EdWorkingPapers
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 →
Can Early Exposure to the Teaching Profession Increase Teacher Supply and Diversity? New Evidence on the Teacher Pipeline
… We examine whether early exposure to the teaching career has the potential to expand the size and diversity of new teacher supply. Exploiting the staggered expansion of …We examine whether early exposure to the teaching career has the potential to expand the size and diversity of new teacher supply. Exploiting the staggered expansion of high school education courses across Texas, we find little evidence that these courses increased new teacher supply or diversity despite course takers being substantially more diverse than the teacher workforce. High school… 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 →
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 student-… 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 →
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, suburban… 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 take a… 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 has… 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; 2)… 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 in… 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 ones… 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 research dating… 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, I… 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 compensation… more →
Towards a Developmental Model of Democratic Family Rights Policy Regimes: Tracing Federal Literacy Policy, 1968-1990
… case study conceptualizes its institutional logic and political drivers. Bridging and extending theorization in … behavior, I contribute an original developmental model of democratic and respectable family rights policy regimes to address when, how, and why a “crisis” can shape dominant …By excavating submerged dynamics underlying literacy accountability policy, this historical case study conceptualizes its institutional logic and political drivers. Bridging and extending theorization in American political development and racial political behavior, I contribute an original developmental model of democratic and respectable family rights policy regimes to address when, how, and why… 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 →
Success Begets Success: The Dynamic Treatment Effects of Financial Aid Tournaments
… vary widely in design, including how aid is structured and the timing of provision. This paper studies the impact of financial aid …Financial aid programs in higher education vary widely in design, including how aid is structured and the timing of provision. This paper studies the impact of financial aid provided as a repeated tournament and its dynamic treatment effects. Pooling administrative data that captures 32% of all tertiary students in a single European country, I exploit a relative GPAbased eligibility rule in a… 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 researchers… more →
The Trade-off between Quality and Quantity: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Tutoring
… High-dosage tutoring has the potential to substantially raise adolescent academic … frequently. In this paper, I test the relative importance of group size (quality) versus tutoring frequency (quantity). … Middle schools … Tutoring … The Trade-off between Quality and Quantity: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Tutoring …High-dosage tutoring has the potential to substantially raise adolescent academic achievement. However, at scale, schools may not have the financial ability to deliver small-group tutoring frequently. In this paper, I test the relative importance of group size (quality) versus tutoring frequency (quantity). I evaluate the impact of an in-school math tutoring program in a middle school in the… 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 and… more →