EdWorkingPapers
Revisiting Ethnic Differences in In-Person Learning During 2021-2022
… During the 2020-21 school year, Black and Hispanic students were less likely to attend school … in 2020-2021, lose explanatory power. But the availability of learning options remains an important factor in helping …During the 2020-21 school year, Black and Hispanic students were less likely to attend school in-person than white students. Prior research indicated multiple factors helped explain this gap. In this study, we revise these observed racial gaps in in-person learning to examine whether the relationship between these gaps and explanatory factors observed earlier in the pandemic changed during the… more →
How Do Homeowners, Teachers, and Students Respond to a Four-Day School Week?
… Faced with decreasing funds and increasing costs, a growing number of school districts across the United States are switching to four-day school weeks …Faced with decreasing funds and increasing costs, a growing number of school districts across the United States are switching to four-day school weeks (4DSWs). Although previously used only by rural districts, the policy has begun to gain traction in metropolitan districts. We examine homeowner, teacher, and student outcomes in one of the first metropolitan school districts to adopt the 4DSW. We… more →
Variation in broadband access among undergraduate populations across the United States
… Increasing numbers of students require internet access to pursue their … between subpopulations within larger groups. Through the dual lenses of quantitative intersectionality and critical race spatial analysis, we use Bayesian …Increasing numbers of students require internet access to pursue their undergraduate degrees, yet broadband access remains inequitable across student populations. Furthermore, surveys that currently show differences in access by student demographics or location typically do so at high levels of aggregation, thereby obscuring important variation between subpopulations within larger groups. Through… more →
Does Reclassification Change How English Learners Feel about School and Themselves? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design
… Reclassification can be an important juncture in the academic experience of English Learners (ELs). Literature has explored the … learning (SEL) skills, which are as malleable and important to long-term success, remains unclear. Using a …Reclassification can be an important juncture in the academic experience of English Learners (ELs). Literature has explored the potential for reclassification to influence academic outcomes like achievement, yet its impact on social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, which are as malleable and important to long-term success, remains unclear. Using a regression discontinuity design, we examine the… more →
Bias in kindergarten ability group placement: Does parental lobbying make it worse? Do formal assessments make it better?
… US kindergarten teachers placed girls, Asian-Americans, and children from families of high socioeconomic status (SES) into higher ability groups than their test scores alone would warrant. The results fit the view that teachers were biased. This …Von Hippel & Cañedo (2021) reported that US kindergarten teachers placed girls, Asian-Americans, and children from families of high socioeconomic status (SES) into higher ability groups than their test scores alone would warrant. The results fit the view that teachers were biased. This comment asks whether parents’ lobbying for higher placement might explain these results. The answer, for… more →
Effects of Four-Day School Weeks on Older Adolescents: Examining Impacts of the Schedule on Academic Achievement, Attendance, and Behavior in High School
… Four-day school weeks have proliferated across the United States in recent years, reaching over 650 public school districts in 24 states as of 2019, but little is known about their implementation and there is no consensus on their effects on students. This …Four-day school weeks have proliferated across the United States in recent years, reaching over 650 public school districts in 24 states as of 2019, but little is known about their implementation and there is no consensus on their effects on students. This study uses district level panel data from Oklahoma and a difference-in-differences research design to provide estimates of the causal effect… more →
Student-Teacher Ethnoracial Matching in the Earliest Grades: Benefits for Executive Function Skills
… The benefits of student-teacher ethnoracial matching on student outcomes—ranging from academic achievement to postsecondary attainment—are well documented. Yet, we know … ethnoracial matching in the earliest grades school and on less about effects on non-academic outcomes. The …The benefits of student-teacher ethnoracial matching on student outcomes—ranging from academic achievement to postsecondary attainment—are well documented. Yet, we know far less about the role of student-teacher ethnoracial matching in the earliest grades school and on less about effects on non-academic outcomes. The purpose of this study is to advance our understanding of student-teacher… more →
Gender Peer Effects in Post-Secondary Vocational Education
… This paper presents evidence that women and men benefit from having a higher percentage of female peers in post-secondary vocational STEM programs. I … decreasing women's dropout rates and increasing GPA. The peer effect seems to be mediated by the gender of the …This paper presents evidence that women and men benefit from having a higher percentage of female peers in post-secondary vocational STEM programs. I use idiosyncratic variation in gender composition across cohorts within majors within branches (campuses) for identification. Having a higher percentage of female peers positively affects students in STEM majors, decreasing women's dropout rates and… more →
Teacher Turnover in Early Childhood Education: Longitudinal Evidence from the Universe of Publicly-Funded Programs in Louisiana
… This paper provides a longitudinal examination of teacher turnover across all publicly-funded, center-based … educators teaching in fall 2016 up to seven times through the fall of 2019. We provide the first statewide estimates of … high among child care teachers, teachers of toddlers, and new teachers. … teacher turnover, early childhood …This paper provides a longitudinal examination of teacher turnover across all publicly-funded, center-based early childhood sites in Louisiana. We follow 4,465 early educators teaching in fall 2016 up to seven times through the fall of 2019. We provide the first statewide estimates of within-year turnover in ECE, as well as the first statewide study tracking turnover rates in ECE over multiple… more →
Skills, Degrees and Labor Market Inequality
… Over the past four decades, income inequality grew significantly between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with high school diplomas (often called … their work experience. Using the skill requirements of a worker’s current job as a proxy of their actual skill, …Over the past four decades, income inequality grew significantly between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with high school diplomas (often called “unskilled”). Rather than being unskilled, we argue that these workers are STARs because they are skilled through alternative routes—namely their work experience. Using the skill requirements of a worker’s current job as a proxy of their actual… more →
The Value of College Athletics in the Labor Market: Results from a Resume Audit Field Experiment
… contributes to leadership, conscientiousness, discipline, and other traits that are desirable for labor-market … productivity. We conduct a resume audit to estimate the causal effect of listing collegiate athletics on employer callbacks and …Employers may favor applicants who played college sports if athletics participation contributes to leadership, conscientiousness, discipline, and other traits that are desirable for labor-market productivity. We conduct a resume audit to estimate the causal effect of listing collegiate athletics on employer callbacks and test for subgroup effects by ethnicity, gender, and sport type. We applied… more →
Student Learning in Online College Programs
… We draw on administrative data from the country of Colombia to assess differences in student learning in online and traditional on-campus college programs. The Colombian …We draw on administrative data from the country of Colombia to assess differences in student learning in online and traditional on-campus college programs. The Colombian context is uniquely suited to study this topic, as students take an exit examination at the end of their studies. We can therefore directly compare performance on the exit exam for students in online and on-campus programs both… more →
Assistant Principal Mobility and its Relationship with Principal Turnover
… important education personnel, both as essential members of school leadership teams and apprentice principals. However, empirical evidence on … data from Tennessee and Missouri, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of AP mobility. While prior …Assistant principals are important education personnel, both as essential members of school leadership teams and apprentice principals. However, empirical evidence on their career outcomes remains scarce. Using statewide administrative data from Tennessee and Missouri, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of AP mobility. While prior work focuses only on AP promotions into principal… more →
Coal Use and Student Performance
… We examine the effect of air pollution from power production on students' cognitive outcomes by leveraging year-to-year production variation, wind patterns, and plant closures. We find that every one million megawatt …We examine the effect of air pollution from power production on students' cognitive outcomes by leveraging year-to-year production variation, wind patterns, and plant closures. We find that every one million megawatt hours of coal-fired power production decreases student performance in schools within ten kilometers by 0.02 standard deviations. Gas-fired plants exhibit no such relationship.… more →
Inequality in Household Adaptation to Schooling Shocks: Covid-Induced Online Learning Engagement in Real Time
… out online learning resources as schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. By April 2020, nationwide search intensity for both school- and parent-centered online learning resources had roughly doubled relative to baseline. Areas of the country with higher income, better internet access and …We use high frequency internet search data to study in real time how US households sought out online learning resources as schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. By April 2020, nationwide search intensity for both school- and parent-centered online learning resources had roughly doubled relative to baseline. Areas of the country with higher income, better internet access and fewer rural… more →
A Political Framework on How ESSA’s Devolved Federal Authority Influences State Policymaking Toward Educationally Disadvantaged Students
… The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) grants states unprecedented discretion in … empirical research on ESSA’s impacts. These alternative models—ESSA’s Legal Framework, Institutional Actors, and Stakeholder Bargaining—can inform the law’s national …The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) grants states unprecedented discretion in implementing many of the federal law’s requirements concerning the needs of the nation’s educationally disadvantaged students. This theoretical paper addresses a void in the policy implementation literature on why ESEA reform efforts have not been more effectively sustained. It synthesizes previous research on… more →
Realizing Your College Potential? Impacts of College Board’s RYCP Campaign on Postsecondary Enrollment
… The College Board sought to reduce barriers in the college … costs, encouraging a broad application portfolio, and providing an impetus to start the search process. Some … 785,000 low- and middle-income students in the top 50% of the PSAT and SAT distributions, we find no changes in …The College Board sought to reduce barriers in the college application process by minimizing information aggregation costs, encouraging a broad application portfolio, and providing an impetus to start the search process. Some students were offered additional encouragements, such as text message reminders or college application fee waivers. In a randomized control trial with 785,000 low- and… more →
The effect of smaller classes on infection-related school absence: Evidence from the Project STAR randomized controlled trial
… reduce class size if they have not reduced it already. Yet the effect of class size on transmission is unknown. To determine … Project STAR randomized class size trial with influenza and pneumonia data from the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting …In an effort to reduce viral transmission, many schools are planning to reduce class size if they have not reduced it already. Yet the effect of class size on transmission is unknown. To determine whether smaller classes reduce school absence, especially when community disease prevalence is high, we merge data from the Project STAR randomized class size trial with influenza and pneumonia data… more →
Supplanting or Supplementing? The Stickiness of Title I Revenues in Post-Adequacy Era
… how school districts respond to federal Title I funding in the postadequacy era. I find that fiscal adjustment occurs … are mainly driven by reduced construction expenditure and lower long-term debt issuance. By contrast, operating revenues show no evidence of systematic crowd-out. These patterns are consistent with …This paper examines how school districts respond to federal Title I funding in the postadequacy era. I find that fiscal adjustment occurs through capital investment rather than operating budgets. Using a regression discontinuity design centered on the Title I Concentration Grant eligibility threshold with district-level data from 2008–2017, I show that districts at the eligibility margin have… more →
Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives
… Limited resources hinder completion and exacerbate inequality in community colleges. Existing … can we afford it?” I answer these questions by presenting the first set of comparative cost analyses of community college success …Limited resources hinder completion and exacerbate inequality in community colleges. Existing research identifies strategies that raise outcomes but leaves policymakers and campus leaders asking, “What do these interventions really cost—and can we afford it?” I answer these questions by presenting the first set of comparative cost analyses of community college success initiatives to date. I… more →
The Impact of School District Turnaround on Postsecondary Outcomes: Evidence from Lawrence, Massachusetts
… Limited research examines the impact of accountability interventions on outcomes beyond test-based … We examine the effects of the 2012 state takeover and districtwide turnaround of Massachusetts’ Lawrence Public …Limited research examines the impact of accountability interventions on outcomes beyond test-based measures of short-term academic achievement. We examine the effects of the 2012 state takeover and districtwide turnaround of Massachusetts’ Lawrence Public Schools—a district serving a majority-low-income, majority-Hispanic student population—on high school and postsecondary outcomes using… more →
Lifting Up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign
… Student absenteeism has remained high following the COVID-19 pandemic and districts need low-cost strategies to improve attendance. … Up Attendance in Rural Districts: A Multi-Site Trial of a Personalized Messaging Campaign …Student absenteeism has remained high following the COVID-19 pandemic and districts need low-cost strategies to improve attendance. In 2020-21, the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks piloted a promising personalized messaging intervention in 8 rural districts in New York and Ohio. We worked with a student information system provider to replicate the intervention in a randomized… more →
Funding the Digital Divide? How School District Financing for Educational Technology Changed During the COVID-19 Pandemic
… School finance inequities are a key driver of disparities in educational outcomes. Higher per-pupil … to provide more qualified educators, smaller class sizes, and high-quality physical resources such as modern … for instructional technology, and how that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find districts use state funding …School finance inequities are a key driver of disparities in educational outcomes. Higher per-pupil funding levels allow schools to provide more qualified educators, smaller class sizes, and high-quality physical resources such as modern instructional technology. We study how Washington state school districts generate and allocate funding for instructional technology, and how that changed during… more →
What’s the Goal Here? Educator’s Perspectives of Iowa’s Senate File 496 on School Mental Health Systems
… formally survey students about their mental health, bans the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools before 7th grade, mandates …Iowa's Senate File 496 requires parent permission to formally survey students about their mental health, bans the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools before 7th grade, mandates schools obtain parental permission to use a nick name, and bans any books that depict or describe sex acts in schools. This exploratory case study explores educators’ (n = 20) perceptions of… more →
Charter School Expansion, Catholic School Enrollment, & the Equity Implications of School Choice
… have seen more than a 30% decline in enrollment over the past 20 years. While some of the decline in enrollment may have been spurred by secular … school has a negative impact on Catholic school enrollment and increases the likelihood that the school will close. We …Catholic schools have seen more than a 30% decline in enrollment over the past 20 years. While some of the decline in enrollment may have been spurred by secular trends or the Church abuse scandal, the increase in schools of choice, principally public charter schools, may explain at least some of this decline. In this paper we estimate the effect of the opening of charter schools in proximity to… more →
The Impact of Dual Enrollment on College Application Choice and Admission Success
… Dual enrollment (DE) is one of the fastest growing programs that support the high … that the gains were extended across Black, Latinx, and white student populations. … dual enrollment, college …Dual enrollment (DE) is one of the fastest growing programs that support the high school-to-college transition. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence about its impact on either students’ college application choices or admission outcomes. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity approach on data from two cohorts of ninth-grade students in one anonymous state, we found that taking DE credits… more →
Driving, Dropouts, and Drive-Throughs: Mobility Restrictions and Teen Human Capital
… Many teens use automobiles to access both school and employment. Because school and work decisions are interrelated, the effects of automobile-specific mobility restrictions are ambiguous. …We provide evidence that graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws, originally intended to improve public safety, impact human capital accumulation. Many teens use automobiles to access both school and employment. Because school and work decisions are interrelated, the effects of automobile-specific mobility restrictions are ambiguous. Using a novel triple-difference research design, we find that… more →
School-Based Healthcare and Absenteeism: Evidence from Telemedicine
… The prevalence of school-based healthcare has increased markedly over the … healthcare, telemedicine, that offers the potential to reach places and populations with historically low access to such care. …The prevalence of school-based healthcare has increased markedly over the past decade. We study a modern mode of school-based healthcare, telemedicine, that offers the potential to reach places and populations with historically low access to such care. School-based telemedicine clinics (SBTCs) provide students with access to healthcare during the regular school day through private… more →
College-Major Choice to College-then-Major Choice: Experimental Evidence from Chinese College Admissions Reforms
… One of the most important mechanism design policies in college admissions is to let students choose a college major sequentially … first experimental evidence on the information frictions and heterogeneous preferences that students have in their …One of the most important mechanism design policies in college admissions is to let students choose a college major sequentially (college-then-major choice) or jointly (college-major choice). In the context of the Chinese meta-major reforms that transition from college-major choice to college-then-major choice, we provide the first experimental evidence on the information frictions and… more →
Do Early Warning Systems Help High School Students Stay on Track for College? Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Ninth Grade Success Initiative
… As the transition point between middle school and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student’s likelihood of graduating high school altogether. Interventions that can …As the transition point between middle school and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student’s likelihood of graduating high school altogether. Interventions that can help educators better meet the needs of students during this critical juncture represent powerful levers for driving school improvement. The Ninth Grade Success Initiative is a… more →
Paraeducators: Growth, Diversity and a Dearth of Professional Supports
… classroom activities, working with students individually and in small groups, supporting individualized programming … Yet, little research provides insights into this key group of educators. This study combines an analysis of national administrative data to describe the paraeducator labor market with a systematic review of …Paraeducators perform multiple roles in U.S. classrooms, including among others preparing classroom activities, working with students individually and in small groups, supporting individualized programming for students with disabilities, managing classroom behavior, and engaging with parents and communities. Yet, little research provides insights into this key group of educators. This study… more →
Cramming: Short- and Long-Run Effects
… to retake it shortly after, triggering strong `teach to the test' incentives to raise these students' test scores for … retake. We develop a model that accounts for truncation and find that these students score 0.14 standard deviations … discontinuity design, we estimate thirty percent of these gains persist to the following year. These results …An administrative rule allowed students who failed an exam to retake it shortly after, triggering strong `teach to the test' incentives to raise these students' test scores for the retake. We develop a model that accounts for truncation and find that these students score 0.14 standard deviations higher on the retest. Using a regression discontinuity design, we estimate thirty percent of these… more →
Direct and Spillover Effects of Limiting Minority Student Access to Special Education
… some black students are inappropriately placed in SpEd, the impacts of the disproportionate representation of minority students … led to small gains in high school completion and college attainment for black students in special and …Black students are about 1.5 times more likely to be receiving special education (SpEd) services relative to white students. While there is concern that this implies some black students are inappropriately placed in SpEd, the impacts of the disproportionate representation of minority students in SpEd remains unclear. Using administrative data from Texas, we find that capping black… more →
“That's Against Your Contract?”: Exploring the Complexity of Collective Bargaining Tensions
… This case study offers an organizational perspective on the ways in which a collective bargaining agreement shaped the administrative functioning of schools within an urban district. The data demonstrate how … for the everyday site interactions between principals and teachers. Using complexity theory as an analytic tool, …This case study offers an organizational perspective on the ways in which a collective bargaining agreement shaped the administrative functioning of schools within an urban district. The data demonstrate how rational choice assumptions failed to account for the everyday site interactions between principals and teachers. Using complexity theory as an analytic tool, the authors consider the… more →
The Effect of School District Consolidation on Student Achievement: Evidence from Arkansas
… School district consolidation is one of the most widespread education reforms of the last century, … or small positive impacts on student achievement in math and English Language Arts (ELA). We do not find evidence that …School district consolidation is one of the most widespread education reforms of the last century, but surprisingly little research has directly investigated its effectiveness. To examine the impact of consolidation on student achievement, this study takes advantage of a policy that requires the consolidation of all Arkansas school districts with enrollment of fewer than 350 students for two… more →
Moving On Up? A Virtual School, Student Mobility, and Achievement
… achievement. Few studies account for differential rates of student mobility, which may produce biased estimates if … is jointly associated with virtual school enrollment and subsequent test scores. We evaluate the effects of a single, large, anonymous virtual charter …Virtual charter schools provide full-time, tuition-free K-12 education through internet-based instruction. Although virtual schools offer a personalized learning experience, most research suggests these schools are negatively associated with achievement. Few studies account for differential rates of student mobility, which may produce biased estimates if mobility is jointly associated with… more →
Growing up Homeless: Student Homelessness and Educational Outcomes in Los Angeles
… rising among public school students in large cities across the US. Using nine years of student-level administrative data, we examine how homelessness affects students’ mathematics and attendance outcomes within the Los Angeles Unified School …Homelessness is rising among public school students in large cities across the US. Using nine years of student-level administrative data, we examine how homelessness affects students’ mathematics and attendance outcomes within the Los Angeles Unified School District, including the differential effects of homelessness based on duration and timing of their homeless experiences. Results using… more →
How Increased School Choice Affects Public School Enrollment and School Segregation
… We investigate the determinants and consequences of increased school choice by analyzing a 22-year school …We investigate the determinants and consequences of increased school choice by analyzing a 22-year school panel matched to county-level demographic, economic, and political data. Using an event-study design exploiting the precise timing of charter school enrollment change, we provide robust evidence that charter enrollment growth increases racial and especially socioeconomic school… more →
Do Peers Affect Undergraduates’ Decisions to Switch Majors?
… This study used college dormitory room and social group assignment data to investigate the peer effect on the probability of college students switching their major fields of study. …This study used college dormitory room and social group assignment data to investigate the peer effect on the probability of college students switching their major fields of study. The results revealed strong evidence of peer effects on students’ decisions to switch majors. In particular, the number of a student’s peers who have the same major significantly reduces the student’s likelihood of… more →
Are Schools Deemed Effective Based on Overall Student Growth Also Closing Achievement Gaps? Examining the Black-White Gap in Schools
… Research has begun to investigate whether teachers and schools are as effective with certain student subgroups as they are with the overall student population. Most of this research has examined the issue by trying to produce …Research has begun to investigate whether teachers and schools are as effective with certain student subgroups as they are with the overall student population. Most of this research has examined the issue by trying to produce causal estimates of school contributions to short-term student growth (usually using value-added models) and has emphasized rank orderings of schools by subgroup.… more →
College Enrollment Patterns After SFFA v. Harvard
… We study how U.S. high school students’ patterns of college entry changed in the first year after the Supreme Court’s 2023 SFFA v. Harvard … dataset linking more than 12 million domestic PSAT, SAT, and AP takers in the 2021-2024 high school graduation cohorts …We study how U.S. high school students’ patterns of college entry changed in the first year after the Supreme Court’s 2023 SFFA v. Harvard ruling. Drawing on a rich dataset linking more than 12 million domestic PSAT, SAT, and AP takers in the 2021-2024 high school graduation cohorts to their college enrollment records, we examine post-SFFA changes both in students’ college destinations and in the… more →
Answering the call: How changes to the salience of job characteristics affect college students’ decisions
… as assuming that interesting or prosocial jobs pay badly) and overlook campus positions that would support both their … field experiment and find that it does. Increasing the salience of a tutoring job's monetary benefits nearly tripled …College students often make employment decisions with incomplete information, particularly about compensation. As a result, they may rely on misleading heuristics (such as assuming that interesting or prosocial jobs pay badly) and overlook campus positions that would support both their financial needs and their development. We test whether highlighting job characteristics changes students'… more →
Not Too Young to Notice: The Early Emergence of Racial Disparities in Elementary Students’ School Climate Perceptions
… Scholarship on school climate often fails to explore the perspectives of elementary-school students. To fill this gap, we use … school climate perceptions, how they vary over time, and the factors that associate with them. We find that Black …Scholarship on school climate often fails to explore the perspectives of elementary-school students. To fill this gap, we use survey-data from Georgia to examine racial disparities in elementary-school students’ school climate perceptions, how they vary over time, and the factors that associate with them. We find that Black and "Other Race" students report worse school climate perceptions than… more →
How do place-based scholarships affect student borrowing and academic outcomes? Lessons from Atlanta
… shows that Achieve Atlanta’s placed-based scholarship and associated services meaningfully improve college … analyses, we find that students in their first semester of college who receive the scholarship and associated services are less likely to …Previous research shows that Achieve Atlanta’s placed-based scholarship and associated services meaningfully improve college persistence and completion. In this follow up study that uses similar methods but additional and more detailed data, we examine whether scholarship recipients exhibit different student loan portfolios, course-taking patterns, or academic performance. Using regression… more →
The Effect of College Entrance Exam Policies on Test Preparation and Tutoring Services
… especially for students who would otherwise not sit for the exam. Less understood is how families react to this … more pronounced effects in high income, highly educated, and high proportion Asian areas. The results were robust to … … Equity … Higher education … Tutoring … The Effect of College Entrance Exam Policies on Test Preparation and …Multiple studies suggest that policies mandating college entrance exams can have positive impacts on college outcomes, especially for students who would otherwise not sit for the exam. Less understood is how families react to this increased competition for college admissions. Our study estimates that such statewide mandatory testing policies cause an additional 16% increase in private tutoring… more →
Supportive Teacher Working Conditions as a Tool to Retain Non-Local Teachers in Rural Schools
… candidates to meet their staffing needs. Our examination of rural teachers’ preferences for local was guided by … fit theory. Specifically, we investigated the role of teacher working conditions (TWC) in the relationship between community connectedness and rural teachers’ job satisfaction and retention plans in …Rural school administrators prefer hiring homegrown teachers because they are more likely to stay than non-local teachers; however, administrators need to hire non-local candidates to meet their staffing needs. Our examination of rural teachers’ preferences for local was guided by person-organization fit theory. Specifically, we investigated the role of teacher working conditions (TWC) in the… more →
From Passive Promises to Proactive Guarantees: The Efficacy of Financial Certainty Interventions Among Automatically (In-)Admissible Students
… interact with automatic admissions. We tested the efficacy of a direct-to-student intervention that … low-income students free tuition, on-campus housing, and a housing scholarship at the University of Texas at … … Efficacy … Equity … Higher education … From Passive Promises to Proactive Guarantees: The Efficacy of Financial …Low-income high-achieving students are less likely than high-income peers to enroll in selective colleges. Financial certainty interventions can address administrative burdens that stifle their enrollment, even when colleges are tuition-free for them. However, we do not know whether these interventions are effective when students enjoy admissions certainty (e.g., with percent plans) or how… more →
Practice-Based Teacher Education Pedagogies Improve Responsiveness: Evidence from a Lab Experiment
… Given the limited time available during teacher preparation, … rigorous causal evidence regarding the relative efficacy of different pedagogies to inform teacher educator … common teacher preparation pedagogies. We find significant and large positive effects of practice-based pedagogies on …Given the limited time available during teacher preparation, teacher educators must make zerosum choices about the pedagogies they choose to prepare pre-service teachers. Yet the field lacks rigorous causal evidence regarding the relative efficacy of different pedagogies to inform teacher educator decision-making. To begin to address this issue, we randomly assigned 185 college students to one of… more →
The Effect of Student-Tutor Ratios: Experimental Evidence from a Pilot Online Math Tutoring Program
… Budget constraints and limited supplies of local tutors have caused many K-12 school districts to … instruction. We conduct a field experiment to explore the effect of increasing student-tutor ratios on middle …Budget constraints and limited supplies of local tutors have caused many K-12 school districts to pivot from individual tutoring in-person toward small-group tutoring online to expand access to personalized instruction. We conduct a field experiment to explore the effect of increasing student-tutor ratios on middle school students’ math achievement and growth during an online tutoring program. We… more →
Out-of-State Enrollment, Financial Aid and Academic Outcomes: Evidence from Wisconsin
… Scholars disagree about the effect out-of-state university students have on potential in-state … increase in out-of-state enrollment by around 29 percent and increased tuition revenue collected by the university by …Scholars disagree about the effect out-of-state university students have on potential in-state students. Despite paying a premium to attend state universities, researchers argue that out-of-state students may come at a cost to in-state students by negatively affecting academic quality or by crowding out in-state students. To study this relationship, we examine the effect of a 2016 policy at a… more →