EdWorkingPapers
Count Me In? Identifying Factors That Predict Centers’ Application to Boston’s Mixed-Delivery Universal Pre-K Program
… mixed-delivery systems by offering seats in public schools and community-based centers (CBOs). Although this approach … and administrative data from 223 licensed centers during the first 2 years of Boston UPK expansion. We included a geospatial approach to …Universal prekindergarten (UPK) programs often expand through mixed-delivery systems by offering seats in public schools and community-based centers (CBOs). Although this approach aims to meet varied family needs, little is known about potential systematic differences between CBOs that apply to UPK programs and those that do not. We examined whether applier and nonapplier CBOs differ in capacity… more →
Does State-Mandated Third-Grade Reading Retention Policy Improve Achievement? Evidence from a Staggered-Adoption Difference-in-Differences Design
… This paper investigates whether the state-mandated third-grade reading retention policy … Difference-in-Differences design, as per Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021), to assess heterogeneous treatment … states implementing retention mandates observe an increase of approximately 0.07–0.10 standard deviations in …This paper investigates whether the state-mandated third-grade reading retention policy autonomously enhances student achievement or depends on broader literacy reforms. Using district-level data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (2010–2019), I employ a staggered-adoption Difference-in-Differences design, as per Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021), to assess heterogeneous treatment effects… more →
Better Together? Female Instructors, Female Advisors, and Women’s Persistence in Economics
… Female instructors and female advisors each matter for women’s persistence in economics. We ask whether the two work better together than apart and whether this is … although the evidence is more suggestive. The effect of a female instructor may depend on the advising that …Female instructors and female advisors each matter for women’s persistence in economics. We ask whether the two work better together than apart and whether this is specific to women. Using administrative records from a broad-access public university, we combine quasi-random instructor assignment with plausibly exogenous advisor assignment. Among women, the share taking an advanced economics… more →
Beyond School Police Officers: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Exposure to a Fuller Range of School Security Personnel
… Using data from the 2017–18 and 2020–21 Civil Rights Data … Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Exposure to a Fuller Range of School Security Personnel …Using data from the 2017–18 and 2020–21 Civil Rights Data Collection, we document dispari-ties in exposure to security personnel across US high schools and geographic levels. We dis-tinguish between law enforcement officers (LEOs) and school security guards (SSGs) to cap-ture variation in how security roles are deployed. Results show that Black and Hispanic stu-dents experience greater exposure… more →
The Effects of Immigration Enforcement on Student Outcomes in a New Era of Immigration Policy in the United States
… This study presents the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the effects of the surge in interior immigration … enforcement reduced test scores for both U.S.-born and foreign-born Spanish-speaking students while also …This study presents the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the effects of the surge in interior immigration apprehensions in 2025 in the United States on student academic performance using detailed student-level administrative records from Florida. We find evidence that immigration enforcement reduced test scores for both U.S.-born and foreign-born Spanish-speaking students while also reducing… more →
Estimating Compensating Wage Differentials for Public School Teachers in High-Poverty and High-Minority Schools: Evidence from U.S. National Data, 1988–2018
… wage differentials (CWDs) for teachers in high-poverty and/or high-minority schools, drawing on thirty years of nationally representative data from the School and Staffing Surveys (SASS), National Teacher and …Using a hedonic wage framework, this paper estimates compensating wage differentials (CWDs) for teachers in high-poverty and/or high-minority schools, drawing on thirty years of nationally representative data from the School and Staffing Surveys (SASS), National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), and Common Core of Data (CCD), 1988–2018. We also examine CWDs for teachers with STEM BA degrees… more →
The Effects of High School Remediation on Long-Run Educational Attainment
… This study examines the effects of remedial courses in high school on postsecondary outcomes using a regression discontinuity design and explores the mechanisms behind these effects. I find that …This study examines the effects of remedial courses in high school on postsecondary outcomes using a regression discontinuity design and explores the mechanisms behind these effects. I find that being placed in the remedial schedule and taking an additional remedial course in high school reduces the likelihood of attaining a 2- or 4-year college degree by 20 percent. The findings also suggest… more →
Who may enter? Qualification and ranking in centralized admission systems to higher education
… what choices are available to whom. Policy makers and institutions must balance multiple, often conflicting, … are more eligible applicants than seats available? Using the framework in combination with examples and ongoing policy … discussions, we offer key insights into the complexities of admission systems. … qualification, ranking, higher …Admission systems play a critical role in shaping educational opportunities by determining what choices are available to whom. Policy makers and institutions must balance multiple, often conflicting, goals which requires trade-offs between competing values. In this paper, we present core values for admission to higher education alongside a novel framework for centralized admission systems,… more →
The Peer Effects of Grade Retention
… We study the peer effects of grade retention in the context of Indiana’s statewide … for two cohorts: rising fourth graders who lose a peer and rising third graders who gain a peer. We identify peer …We study the peer effects of grade retention in the context of Indiana’s statewide third-grade retention policy. When a retention occurs, it changes the peer group for two cohorts: rising fourth graders who lose a peer and rising third graders who gain a peer. We identify peer effects in both cohorts by leveraging plausibly exogenous variation in cohort-level retention rates caused by a… more →
Do Students Respond to Sticker-Price Reductions?: Evidence from the North Carolina Promise
… The North Carolina Promise is a state-level policy that reduced the cost of tuition for all students who attended one of three … System starting in fall of 2018. We use IPEDS data and a synthetic control approach to examine how this tuition …The North Carolina Promise is a state-level policy that reduced the cost of tuition for all students who attended one of three campuses in the University of North Carolina System starting in fall of 2018. We use IPEDS data and a synthetic control approach to examine how this tuition reduction affected enrollment and persistence at these campuses. We find that NC Promise did not increase… more →
OK Boomer: Generational Differences in Teacher Quality
… We document that recent generations of elementary school teachers are significantly more … generations. Measuring teachers’ value-added for Black and white students separately, the improvements in teaching for Black students are …We document that recent generations of elementary school teachers are significantly more effective in raising student test scores than those from earlier generations. Measuring teachers’ value-added for Black and white students separately, the improvements in teaching for Black students are significantly larger than those seen for white students. The race-specific improvements in teacher quality… more →
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 →
Identifying Effective Attendance Strategies in Michigan
… absenteeism remains a persistent challenge in Michigan and across the country in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic … efforts to improve attendance—implementing a wide range of practices, systems, and supports (Singer & Lenhoff, …Chronic absenteeism remains a persistent challenge in Michigan and across the country in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic (Singer, 2024). While schools have expanded their efforts to improve attendance—implementing a wide range of practices, systems, and supports (Singer & Lenhoff, 2025)—there is still limited evidence about which of these strategies are most effective in improving… 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 →
(How) Do We Teach Emotions?
… Emotional intelligence constitutes a key component of human capital, shaped partially by educational materials. Using machine learning and generative AI tools, we examine emotional content in … and calm, regardless of emotions described in text on the same page. Nearly half of pages show zero overlap between …Emotional intelligence constitutes a key component of human capital, shaped partially by educational materials. Using machine learning and generative AI tools, we examine emotional content in public-school textbooks and children’s literature. A stark mismatch emerges: text exposes children to a broad emotional range, but images overwhelmingly depict happiness and calm, regardless of emotions… more →
What’s in Play: The Strategic and Symbolic Use of Racial Equity Frames When Racial Politics Shift
… substantial pressures on organizations to navigate whether and how to sustain DEI commitments. In this study, I examine … and education … School districts … What’s in Play: The Strategic and Symbolic Use of Racial Equity Frames When Racial Politics Shift …Shifting racial politics place substantial pressures on organizations to navigate whether and how to sustain DEI commitments. In this study, I examine how partnerships between public school districts and private school improvement organizations (SIOs) responded to shifting environmental pressures around racial equity in their espoused goals and practice over time. I found that organizations… more →
The Effects of State-Level Loan Forgiveness Policies on Teacher Supply
… The waning prestige of the teaching profession has fueled a decline in the number … programs, compounding staffing challenges already inherent to many schools. In this paper, I show that state-level loan … as effect sizes are small relative to staffing challenges and require a significant investment from the state. … …The waning prestige of the teaching profession has fueled a decline in the number of aspiring teachers entering preparation programs, compounding staffing challenges already inherent to many schools. In this paper, I show that state-level loan forgiveness policies modestly increase the number of first-year students enrolled in education programs by about 12% but have no overall effect on total… 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 →