EdWorkingPapers
Values, Visions, and Variation in American School Districts: A Computational Mixed Methods Analysis of School District Strategic Plans
… The decentralization of power is a defining feature of the American education system, allowing schools to reflect community values and needs. Yet, little is known about how values and visions …The decentralization of power is a defining feature of the American education system, allowing schools to reflect community values and needs. Yet, little is known about how values and visions for education hold constant or vary across districts. Through an analysis of 617 district strategic plans, combining qualitative coding and computational topic modeling, we provide insight into how local… more →
The Effects of K-12 Computer Science Education Policies on Postsecondary CS Participation
… adopted policies to promote computer science education at the elementary and secondary levels. These policies are intended, in part, to promote the pursuit of computer science at the postsecondary level. We collect …States have increasingly adopted policies to promote computer science education at the elementary and secondary levels. These policies are intended, in part, to promote the pursuit of computer science at the postsecondary level. We collect novel longitudinal data on adoption and implementation dates of nine policies promoted by the Code.org Advocacy Coalition in the United States since 2000… more →
The “Work” of Mobilizing, Advocating, and Organizing for Care in The School District Central Office
… This paper presents a case study of a caring school district located in a farmworker community … suggest that district-level care was multidimensional and distributed, involving mobilization of community … expansion, and disruptive work. This study contributes to the empirical research base on organizational care and …This paper presents a case study of a caring school district located in a farmworker community composed largely of Latinx families. I examine how central office leaders create or maintain care supports under crisis conditions. Findings suggest that district-level care was multidimensional and distributed, involving mobilization of community leadership, improvisational structures, and novel… more →
The Valence of Teacher Performance Feedback and Its Consequences: Examining a Critical Mechanism of Reformed Teacher Evaluation Systems
… Districts nationwide have increased the frequency of teacher evaluations. Yet, we know little about the role of … classroom observation-level data, we use evaluator ratings and teacher self-assessments of teacher performance to …Districts nationwide have increased the frequency of teacher evaluations. Yet, we know little about the role of evaluator feedback for teacher improvement. Using unique classroom observation-level data, we use evaluator ratings and teacher self-assessments of teacher performance to rigorously examine (positive and negative) feedback valence from the teacher’s perspective and its consequences.… more →
The Impact of Additional Funding on Student Outcomes: Evidence from an Urban District Using Weighted Student Funding and Site-based Budgeting
… uses a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design to assess the impact of additional funding on student outcomes in a large, urban … using a weighted student funding (WSF) formula and provides flexibility to principals to allocate those …This study uses a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design to assess the impact of additional funding on student outcomes in a large, urban school district in the Southeastern United States. The district implemented student-based budgeting (SBB), which allocates dollars to schools based on student characteristics using a weighted student funding (WSF) formula and provides flexibility to… more →
Peer Effects in Vocational Education and Training
… Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs are prevalent in a European … but often struggle with drop-out rates that exceed those of general upper-secondary education. Using Danish administrative data, we study the effects of reform-induced reductions in shares of VET …Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs are prevalent in a European context, but often struggle with drop-out rates that exceed those of general upper-secondary education. Using Danish administrative data, we study the effects of reform-induced reductions in shares of VET students who did not pass their lower secondary final exams on passing GPA VET students. We find that passing… more →
Exploring Multidimensional Approaches to Learning During Early Childhood in Ghana
… (AtL) are widely recognized as a critical predictor of educational outcomes, especially in early childhood. … 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 …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… more →
Incidence and Outcomes of School Finance Litigation: 1968-2021
… one or more times in all but two states. Plaintiffs ask the courts to rule that the existing funding formula is unconstitutional under state constitutions, and the defendants call for continuation of the existing finance formula. By compiling and analyzing …School finance court cases have proceeded one or more times in all but two states. Plaintiffs ask the courts to rule that the existing funding formula is unconstitutional under state constitutions, and the defendants call for continuation of the existing finance formula. By compiling and analyzing the universe of such cases, we can accurately describe the nature of the cases, the decisions… more →
Measuring returns to experience using supervisor ratings of observed performance: The case of classroom teachers
… We study the returns to experience in teaching, estimated using … in observation ratings over time as the causal effect of experience on performance. We compare two … two-way fixed effects estimator common in the literature, and an alternative which avoids potential bias arising from …We study the returns to experience in teaching, estimated using supervisor ratings from classroom observations. We describe the assumptions required to interpret changes in observation ratings over time as the causal effect of experience on performance. We compare two difference-in-differences strategies: the two-way fixed effects estimator common in the literature, and an alternative which… more →
U.S. School Finance: Resources and Outcomes
… The impact of school resources on student outcomes was first raised in the 1960s and has been controversial since then. This issue enters into … A thorough review of existing studies, however, leads to similar conclusions as the historical work: how resources …The impact of school resources on student outcomes was first raised in the 1960s and has been controversial since then. This issue enters into the decision making on school finance in both legislatures and the courts. The historical research found little consistent or systematic relationship of spending and achievement, but this research frequently suffers from significant concerns about the… more →
Excellence for all? University honors programs and human capital formation
… Can public university honors programs deliver the benefits of selective undergraduate education within otherwise … kink design … Todd Pugatch … Paul Thompson … Pathways to and Through Postsecondary … Post-secondary education … Human …Can public university honors programs deliver the benefits of selective undergraduate education within otherwise nonselective institutions? We evaluate the impact of admission to the Honors College at Oregon State University, a large nonselective public university. Admission to the Honors College depends heavily on a numerical application score. Nonlinearities in admissions probabilities as a… more →
How Did It Get This Way? Disentangling the Sources of Teacher Quality Gaps Through Agent-Based Modeling
… longitudinal data from Washington state to study the extent to which three interrelated processes—teacher … workforce, teacher mobility between teaching positions, and teacher hiring for open positions—contribute to “teacher quality gaps” (TQGs) between students of color and other students in K–12 public schools. …We use publicly available, longitudinal data from Washington state to study the extent to which three interrelated processes—teacher attrition from the state teaching workforce, teacher mobility between teaching positions, and teacher hiring for open positions—contribute to “teacher quality gaps” (TQGs) between students of color and other students in K–12 public schools. Specifically, we… more →
The Effects of Growth Mindset on College Persistence and Completion
… We study the long-term effects of a psychological intervention on longitudinal academic outcomes and degree completion of college students. All freshmen at a …We study the long-term effects of a psychological intervention on longitudinal academic outcomes and degree completion of college students. All freshmen at a large public university were randomized to an online growth mindset, belonging, or control group. We tracked students’ academic outcomes including GPA, number of credits attempted and earned, major choices, and degree completion. We found… more →
College Entrance Exam-Taking Strategies in Georgia
… Using administrative data from Georgia, we provide the first study of the full set of college entrance exam-taking strategies, including who takes the ACT and the SAT (or both), when they take the exams, and how many …Using administrative data from Georgia, we provide the first study of the full set of college entrance exam-taking strategies, including who takes the ACT and the SAT (or both), when they take the exams, and how many times they take each exam. We have several main findings. First, one-third of exam takers take both the ACT and SAT. Second, we see pronounced disparities in several measures of… more →
The Returns to Public Library Investment
… governments spend over 12 billion dollars annually funding the operation of 15,000 public libraries in the United States. This funding … quantifies the effects of public libraries on communities and children. We use data on the near-universe of U.S. public …Local governments spend over 12 billion dollars annually funding the operation of 15,000 public libraries in the United States. This funding supports widespread library use: more than 50% of Americans visit public libraries each year. But despite extensive public investment in libraries, surprisingly little research quantifies the effects of public libraries on communities and children. We use… more →
Capacity and flexibility in community college CTE programs: program offerings and student success
… asks whether small changes to community college courses and programs can help improve student outcomes. We use administrative data from the California Community College system, including millions of student records and detailed course-level information for …This article asks whether small changes to community college courses and programs can help improve student outcomes. We use administrative data from the California Community College system, including millions of student records and detailed course-level information for most career-technical education programs in the state. We construct a summary measure of each program’s flexibility,… more →
The Effects of Financial Aid Loss on Persistence and Graduation: A Multi-Dimensional Regression Discontinuity Approach
… budgetary shortfalls reduced its generosity in 2011. Under the new rules, only students meeting more rigorous … Zell Miller, with other students seeing aid reductions of approximately 15 percent. We exploit the fact that two of the criteria were high school GPA and SAT/ACT score, which students could not manipulate when …For years Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program provided full tuition scholarships to high achieving students. State budgetary shortfalls reduced its generosity in 2011. Under the new rules, only students meeting more rigorous merit-based criteria would retain the original scholarship covering full tuition, now called Zell Miller, with other students seeing aid reductions of approximately 15… more →
Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence
… This report synthesizes the research evidence about the impact of community schools on student and school outcomes. Its aim is to support and inform school, …This report synthesizes the research evidence about the impact of community schools on student and school outcomes. Its aim is to support and inform school, community, district, and state leaders as they consider, propose, or implement community schools as a strategy for providing equitable, high-quality education to all young people. We conclude that well-implemented community schools lead to… more →
How much can we remedy very low learning levels in rural parts of low-income countries? Impact and generalizability of a multi-pronged para-teacher intervention from a cluster-randomized trial in The Gambia
… Despite large schooling and learning gains in many developing countries, children in … even basic literacy and numeracy. We study how much of this problem can be resolved using a multi-pronged … in isolation. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in The Gambia evaluating a literacy and numeracy intervention …Despite large schooling and learning gains in many developing countries, children in highly deprived areas are often unlikely to achieve even basic literacy and numeracy. We study how much of this problem can be resolved using a multi-pronged intervention combining several distinct interventions known to be effective in isolation. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in The Gambia… more →
Pushing College Advising Forward: Experimental Evidence on Intensive Advising and College Success
… While Hispanic students represent the fasting-growing segment of the American school-age population, substantial gaps exist in college enrollment and Bachelor’s attainment between Hispanic and White and …While Hispanic students represent the fasting-growing segment of the American school-age population, substantial gaps exist in college enrollment and Bachelor’s attainment between Hispanic and White and Asian students. Numerous factors contribute to these disparities and disproportionally affect Hispanic youth. In this paper, we contribute evidence on the impact of an intensive college… more →
Too little or too much? Actionable Advice in an Early-Childhood Text Messaging Experiment
… have proven successful in improving parental engagement and preschoolers’ literacy development. The tested programs have provided a combination of (a) general information about important literacy skills, …Text-message based parenting programs have proven successful in improving parental engagement and preschoolers’ literacy development. The tested programs have provided a combination of (a) general information about important literacy skills, (b) actionable advice (i.e., specific examples of such activities), and (c) encouragement. The regularity of the texts – each week throughout the school… more →
Unpacking the Impacts of a Youth Behavioral Health Intervention: Experimental Evidence from Chicago
… Racial disparities in violence exposure and criminal justice contact are a subject of growing policy and public concern. We conduct a … and Latinx youth in Chicago. Over 24 months, youth offered the program experienced an 18 percent reduction in the …Racial disparities in violence exposure and criminal justice contact are a subject of growing policy and public concern. We conduct a large-scale, randomized controlled trial of a six-month behavioral health intervention combining intensive mentoring and group therapy designed to reduce criminal justice and violence involvement among Black and Latinx youth in Chicago. Over 24 months, youth… more →
Unintended Consequences of Youth Entrepreneurship Programs: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda
… The persistently high employment share of the informal sector makes entrepreneurship a necessity for … teachers, finding pedagogical changes as intended and increased entrepreneurial activity among students. In …The persistently high employment share of the informal sector makes entrepreneurship a necessity for youth in many developing countries. We exploit exogenous variation in the implementation of Rwanda’s entrepreneurship education reform in secondary schools to evaluate its effect on student economic outcomes up to three years after graduation. Using a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated a… more →
Evaluating Education Governance: Does State Takeover of School Districts Affect Student Achievement?
… have primary authority for running educational systems in the U.S. but little is known empirically about the merits of this arrangement. State takeovers of struggling districts … a rare alternative form of educational governance and have become an increasingly common response to low …Local school boards have primary authority for running educational systems in the U.S. but little is known empirically about the merits of this arrangement. State takeovers of struggling districts represent a rare alternative form of educational governance and have become an increasingly common response to low performance. However, limited research explores whether this effectively improves… more →
Bridging human and machine scoring in experimental assessments of writing: tools, tips, and lessons learned from a field trial in education
… that each document first be manually coded for constructs of interest by human raters. An impact analysis can then be conducted to compare treatment and control groups, using the hand-coded scores as a measured outcome. This process is …In a randomized trial that collects text as an outcome, traditional approaches for assessing treatment impact require that each document first be manually coded for constructs of interest by human raters. An impact analysis can then be conducted to compare treatment and control groups, using the hand-coded scores as a measured outcome. This process is both time and labor-intensive, which… more →
The Architecture of Expected Wage Gaps: Between- and Within-School Sources of Career Education Inequality
… even before labor market entry by examining Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a key mechanism for sorting … returns. Using Delaware administrative data and Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, we introduce … to these inequalities than schools' program offerings. The findings advance our understanding of novel mechanisms …This study investigates how school-level variation contributes to social stratification even before labor market entry by examining Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a key mechanism for sorting students into pathways with unequal economic returns. Using Delaware administrative data and Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, we introduce “expected wage” as a measure to… more →
The Sensitivity of Value-Added Estimates to Test Scoring Decisions
… Value-Added Models (VAMs) are both common and controversial in education policy and accountability research. While the sensitivity of VAMs to model specification and covariate selection is …Value-Added Models (VAMs) are both common and controversial in education policy and accountability research. While the sensitivity of VAMs to model specification and covariate selection is well documented, the extent to which test scoring methods (e.g., mean scores vs. IRT-based scores) may affect VA estimates is less studied. We examine the sensitivity of VA estimates to scoring method using… more →
Backlash? Schooling Reassignments and the Politics of School Desegregation
… is typically ascribed to families’ dissatisfaction with the changes in schooling assignments required to achieve … aims. In this paper we use the empirical context of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) to estimate … we combine unique data detailing the geography and timing of school reassignments within WCPSS with rich, …School desegregation efforts often spark fierce political backlash. This dissent is typically ascribed to families’ dissatisfaction with the changes in schooling assignments required to achieve desegregation aims. In this paper we use the empirical context of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) to estimate the effect of diversity-driven schooling reassignments on public engagement… more →
Credit Loss, Institutional Retention, and Postsecondary Persistence Among Vertical Transfer Students
… have served as a gateway to universities for millions of students—disproportionately so for students from … in higher education—prior research has demonstrated that the majority of vertical transfer students lose at least some … study, we drew from the literature on academic momentum and examined the relationship between credit loss, …Although community colleges have served as a gateway to universities for millions of students—disproportionately so for students from populations historically underrepresented in higher education—prior research has demonstrated that the majority of vertical transfer students lose at least some of their pretransfer credits. However, researchers examining how credit loss relates to subsequent… more →
Does Charter School Autonomy Improve Matching of Teacher Attributes with Student Needs?
… We examine the efficiency of traditional school districts versus charter schools in … students with teachers who meet their demographic and education needs. Using panel data from the state of …We examine the efficiency of traditional school districts versus charter schools in providing students with teachers who meet their demographic and education needs. Using panel data from the state of Michigan, we estimate the relationship between enrollment of Black, Hispanic, special education, and English learner students and the presence of Black, Hispanic, Special Education, and ESL… more →
The Returns to Experience for School Principals
… Despite increasing recognition of the importance of high-quality school leadership, we know … Using administrative data from Tennessee, Oregon, and New York City, we estimate the returns to principal …Despite increasing recognition of the importance of high-quality school leadership, we know remarkably little about principal skill development. Using administrative data from Tennessee, Oregon, and New York City, we estimate the returns to principal experience as measured by student outcomes, teacher hiring and retention patterns, and teacher and supervisor ratings of principals. The typical… more →
PLUS or Minus? The Effect of Graduate School Loans on Access, Attainment, and Prices
… In 2006, the federal government effectively uncapped student borrowing for graduate programs with the introduction of the Graduate PLUS loan program. Access to additional … federal loans increased graduate students’ borrowing and shifted the composition of their loans from private to …In 2006, the federal government effectively uncapped student borrowing for graduate programs with the introduction of the Graduate PLUS loan program. Access to additional federal loans increased graduate students’ borrowing and shifted the composition of their loans from private to federal debt. However, the increase in borrowing limits did not improve access to existing programs overall or… more →
Race below the fold: Race-evasiveness in the news media’s coverage of student loans
… The media discourse on student loans plays a significant role … in the way that policy actors conceptualize challenges and potential solutions related to student debt. This study … news outlets between 2006 and 2021. We found that 18% of articles use any racialized language, though use has …The media discourse on student loans plays a significant role in the way that policy actors conceptualize challenges and potential solutions related to student debt. This study examines the racialized language in student loan news articles published in eight major news outlets between 2006 and 2021. We found that 18% of articles use any racialized language, though use has accelerated since… more →
Digital redlining: the relevance of 20th century housing policy to 21st century broadband access and education
… its increasing importance to education. We investigate the relationship between broadband and housing policy by joining two measures of broadband access with Depression-era redlining maps that …Broadband is not equally accessible among students despite its increasing importance to education. We investigate the relationship between broadband and housing policy by joining two measures of broadband access with Depression-era redlining maps that classified neighborhoods based in part on racist and classist beliefs. We find that despite internet service provider selfreports of similar… more →
Comparing the School Readiness Skills of Public Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
… A systematic review of the literature (1965–2022) and meta-analysis were …A systematic review of the literature (1965–2022) and meta-analysis were undertaken to compare the school readiness skills of children participating in public pre-kindergarten (pre-K) or Head Start. Seven quasi-experimental studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis and 38 effect sizes were analyzed. Results indicated no reliable meta-analytic effect in relation to children’s… more →
The Other Half of the Story: Does Excluding the Early Grades from School Ratings Matter?
… it is possible that children’s test scores in grades 3 and above are highly correlated with children’s outcomes in the untested grades, research provides reasons to believe … case in all schools. This study explores whether measures of school quality based on test scores in grades 3 through 5 …Because high-stakes testing for school accountability does not begin until third grade, accountability ratings for elementary schools do not directly measure students’ academic progress in grades K through 2. While it is possible that children’s test scores in grades 3 and above are highly correlated with children’s outcomes in the untested grades, research provides reasons to believe that… more →
Student Selection into an Income Share Agreement
… an income share agreement (ISA) is an arrangement where the student agrees to pay a fixed percentage of future earned income for a designated period of time in exchange for college funding. Using administrative and survey data for all eligible applicants to a university …Financing college expenses through an income share agreement (ISA) is an arrangement where the student agrees to pay a fixed percentage of future earned income for a designated period of time in exchange for college funding. Using administrative and survey data for all eligible applicants to a university ISA program, I estimate the adverse selection into the ISA and provide preliminary… more →
Racial Category Usage in Education Research: Examining the Publications from AERA Journals
… included all original empirical studies published in the non-review AERA journals from 2009 to 2019. We found two-thirds of articles used at least one racial category term, with an … to almost three-quarters of published studies between 2009 and 2019. Other trends include the increasing popularity of …How scholars name different racial groups has powerful salience for understanding what researchers study. We explored how education researchers used racial terminology in recently published, high-profile, peer-reviewed studies. Our sample included all original empirical studies published in the non-review AERA journals from 2009 to 2019. We found two-thirds of articles used at least one racial… more →
Does Principal Professional Development Improve Schooling Outcomes? Evidence from Pennsylvania’s Inspired Leadership Induction Program
… Principals shape the academic setting of schools. Yet, there is limited evidence on whether … Using panel data on all Pennsylvania students, teachers, and principals, we leverage variation in the timing of PIL …Principals shape the academic setting of schools. Yet, there is limited evidence on whether principal professional development improves schooling outcomes. Beginning in 2008-09, Pennsylvania’s Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program required that newly hired principals complete targeted in-service professional development tied to newly established state leadership standards within five… more →
Reaping the Rewards Later: How Education Improves Old-Age Cognition in South Africa
… Cognition, a component of human capital, is fundamental for decision-making, and understanding the causes of human capital depreciation in old age is …Cognition, a component of human capital, is fundamental for decision-making, and understanding the causes of human capital depreciation in old age is especially important in aging societies. Using various proxy measures of cognitive performance from a longitudinal survey in South Africa, we study how education affects cognition in late adulthood. We show that an extra year of schooling… more →
College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking
… Millions of high school students who take an Advanced Placement (AP) … 30 subjects can earn college credit by performing well on the corresponding AP exam. Using data from four metro-Atlanta … which generally commands college credit at colleges and universities across the United States. Next, we examine …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 →
Effectiveness Research for Teacher Education
… Despite calls for more evidence regarding the effectiveness of teacher education practices, causal research in the field remains rare. One reason is that we lack designs and measurement approaches that appropriately meet the …Despite calls for more evidence regarding the effectiveness of teacher education practices, causal research in the field remains rare. One reason is that we lack designs and measurement approaches that appropriately meet the challenges of causal inference in the context of teacher education programs. This article provides a framework for how to fill this gap. We first outline the difficulties… more →
First Impressions: The Case of Teacher Racial Bias
… We study racial bias and the persistence of first impressions in the context of education. Teachers …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 →
Developing Ambitious Mathematics Instruction Through Web-Based Coaching: A Randomized Field Trial
… This paper describes and evaluates a web-based coaching program designed to … and on their instructional practice, as measured the Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) instrument and student surveys. However, …This paper describes and evaluates a web-based coaching program designed to support teachers in implementing Common Core-aligned math instruction. Web-based coaching programs can be operated at relatively lower costs, are scalable, and make it more feasible to pair teachers with coaches who have expertise in their content area and grade level. Results from our randomized field trial document… more →
Does High School Size Affect Rates of Risky Health Behaviors and Poor Mental Health Among Low-Income Teenagers? Evidence from New York City
… There is increasing concern about risky behaviors and poor mental health among school-aged youth. A critical … and structure affect health outcomes by examining the impacts of a popular urban high school reform -- “small schools” -- …There is increasing concern about risky behaviors and poor mental health among school-aged youth. A critical factor in youth well-being is school attendance. This study evaluates how school organization and structure affect health outcomes by examining the impacts of a popular urban high school reform -- “small schools” -- on youth risky behaviors and mental health, using data from New York… more →
Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America
… We examine the role of students’ political views in shaping college enrollment … political identities, which could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce …We examine the role of students’ political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. We hypothesize that students derive utility from attending institutions aligned with their political identities, which could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce ideological diversity on campuses. Using four decades of survey data on… more →
Experimental Evidence on the Robustness of Coaching Supports in Teacher Education
… Many novice teachers learn to teach “on-the-job,” leading to burnout and attrition among teachers and negative outcomes for … with optimizing teacher readiness, but there is a lack of causal evidence regarding effective ways for preparing new …Many novice teachers learn to teach “on-the-job,” leading to burnout and attrition among teachers and negative outcomes for students in the long term. Pre-service teacher education is tasked with optimizing teacher readiness, but there is a lack of causal evidence regarding effective ways for preparing new teachers. In this paper, we use a mixed reality simulation platform to evaluate the… more →
Public-Sector Leadership and Venture Philanthropy: The Case of Broad Superintendents
… Major philanthropic initiatives that incorporate features of venture-capital practices have become increasingly … education. In this study, we provide empirical evidence on the reach, character, and impact of the Broad Superintendents Academy, a prominent …Major philanthropic initiatives that incorporate features of venture-capital practices have become increasingly prominent, particularly in K-12 public education. In this study, we provide empirical evidence on the reach, character, and impact of the Broad Superintendents Academy, a prominent and controversial venture-philanthropic initiative designed to transform leadership in the nation’s… more →
The Inequitable Effects of Teacher Layoffs: What We Know and Can Do
… including teacher layoffs. In this brief, we synthesize the empirical literature on the widespread teacher layoffs … find that teacher layoffs harmed student achievement and were inequitably distributed across schools, teachers, … and students. Research suggests that specific elements of the layoff process can exacerbate these negative effects. …Economic downturns can cause major funding shortfalls for U.S. public schools, often forcing districts to make difficult budget cuts including teacher layoffs. In this brief, we synthesize the empirical literature on the widespread teacher layoffs caused by the Great Recession. Studies find that teacher layoffs harmed student achievement and were inequitably distributed across schools,… more →
Contemporary Child Labor and Declining School Attendance in the U.S.
… The United States has experienced a 400% increase in reported … decade, coinciding with declines in K-12 school attendance and enrollment. We examine the causal relationships between … farms. A 10-percentage-point increase in the local share of employment in high child labor violation industries leads …The United States has experienced a 400% increase in reported child labor violations over the past decade, coinciding with declines in K-12 school attendance and enrollment. We examine the causal relationships between these patterns with microdata from the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2005 to 2023. Using a shift-share instrumental variable approach, our findings show that increased… more →