EdWorkingPapers
Do Neighbors Shape the Sticker Price? Spatial Competition and State Funding in Cost of Attendance Reporting Over Time
… requires U.S. postsecondary institutions to publish a Cost of Attendance (COA) that serves as the legal ceiling on a student's federal financial aid … 14-year panel of 2,311 four-year institutions (2010-2023) and externally benchmarked living costs constructed from HUD, …Federal law requires U.S. postsecondary institutions to publish a Cost of Attendance (COA) that serves as the legal ceiling on a student's federal financial aid eligibility, yet off-campus living costs are estimated by institutions at their own discretion, with no standardized methodology or external audit. Using a 14-year panel of 2,311 four-year institutions (2010-2023) and externally… more →
A Dynamic Model of the Economic Returns to Adolescent Social Skills
… choices. To account for this endogeneity, we develop and estimate a dynamic model in which parents invest in … clubs), and these choices jointly determine the neighborhood peer environment that influences the accumulation of social skills, cognitive skills, and mental health. The …Social-skill formation during adolescence depends on peer environments, but those environments are equilibrium outcomes shaped by individual choices. To account for this endogeneity, we develop and estimate a dynamic model in which parents invest in adolescents, adolescents choose whether to participate in social activities (athletics and extracurricular clubs), and these choices jointly… more →
What is the impact of changing schools on the academic outcomes of elementary and middle school students?
… We study how different kinds of school changes shape achievement in grades 4–8 using data … districts (2016–17 through 2019–20). We estimate the effects of structural (promotional), nonstructural summer, and midyear moves and find that structural and summer moves …We study how different kinds of school changes shape achievement in grades 4–8 using data from six California districts (2016–17 through 2019–20). We estimate the effects of structural (promotional), nonstructural summer, and midyear moves and find that structural and summer moves have near-zero effects on ELA and math, while midyear moves lower ELA by 0.073 SD and math by 0.083 SD. Midyear… more →
Disentangle the Curriculum and Structural Effects of Math Pathway Reforms: Evidence from Maryland Community College System
… This study evaluates the impact of Maryland's Mathematics Reform Initiative (MMRI), which sought to improve student success in developmental and college-level math through comprehensive curriculum and …This study evaluates the impact of Maryland's Mathematics Reform Initiative (MMRI), which sought to improve student success in developmental and college-level math through comprehensive curriculum and structural reforms. Launched in 2015, the MMRI developed and implemented non-algebra math pathways tailored to students’ chosen program of study. Using administrative data of Maryland community… more →
Weighing Risks: How Families of Disabled Children Made School Choices During the Pandemic
… (Cooper, 2025; Posey-Maddox et al., 2021) to examine the positions from which families of disabled and multiply-marginalized children make educational choices. …In this paper, we show how positionality shapes caregivers’ decisions about children’s schooling, by expanding on research on Black families’ educational decision-making (Cooper, 2025; Posey-Maddox et al., 2021) to examine the positions from which families of disabled and multiply-marginalized children make educational choices. The families of disabled children in our sample made holistic,… more →
Results from NCME Survey on Revisions to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing
… The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing have served as a cornerstone for … on Measurement in Education (NCME) conducted a survey to gather feedback from its members regarding potential … the Standards, ensuring broad relevancy to many types of assessment, and accommodating various psychometric …The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing have served as a cornerstone for best practices in assessment. As the field evolves, so must these standards, with regular revisions ensuring they reflect current knowledge and practice. The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) conducted a survey to gather feedback from its members regarding potential updates to the 2014… more →
Skills and Earnings: A Multidimensional Perspective on Human Capital
… The multitude of tasks performed in the labor market requires skills in … in the labor market. This paper examines the returns to cognitive, personality, and social skills as three important dimensions of basic …The multitude of tasks performed in the labor market requires skills in many dimensions. Traditionally, human capital has been proxied primarily by educational attainment. However, an expanding body of literature highlights the importance of various skill dimensions for success in the labor market. This paper examines the returns to cognitive, personality, and social skills as three important… more →
The Politics of Teachers' Union Endorsements
… supported by local teachers' unions overwhelmingly win and we examine the causes and consequences of the "teachers' union premium" in these elections. First, …School board candidates supported by local teachers' unions overwhelmingly win and we examine the causes and consequences of the "teachers' union premium" in these elections. First, we show that union endorsement information increases voter support. Although the magnitude of this effect varies across ideological and partisan subgroups, an endorsement never hurts a candidate's prospects among any… more →
Classifying Courses at Scale: a Text as Data Approach to Characterizing Student Course-Taking Trends with Administrative Transcripts
… Students’ postsecondary course-taking is of interest to researchers, yet has been difficult to study … or state systems. This paper uses machine learning and natural language processing to standardize college transcripts at scale. We demonstrate the approach’s utility by showing how the disciplinary …Students’ postsecondary course-taking is of interest to researchers, yet has been difficult to study at large scale because administrative transcript data are rarely standardized across institutions or state systems. This paper uses machine learning and natural language processing to standardize college transcripts at scale. We demonstrate the approach’s utility by showing how the disciplinary… more →
Foreign Student Share and Supply of STEM-Designated Economics Programs
… Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of U.S. institutions offering STEM-eligible degree programs … the trends in STEM-degree offerings across degree levels and examines the share of foreign students and other …Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of U.S. institutions offering STEM-eligible degree programs in economics. This paper documents the trends in STEM-degree offerings across degree levels and examines the share of foreign students and other characteristics of institutions that offer STEM-eligible programs. Using a difference-in-differences design, this paper… more →
The Benefits of Math Corequisite Support for Academic Outcomes for Students in Texas
… An increasing body of robust evidence concludes that corequisite remediation in math and English is a cost-effective alternative to traditional … and potentially better persistence and completion. This is the first study to disentangle the impacts of the two main …An increasing body of robust evidence concludes that corequisite remediation in math and English is a cost-effective alternative to traditional developmental education, offering improved immediate course progression and potentially better persistence and completion. This is the first study to disentangle the impacts of the two main elements of the corequisite model: accelerated college course… more →
M-Powering Teachers: Natural Language Processing Powered Feedback Improves 1:1 Instruction and Student Outcomes
… 1:1 with instructors at an increasing scale, most of these instructors do not receive effective, consistent … their uptake of student contributions, talk time and questioning practices — in a 1:1 online learning context. … platform for high schoolers (n=414 mentors) to evaluate the effectiveness of the feedback tool. We find that the …Although learners are being connected 1:1 with instructors at an increasing scale, most of these instructors do not receive effective, consistent feedback to help them improved. We deployed M-Powering Teachers, an automated tool based on natural language processing to give instructors feedback on dialogic instructional practices —including their uptake of student contributions, talk time and… more →
Descriptive evidence on school leaders' prior professional experiences and instructional effectiveness
… Many education policymakers and system leaders prioritize recruiting and developing … leaders, however, relatively little is understood about the prior professional experiences and skillsets that … positions. In this descriptive paper, we use 14 years of administrative data on all educators in Oregon to trace …Many education policymakers and system leaders prioritize recruiting and developing effective school leaders as key mechanisms to improve school climate and student learning. Despite efforts to select and support successful school leaders, however, relatively little is understood about the prior professional experiences and skillsets that principals possess upon entry into their positions. In… more →
Heterogeneity in Labor Market Returns to Master’s Degrees: Evidence from Ohio
… Graduate education is among the fastest growing segments of the U.S. higher educational system. This paper provides … evidence on labor market returns to Master’s degrees and examines heterogeneity in the returns by field area, …Graduate education is among the fastest growing segments of the U.S. higher educational system. This paper provides up-to-date causal evidence on labor market returns to Master’s degrees and examines heterogeneity in the returns by field area, student demographics and initial labor market conditions. We use rich administrative data from Ohio and an individual fixed effects model that compares… more →
Test-Based Accountability and the Effectiveness of School Finance Reforms
… that had test-based accountability policies in place at the time. By incentivizing school improvement, accountability … gets spent. Our empirical approach leverages the timing of school finance reforms to compare funding impacts on … role of accountability incentives in education production and the mechanisms supporting the effectiveness of school …A recent literature provides new evidence that school resources are important for student outcomes. In this paper, we show that school finance reform-induced increases in student performance are driven by those states that had test-based accountability policies in place at the time. By incentivizing school improvement, accountability systems (such as the federal No Child Left Behind act) may… more →
Racial Disparities in Pre-K Quality: Evidence from New York City’s Universal Pre-K Program
… to almost 70,000 children, is ambitious in both scale and implementation speed. We provide new evidence on the distribution of pre-K quality in NYC by student race/ethnicity, and …New York City’s universal pre-kindergarten program, which increased full-day enrollment from 19,000 to almost 70,000 children, is ambitious in both scale and implementation speed. We provide new evidence on the distribution of pre-K quality in NYC by student race/ethnicity, and investigate the extent to which observed differences are associated with the spatial distribution of higher-quality… more →
Teacher Evaluation, Ambitious Mathematics Instruction, and Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching: Evidence from Early Career Teachers
… been central to efforts to enhance teaching quality over the past decade, little is known about how teachers change … this question, this paper drew on classroom observation and survey data to examine how early career teachers’ (ECTs’) perceptions of pressure associated with teacher evaluation policies …While teacher evaluation policies have been central to efforts to enhance teaching quality over the past decade, little is known about how teachers change their instructional practices in response to such policies. To address this question, this paper drew on classroom observation and survey data to examine how early career teachers’ (ECTs’) perceptions of pressure associated with teacher… more →
School Segregation At The Classroom Level In A Southern 'New Destination' State
… administrative data for public schools, we document racial and ethnic segregation at the classroom level in North Carolina, a state that has … the within-school component accounted for a sizable share of total segregation in middle schools and high schools. …Using detailed administrative data for public schools, we document racial and ethnic segregation at the classroom level in North Carolina, a state that has experienced a sharp increase in Hispanic enrollment. We decompose classroom-level segregation in counties into within-school and between-school components. We find that the within-school component accounted for a sizable share of total… more →
Using a Factorial Design to Maximize the Effectiveness of a Parental Text Messaging Intervention
… to encourage at-home reading, school-attendance, and other educational behaviors. These interventions, which … components, frequently demonstrate varying amounts of effectiveness, and researchers often cannot determine how … Using a 2x2x3 factorial experiment, we investigate the effects of individual and interacted components from …Parental text messaging interventions are growing in popularity to encourage at-home reading, school-attendance, and other educational behaviors. These interventions, which often combine multiple components, frequently demonstrate varying amounts of effectiveness, and researchers often cannot determine how individual components work alone or in combination with one another. Using a 2x2x3… more →
Heterogeneity of item-treatment interactions masks complexity and generalizability in randomized controlled trials
… Researchers use test outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of education interventions across numerous randomized … the sum of correct responses—are compared across treatment and control groups to determine whether an intervention has …Researchers use test outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of education interventions across numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Aggregate test data—for example, simple measures like the sum of correct responses—are compared across treatment and control groups to determine whether an intervention has had a positive impact on student achievement. We show that item-level data and… more →
Can Camp Get You Into a Good Secondary School? A Field Experiment of Targeted Instruction in Kenya
… for this exam is a high priority for Kenyan families and educators. To increase the share of students gaining entry to these schools, some educational …Access to quality secondary schooling can be life-changing for students in developing contexts. In Kenya, entrance to such schools has historically been determined by performance on a high-stakes exam. Understandably then, preparation for this exam is a high priority for Kenyan families and educators. To increase the share of students gaining entry to these schools, some educational providers… more →
Challenges and opportunity: An examination of barriers to postsecondary academic success
… Community colleges are a critical component of the U.S. higher education system, providing access to … to completion stemming from educational, economic, and social inequities persist. Building on prior work that …Community colleges are a critical component of the U.S. higher education system, providing access to students from traditionally underserved communities. However, enduring challenges to completion stemming from educational, economic, and social inequities persist. Building on prior work that examines barriers to student success and their relationship to student outcomes, this descriptive study… more →
A Half Century of Progress in U. S. Student Achievement: Agency and Flynn Effects; Ethnic and SES Differences
… as to whether U. S. student performance has changed over the past half century. To inform conversations, agents … seven million psychometrically linked tests in math (m) and reading (rd) in 160 survey waves to national probability samples of cohorts born between 1954 and 2007. Estimated change in …Principals (policymakers) disagree as to whether U. S. student performance has changed over the past half century. To inform conversations, agents administered seven million psychometrically linked tests in math (m) and reading (rd) in 160 survey waves to national probability samples of cohorts born between 1954 and 2007. Estimated change in standard deviations (sd) per decade varies by agent (m… more →
Neighborhood Effects on STEM Major Choice
… This paper provides causal evidence that the neighborhoods where students grow up play a significant … on STEM fields. Using administrative data from Texas and variation in the timing of school moves across counties and districts, we estimate …This paper provides causal evidence that the neighborhoods where students grow up play a significant role in shaping their college major choices, focusing on STEM fields. Using administrative data from Texas and variation in the timing of school moves across counties and districts, we estimate the impact of neighborhood exposure on the likelihood of pursuing a STEM major. We find that students… more →
Localized Teacher Recruitment through “Grow-Your-Own”: Impacts of the High School Teacher Academy of Maryland Program
… strategy for addressing local workforce shortages and ensuring that incoming teachers resemble, understand, and … to their communities. We provide novel evidence on the impacts of one such GYO program by exploiting the staggered rollout …Recruiting teachers via “grow-your-own” (GYO) programs is a popular, yet rarely evaluated, strategy for addressing local workforce shortages and ensuring that incoming teachers resemble, understand, and have strong connections to their communities. We provide novel evidence on the impacts of one such GYO program by exploiting the staggered rollout of the Teacher Academy of Maryland Career… more →
Meeting People Where They Are: Experimental Evidence on Embedded Supports, Service Use, and Educational Outcomes
… low take-up despite high potential returns. A growing body of evidence suggests that information alone does little to close this gap; instead, hassle costs and default access points may be binding constraints on … had tutoring and advising staff embedded directly in the classroom. Faculty and staff targeted these supports …Many public services suffer from persistently low take-up despite high potential returns. A growing body of evidence suggests that information alone does little to close this gap; instead, hassle costs and default access points may be binding constraints on utilization. We test whether reallocating existing services to where people already are – rather than requiring them to seek out centralized… more →
Unpacking the Long-Term Impact of Holistic Supports for Community College Students
… longer-term findings from a randomized controlled trial of One Million Degrees (OMD), a comprehensive support program for community college students in the Chicago metro area that provides financial, academic, personal, and professional assistance. Results from an initial …This paper presents longer-term findings from a randomized controlled trial of One Million Degrees (OMD), a comprehensive support program for community college students in the Chicago metro area that provides financial, academic, personal, and professional assistance. Results from an initial evaluation found that an offer of a spot in the OMD program led to increased college enrollment,… more →
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: Causal Impacts of Reverse Transfer Associate Degrees on Education and Labor Market Outcomes
… with an associate degree may not only increase motivation and persistence en route to completing a bachelor’s but may also provide important labor market benefits by way of increased marketability and earnings potential. Despite the proliferation of reverse transfer policies across at …Reverse transfer associate degrees are credentials retroactively awarded to current bachelor’s degree seekers that combine current four-year credits with credits previously earned at a community college. Providing students with an associate degree may not only increase motivation and persistence en route to completing a bachelor’s but may also provide important labor market benefits by way of… more →
Scaling High-Touch College Advising: Causal Evidence and Program Design Insights from Tennessee
… but few programs prove effective at scale. We leverage the rollout of a statewide, professionally staffed, and centrally coordinated college advising program (Advise …College advising can raise postsecondary enrollment, but few programs prove effective at scale. We leverage the rollout of a statewide, professionally staffed, and centrally coordinated college advising program (Advise TN) across 33 communities to estimate causal impacts on enrollment, persistence, degree completion, and workforce participation. Using event-study and robust difference-in-… more →
Student and Faculty Same-Race Matching at Research Universities
… Racial disparities in college persistence and completion remain substantial, yet relatively little … these gaps in research universities. This study examines the prevalence and consequences of student–faculty same-race matching using administrative …Racial disparities in college persistence and completion remain substantial, yet relatively little evidence exists on how student–faculty interactions contribute to these gaps in research universities. This study examines the prevalence and consequences of student–faculty same-race matching using administrative data covering first-time, first-year students enrolled in 10 Texas public research… more →
The Effect of Air Pollution on Student Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence
… Air pollution is one of the most pressing global public health challenges of the … 21st century. This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the best available evidence of the …Air pollution is one of the most pressing global public health challenges of the 21st century. This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the best available evidence of the effect of air pollution on student achievement. A meta-analysis of 28 causal studies around the world yielding 62 effect sizes estimates that air pollution, across many contexts and pollutants, decreases… more →
Portraying Governance: Demographic Misalignment in University Board Representation
… boards are important bodies with far-reaching powers over the institutions they oversee. Yet little is known about individual board members, how the composition of boards varies across institutions, or whether boards are … higher education boards nationwide. Using this dataset and the text of bylaws of boards, I show that while boards …Higher education governing boards are important bodies with far-reaching powers over the institutions they oversee. Yet little is known about individual board members, how the composition of boards varies across institutions, or whether boards are at all representative of their institutional populations. In this paper, I introduce a novel dataset that includes individual-level details about… more →
SEEDS of Early Learning: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Early Literacy Teacher Professional Development Program
… NORC at the University of Chicago designed and implemented an impact evaluation of … oral language, literacy, and social-emotional outcomes. Using a clustered randomized controlled trial design, the …NORC at the University of Chicago designed and implemented an impact evaluation of the SEEDS of Learning (SEEDS) professional development (PD) program on behalf of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, in collaboration with Kidango. SEEDS of Learning is an evidence-based PD program that prepares early childhood educators to help children develop the social-emotional, language, and emergent literacy… more →
Time in School: A Conceptual Framework, Synthesis of the Causal Research, and Empirical Exploration
… We examine the fundamental and complex role that time plays in the learning process. We … the causal research and document a clear positive effect of additional time on student achievement typically of small …We examine the fundamental and complex role that time plays in the learning process. We begin by developing a conceptual framework to elucidate the multiple obstacles schools face in converting total time in school into active learning time. We then synthesize the causal research and document a clear positive effect of additional time on student achievement typically of small to medium magnitude… more →
How and Why Do Estimates of US Education Finance Progressivity Change with School-Level Finance Data?
… is school spending when spending is measured at the school-level, instead of the district-level? We use the first dataset on … that are empirically attributable to special education and English language learning programs. Our findings are thus …How progressive is school spending when spending is measured at the school-level, instead of the district-level? We use the first dataset on school-level spending across schools throughout the United States to ask to what extent progressivity patterns previously examined across districts are amplified, nullified, or reversed, upon disaggregation to schools. We find that progressivity is… more →
Engaging Girls in Math: The Unequal Effects of Text Messaging to Help Parents Support Early Math Development
… This study assesses the effects of two text messaging programs for parents that aim to … approach but focuses on a combination of math, literacy, and social-emotional skills. We find no evidence that the …This study assesses the effects of two text messaging programs for parents that aim to support the development of math skills in prekindergarten students. One program focuses purely on math, while the other takes an identical approach but focuses on a combination of math, literacy, and social-emotional skills. We find no evidence that the math-only program benefits children’s math development.… more →
Understanding how COVID-19 has Changed Teachers’ Chances of Remaining in the Classroom
… The 2020-2021 academic year was a trying year for teachers. We use a nationally representative sample of teachers from the RAND American Teacher Panel to document … with teachers’ consideration of leaving the profession and high levels of job burnout during the pandemic. …The 2020-2021 academic year was a trying year for teachers. We use a nationally representative sample of teachers from the RAND American Teacher Panel to document that teachers’ stated consideration of leaving the profession increased during the pandemic. We also study factors associated with teachers’ consideration of leaving the profession and high levels of job burnout during the pandemic.… more →
The Long-Run Educational Benefits of High-Achieving Classrooms
… Despite the prevalence of school tracking, evidence on whether it improves student … within high school impacts high-achieving students’ short- and longer-term academic outcomes. Our setting is a large and …Despite the prevalence of school tracking, evidence on whether it improves student success is mixed. This paper studies how tracking within high school impacts high-achieving students’ short- and longer-term academic outcomes. Our setting is a large and selective Chinese high school, where first-year students are separated into high-achieving and regular classrooms based on their performance on a… more →
White Advantage in Teacher Assignment
… gaps in access to high-quality teachers. We calculate the exposure of White, Black and Hispanic students to teachers with various …Using detailed classroom-level data for North Carolina, we build on previous research to examine racial gaps in access to high-quality teachers. We calculate the exposure of White, Black and Hispanic students to teachers with various characteristics in 4th grade, 7th grade math and English, and 10th grade math and English. We find that across the state White students enjoy sizable advantages over… more →
Are Power Plant Closures a Breath of Fresh Air? Local Air Quality and School Absences
… In this paper we study the effects of three large, nearly-simultaneous coal-fired power plant … schools more frequently in the wind path of the plants, and non-magnet (i.e., neighborhood) schools where students …In this paper we study the effects of three large, nearly-simultaneous coal-fired power plant closures on school absences in Chicago. We find that the closures resulted in a 7 percent reduction in absenteeism in nearby schools relative to those farther away following the closures. For the typical elementary school in our sample, this translates into around 372 fewer absence-days per year in the… more →
The data revolution comes to higher education: Identifying students at risk of dropout in Chile
… in Latin America, especially in Chile. Yet graduation and persistence rates remain low. One way to improve … is to use data and analytics to identify students at risk of dropout, target interventions, and evaluate interventions’ … effectiveness at improving student success. We illustrate the potential of this approach using data from eight Chilean …Enrollment in higher education has risen dramatically in Latin America, especially in Chile. Yet graduation and persistence rates remain low. One way to improve graduation and persistence is to use data and analytics to identify students at risk of dropout, target interventions, and evaluate interventions’ effectiveness at improving student success. We illustrate the potential of this approach… more →
Parental preferences for charter schools in North Carolina: Implications for racial segregation and isolation
… We use information on the charter school choices made by North Carolina families, … how such choices affect racial segregation between schools and racial isolation within charter schools. We find that the movement of white switchers, but not minority switchers to charter …We use information on the charter school choices made by North Carolina families, separately by race, who switched their child from a traditional public school (TPS) to a charter school in 2015-16 to explore how such choices affect racial segregation between schools and racial isolation within charter schools. We find that the movement of white switchers, but not minority switchers to charter… more →
Do Response Styles Affect Estimates of Growth on Social-emotional Constructs? Evidence from Four Years of Longitudinal Survey Scores
… respondents use different response styles when they use the categories of the Likert scale differently despite having the same true … is underexamined. In this study, we conducted empirical and simulation analyses in which we scored surveys using item …Survey respondents use different response styles when they use the categories of the Likert scale differently despite having the same true score on the construct of interest. For example, respondents may be more likely to use the extremes of the response scale independent of their true score. Research already shows that differing response styles can create a construct-irrelevant… more →
A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S.
… Recent media reports of teacher shortages across the country are confirmed by the … severe in special education, mathematics, science, and bilingual/English learner education, and in locations …Recent media reports of teacher shortages across the country are confirmed by the analysis of several national data sets reported in this paper. Shortages are particularly severe in special education, mathematics, science, and bilingual/English learner education, and in locations with lower wages and poorer working conditions. Shortages are projected to grow based on declines in teacher education… more →
Ready or Not? California's Early Assessment Program and the Transition to College
… In this paper we investigate the impact of a statewide program aimed at better aligning K-12 to higher education and improving college readiness. We replicate an earlier …In this paper we investigate the impact of a statewide program aimed at better aligning K-12 to higher education and improving college readiness. We replicate an earlier study focused on the effects of this program at one campus by employing detailed administrative data on the census of California students that enroll at all twenty-three campuses of the California State University (CSU) system.… more →
College Advising at a National Scale: Experimental Evidence from the CollegePoint initiative
… generate large improvements in college persistence and success for low-income students but face numerous … to address informational and assistance barriers facing the substantial majority of low-income students who do not have access to …In-person college advising programs generate large improvements in college persistence and success for low-income students but face numerous barriers to scale. Remote advising models offer a promising strategy to address informational and assistance barriers facing the substantial majority of low-income students who do not have access to community-based advising, yet the existing evidence base on… more →
The Extent of Student Mobility Among Vulnerable Groups in California
… changes not tied to grade-level promotion—is common and consequential yet remains underexamined in recent research. This paper analyzes the incidence, disparities, and predictors of nonstructural school mobility using longitudinal data from …Nonstructural student mobility—school changes not tied to grade-level promotion—is common and consequential yet remains underexamined in recent research. This paper analyzes the incidence, disparities, and predictors of nonstructural school mobility using longitudinal data from six demographically diverse California school districts, with attention to pre- and post-COVID-19 trends and differences… more →
Quantifying the Double Advantage: A Multilevel Bayesian Analysis of Same-Race (Black) Teacher Matching on Literacy and Promotion
… A growing body of research has highlighted the positive impact of Black … the relationship between teacher–student race matching and the likelihood of grade retention for third-grade Black …A growing body of research has highlighted the positive impact of Black teachers on the academic outcomes of Black students. This experimental study contributes to that literature by examining the relationship between teacher–student race matching and the likelihood of grade retention for third-grade Black students in Jackson, Mississippi. This study built on the historical legacy of Black… more →
Returns to Education in the United States: A Comparison of OLS and Double Machine Learning Methods
… This study examines the economic returns to education in the U.S. using 2024 CPS data and compares Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with a … and neural networks (MLP). Results show consistent returns of 8 to 9 percent per additional year of schooling across …This study examines the economic returns to education in the U.S. using 2024 CPS data and compares Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with a Double Machine Learning (DML) framework incorporating models such as random forests, boosted trees, lasso, GAMs, and neural networks (MLP). Results show consistent returns of 8 to 9 percent per additional year of schooling across methods. Simulations… more →
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 sector-… more →