EdWorkingPapers
Rural Early Childhood Programs & School Readiness: An Evaluation of the Early Steps to School Success Program
… Prior research has clearly established the substantial expected payoffs to investments in early … to School Success, to understand whether the provision of home visiting and book exchange programs in rural Kentucky can influence …Prior research has clearly established the substantial expected payoffs to investments in early childhood education. However, the ability to deliver early childhood programs differs across communities with access to high quality programing especially hard to establish in rural communities. We study one program, Early Steps to School Success, to understand whether the provision of home visiting… more →
Teacher Skill Development: Evidence from Performance Ratings by Principals
… We examine the dynamic nature of teacher skill development using panel data on principals’ … detailed information about specific skill dimensions and are available for the many teachers in non-tested grades …We examine the dynamic nature of teacher skill development using panel data on principals’ subjective performance ratings of teachers. Past research on teacher productivity improvement has focused primarily on one important but narrow measure of performance: teachers’ value-added to student achievement on standardized tests. Unlike value-added, subjective performance ratings provide detailed… more →
Teacher Sorting and Preferences over School Disadvantage: Evidence from Performance Pay in Texas
… performance-based compensation affects teacher mobility and sorting using the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), a statewide … event-study design with a discrete choice model of school choice that allows for heterogeneous teacher …In this paper I study how performance-based compensation affects teacher mobility and sorting using the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), a statewide program introduced in 2019. TIA gives teachers a tiered quality designation, Recognized, Exemplary, or Master, based on performance evaluations and value-added measures. These designations are portable across schools and come with a salary… more →
Patterns, Determinants, and Consequences of Ability Tracking: Evidence from Texas Public Schools
… track students to classes based on ability. Proponents of tracking argue it is a low-cost tool to improve learning … evidence of efficacy. In fact, little is known about the pervasiveness or determinants of ability tracking in the … of tracking is heterogeneity in student ability, and schools operationalize tracking through the …Schools often track students to classes based on ability. Proponents of tracking argue it is a low-cost tool to improve learning since instruction is more effective when students are more homogeneous, while opponents argue it exacerbates initial differences in opportunities without strong evidence of efficacy. In fact, little is known about the pervasiveness or determinants of ability tracking in… more →
Testing Away from One's Own School: Exam Location and Performance in High-Stakes Exams
… such arrangements impact students' test performance and, by extension, access to educational opportunities. Using … between 2016 and 2018 and its random assignment of test centers, we find that students assigned to a non-home … percentage points less likely to be admitted to college. The performance penalty is most pronounced in STEM subjects …High-stakes exams are often administered at designated test centers, requiring many students to test in unfamiliar environments. We investigate whether such arrangements impact students' test performance and, by extension, access to educational opportunities. Using unique administrative data from China’s national college entrance examination between 2016 and 2018 and its random assignment of test… more →
The Long-Run Impacts of Universal Pre-K with Equilibrium Considerations
… pre-K with universal eligibility has proliferated across the U.S. Universal pre-K (UPK) operates at great scale and serves children with a wide range of alternative childcare options. Because these programs are …Since 1995, publicly funded pre-K with universal eligibility has proliferated across the U.S. Universal pre-K (UPK) operates at great scale and serves children with a wide range of alternative childcare options. Because these programs are relatively young, very little is known about their long-run impacts on children. In this paper, I use a difference-in-differences (DiD) design to estimate the… more →
Teacher Localness, Early-Career Effectiveness, and Retention
… evidence linking teacher localness to student achievement and retention is limited. Using statewide Maryland data on … employment, and certification, we examine three dimensions of localness: growing up locally, engaging in local teacher … and licensure pathway, not localness itself, is the strongest predictor of early-career effectiveness. …Recruiting locally connected individuals has gained policy attention under recent “Grow-Your-Own” initiatives, yet evidence linking teacher localness to student achievement and retention is limited. Using statewide Maryland data on teachers’ high school enrollment, postsecondary training, prior school employment, and certification, we examine three dimensions of localness: growing up locally,… more →
When Demand Outpaces Supply: Flexible Staffing and the Making of Maryland's High School CS Teacher Workforce
… have rapidly expanded computer science (CS) education over the past decade, resulting in increased pressure to staff … year 2012-13 through 2023-24, focusing on the growth and compositional changes of the CS teacher workforce. CS demand significantly outpaced …U.S. high schools have rapidly expanded computer science (CS) education over the past decade, resulting in increased pressure to staff classrooms with qualified teachers. This study examines how Maryland high schools responded to rising CS enrollment from school year 2012-13 through 2023-24, focusing on the growth and compositional changes of the CS teacher workforce. CS demand significantly… more →
A Sandbox for Hard Choices: Using Simulation to Explore School Closure Scenarios and Their Consequences
… academic performance, disproportionality safeguards, and ordering of schools considered. By comparing the equity, fiscal, and operational outcomes of each …School closures are often justified through seemingly neutral criteria such as enrollment or performance, but these metrics can unintentionally deepen educational disparities. This study uses a large urban district’s administrative data to simulate 5,040 closure scenarios, systematically varying seven policy design principles, including proximity, enrollment, seat utilization, building quality,… more →
Dual-Enrollment Dosage Design: Conceptualization and Measurement of Student Profiles and School Structures
… (“DE”), in which students enroll in college-level courses and receive college credit in high school, has become one of the most prominent strategies for promoting college access …Dual-enrollment (“DE”), in which students enroll in college-level courses and receive college credit in high school, has become one of the most prominent strategies for promoting college access and readiness. DE models range from a la carte options or "random acts of dual-enrollment" to highly structured pathways leading to associate degrees embedded in whole-school reform models. However,… more →
Measuring Elementary School Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching Vocabulary
… Teacher Knowledge in the field of literacy has become a priority across the United States, … Reading. One essential component of literacy development and text comprehension is vocabulary acquisition. This study …Teacher Knowledge in the field of literacy has become a priority across the United States, with many states passing legislation requiring that all teachers receive adequate training on the Science of Reading. One essential component of literacy development and text comprehension is vocabulary acquisition. This study examines the psychometric properties of items from the Teacher Knowledge of… more →
Differential Responses to Teacher Evaluation Incentives: Expectancy, Race, Experience, and Task
… Teacher evaluation systems and their associated incentives have produced fairly mixed … to respond to incentives when they have low expectations of success (and vice versa). Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that Black novices in the District of Columbia Public Schools faced the most …Teacher evaluation systems and their associated incentives have produced fairly mixed results. Our analyses are motivated by theory and descriptive evidence that accountability systems are highly racialized, and that individuals are less likely to respond to incentives when they have low expectations of success (and vice versa). Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that Black novices… more →
Expanding School Counseling: The Impacts of California Funding Changes
… common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices. However, most students … have limited access to school counselors. We study one of the largest U.S. policies to increase access to school …Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices. However, most students have limited access to school counselors. We study one of the largest U.S. policies to increase access to school counselors - California's Supplemental School Counseling Program. The program increased the average number of counselors per high school by 0.7 and… more →
School and Crime
… Criminal activity is seasonal, peaking in the summer and declining through the winter. We provide the first evidence that arrests of children and reported crimes involving children follow a …Criminal activity is seasonal, peaking in the summer and declining through the winter. We provide the first evidence that arrests of children and reported crimes involving children follow a different pattern: peaking during the school year and declining in the summer. We use a regression discontinuity design surrounding school start dates and an excess crime calculation to show that the school… more →
The Challenges of Scaling up Effective Child-Rearing Practices Using Technology in Developing Settings: Experimental Evidence From India
… programs have improved child development in low- and middle-income countries, but they are costly to scale due … inexpensive and low-tech alternative with 2,433 caregivers of children aged 6 to 30 months served by 250 public … India: automated phone calls offering parenting advice. The intervention was implemented largely as intended, with …Home-visitation programs have improved child development in low- and middle-income countries, but they are costly to scale due to their reliance on trained workers. We evaluated an inexpensive and low-tech alternative with 2,433 caregivers of children aged 6 to 30 months served by 250 public childcare centers in Uttarakhand, India: automated phone calls offering parenting advice. The intervention… more →
Taking Teacher Evaluation to Scale: The Effect of State Reforms on Achievement and Attainment
… Federal incentives and requirements under the Obama administration spurred … their teacher evaluation systems. We examine the effects of these reforms on student achievement and attainment at a …Federal incentives and requirements under the Obama administration spurred states to adopt major reforms to their teacher evaluation systems. We examine the effects of these reforms on student achievement and attainment at a national scale by exploiting their staggered implementation across states. We find precisely estimated null effects, on average, that rule out impacts as small as 0.017… more →
An Investigation of Head Start Preschool Children’s Executive Function, Early Literacy, and Numeracy Learning in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
… The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on preschool children’s school … Head Start preschool children’s early numeracy, literacy, and executive function outcomes during a pandemic-affected … Hispanic; 36% Black Non-Hispanic; 52% female) in a network of Head Start centers in four states (Nevada, New Jersey, …The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on preschool children’s school readiness skills remains understudied. This research investigates Head Start preschool children’s early numeracy, literacy, and executive function outcomes during a pandemic-affected school year. Study children (N = 336 assessed at fall baseline; N = 237-250 assessed in spring depending on outcome; fall baseline sample: mean age = 51… more →
What matters and for whom? Exploring characteristics of teacher residency programs and their relationship to participant perceptions
… explores teacher residency programs (TRPs) across the nation. We examine program and participant survey data from the National Center for … TRP structures for resident support. Latent class analysis of program-level data reveals three types of TRPs …This concurrent mixed methods study descriptively explores teacher residency programs (TRPs) across the nation. We examine program and participant survey data from the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) to identify important TRP structures for resident support. Latent class analysis of program-level data reveals three types of TRPs (locally-funded low tuition, multi-funded… more →
Politics and Children’s Books: Evidence from School Library Collections
… The recent spike in book challenges has put school libraries at the center of heated political debates. I investigate the relationship between local politics and school library collections using data on books with …The recent spike in book challenges has put school libraries at the center of heated political debates. I investigate the relationship between local politics and school library collections using data on books with controversial content in 6,631 public school libraries. Libraries in conservative areas have fewer titles with LGBTQ+, race/racism, or abortion content and more Christian fiction and… more →
Follow the Leader: Principal Characteristics and Teachers’ Labor Market Decisions
… Amid heightened concerns of teacher shortages, we document the role of principals in … away from schools with less-experienced principals and weaker leadership. The qualities of principals that …Amid heightened concerns of teacher shortages, we document the role of principals in shaping teachers’ labor market decisions. Using teacher transfer applications from a large urban school district, we find that teachers are most likely to seek transfer away from schools with less-experienced principals and weaker leadership. The qualities of principals that attract applicants are survey reports… more →
The Role of School Climate in School Turnaround
… but there is limited large-scale data available to examine the magnitude and nature of the relationship between school climate and school …School climate is critical to school effectiveness, but there is limited large-scale data available to examine the magnitude and nature of the relationship between school climate and school improvement. Drawing on statewide administrative data linked with unique teacher survey data in Michigan, we examine whether school climate appeared to play a role in the effects of a state-level school… more →
Capturing the Educational and Economic Impacts of School Closures in Poland
… The effect of school closures in the spring of 2020 on the math, science, and reading skills of secondary school students in Poland is … samples shows that the learning loss was equal to more than one year of study. Assuming a 45-year working …The effect of school closures in the spring of 2020 on the math, science, and reading skills of secondary school students in Poland is estimated. The COVID-19-induced school closures lasted 26 weeks in Poland, one of Europe's longest periods of shutdown. Comparison of the learning outcomes with pre- and post-COVID-19 samples shows that the learning loss was equal to more than one year of study.… more →
Global Universal Basic Skills: Current Deficits and Implications for World Development
… How far is the world away from ensuring that every child obtains the basic skills needed to be internationally competitive? And what would accomplishing this mean for world development? Based on the micro data of international and regional achievement tests, we map …How far is the world away from ensuring that every child obtains the basic skills needed to be internationally competitive? And what would accomplishing this mean for world development? Based on the micro data of international and regional achievement tests, we map achievement onto a common (PISA) scale. We then estimate the share of children not achieving basic skills for 159 countries that… more →
Hard-to-Staff Centers: Exploring Center-Level Variation in the Persistence of Child Care Teacher Turnover
… High rates of teacher turnover in child care settings have negative … implications for young children’s learning experiences and for efforts to improve child care quality. Prior research has explored the prevalence and predictors of turnover at the individual …High rates of teacher turnover in child care settings have negative implications for young children’s learning experiences and for efforts to improve child care quality. Prior research has explored the prevalence and predictors of turnover at the individual teacher level, but less is known about turnover at the center level – specifically, how turnover varies across child care centers or whether… more →
Design and Analytic Features for Reducing Biases in Skill-Building Intervention Impact Forecasts
… Despite policy relevance, longer-term evaluations of educational interventions are relatively rare. A common … to determine targets for intervention by looking at the correlation between children’s early skills (e.g., preschool numeracy) and medium-term outcomes (e.g., first-grade math …Despite policy relevance, longer-term evaluations of educational interventions are relatively rare. A common approach to this problem has been to rely on longitudinal research to determine targets for intervention by looking at the correlation between children’s early skills (e.g., preschool numeracy) and medium-term outcomes (e.g., first-grade math achievement). However, this approach has… more →
Measuring and Summarizing the Multiple Dimensions of Teacher Effectiveness
… student outcomes, but it remains unclear how to measure and summarize the multiple dimensions of teacher effectiveness into simple metrics for research or …There is an emerging consensus that teachers impact multiple student outcomes, but it remains unclear how to measure and summarize the multiple dimensions of teacher effectiveness into simple metrics for research or personnel decisions. We present a multidimensional empirical Bayes framework and illustrate how to use noisy estimates of teacher effectiveness to assess the dimensionality and… more →
Local Supply, Temporal Dynamics, and Unrealized Potential in Teacher Hiring
… We explore the dynamics of competitive search in the K-12 public education sector. … supply varies substantially by position types, schools, and the timing of job postings. We find that early-posted …We explore the dynamics of competitive search in the K-12 public education sector. Using data from Boston Public Schools, we document how teacher labor supply varies substantially by position types, schools, and the timing of job postings. We find that early-posted positions are more likely to be filled and end up securing new hires that are better-qualified, more-effective, and more likely to… more →
Public Opinion, Attitude Stability, and Education Policy
… Do Americans hold a consistent set of opinions about their public schools and how to improve them? From 2013 to 2018, over 5,000 unique … participated in more than one consecutive iteration of the annual, nationally representative Education Next poll, …Do Americans hold a consistent set of opinions about their public schools and how to improve them? From 2013 to 2018, over 5,000 unique respondents participated in more than one consecutive iteration of the annual, nationally representative Education Next poll, offering an opportunity to examine individual-level attitude stability on education policy issues over a six-year period. The proportion… more →
Using Implementation Fidelity to Aid in Interpreting Program Impacts: A Brief Review
… constitutes one explanation for null results in trials of educational interventions. For this reason, researchers … such trials. In this article, we document whether and how researchers report and measure program fidelity in … trials. We then create two measures—one describing the level of fidelity reported by authors and another …Poor program implementation constitutes one explanation for null results in trials of educational interventions. For this reason, researchers often collect data about implementation fidelity when conducting such trials. In this article, we document whether and how researchers report and measure program fidelity in recent cluster-randomized trials. We then create two measures—one describing the… more →
Achievement Gaps in the Wake of COVID-19
… conducted in November, 2020 provides both short- and longer-term predictions of how much achievement gaps between low- and high-income … all respondents predicted that gaps would grow during the pandemic and would not return to pre-pandemic levels in …A survey targeting education researchers conducted in November, 2020 provides both short- and longer-term predictions of how much achievement gaps between low- and high-income students in U.S elementary schools will change as a result of COVID-related disruptions to schooling and family life. Relative to a pre-COVID achievement gap of 1.00 SD, respondents’ median forecasts for increases in… more →
Status, Growth, and Perceptions of School Quality
… States and districts are increasingly incorporating measures of achievement growth into their school accountability … but there is little research on how these changes affect the public’s perceptions of school quality. We conduct a …States and districts are increasingly incorporating measures of achievement growth into their school accountability systems, but there is little research on how these changes affect the public’s perceptions of school quality. We conduct a nationally representative online survey experiment to identify the effects of providing participants with information about their local school districts’… more →
The Effects of Early College Opportunities on English Learners
… lag behind their peers in postsecondary attainment. As the EL population in the U.S. continues to grow, so does … High Schools have a significant impact on high school and college outcomes for students from low income and … unknown. We report findings from the first three years of an intervention that offers Early College opportunities in …English Learners (ELs) lag behind their peers in postsecondary attainment. As the EL population in the U.S. continues to grow, so does concern over their underrepresentation in higher education. Research shows that Early College High Schools have a significant impact on high school and college outcomes for students from low income and racial/ethnic minority backgrounds, but how similar… more →
My Brother’s Keeper? The Impact of Targeted Educational Supports
… The My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Challenge developed by … civic initiatives designed to improve the educational and economic opportunities specifically for young men of color. In Oakland, California, the MBK educational …The My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Challenge developed by President Obama supports communities that promote civic initiatives designed to improve the educational and economic opportunities specifically for young men of color. In Oakland, California, the MBK educational initiative features the African American Male Achievement (AAMA) program. The AAMA focuses on regularly scheduled classes exclusively… more →
Federalism, Race, and the Politics of Turnaround: U.S. Public Opinion on Improving Low-Performing Schools and Districts
… Public support for school improvement policies can increase the success and durability of those reforms. However, little is known about public views …Public support for school improvement policies can increase the success and durability of those reforms. However, little is known about public views on turnaround. We deployed questions and embedded experiments in a nationally representative 2017 survey (n=4,214) to uncover opinions regarding (a) which level of government should lead on turnaround and (b) state takeover of troubled districts. We… more →
When behavioral barriers are too high or low – How timing matters for parenting interventions
… The time children spend with their parents affects their … parenting curricula have proven an effective means of supporting positive parenting practices by providing easy and fun activities that reduce informational and behavioral …The time children spend with their parents affects their development. Parenting programs can help parents use that time more effectively. Text-messaged-based parenting curricula have proven an effective means of supporting positive parenting practices by providing easy and fun activities that reduce informational and behavioral barriers. These programs may be more effective if delivered during… more →
Inequities and Impacts of Investments in New School Facilities
… is growing evidence that investment in school facilities, and new school construction in particular, can improve K-12 … is inequitably distributed. Moreover, given a lack of national data on school facilities, researchers have … variation understudied. This paper contributes to the literature on equity and impact of new school …There is growing evidence that investment in school facilities, and new school construction in particular, can improve K-12 student outcomes, particularly for low-income students. Funding for school infrastructure, however, is inequitably distributed. Moreover, given a lack of national data on school facilities, researchers have focused on specific states or districts, leaving contextual… more →
Who Wants to Be a Teacher in America?
… Long-standing compositional disparities and more recent concerns about the health of the teaching profession highlight the need to increase our …Long-standing compositional disparities and more recent concerns about the health of the teaching profession highlight the need to increase our understanding of the pipeline into K–12 teaching. Leveraging data from 11.5 million college applicants from 2014–2025, we provide the most detailed description to date of who is interested in teaching in the United States. We document substantially lower… more →
Making Civics Salient: Local Political Knowledge for Democratic Participation
… Civic education can provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become informed and engaged citizens. However, empirical …Civic education can provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become informed and engaged citizens. However, empirical research reveals that civics curricula have achieved limited or inconsistent success in meeting these democratic imperatives for young people in a pluralistic and multiracial United States. Drawing from scholarship on personal issue salience and local… more →
Examining the Relationship Between Randomization Strategies and Contamination in Higher Education Interventions
… Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the reference method for causal inference. To conduct field … study design must balance statistical power with the risk of treatment-control contamination. This study investigates both crossover and spillover contamination in a large-enrollment, in-person …Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the reference method for causal inference. To conduct field experiments in educational settings, study design must balance statistical power with the risk of treatment-control contamination. This study investigates both crossover and spillover contamination in a large-enrollment, in-person college course in which we tested an AI-enabled chatbot intervention… more →
Understanding the Construction of Compliance with Anti-"DEI" Legislation
… Despite documented harms of anti-“DEI” laws, little is known about the mechanisms that shape implementation to give these laws expanded and suppressive meaning. Guided by legal mobilization theory …Despite documented harms of anti-“DEI” laws, little is known about the mechanisms that shape implementation to give these laws expanded and suppressive meaning. Guided by legal mobilization theory and repressive legalism, we examine how institutional actors implement legislation restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at a public university. Findings reveal a three-phase… more →
The Impact of Cellphone Bans in Schools on Student Outcomes: Evidence from Florida
… in schools have become a popular policy in recent years in the United States, yet very little is known about their … we try to fill this gap by examining the causal effects of bans on student test scores, suspensions, and absences using detailed student-level data from Florida. …Cellphone bans in schools have become a popular policy in recent years in the United States, yet very little is known about their effects on student outcomes. In this study, we try to fill this gap by examining the causal effects of bans on student test scores, suspensions, and absences using detailed student-level data from Florida. Several important findings emerge. First, we show that the… more →
Pathways to the Teaching Profession: Teaching Assistants’ and Substitute Teachers’ Transitions into the Teacher Workforce
… Teacher shortages and lack of teacher diversity have led to growing efforts nationally … contribute to filling staffing shortages and diversifying the teacher workforce. While substitute teachers are rarely …Teacher shortages and lack of teacher diversity have led to growing efforts nationally to recruit teaching assistants (TAs) to be classroom teachers. Substitute teachers are not typically considered in these efforts. We pair longitudinal administrative data from a mid-sized urban district with survey follow-up to address how TAs and substitute teachers contribute to filling staffing shortages and… more →
How do hybrid school leaders measure program success? Experimental evidence from a national sample of hybrid schools
… Hybrid school enrollments are trending up and many parents express a diverse range of reasons for enrolling their children in hybrid schools. Yet little is known about the pedagogical goals pursued by hybrid schools. We aim to …Hybrid school enrollments are trending up and many parents express a diverse range of reasons for enrolling their children in hybrid schools. Yet little is known about the pedagogical goals pursued by hybrid schools. We aim to help close this gap in the literature with a stated preferences experiment of hybrid school leaders’ perceptions of program success. Sixty-three school leaders participated… more →
Democratic Policymaking in Schools: The Influence of Teacher Empowerment on Student Achievement
… Despite the popularity of teacher leadership since the 1980s, little research … roles with defined responsibilities, positional authority, and commensurate salary increases, student achievement in ELA …Despite the popularity of teacher leadership since the 1980s, little research examines its effects on student achievement. In this paper, I assess the influence of the New York City Department of Education’s Teacher Career Pathways program, a teacher leadership initiative, on student achievement in grades three through eight. Using difference-in-difference approaches, including new event study… more →
How Teachers Learn Racial Competency: The Role of Peers and Contexts
… This paper investigates how teachers learn about race in the school context, with a particular focus on teachers’ development of racial competency. Using in-depth, semi-structured … three sources: from their peers, from years of experience, and from teacher preparation and in-service experiences. …This paper investigates how teachers learn about race in the school context, with a particular focus on teachers’ development of racial competency. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews we find that teachers learn through three sources: from their peers, from years of experience, and from teacher preparation and in-service experiences. Furthermore, we find that learning occurs both… more →
Estimating Learning When Test Scores Are Missing: The Problem and Two Solutions
… Longitudinal studies can produce biased estimates of learning if children miss tests. In an application to … We demonstrate two methods that reduce bias by exploiting the correlations between missing and observed scores on tests taken by the same child at …Longitudinal studies can produce biased estimates of learning if children miss tests. In an application to summer learning, we illustrate how missing test scores can create an illusion of large summer learning gaps when true gaps are close to zero. We demonstrate two methods that reduce bias by exploiting the correlations between missing and observed scores on tests taken by the same child at… more →
Who becomes a teacher when entry requirements are reduced? An analysis of emergency licenses in Massachusetts
… The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teacher candidates’ capacity … teacher shortage. Using mixed methods, we examine the role of the emergency teaching license in Massachusetts, which … but could not meet traditional licensure requirements and 2) expanding the pool of individuals interested in the …The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teacher candidates’ capacity to complete licensure requirements. In response, many states temporarily reduced professional entry requirements to prevent a pandemic-induced teacher shortage. Using mixed methods, we examine the role of the emergency teaching license in Massachusetts, which provided an opportunity for individuals to enter the public school teacher… more →
The Advanced Placement Program and Educational Inequality
… The Advanced Placement (AP) program is nearly ubiquitous in American high schools and is often touted as a way to close racial and … time in AP course offerings to identify the causal effect of AP course availability on college choice and degree …The Advanced Placement (AP) program is nearly ubiquitous in American high schools and is often touted as a way to close racial and socioeconomic gaps in educational outcomes. Using administrative data from Michigan, I exploit variation within high schools across time in AP course offerings to identify the causal effect of AP course availability on college choice and degree attainment. I find that… more →
“All Students Matter:” The Place of Race in Discourse on Student Debt in a Federal Higher Education Policymaking Process
… We used Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the racial discourse within recent attempts to reauthorize … hearings to understand how members frame student debt and the racialized dynamics embedded within. Our findings highlight three types of discourse: “All Students” Matter, Paternalistic, …We used Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the racial discourse within recent attempts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Specifically, we interrogated congressional markup hearings to understand how members frame student debt and the racialized dynamics embedded within. Our findings highlight three types of discourse: “All Students” Matter, Paternalistic, Race-Evasive, and Explicit… more →
Mandating Multiple Measures and Encouraging Student Supports: Evaluating a New Approach to Developmental Education in California’s Community Colleges
… changed approaches to developmental/remedial education in the California Community College system. We study one … most students in transfer-level math/English courses and encouraging enrollment in support courses based on multiple measures of academic preparation (e.g., GPA). We use regression …AB705 is a landmark higher education policy that has changed approaches to developmental/remedial education in the California Community College system. We study one district that implemented reforms by placing most students in transfer-level math/English courses and encouraging enrollment in support courses based on multiple measures of academic preparation (e.g., GPA). We use regression… more →