EdWorkingPapers
Variations in Pre-Primary Education Infrastructure Within and Across Administrative Sectors in Rwanda
… pre-primary modalities—centre-based, community-based, and home-based—operating under a single policy framework. Using data from 4,875 settings across 91 administrative … sectors in seven districts, we applied multilevel models to separate within-sector differences by modality from …This study examines disparities in structural quality across Rwanda’s pre-primary modalities—centre-based, community-based, and home-based—operating under a single policy framework. Using data from 4,875 settings across 91 administrative sectors in seven districts, we applied multilevel models to separate within-sector differences by modality from between-sector variation, associated with… more →
Do Test Scores Misrepresent Test Results? An Item-by-Item Analysis
… Much of the data collected in education is effectively thrown … answer individual test questions, but administrators and researchers only see aggregate performance. All the … since the aggregate might be a sufficient statistic. Using data from Texas for 5 million students and 1.31 billion …Much of the data collected in education is effectively thrown away. Students answer individual test questions, but administrators and researchers only see aggregate performance. All the item-level data are lost. Ex ante it is not clear this destroys much useful information, since the aggregate might be a sufficient statistic. Using data from Texas for 5 million students and 1.31 billion… more →
Creating Coherence: Does Instructional Alignment Affect the Impact of Tutoring?
… This study examines the impact of using instructionally aligned literacy tutoring with … in the treatment group received tutoring where strategies and materials were aligned with core instruction, while those …This study examines the impact of using instructionally aligned literacy tutoring with students in kindergarten through third grade under a Response to Intervention framework. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact on literacy assessment scores for 296 students in four schools in a large suburban school district in the southeastern United States. Students in the… more →
The Effects of School Building HVAC System Conditions on Student Academic and Behavioral Outcomes
… There is growing awareness of the importance of school building environments for student health, well-being, and even educational outcomes. We ask in this study what role …There is growing awareness of the importance of school building environments for student health, well-being, and even educational outcomes. We ask in this study what role school building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems play in shaping student attendance, behavior, and learning. In particular, we extract information from school building inspection reports and link them… more →
Distance to Opportunity: Higher Education Deserts and College Enrollment Choices
… with students’ college enrollment decisions across race and socioeconomic status. Leveraging rich administrative … urban peers. We then show that students are sensitive to the distance they must travel to access public colleges and … college enrollment altogether. Lastly, in a series of decomposition and simulation exercises to inform public …We study how geographic access to public postsecondary institutions is associated with students’ college enrollment decisions across race and socioeconomic status. Leveraging rich administrative data, we first document substantial differences in students’ local college options, with White, Hispanic, and rural students having, on average, many fewer nearby options than their Black, Asian,… more →
A Matter of Time? Measuring Effects of Public Schooling Expansions on Families’ Constraints
… As women increasingly entered the labor force throughout the late 20th century, the challenges of balancing work and family came to the forefront. We leverage pronounced …As women increasingly entered the labor force throughout the late 20th century, the challenges of balancing work and family came to the forefront. We leverage pronounced changes in the availability of public schooling for young children—through duration expansions to the kindergarten day—to better understand mothers’ and families’ constraints. We first show that mothers of children in full-day… more →
College Course Shutouts
… happens when college students are not able to enroll in the courses they want? We use a natural experiment at Purdue … are 40% less likely to ever take the oversubscribed course and 30% less likely to ever take a course in the same … shutouts increase the probability female students drop out of school in the first year, decrease the probability they …What happens when college students are not able to enroll in the courses they want? We use a natural experiment at Purdue University in which first-year students are conditionally randomly assigned to oversubscribed courses. Compared to students who are assigned a requested course, those who are shut out are 40% less likely to ever take the oversubscribed course and 30% less likely to ever… more →
Breaking Bad/GoodPatterns and Consequences of Public School Teachers’ Multiple Jobholding
… Stagnating teacher salaries and the widening gap between public school teachers and … remarkably stable over time. When examining the predictors of multiple jobholding, we find a high degree of variation …Stagnating teacher salaries and the widening gap between public school teachers and similar workers have led to growing concerns that teachers will seek out additional employment—possibly impacting their instructional practice in the process. Using data from the Schools and Staffing Survey and the National Teacher and Principal Survey from 1994–2021, we show that teacher multiple jobholding… more →
COVID-19 and the Mental Health of Adolescents in British Columbia
… data on school enrollment, physician services received, and prescription medications to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions on mental …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 →
Lottery-Based Evaluations of Early Education Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for Building the Next Generation of Evidence
… identification strategies offer potential for generating the next generation of evidence on U.S. early education programs. Our … research teams applying this design in early education and methods experts has identified six challenges that need …Lottery-based identification strategies offer potential for generating the next generation of evidence on U.S. early education programs. Our collaborative network of five research teams applying this design in early education and methods experts has identified six challenges that need to be carefully considered in this next context: 1) available baseline covariates may not be very rich;… more →
Teacher Retention in Early College High Schools and Texas STEM Academies: Understanding the Positive Impacts of College and Career Readiness School Models
… environments by uprooting student-teacher relationships and harming school climate. Educational leaders need greater understanding of how college readiness reforms alter learning environments … have higher turnover, but (c) non-CCRSM charters have the highest overall teacher turnover. We discuss implications …A stable learning environment is critical to high school reforms aimed at promoting postsecondary educational success. High teacher attrition can disrupt stable learning environments by uprooting student-teacher relationships and harming school climate. Educational leaders need greater understanding of how college readiness reforms alter learning environments generally, and teacher retention… more →
Polarization, Partisan Sorting, and the Politics of Education
… Drawing on 16 years of nationally representative survey data from 2007-2022, I demonstrate that partisan gaps—the average differences in public opinion between Democrats and Republicans—have widened on many education issues. The …Drawing on 16 years of nationally representative survey data from 2007-2022, I demonstrate that partisan gaps—the average differences in public opinion between Democrats and Republicans—have widened on many education issues. The growth of the partisan gaps consistently exceeds what would be expected due to the changing demographic compositions of the parties alone. In most cases, widening… more →
Is there a national teacher shortage? A systematic examination of reports of teacher shortages in the United States
… staffing classrooms has been challenging in many parts of the country. Even though teacher shortages are being … U.S., teacher shortages are poorly understood. Determining and addressing teacher shortages is difficult due to the lack …Teachers are critical to student learning, but adequately staffing classrooms has been challenging in many parts of the country. Even though teacher shortages are being reported across the U.S., teacher shortages are poorly understood. Determining and addressing teacher shortages is difficult due to the lack of data. Neither the federal government nor the majority of states have provided… more →
Heterogeneous Effects of Violence on Student Achievement
… In this paper, I study the causal relationship between violence and human capital accumulation. Due to a power vacuum left in conflict zones of Colombia after the 2016 peace agreement, large spikes in …In this paper, I study the causal relationship between violence and human capital accumulation. Due to a power vacuum left in conflict zones of Colombia after the 2016 peace agreement, large spikes in violence were reported in the municipalities of the country dominated by the rebel group FARC. I compare student test scores in municipalities that experienced the increase in violence to the… more →
Teacher Hiring in the United States: A Review of the Empirical Research (2001-2020)
… authentic learning opportunities is crucial to both school and student success. Despite the clear importance of teacher hiring, especially in the current teacher labor …Hiring quality teachers that best meet localized needs to provide students with authentic learning opportunities is crucial to both school and student success. Despite the clear importance of teacher hiring, especially in the current teacher labor market, a review of literature that synthesizes the full body of teacher hiring literature has long been missing from the field. This integrative… more →
Apart but Connected: Online Tutoring and Student Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
… In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the governments of most countries ordered the closure of schools, potentially … survey data collected from students, parents, teachers and tutors, we find that the program substantially increased …In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the governments of most countries ordered the closure of schools, potentially exacerbating existing learning gaps. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention implemented in Italian middle schools that provides free individual tutoring online to disadvantaged students during lock-down. Tutors are university students who volunteer for 3 to 6… more →
California’s Positive Outliers: Districts Beating the Odds
… across California between students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, some school districts have excelled at supporting the learning of all their students. This analysis identifies these …Despite wide achievement gaps across California between students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, some school districts have excelled at supporting the learning of all their students. This analysis identifies these positive outlier districts—those in which students of color, as well as White students, consistently achieve at higher levels than students from similar racial/… more →
Maxed Out? The Effect of Larger Student Loan Limits on Borrowing and Education Outcomes
… Despite large and growing student loan balances, there is relatively little evidence on the effects of access to student loans on borrowing and educational …Despite large and growing student loan balances, there is relatively little evidence on the effects of access to student loans on borrowing and educational outcomes. We examine the effect of access to credit by using policy variation in the maximum federal student loan amounts available to U.S. college students. In particular, first-, second-, and third-year students have access to different… more →
Effect Sizes for Measuring Student and School Growth in Achievement: In Search of Practical Significance
… Effect sizes in the Cohen’s d family are often used in education to compare estimates across studies, measures, and sample sizes. For example, effect sizes are used to … in pre- and post-treatment studies or in the absence of intervention, such as when estimating achievement gaps. …Effect sizes in the Cohen’s d family are often used in education to compare estimates across studies, measures, and sample sizes. For example, effect sizes are used to compare gains in achievement students make over time, either in pre- and post-treatment studies or in the absence of intervention, such as when estimating achievement gaps. However, despite extensive… more →
The Effects of High-performing, High-turnover Teachers on Long-run Student Achievement: Evidence from Teach For America
… An increasing share of new teachers enter the profession through alternative … (TFA) teachers working in New York City (NYC) between 2012 and 2019. This research brief reports on three key findings. …An increasing share of new teachers enter the profession through alternative certification programs. While these programs increase teacher supply in areas facing critical shortages, they also increase instability in local teacher labor markets via high teacher turnover. A fundamental question is what effect these programs have on student achievement over the long run. To address this question… more →
The Unavoidable: Tomorrow's Teacher Compensation
… States and localities cannot avoid dealing with issues of teacher compensation. Not only is it the largest budget item for most local governments, but it is …States and localities cannot avoid dealing with issues of teacher compensation. Not only is it the largest budget item for most local governments, but it is the place of largest leverage for improving the quality of schools. Fortunately, consistent research evidence directly informs ways to optimize teacher compensation.
This research provides strong motivation for improving teacher… more →
Air Filters, Pollution and Student Achievement
… This paper identifies the achievement impact of installing air filters in classrooms for the first time. … company installed air filters in every classroom, office and common area for all schools within five miles of the leak …This paper identifies the achievement impact of installing air filters in classrooms for the first time. To do so, I leverage a unique setting arising from the largest gas leak in United States history, whereby the offending gas company installed air filters in every classroom, office and common area for all schools within five miles of the leak (but not beyond). This variation allows me to… more →
How Not to Fool Ourselves About Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects
… fields have called for greater attention to heterogeneity of treatment effects—shifting focus from the average effect to variation in effects between different … past researchers fooled themselves about heterogeneity, and recommend steps to stop fooling ourselves about …Researchers across many fields have called for greater attention to heterogeneity of treatment effects—shifting focus from the average effect to variation in effects between different treatments, studies, or subgroups. True heterogeneity is important, but many reports of heterogeneity have proved to be false, non-replicable, or inflated. In this review, we catalog ways that past… more →
Understanding the decision (not) to become a teacher: evidence from survey experiments with undergraduates in the UK and US
… Teacher shortages are widespread, yet the reasons people choose (not) to enter the profession … We conducted two survey experiments in which thousands of undergraduates chose between pairs of hypothetical jobs. … the effects of differences in pay, working patterns and other job attributes on job choices, as well as explore …Teacher shortages are widespread, yet the reasons people choose (not) to enter the profession remain poorly understood. We conducted two survey experiments in which thousands of undergraduates chose between pairs of hypothetical jobs. This allowed us to evaluate the effects of differences in pay, working patterns and other job attributes on job choices, as well as explore how personality type… more →
The Power of Personalized Attention: Comparing Pedagogical Approaches in Small Group and One-on-One Early Literacy Tutoring
… learning recovery, supporting student learning and engagement. A recent randomized controlled trial … more attention and personalized support. To improve the effectiveness of two-on-one tutoring, it may be beneficial to equip tutors …Tutoring has played a significant role in pandemic-related learning recovery, supporting student learning and engagement. A recent randomized controlled trial estimated that one-on-one virtual early literacy tutoring was nearly twice as effective as two-on-one tutoring for improving student learning (Robinson et al., 2024). To better understand this gap, we analyze transcripts from 16,629… more →
Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
… The development of English-language skills, a near necessity in today’s global economy, … English to math skills in European countries that do and do not use subtitles. We find a large positive effect of …The development of English-language skills, a near necessity in today’s global economy, is heavily influenced by historical national decisions about whether to subtitle or dub TV content. While prior studies of language acquisition have focused on schools, we show the overwhelming influence of out-of-school learning. We identify the causal effect of subtitling in a difference-in-differences… more →
Revisiting The Rural Teacher Workforce: Insights from a Novel Rurality Measure
… fundamentally shapes our place-based understanding of the teacher workforce. This study uses the Community Assets and Relative Rurality (CARR) Index—a novel, multidimensional …How we define rurality fundamentally shapes our place-based understanding of the teacher workforce. This study uses the Community Assets and Relative Rurality (CARR) Index—a novel, multidimensional measure of rurality—alongside longitudinal administrative data to examine K–12 teachers in Kansas and Missouri. We find substantial variation in teacher demographic and professional characteristics… more →
Cosmetology Gets a Trim: The Impact of Reducing Licensing Hours on Colleges and Students
… In the United States, licenses are required for entry into many different occupations. Requirements vary by state and occupation, but many licenses require a minimum number of training or instructional hours. We consider the impact of …In the United States, licenses are required for entry into many different occupations. Requirements vary by state and occupation, but many licenses require a minimum number of training or instructional hours. We consider the impact of these hours requirements on students and postsecondary institutions, with a particular focus on cosmetology (also known as hairstyling or beauty). Cosmetology… more →
Combining Early Grade Assessments to Study Literacy Skills: Addressing the Variability in Tests Taken across Schools and Students
… There is considerable variability in the literacy assessments taken in Kindergarten through second grade, across schools and between multilingual learners and other students, and … it difficult to study changes in students’ acquisition of ELA skills in these formative years, or to evaluate …There is considerable variability in the literacy assessments taken in Kindergarten through second grade, across schools and between multilingual learners and other students, and within students over time. This makes it difficult to study changes in students’ acquisition of ELA skills in these formative years, or to evaluate policies and practices meant to support literacy development. Here we… more →
Project Lead the Way: Impacts of a High School Applied STEM Program on Early Post-Secondary Outcomes
… 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 … offer (ITT), participation impacts on participants (TOT), and the impact of program offer on non-participants 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 →
Under the Weather? The Effects of Temperature on Student Test Performance
… high-resolution weather records, to paint a clear portrait of the effect of temperature on student learning across a … data allows us to estimate the effects of both test-day and longer-term temperature on student test performance, and …As students are exposed to extreme temperatures with ever-increasing frequency, it is important to understand how such exposure affects student learning. In this paper we draw upon detailed student achievement data, combined with high-resolution weather records, to paint a clear portrait of the effect of temperature on student learning across a six-year period for students in Tulsa, Oklahoma.… more →
CTE-Focused Dual Enrollment: Participation and Outcomes
… Recent policy efforts have attempted to increase the number of dual enrollment courses offered within Career and Technical Education pathways and there is evidence to …Recent policy efforts have attempted to increase the number of dual enrollment courses offered within Career and Technical Education pathways and there is evidence to suggest that this practice is widespread. However, there is very little research on student participation in CTE dual enrollment and on its impacts. This study examines participation in the CTE dual enrollment pathway in North… more →
Modeling Item-Level Heterogeneous Treatment Effects with the Explanatory Item Response Model: Leveraging Online Formative Assessments to Pinpoint the Impact of Educational Interventions
… treatment effects vary allow researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to better understand the efficacy of educational interventions. In practice, however, standard …Analyses that reveal how treatment effects vary allow researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to better understand the efficacy of educational interventions. In practice, however, standard statistical methods for addressing Heterogeneous Treatment Effects (HTE) fail to address the HTE that may exist within outcome measures. In this study, we present a novel application of the Explanatory… more →
Can Adolescents Acquire Cultural Capital Through Social Capital Access and Exposure? Longitudinal Experimental Evidence of the Impact of Ties to College-Educated Adults
… however, focuses only on cross-sectional associations and is unclear about how disadvantaged adolescents can increase their amounts of cultural capital. Traditionally, most adolescents’ … they may be at a significant disadvantage when navigating the education system. We hypothesize that adolescents may be …Scholarly debate focuses on whether cultural capital reproduces existing inequalities or provides a path to upward mobility. Most research, however, focuses only on cross-sectional associations and is unclear about how disadvantaged adolescents can increase their amounts of cultural capital. Traditionally, most adolescents’ interactions with adults occur across two axes of socialization:… more →
The Big Problem with Little Interruptions to Classroom Learning
… Narrative accounts of classroom instruction suggest that external interruptions, such as intercom announcements and visits from staff, are a regular occurrence in U.S. public schools. We study the frequency, nature, and duration of external interruptions …Narrative accounts of classroom instruction suggest that external interruptions, such as intercom announcements and visits from staff, are a regular occurrence in U.S. public schools. We study the frequency, nature, and duration of external interruptions in the Providence Public School District (PPSD) using original data from a district-wide survey and classroom observations. We estimate that… more →
Diversity in Schools: Immigrants and the Educational Performance of U.S. Born Students
… We study the effect of exposure to immigrants on the educational outcomes of US-born students, using a unique dataset combining population-level birth and school records from Florida. This research question is …We study the effect of exposure to immigrants on the educational outcomes of US-born students, using a unique dataset combining population-level birth and school records from Florida. This research question is complicated by substantial school selection of US-born students, especially among White and comparatively affluent students, in response to the presence of immigrant students in the… more →
Admissions Policies, Cohort Composition, and Academic Success: Evidence from California
… I study how postsecondary admission policies affect the composition and subsequent academic outcomes of new cohorts. I leverage the staggered replacement of …I study how postsecondary admission policies affect the composition and subsequent academic outcomes of new cohorts. I leverage the staggered replacement of lotteries and waitlists at California's community college nursing programs with admissions that rely on grades, work experience, and other measures. The change in admissions increased the average prior academic performance of incoming… more →
Examining the Relationship between Psychosocial and Academic Outcomes in Higher Education: A Descriptive Analysis
… This paper estimates the relationship between students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes during their first three years enrolled … at public, four-year institutions. Our sample is comprised of students from low-income backgrounds who applied for a …This paper estimates the relationship between students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes during their first three years enrolled at public, four-year institutions. Our sample is comprised of students from low-income backgrounds who applied for a competitive scholarship and enrolled at a four-year public institution. We follow two cohorts of entering students throughout their first three… more →
Stress Test: Examining the Evolution of Teachers’ Mental Health Over Time
… 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. … trends in teachers’ mental health or the prevalence of mental health problems in teaching relative to other …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 →
Does achievement rise fastest with school choice, school resources, or family resources? Chile from 2002 to 2013
… in education policy draw on different theories about how to raise children’s achievement. The school competition theory holds that achievement rises … theory holds that achievement rises with school spending and resources that spending can buy. The family resources …Debates in education policy draw on different theories about how to raise children’s achievement. The school competition theory holds that achievement rises when families can choose among competing schools. The school resource theory holds that achievement rises with school spending and resources that spending can buy. The family resources theory holds that children’… more →
Community College Pathways for Disadvantaged Students
… In this paper we estimate the impacts of the “pathways” chosen by community college students—in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes …In this paper we estimate the impacts of the “pathways” chosen by community college students—in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes along the paths—on the attainment of credentials with labor market value. We focus on the extent to which there are recorded changes in students’ choices over time, whether students make choices informed by their… more →
The Formalized Processes Districts Use to Evaluate Mathematics Textbooks
… intervention that can affect student achievement, and the marginal cost of choosing a more effective textbook is typically small. …Textbooks are a widely used educational intervention that can affect student achievement, and the marginal cost of choosing a more effective textbook is typically small. However, we know little about how textbooks get from the publisher to the classroom. We use a lens of institutional theory and interviews with district leaders in a stratified random sample of 34 California school districts to… more →
Why Who Marries Whom Matters: Effects of Educational Assortative Mating on Infant Health in the U.S. 1969-1994
… Educational assortative mating patterns in the U.S. have changed since the 1960s, but we know little about the effects of these patterns on children, particularly on infant … may alter prenatal contexts through parental stress and resources, with implications for inequality. Using …Educational assortative mating patterns in the U.S. have changed since the 1960s, but we know little about the effects of these patterns on children, particularly on infant health. Rising educational homogamy may alter prenatal contexts through parental stress and resources, with implications for inequality. Using 1969-1994 NVSS birth data and aggregate cohort-state census measures of… more →
"Send Them Home?" Rethinking What Public Education Owes to Flourishing Children
… requires for children who are already thriving in school and argues that the dominant frameworks in educational philosophy do not answer the question. Priority, equality of opportunity, adequacy, and capabilities treat public …This essay asks what justice requires for children who are already thriving in school and argues that the dominant frameworks in educational philosophy do not answer the question. Priority, equality of opportunity, adequacy, and capabilities treat public education chiefly as redistribution to the disadvantaged and therefore offer no affirmative reason to continue educating students once… more →
Leading Indicators of Long-Term Success in Community Schools: Evidence from New York City
… Community schools offer supports such as health and social services, extended school days, and family education, to improve the performance of students whose learning may be disrupted by challenges …Community schools offer supports such as health and social services, extended school days, and family education, to improve the performance of students whose learning may be disrupted by challenges related to poverty. In 2015, the New York City Community Schools Initiative was implemented in conjunction with the NYC Renewal Schools program to turnaround the city’s lowest performing schools.… more →
Effects of Early College on Educational Attainment for All in Massachusetts
… Evaluations of Early College, a type of intervention that enables simultaneous enrollment in secondary and post-secondary courses in the United States, consistently find positive effects on …Evaluations of Early College, a type of intervention that enables simultaneous enrollment in secondary and post-secondary courses in the United States, consistently find positive effects on educational attainment across racial and socioeconomic groups. Unlike Early College initiatives in other states, Massachusetts launched Early College in Fall 2018, enabling a within-school as well as a… more →
Heterogeneous Effects of Closing the Digital Divide During COVID-19 on Student Engagement and Achievement
… a double-edged sword, conferring both educational benefits and distractions for children. Clarifying the academic effects of technology-oriented investments is particularly important …Equitably expanding technology access among K-12 students has long been viewed as critical for equalizing educational opportunities. But these interventions may influence students’ academic outcomes in unexpected ways. Prior research suggests key technological resources, like broadband Internet, are a double-edged sword, conferring both educational benefits and distractions for children.… more →
How Does the Elimination of State Aid to For-Profit Colleges Affect Enrollment? Evidence from California's Reforms
… institutional performance impacts student choice. Federal and state regulations often reflect concerns about the private, for-profit sector's poor employment outcomes and … to changes in subsidies. We find that restricting the use of the Cal Grant at for-profit institutions resulted in …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 →
Creating Short Forms of Early Childhood Development Measures: A Framework for Quantifying Statistical, Conceptual, and Practical Tradeoffs in Direct Assessment
… Direct assessments of early childhood development (ECD) are a cornerstone of research in developmental psychology and are increasingly used to evaluate programs and policies … lower cost and complexity. However, selecting the best items for inclusion on shorter forms is not a …Direct assessments of early childhood development (ECD) are a cornerstone of research in developmental psychology and are increasingly used to evaluate programs and policies in lower- and middle-income countries. Despite strong psychometric properties, these assessments are too expensive and time consuming for use in large-scale monitoring or national-level surveys. Short forms of direct… more →
GED® College Readiness Benchmarks and Post-Secondary Success
… In 2016, the GED® introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to … identified as college-ready by these benchmarks enroll and persist in college at significantly higher rates than … little exam retaking by those who fall narrowly short of the minimum college readiness score thresholds. This …In 2016, the GED® introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to identify testers who are academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting “college-ready” GED® graduates from remedial coursework. I show descriptive evidence that those identified as college-ready by these benchmarks enroll and persist in… more →