We present one of the first Generalizability studies of non-test measures of teaching effectiveness administered by … The reliability of observations varies widely (from 0 to 0.75 on a 0-1 scale) and depends upon their context … sampled across occasions. Our estimates are comparable to the reliability from research in highincome countries, but …We present one of the first Generalizability studies of non-test measures of teaching effectiveness administered by practitioners in a middle-income country. The reliability of observations varies widely (from 0 to 0.75 on a 0-1 scale) and depends upon their context (whether they are conducted during training or on the job) and rater assignment configurations. The reliability of surveys varies… more →
Project Lead the Way: Impacts of a High School Applied STEM Program on Early Post-Secondary Outcomes
… STEM program first introduced nearly three decades ago to enhance the STEM content of Career Technical Education … on participants (TOT), and the impact of program offer on non-participants on initial post-secondary outcomes. We use a … (DiD) analysis for ITT and a principal score weighted DiD to estimate TOT and the impacts of program offer on …Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is an applied STEM program first introduced nearly three decades ago to enhance the STEM content of Career Technical Education (CTE). Currently, more than 12,000 US high schools offer the program. Using data from three cohorts of public high school freshmen in Missouri, we investigate the impact of PLTW program offer (ITT), participation impacts on participants (TOT),… more →
Assessing the Benefits of Education in Early Childhood: Evidence from a Pre-K Lottery in Georgia
… enrollment lotteries for over-subscribed school-based sites in Georgia’s universal pre-K program, we analyze the … kindergarten more prepared in both math and reading than non-winning peers. Gains fade by the end of kindergarten, and … meal (FRPM) students benefit more compared to non-FRPM students in later grades, suggesting greater …Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong link between participation in pre-K programs and both short-term student achievement and positive later-life outcomes. Existing evidence primarily stems from experimental studies of small-scale, high-quality programs conducted in the 1960s and 1970s and analyses of the federal Head Start program. Meanwhile, evidence on state-funded pre-K… more →
Weighting for Progressivity? An Analysis of Implicit Tradeoffs Associated with Weighted Student Funding in Tennessee
… of progressivity based on the difference in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district … components of the Tennessee formula not explicitly tied to student poverty are only modestly progressive. Notably, …We study the progressivity of state funding of school districts under Tennessee’s weighted student funding formula. We propose a simple definition of progressivity based on the difference in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district funding in Tennessee is much smaller—only about 17 percent as large—as the formula weights… more →
Within-School Heterogeneity in Quality: Do Schools Provide Equal Value Added to All Students?
… and male students perform worse than their high-SES, non-minority, and female peers on standardized tests. This … how within-school differences in school quality contribute to these educational achievement gaps. Using individual-level … methodology that accounts for the fact that students sort to schools on observable characteristics. I allow for …Low-socioeconomic status (SES), minority, and male students perform worse than their high-SES, non-minority, and female peers on standardized tests. This paper investigates how within-school differences in school quality contribute to these educational achievement gaps. Using individual-level data on the universe of public-school students in California, I estimate school quality using a value… more →
Stress Test: Examining the Evolution of Teachers’ Mental Health Over Time
… Teaching is often assumed to be a relatively stressful occupation and occupational stress among teachers has been linked to poor mental health, attrition from the profession, and … women who become teachers have similar mental health to non-teachers prior to teaching but enjoy better mental health …Teaching is often assumed to be a relatively stressful occupation and occupational stress among teachers has been linked to poor mental health, attrition from the profession, and decreased effectiveness in the classroom. Despite widespread concern about teachers’ mental health, however, little empirical evidence exists on long-run trends in teachers’ mental health or the prevalence of mental… more →
How Does the Elimination of State Aid to For-Profit Colleges Affect Enrollment? Evidence from California's Reforms
… possible theoretical advantages. We use student level data to examine how eliminating public subsidies to attend low-performing for-profit institutions impacts … in students' postsecondary trajectories. For older, non-traditional students we find no impact on enrollment or …This paper examines how financial aid reform based on postsecondary institutional performance impacts student choice. Federal and state regulations often reflect concerns about the private, for-profit sector's poor employment outcomes and high loan defaults, despite the sector's possible theoretical advantages. We use student level data to examine how eliminating public subsidies to attend low-… more →
The Nation’s Achievement Inequality Report Card: An Assessment of Test Score and Equality Trends in Traditional Public, Charter, Catholic, and Department of Defense Schools
… rate in the traditional public school sector, chiefly due to the declining annual trend for its low achievers at the … Most of this increase in inequality occurred prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which merely accelerated the … School reform … The Nation’s Achievement Inequality Report Card: An Assessment of Test Score and Equality Trends in …We present a descriptive comparison of trends in achievement and inequality in traditional public, public charter, Catholic, and Department of Defense schools in the U.S. Our sample includes 6,155,570 observations for 4th and 8th graders in math and reading between 2005 and 2024. We focus on changes in the 90th and 10th percentile scores of the students in those school sectors on the National… more →
The reliability of classroom observations and student surveys in non-research settings: Evidence from Argentina
… There is a growing consensus on the need to measure teaching effectiveness using multiple instruments. Yet, guidance on how to achieve reliable ratings derives largely from formal … of classroom observations and student surveys in non-research settings: Evidence from Argentina …There is a growing consensus on the need to measure teaching effectiveness using multiple instruments. Yet, guidance on how to achieve reliable ratings derives largely from formal research in high-income countries. We study the reliability of classroom observations and student surveys conducted by practitioners in a middle-income country. Both instruments can achieve relatively high reliability (… more →
Identification of Non-Additive Fixed Effects Models: Is the Return to Teacher Quality Homogeneous?
… Panel or grouped data are often used to allow for unobserved individual heterogeneity in … unobserved fixed effects. We apply our proposed estimator to matched student-teacher data used to estimate value-added … assessment, and curriculum … Identification of Non-Additive Fixed Effects Models: Is the Return to Teacher …Panel or grouped data are often used to allow for unobserved individual heterogeneity in econometric models via fixed effects. In this paper, we discuss identification of a panel data model in which the unobserved heterogeneity both enters additively and interacts with treatment variables. We present identification and estimation methods for parameters of interest in this model under both strict… more →
Opening the Black Box of College Major Choice: Evidence from an Information Intervention
… We study the importance of job-related and non-job-related factors in students’ college major choices. Using a staggered intervention that allows us to provide students information about many different aspects of majors and to compare the magnitudes of the effects of each piece of …We study the importance of job-related and non-job-related factors in students’ college major choices. Using a staggered intervention that allows us to provide students information about many different aspects of majors and to compare the magnitudes of the effects of each piece of information, we show that major choices depend on a wide set of factors. While students do not change their choices… more →
The Non-Democratic Roots of Mass Education: Evidence from 200 Years
… loyalty, nation-building, and/or industrialization. To examine the relationship between democratization and … with median voter theories, democratization can lead to an expansion of primary schooling, but the key condition … governance, philanthropy, and organizations … The Non-Democratic Roots of Mass Education: Evidence from 200 …Because primary education is often conceptualized as a pro-poor redistributive policy, a common argument is that democratization increases its provision. But primary education can also serve the goals of autocrats, including redistribution, promoting loyalty, nation-building, and/or industrialization. To examine the relationship between democratization and education provision empirically, I… more →
Parental Health Behaviors Spill Over Through Peers to Shape Risk Environments and Adolescent Mental Health
… never drink. A one-standard-deviation increase in exposure to classmates from non-smoking and non-drinking family environments reduces the … … Parental Health Behaviors Spill Over Through Peers to Shape Risk Environments and Adolescent Mental Health …I study whether peer-family health composition affects adolescent risk environments, school relationships, and mental health. Using nationally representative data from the China Education Panel Survey, I exploit quasi-random variation in the share of a student's middle school classmates whose parents report that they never smoke and never drink. A one-standard-deviation increase in exposure to… more →
Landscape Analysis of the Teaching Profession
… The following report represents our attempt both to synthesize the current landscape of the teaching profession in the United States and to identify areas of research, policy, and practice which … the field engaged in working across schools, universities, non-profits, foundations, unions, and other organizations …The following report represents our attempt both to synthesize the current landscape of the teaching profession in the United States and to identify areas of research, policy, and practice which show promise in strengthening the profession. To guide our development of this landscape analysis, we conducted a robust review of existing research on the state of the teaching profession, as well as of… more →
Online Tutoring, School Performance, and School-to-Work Transitions: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial
… impacts on labor market outcomes remain less understood. To address this gap, we conduct a randomized controlled trial with 839 secondary school students in Germany to examine the effects of an online tutoring program for … transitions. The online tutoring program had a non-significant intention-to-treat effect of 0.06 standard …Tutoring programs for low-performing students, delivered in-person or online, effectively enhance school performance, yet their medium- and longer-term impacts on labor market outcomes remain less understood. To address this gap, we conduct a randomized controlled trial with 839 secondary school students in Germany to examine the effects of an online tutoring program for low-performing students… more →
Removing Barriers to College Credits: Where and for Whom AP Exam Fee Waivers Work
… on a sample of students who took multiple AP courses to estimate the policy’s effect on exam participation … evidence of gains among underrepresented minorities (non-Asian and non-White). A complementary analysis, … impact in courses where predicted financial barriers to exam participation were highest, and that the policy’s …Do policies that broaden educational access also foster success? We study this question in the context of North Carolina’s universal Advanced Placement (AP) exam fee waiver policy. Using student-course level administrative data, we exploit within-student variation on a sample of students who took multiple AP courses to estimate the policy’s effect on exam participation (access) and pass rates (… more →
Do Dual Enrollment Students Realize Better Long-Run Earnings? Variations in Financial Outcomes Among Key Student Groups
… and the workforce, we conduct a propensity score analysis to understand how dual credit participation among the class … we find that dual credit participants are more likely to hold student loan debt on average than non-participants, we also observe higher annual earnings on …This study considers whether dual enrollment is associated with students’ financial outcomes over a longer, twelve-year time horizon after high school graduation than previously analyzed in the existing literature. Using longitudinal administrative data that span K-12, higher education, and the workforce, we conduct a propensity score analysis to understand how dual credit participation among the… more →
The Graduation Part II: Graduate Program Graduation Rates
… from an average of 81 percent for law programs to 53 percent for education programs. We also find large … flagship public universities graduated in 6 years compared to only 57 percent of those who entered programs in non-research intensive (non-R1) institutions. Graduate …This paper documents several facts about graduate program graduation rates using administrative data covering public and nonprofit graduate students in Texas. Despite conventional wisdom that most graduate students complete their programs, only 58 percent of who started their program in 2004 graduated within 6 years. Between the 2004 and 2013 entering cohorts, graduate student completion rates… more →
Exploring Multidimensional Approaches to Learning During Early Childhood in Ghana
… Children's approaches to learning (AtL) are widely recognized as a critical … between AtL and learning outcomes, and how AtL operates in non-Western contexts. This paper aims to extend the existing AtL literature by both conceptually …Children's approaches to learning (AtL) are widely recognized as a critical predictor of educational outcomes, especially in early childhood. Nevertheless, there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the dimensionality of AtL, the reciprocal dynamics between AtL and learning outcomes, and how AtL operates in non-Western contexts. This paper aims to extend the existing AtL literature by both… more →
COVID-19 and the Mental Health of Adolescents in British Columbia
… physician services received, and prescription medications to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated … mode. The results suggest substantial increases for non-Indigenous English home language girls in treatment for … and other mental health conditions. Indigenous and non-English home language girls also show increases in …We use linked individual-level data on school enrollment, physician services received, and prescription medications to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions on mental health treatment received by adolescents in British Columbia. We also investigate whether these effects are mediated by socioeconomic status and schooling mode. The results suggest substantial… more →
The Politics of School Reopening during COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Five Urban Districts in the 2020-21 School Year
… : We used data from a multiple-case study from March 2020 to July 2021. The research team conducted 56 interviews with … from a subsample of parents and guardians in each of our sites. We analyzed these data through qualitative coding and … analyses. Findings : School system leaders in our case sites generally consulted public health authorities, …Purpose: Nearly all schools in the United States closed in spring 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze traditional public and charter school reopenings for the 2020-21 school year in five urban districts. We provide a rich and theoretically grounded description of how and why educational leaders made reopening decisions in each of our case districts. Research Methods: We used… more →
Blurred Boundaries: A Day in the Life of a Teacher
… faced by teachers have received renewed interest due to the myriad disruptions and changes to K-12 schooling brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. … in time use. Compared to observationally similar non-teachers, teachers spend significantly more time …The burnout, stress, and work-life balance challenges faced by teachers have received renewed interest due to the myriad disruptions and changes to K-12 schooling brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even prior to the pandemic relatively little was known about teachers’ time use outside of the classroom, the blurring of work and home boundaries, and how teachers compare to similar… more →
Native Flight Responses to Immigration: Evidence from K-12 School Enrollments
… into the nation. Immigration poses challenges relating to diversity, inclusion and cohesion in education systems, … differentiating across U.S. born races and ethnicities. To do so, I merge yearly school enrollment measures from the … Shares of White students and Black students in public non-charter schools decrease significantly in response to an …Over the past few decades, the U.S. has received a consistent and increasing influx of immigrants into the nation. Immigration poses challenges relating to diversity, inclusion and cohesion in education systems, including K-12 education. In the context of immigration, the theory of native flight argues that U.S. born populations move away from neighborhoods when an increasing number of immigrants… more →
Self-Interest in Public Service: Evidence from School Board Elections
… board member causes home values in their neighborhood to rise. This increase is identified using narrowly-decided contests and is driven by non-Democratic members, whose neighborhoods appreciate about 4% on average relative to those of losing candidates. We find that student test …In this paper, we show that the election of a new school board member causes home values in their neighborhood to rise. This increase is identified using narrowly-decided contests and is driven by non-Democratic members, whose neighborhoods appreciate about 4% on average relative to those of losing candidates. We find that student test scores in the neighborhood public schools of non-Democratic… more →
Understanding Newcomer English Learner Students’ English Language Development: Comparisons and Predictors
… of English learner-classified (EL) students immigrate to the U.S., entering U.S. schools upon their arrival. Using … newcomers’ English proficiency status and growth compare to those of non-newcomer EL students; and second, what characteristics …An important subgroup of English learner-classified (EL) students immigrate to the U.S., entering U.S. schools upon their arrival. Using growth models and statewide data, this study asks first, how newcomers’ English proficiency status and growth compare to those of non-newcomer EL students; and second, what characteristics are associated with differences in English language growth patterns among… more →
Tightening the Leaky Pipeline(s): The Role of Beliefs About Ability in STEM Major Choice
… To study beliefs about ability and STEM major choice, I … fields of study. I find that STEM students are more likely to switch out of their major and that non-STEM students fail to switch into STEM at the same rates …To study beliefs about ability and STEM major choice, I conduct a field experiment where I provide students with information that they are above average in their top fields of study. I find that STEM students are more likely to switch out of their major and that non-STEM students fail to switch into STEM at the same rates as other fields. I also find that learning you are above average in your… more →
College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking
… AP courses do not result in an AP exam. We predict that up to 32 percent of the AP courses that do not result in an AP … lunch (FRL) in the districts that provide a higher subsidy to FRL students than non-FRL students are more likely to take an AP exam than …Millions of high school students who take an Advanced Placement (AP) course in one of over 30 subjects can earn college credit by performing well on the corresponding AP exam. Using data from four metro-Atlanta public school districts, we find that 15 percent of students’ AP courses do not result in an AP exam. We predict that up to 32 percent of the AP courses that do not result in an AP exam… more →
Labor Market Signaling and the Value of College: Evidence from Resumes and the Truth
… How do college non-completers list schooling on their resumes? The negative … might hide non-completed schooling on their resumes. To test this we match resumes from an online jobs board to administrative educational records. We find that fully one …How do college non-completers list schooling on their resumes? The negative signal of not completing might outweigh the positive signal of attending but not persisting. If so, job-seekers might hide non-completed schooling on their resumes. To test this we match resumes from an online jobs board to administrative educational records. We find that fully one in three job-seekers who attended… more →
The Value of College Athletics in the Labor Market: Results from a Resume Audit Field Experiment
… college sports if athletics participation contributes to leadership, conscientiousness, discipline, and other … for labor-market productivity. We conduct a resume audit to estimate the causal effect of listing collegiate athletics … receiving a callback or interview request. However, among non-white applicants, athletes are 3.2 percentage points less …Employers may favor applicants who played college sports if athletics participation contributes to leadership, conscientiousness, discipline, and other traits that are desirable for labor-market productivity. We conduct a resume audit to estimate the causal effect of listing collegiate athletics on employer callbacks and test for subgroup effects by ethnicity, gender, and sport type. We applied… more →
First Impressions: The Case of Teacher Racial Bias
… evidence is based on novel data on blind evaluations and non-blind public school teacher assessments of fourth and … North Carolina. Negative first impressions lead teachers to be significantly less likely to over-rate but not more likely to under-rate black …We study racial bias and the persistence of first impressions in the context of education. Teachers who begin their careers in classrooms with large black-white score gaps carry negative views into evaluations of future cohorts of black students. Our evidence is based on novel data on blind evaluations and non-blind public school teacher assessments of fourth and fifth graders in North… more →
Horizontal Differentiation and the Policy Effect of Charter Schools
… may enhance competition, incentives for public schools to raise productivity may be muted if public education is … the horizontal differentiation of charter school programs. To do so, we combine student-level administrative data with … gains for treated students that are driven entirely by non-horizontally differentiated charter schools: we find that …While school choice may enhance competition, incentives for public schools to raise productivity may be muted if public education is viewed as imperfectly substitutable with alternatives. This paper estimates the aggregate effect of charter school expansion on education quality while accounting for the horizontal differentiation of charter school programs. To do so, we combine student-level… more →