EdWorkingPapers
More Than Shortages: The Unequal Distribution of Substitute Teaching
… Classroom teachers in the US are absent on average approximately six percent of a school year. Despite the prevalence of teacher absences, … substitute teachers. Using detailed administrative and survey data from a large urban school district, we …Classroom teachers in the US are absent on average approximately six percent of a school year. Despite the prevalence of teacher absences, surprisingly little research has assessed the key source of replacement instruction: substitute teachers. Using detailed administrative and survey data from a large urban school district, we document the prevalence, predictors, and variation of substitute… more →
Measuring Teaching Practices at Scale: A Novel Application of Text-as-Data Methods
… Valid and reliable measurements of teaching quality facilitate school-level decision-making … This approach is free of rater bias and enables the detection of three instructional factors that are well …Valid and reliable measurements of teaching quality facilitate school-level decision-making and policies pertaining to teachers, but conventional classroom observations are costly, prone to rater bias, and hard to implement at scale. Using nearly 1,000 word-to-word transcriptions of 4th- and 5th-grade English language arts classes, we apply novel text-as-data methods to develop automated,… more →
The Design of Clustered Observational Studies in Education
… effectiveness research. We present a design framework for the development and critique of COSs. The framework is built on the counterfactual model …Clustered observational studies (COSs) are a critical analytic tool for educational effectiveness research. We present a design framework for the development and critique of COSs. The framework is built on the counterfactual model for causal inference and promotes the concept of designing COSs that emulate the targeted randomized trial that would have been conducted were it… more →
Peeking into the Black Box of School Turnaround: A Formal Test of Mediators and Suppressors
… A growing body of research evaluates the effects of turnaround on … in Tennessee: the Achievement School District (ASD) and local Innovation Zones (iZones). Using difference-in-differences models within a mediational …A growing body of research evaluates the effects of turnaround on chronically low-performing schools. We extend this research to formally test factors that either mediate or suppress the effects of two turnaround initiatives in Tennessee: the Achievement School District (ASD) and local Innovation Zones (iZones). Using difference-in-differences models within a mediational framework, we find… more →
Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead? Evaluating the Effects of Virginia's Workforce-Targeted Free College Program
… momentum as policymakers address rising college costs and workforce readiness. Despite their growing adoption, … discontinuity and difference-in-differences— to estimate the causal impact of Virginia’s Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3) …Tuition-free college programs are gaining momentum as policymakers address rising college costs and workforce readiness. Despite their growing adoption, limited research examines how workforce-focused eligibility criteria impact student outcomes beyond enrollment. This pre-registered study employs two within-study quasi-experimental designs—differencein- discontinuity and difference-in-… more →
Labor Market Strength and Declining Community College Enrollment
… U.S. college enrollments have triggered questions about the health of the postsecondary sector. Using institution-level data, we … many students are on the margin between community college and job opportunities. For-profit college enrollments are …Declining U.S. college enrollments have triggered questions about the health of the postsecondary sector. Using institution-level data, we make four points. First, such declines are driven not by the four-year sector but by two-year community colleges, which have apparently shrunk by over 30% since the peak of the Great Recession. Second, over one-third of this apparent decline is an artifact of… more →
Can nudging mentors weaken student support? Experimental evidence from a virtual communication intervention
… This paper presents results from a randomized trial of a nudge intervention designed to encourage and enhance virtual student support. During the 2019-20 school year, randomly selected mentors in a …This paper presents results from a randomized trial of a nudge intervention designed to encourage and enhance virtual student support. During the 2019-20 school year, randomly selected mentors in a school-based mentoring program received monthly reminders with tips for communicating with youth via text, email, and phone. Unexpectedly, the results showed that although the informational reminders… more →
Technology Apprenticeships and Labor Market Outcomes: Mixed-Methods Evidence from the LaunchCode Program
… We leverage employment and earnings data from a large credit bureau, program data … interviews with applicants and instructors to examine if the LaunchCode program leads to economic benefits, who is … score weights to balance applicants across a range of program participation levels. We find that both course and …We leverage employment and earnings data from a large credit bureau, program data from LaunchCode—a free technology education, and in-depth interviews with applicants and instructors to examine if the LaunchCode program leads to economic benefits, who is most likely to experience these benefits, and how this program produces these benefits. We first conduct an intent-to-treat analysis by… more →
Remediation or Roadblock? The Effects of Failing Virginia's Accountability Exams
… Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) system requires students to pass … credits needed for high school graduation. Scoring below the passing cutoff may create a barrier to completing a high … remediation, which may include additional instruction and tutoring. Because these channels push in opposite …Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) system requires students to pass end-of-course exams to earn verified credits needed for high school graduation. Scoring below the passing cutoff may create a barrier to completing a high school degree, but it also triggers state-mandated remediation, which may include additional instruction and tutoring. Because these channels push in opposite directions,… more →
Can Peer Group Design Improve Engagement in Online STEM Courses? The Role of Motivation to Lead
… Peer interaction is important for student engagement and success in higher education and becomes even more … factors for success in rigorous STEM coursework. Despite the widespread use of peer group activities to foster collaboration, there is …Peer interaction is important for student engagement and success in higher education and becomes even more critical in online STEM education, where limited interaction can undermine motivation and belonging—key factors for success in rigorous STEM coursework. Despite the widespread use of peer group activities to foster collaboration, there is limited understanding of how to effectively form peer… more →
Investing in Human Capital During Wartime: Experimental Evidence from Ukraine
… wartime by presenting evidence from three experiments of an online tutoring program for Ukrainian students amid … Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Conducted between early 2023 and mid-2024, the experiments reached nearly 10,000 students across all …This paper provides insights into human capital investments during wartime by presenting evidence from three experiments of an online tutoring program for Ukrainian students amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Conducted between early 2023 and mid-2024, the experiments reached nearly 10,000 students across all regions of Ukraine. The program offered three hours per week of small-group tutoring in… more →
The Reliability of Classroom Observations and Student Surveys in Non-Research Settings: Evidence from a Middle-Income Country
… We present one of the first Generalizability studies of non-test measures of … observations varies widely (from 0 to 0.75 on a 0-1 scale) and depends upon their context (whether they are conducted …We present one of the first Generalizability studies of non-test measures of teaching effectiveness administered by practitioners in a middle-income country. The reliability of observations varies widely (from 0 to 0.75 on a 0-1 scale) and depends upon their context (whether they are conducted during training or on the job) and rater assignment configurations. The reliability of surveys varies… more →
Creating Classes: Elementary school classroom assignments and their implications for student access to high-quality teaching
… We investigate the distribution of students across classrooms in North Carolina elementary schools. While tracking is ubiquitous and well-documented in secondary education, limited evidence …We investigate the distribution of students across classrooms in North Carolina elementary schools. While tracking is ubiquitous and well-documented in secondary education, limited evidence exists regarding cross-classroom clustering in elementary schools and its consequences. Consistent with qualitative evidence suggesting that educators seek to create demographically balanced classrooms, we… more →
The reliability of classroom observations and student surveys in non-research settings: Evidence from Argentina
… There is a growing consensus on the need to measure teaching effectiveness using multiple … in high-income countries. We study the reliability of classroom observations and student surveys conducted by practitioners in a …There is a growing consensus on the need to measure teaching effectiveness using multiple instruments. Yet, guidance on how to achieve reliable ratings derives largely from formal research in high-income countries. We study the reliability of classroom observations and student surveys conducted by practitioners in a middle-income country. Both instruments can achieve relatively high reliability (… more →
Increasing Applied STEM Curricular Opportunities in High School and Impacts on Early Post-Secondary Outcomes: The Effect of Project Lead the Way
… Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is an applied STEM Career Technical Education … Using data from Missouri, we investigate the impact of PLTW course expansion on program participation and early post-secondary outcomes. Our identification …Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is an applied STEM Career Technical Education program that has been adopted widely across the country. Using data from Missouri, we investigate the impact of PLTW course expansion on program participation and early post-secondary outcomes. Our identification strategies rely on within-school between-cohort variation in PLTW course availability. This serves as an… more →
The Effects of Early Childhood Science Educational Interventions on Children’s Science Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of Classroom-Based Studies
… The importance of providing children with more robust opportunities to access high-quality science instruction is a widely … We present the results of a meta-analysis of experimental and quasiexperimental research of the effects of …The importance of providing children with more robust opportunities to access high-quality science instruction is a widely recognized challenge. Unfortunately, science instruction is often neglected in the earliest school grades, meaning that many young children face opportunity gaps to learning science. We present the results of a meta-analysis of experimental and quasiexperimental research of… more →
The Value of School Social Climate Information: Evidence from Chicago Housing Transactions
… school social climate information is capitalized into the housing market and how it affects the sorting of homebuyers from different economic backgrounds. I first …In this paper, I investigate how publicizing school social climate information is capitalized into the housing market and how it affects the sorting of homebuyers from different economic backgrounds. I first provide descriptive evidence on the novelty of school climate relative to other school characteristics. Next, using a plausibly exogenous shock of school climate information in Chicago, I… more →
Searching for the Queen’s Gambit: An Exploratory Analysis of Male-Female Ratings Gaps in U.S. Chess
… We examine the origin and evolution of male-female rating gaps for young chess players using two decades of data from the U.S. Chess Federation, the …We examine the origin and evolution of male-female rating gaps for young chess players using two decades of data from the U.S. Chess Federation, the national chess association that tracks competitive tournament play and provides ratings for U.S. chess players. An important feature of our research is that we examine male-female gaps across a broad range of chess ratings, from novice to expert. We… more →
Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Tutoring Format and Tutors: Findings from an Early Literacy Tutoring Program
… This study presents the first within-program, within-tutor experimental evidence comparing the impact of in-person versus remote tutoring. Based on results from an … in-person tutoring exhibited higher attendance rates and tutors reported closer relationships with their in-person …This study presents the first within-program, within-tutor experimental evidence comparing the impact of in-person versus remote tutoring. Based on results from an early literacy tutoring initiative delivered by university students over Summer 2023, we find no statistically significant differences in students’ literacy outcomes by instructional modality. However, students receiving in-person… more →
The Learning Crisis: Three Years After COVID-19
… The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to … significant learning losses, particularly in mathematics and science. Using data from TIMSS 2023, which assesses … 71 education systems, this study analyzes the impact of school closure duration on learning outcomes. Mixed-effect …The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to education, with school closures affecting over one billion children. These closures, aimed at reducing virus transmission, resulted in significant learning losses, particularly in mathematics and science. Using data from TIMSS 2023, which assesses fourth and eighth-grade achievements across 71 education systems, this study analyzes the impact… more →
Reconstructing PhD Admissions Through Organizational Learning
… The goal of this study was to assess the outcomes of a grant-funded … intervention designed to provide comprehensive training and support for holistic admissions in 26 STEM PhD programs … analyze and redesign their admissions processes. Using a theoretical framework centered on organizational …The goal of this study was to assess the outcomes of a grant-funded intervention designed to provide comprehensive training and support for holistic admissions in 26 STEM PhD programs at five California research universities. This pilot intervention combined a flexible, research-based model of holistic review, training for faculty involved with admissions, and informal coaching in how to… more →
The relationship between student attendance and achievement, pre- and post-COVID
… We examine the relationship between absenteeism and achievement since the onset of COVID-19. Applying first-differences models to North …We examine the relationship between absenteeism and achievement since the onset of COVID-19. Applying first-differences models to North Carolina administrative data, we estimate that each absence was associated with a 0.0032 standard deviation (SD) decline in math achievement in 2022-23. As students averaged 3.3 more absences in 2022-23 than 2018-19, these results imply that returning absence… more →
Accelerating Opportunity: The Effects of Instructionally Supported Detracking
… The pivotal role of Algebra in the educational trajectories of U.S. students continues to motivate controversial, high-profile policies focused on when students access the course, their classroom peers, and how the course is taught. This random-assignment …The pivotal role of Algebra in the educational trajectories of U.S. students continues to motivate controversial, high-profile policies focused on when students access the course, their classroom peers, and how the course is taught. This random-assignment partnership study examines an innovative district-level reform—the Algebra I Initiative—that placed 9th-grade students with prior math scores… more →
Next-Generation Teacher Evaluation in Rural Missouri: Main and Moderated Effects on Student Achievement and Effects-to-Expenditure Ratios
… average effects on rural student achievement, identifying the settings where evaluation works, and incorporating evaluation expenditures. That the … is below the state average or the average teacher's years of experience are below the state average. … evaluation, …We extend teacher evaluation research by estimating a reformed evaluation system's plausibly causal average effects on rural student achievement, identifying the settings where evaluation works, and incorporating evaluation expenditures. That the literature omits these contributions is concerning as research implies it hinders evidence-based teacher evaluation policymaking for rural districts,… more →
Weighting for Progressivity? An Analysis of Implicit Tradeoffs Associated with Weighted Student Funding in Tennessee
… We study the progressivity of state funding of school districts under Tennessee’s … in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district …We study the progressivity of state funding of school districts under Tennessee’s weighted student funding formula. We propose a simple definition of progressivity based on the difference in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district funding in Tennessee is much smaller—only about 17 percent as large—as the formula weights… more →
Are Friends of Schools the Enemies of Equity? The Interplay of Public School Funding Policies and Private External Fundraising
… School districts across the U.S. have adopted funding policies designed to distribute … We document the interaction between funding policies and fundraising efforts in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). We find that adoption of a weighted-student funding policy successfully reallocated …School districts across the U.S. have adopted funding policies designed to distribute resources more equitably across schools. However, schools are also increasing external fundraising efforts to supplement district budget allocations. We document the interaction between funding policies and fundraising efforts in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). We find that adoption of a weighted-student funding… more →
The Academic Effects of Moving to Middle School on Students with Disabilities Relative to their General Education Peers
… on general education students (GENs). We explore if and how the move to middle school differentially affects students … with disabilities (SWDs), a large and low-performing group of students. Using an instrumental variables strategy and NYC …Middle school transitions are increasingly required, despite documented negative effects on general education students (GENs). We explore if and how the move to middle school differentially affects students with disabilities (SWDs), a large and low-performing group of students. Using an instrumental variables strategy and NYC data on nine cohorts of students, we find the middle school transition… more →
The Effects of Early Literacy Policies on Student Achievement
… Given the importance of early literacy to long-term student success, by 2021, 41 states and the District of Columbia adopted early literacy policies …Given the importance of early literacy to long-term student success, by 2021, 41 states and the District of Columbia adopted early literacy policies to improve student literacy by the end of third grade. We use an event-study approach to examine the impact of these policies on high- and low-stakes test scores. Our results suggest that adopting an early literacy policy improves elementary students… more →
Debt Moratoria: Evidence from Student Loan Forbearance
… We evaluate the effects of the 2020 student debt moratorium that paused payments for … payment pause led to a sharp drop in student loan payments and delinquencies for borrowers subject to the debt …We evaluate the effects of the 2020 student debt moratorium that paused payments for student loan borrowers. Using administrative credit panel data, we show that the payment pause led to a sharp drop in student loan payments and delinquencies for borrowers subject to the debt moratorium, as well as an increase in credit scores. We find a large stimulus effect, as borrowers substitute increased… more →
Out of the Gate, but Not Necessarily Teaching: A Descriptive Portrait of Early-Career Earnings for Those Who Are Credentialed to Teach
… in Washington State has shown that about two thirds of individuals who trained to become teachers between 2005 and 2015 and received a teaching credential did not enter the state’s public teaching workforce immediately after …Prior work on teacher candidates in Washington State has shown that about two thirds of individuals who trained to become teachers between 2005 and 2015 and received a teaching credential did not enter the state’s public teaching workforce immediately after graduation, while about one third never entered a public teaching job in the state at all. In this analysis, we link data on these teacher… more →
Latinx Community College Students Experiencing Financial Aid Income Verification: A Critical Race Analysis
… Every year millions of students seeking access to federal financial aid complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) … Race Theory, I contend the verification process reflects and upholds institutional racism within the financial aid …Every year millions of students seeking access to federal financial aid complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application which grants an estimated $234 billion in federal aid in the 2020-21 academic year. Upon receiving students’ FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education selects some students for income verification, a process in which educational institutions check the… more →
Variation in the Relationship between School Spending and Achievement: Progressive Spending Is Efficient
… The equity-efficiency tradeoff and cumulative return theories predict larger returns to … returns vary between counties with low and high levels of initial human capital (measured as birth weight), child …The equity-efficiency tradeoff and cumulative return theories predict larger returns to school spending in areas with higher previous investment in children. Equity – not efficiency – is therefore used to justify progressive school funding: spending more in communities with fewer financial resources. Yet it remains unclear how returns to school spending vary across areas by previous investment.… more →
A Simple Nudge Increases Socioeconomic Diversity in Undergraduate Economics
… a light-touch intervention can increase socioeconomic and racial diversity in undergraduate Economics. We randomly … over 2,200 students a message with basic information about the Economics major; the basic message combined with an … major; or no message. Messages increased the proportion of first generation or underrepresented minority (URM) …We assess whether a light-touch intervention can increase socioeconomic and racial diversity in undergraduate Economics. We randomly assigned over 2,200 students a message with basic information about the Economics major; the basic message combined with an emphasis on the rewarding careers or financial returns associated with the major; or no message. Messages increased the proportion of first… more →
Labor Market Signaling and the Value of College: Evidence from Resumes and the Truth
… do college non-completers list schooling on their resumes? The negative signal of not completing might outweigh the positive signal of … related to schooling characteristics, such as selectivity and years of enrollment. We also find evidence of lying, and …How do college non-completers list schooling on their resumes? The negative signal of not completing might outweigh the positive signal of attending but not persisting. If so, job-seekers might hide non-completed schooling on their resumes. To test this we match resumes from an online jobs board to administrative educational records. We find that fully one in three job-seekers who attended… more →
For‐Profit Colleges in the United States: Insights from Two Decades of Research
… In this paper, I review the economics literature on for-profit college education in … assessing what we know about institutional behavior and student outcomes after two decades of research. The many studies reviewed here reveal some …In this paper, I review the economics literature on for-profit college education in the United States, assessing what we know about institutional behavior and student outcomes after two decades of research. The many studies reviewed here reveal some consistent patterns. It is clear that for-profits compete with institutions in other sectors, yet they behave differently than their public and… more →
Culture and Student Achievement: The Intertwined Roles of Patience and Risk-Taking
… Patience and risk-taking – two cultural traits that steer … in student achievement, we combine PISA tests with the Global Preference Survey. We find that opposing effects of patience (positive) and risk-taking (negative) together …Patience and risk-taking – two cultural traits that steer intertemporal decision-making – are fundamental to human capital investment decisions. To understand how they contribute to international differences in student achievement, we combine PISA tests with the Global Preference Survey. We find that opposing effects of patience (positive) and risk-taking (negative) together account for two-… more →
The Forgotten 20 Percent: Achievement and Growth in Rural Schools Across the Nation
… school, yet we know very little about achievement gaps and academic growth in rural schools. This study leverages a … longitudinal test scores for more than five million 3rd to 8th grade students in approximately 17,000 public schools across the 50 states, including 900,000 students attending 4,727 …Nearly one in five U.S. students attends a rural school, yet we know very little about achievement gaps and academic growth in rural schools. This study leverages a unique dataset that includes longitudinal test scores for more than five million 3rd to 8th grade students in approximately 17,000 public schools across the 50 states, including 900,000 students attending 4,727 rural schools. We find… more →
Categorical Inequality in Black and White: Linking Disproportionality across Multiple Educational Outcomes
… We characterize the extent to which Black-White gaps for multiple educational … retention, classification into special education and Gifted and Talented, and Advanced Placement course-taking … and parent education are strikingly consistent predictors of these gaps, and districts with large gaps in one outcome …We characterize the extent to which Black-White gaps for multiple educational outcomes are linked across school districts in the United States. Gaps in disciplinary action, grade-level retention, classification into special education and Gifted and Talented, and Advanced Placement course-taking are large in magnitude and correlated. Racial differences in family income and parent education are… more →
Disparities and Discrimination in Student Discipline by Race and Family Income
… Black and poor students are suspended from U.S. schools at higher rates than white and non-poor students. While the existence of these disparities has been clear, the causes of the …Black and poor students are suspended from U.S. schools at higher rates than white and non-poor students. While the existence of these disparities has been clear, the causes of the disparities have not. We use a novel dataset to examine how and where discipline disparities arise. By comparing the punishments given to black and white (or poor and non-poor) students who fight one another, we… more →
Are School Discipline Practices Pushing Students Out…to Another School? A Longitudinal Analysis of School Transfers in Five Midwest Counties
… Sociology of education scholars have positioned punitive discipline … another schools—potentially acting as a critical step in the process of pushing students out of the formal education system altogether. Using nine years student- and school-level data across five large counties in a …Sociology of education scholars have positioned punitive discipline practices as factors that work to “push” unwanted students to drop out of school before graduating. However, limited research examines how punitive discipline practices may push students to transfer to another schools—potentially acting as a critical step in the process of pushing students out of the formal education system… more →
The Kids on the Bus: The Academic Consequences of Diversity-Driven School Reassignments
… students from one school to another. While opponents of such efforts articulate concerns about the consequences of reassignments for students’ educational … on reassigned students’ achievement, attendance, and exposure to exclusionary discipline. Between 2000 and …Many public school diversity efforts rely on reassigning students from one school to another. While opponents of such efforts articulate concerns about the consequences of reassignments for students’ educational experiences, little evidence exists regarding these effects, particularly in contemporary policy contexts. Using an event study design, we leverage data from an innovative socioeconomic… more →
The legacy of Plyler v. Doe: A critical window of inclusion
… This study examines whether the 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court decision increased … in Texas. The analysis asks whether removing tuition and enrollment barriers changed participation patterns … and broadly shared across gender, with suggestive evidence of larger effects among lower-income students. The study …This study examines whether the 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court decision increased school participation among Latino K–12 students likely to be undocumented in Texas. The analysis asks whether removing tuition and enrollment barriers changed participation patterns relative to comparable states without similar exclusionary statutes. To address limitations in citizenship measurement in schools, we… more →
From School to School: Examining the Contours of Switching Schools within the Special Education Teacher Labor Market
… The United States is facing growing teacher shortages that … affecting schools serving high proportions of students of color, low-income students, and those in rural or urban areas. Special education teachers …The United States is facing growing teacher shortages that may disproportionately affecting schools serving high proportions of students of color, low-income students, and those in rural or urban areas. Special education teachers (SETs) are particularly in demand. Each year, nearly half of all vacancies are filled with teachers switching from one school to another, yet little research has… more →
Gauging Engagement: Measuring Student Response to a Large-Scale College Advising Field Experiment
… an increasingly common strategy to support college access and success for underrepresented student populations. Despite the proliferation of these programs, we know relatively little about how …Interactive, text message-based advising programs have become an increasingly common strategy to support college access and success for underrepresented student populations. Despite the proliferation of these programs, we know relatively little about how students engage in these text-based advising opportunities and whether that relates to stronger student outcomes – factors that could help… more →
Mapping the Mechanisms of Interdisciplinary Learning Transfer from Reading to Math Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial
… Far transfer—the application of learning across distant domains—remains elusive in intervention research, and even when it is found, its mechanisms remain unclear or …Far transfer—the application of learning across distant domains—remains elusive in intervention research, and even when it is found, its mechanisms remain unclear or unexplored. This study analyzes data from the Model of Reading Engagement (MORE), a sustained content literacy intervention implemented in Grades 1-3 that demonstrated positive treatment effects on both near transfer reading and far… more →
Costly Withdrawals Reduce Future College-Going for Low-Income Students: Evidence from Return of Title IV Funds
… balance between promoting access to financial aid while at the same time remaining good stewards of taxpayer funds by preventing fraudulent access. This paper focuses on one of the largest-scale and most consequential policies determining whether students …Governments must strike a balance between promoting access to financial aid while at the same time remaining good stewards of taxpayer funds by preventing fraudulent access. This paper focuses on one of the largest-scale and most consequential policies determining whether students maintain access to Title IV aid, the “Return of Title IV” funds policy, referred to as R2T4. Students receiving Title… more →
An Untappable Pipeline? Examining Why Many Educators with Administrative Licenses Do Not Pursue School Leadership
… requirements typically mean that new school principals and assistant principals must come from the pool of educators holding an administrative license. Yet if many …States' licensure requirements typically mean that new school principals and assistant principals must come from the pool of educators holding an administrative license. Yet if many license- holders are uninterested in leadership positions, even districts with large numbers of licensed educators may face a constrained supply of leaders. Using statewide administrative and survey data from… more →
Public Opinion on Electoral Policy: Evidence from U.S. School Board Elections
… explanations for this stability suggest elected officials and citizens who stand to lose influence under new arrangements will oppose change. We explore the nature of public awareness and opinion regarding an electoral …Changes to electoral systems are relatively rare in established democracies. Conventional explanations for this stability suggest elected officials and citizens who stand to lose influence under new arrangements will oppose change. We explore the nature of public awareness and opinion regarding an electoral institution that has undergone notable change in recent decades—the timing of local school… more →
Nudging Parents out the Door: The Impacts of Parental Encouragement on School Choice and Test Scores
… a large-scale SMS outreach program to engage caregivers of students in private primary schools in Kenya. Using a … types of weekly SMS messages: growth-mindset encouragement and personalized performance information. We find two main … affects both learning production and school choice. The model shows that when parents update their understanding …This study evaluates a large-scale SMS outreach program to engage caregivers of students in private primary schools in Kenya. Using a two-stage randomization design, we tested two types of weekly SMS messages: growth-mindset encouragement and personalized performance information. We find two main effects: First, outreach improved test scores by 0.07 standard deviations, with particularly strong… more →
Parents’ Biased Beliefs and Competitive Investments in Education: A Field Experiment
… by their beliefs about their peers’ investment levels, and that they often hold biased beliefs about these levels. When provided information about the true distribution of tutoring hours invested among their reference groups, …Using a field experiment in China, we demonstrate that parental investment decisions are affected by their beliefs about their peers’ investment levels, and that they often hold biased beliefs about these levels. When provided information about the true distribution of tutoring hours invested among their reference groups, parents in the treated group significantly adjust their investments (by… more →