EdWorkingPapers
A Promise Unfulfilled? How Modern Federal Civil Rights Enforcement is Used to Address Racial Discrimination in School Discipline
… available data on all civil rights complaints submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights related to racial discrimination in discipline between 1999 and 2018, I provide the first systematic evidence on how …Using newly available data on all civil rights complaints submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights related to racial discrimination in discipline between 1999 and 2018, I provide the first systematic evidence on how modern federal civil rights enforcement is used to address racial discrimination in discipline. I find that less than 50 percent of complaints… more →
Effects of Perceived Productivity on Study Effort: Evidence from a Field Experiment
… How does the perceived relationship between effort and achievement affect effort? To answer this question, I … assigning them to different information treatments, each of which provides factual information. Students update their …How does the perceived relationship between effort and achievement affect effort? To answer this question, I conduct a field experiment with a popular online learning platform. I exogenously manipulate students’ beliefs about returns to effort by assigning them to different information treatments, each of which provides factual information. Students update their beliefs towards the information… more →
Does Peer Motivation Impact Educational Investments? Evidence From DACA
… Despite the significant influence that peer motivation is likely to … observed. In this paper, I focus on the 2012 introduction of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to study a … origin students … Motivation … Returns to education and skills … Access and admissions … Inequality … Program and …Despite the significant influence that peer motivation is likely to have on educational investments during high school, it is difficult to test empirically since exogenous changes in peer motivation are rarely observed. In this paper, I focus on the 2012 introduction of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to study a setting in which peer motivation changed sharply for a subset of… more →
Impacts of School Entry Age on Academic Growth through 2nd Grade: A Multi-State Regression Discontinuity Analysis
… The belief that additional time allows children to become more ready for school has affected public policy and individual practices. Prior studies estimated either … paper contributes novel causal evidence for the impacts of kindergarten entry age on academic growth in the first …The belief that additional time allows children to become more ready for school has affected public policy and individual practices. Prior studies estimated either associations between school entry age and academic growth or causal effects on achievement measured at one or two points. This paper contributes novel causal evidence for the impacts of kindergarten entry age on academic growth in… more →
Push or Pull: School-Level Factors That Influence Teacher Mobility in Turnaround Schools
… Recruiting and retaining teachers can be challenging for many schools, … at higher rates. In this study, we examine three types of school-level attributes that may influence teachers’ … turnaround schools in Tennessee, we find that five of the seven most highly valued features of schools are …Recruiting and retaining teachers can be challenging for many schools, especially in low-performing urban schools in which teachers turn over at higher rates. In this study, we examine three types of school-level attributes that may influence teachers’ decisions to enter or transfer schools: malleable school processes, structural features of employment, and school characteristics. Using… more →
The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers
… We examine the long-run impacts of having a same-race teacher. First, we leverage data from … points (7%) more likely to graduate from high school and 4 percentage points (13%) more likely to enroll in …We examine the long-run impacts of having a same-race teacher. First, we leverage data from the Tennessee STAR class-size experiment to show that black students randomly assigned to a black teacher in grades K-3 are 5 percentage points (7%) more likely to graduate from high school and 4 percentage points (13%) more likely to enroll in college than their same-school, same-race peers not… more →
Instability in Foster Care: How Transitions Into and Out of Foster Care Relate to School Discipline
… Students in the foster care system tend to have lower educational … However, few studies have explored how transitions into and out of foster care placements are associated with educational …Students in the foster care system tend to have lower educational outcomes than their peers, including more frequent disciplinary events. However, few studies have explored how transitions into and out of foster care placements are associated with educational outcomes. Using longitudinal data from four California school districts, this study investigated the dynamics of entering versus exiting… more →
Leveraging Item Parameter Drift to Assess Transfer Effects in Vocabulary Learning
… Longitudinal models of individual growth typically emphasize between-person … each person contributes only one point at each time to the model. In contrast, modeling growth with multi-item … when IPD is not accounted for, both parameter estimates and their standard errors can be affected. We illustrate with …Longitudinal models of individual growth typically emphasize between-person predictors of change but ignore how growth may vary within persons because each person contributes only one point at each time to the model. In contrast, modeling growth with multi-item assessments allows evaluation of how relative item performance may shift over time. While traditionally viewed as a nuisance under the… more →
Choosing Alone? Peer Similarity in High School Choices
… We provide a descriptive analysis of within-school and neighborhood similarity in high school … from prior work by examining similarity in applications to specific schools rather than preferences for school …We provide a descriptive analysis of within-school and neighborhood similarity in high school applications in New York City. We depart from prior work by examining similarity in applications to specific schools rather than preferences for school characteristics. We find surprisingly low similarity within schools and neighborhoods, but substantial variation by race and prior achievement. White… more →
Online Tutoring by College Volunteers: Experimental Evidence from a Pilot Program
… A substantial body of experimental evidence demonstrates that in-person tutoring … achievement. However, such programs typically are costly and constrained by a limited local supply of tutors. In … conduct an experiment where volunteer tutors from all over the country meet 1-on-1 with middle school students online …A substantial body of experimental evidence demonstrates that in-person tutoring programs can have large impacts on K-12 student achievement. However, such programs typically are costly and constrained by a limited local supply of tutors. In partnership with CovEducation (CovEd), we conduct a pilot program that has potential to ease both of these concerns. We conduct an experiment where… more →
Tabling Debate: How Local Officials Use Agenda Control to Stifle Conflict
… policymaking by deciding which items receive attention and action — and which do not. Accounts from national … legislatures typically explain agenda control in terms of party leadership and discipline. But, do politicians exert … outside highly professionalized legislatures? We bring the agenda control discussion to U.S. school boards, which …Public officials influence policymaking by deciding which items receive attention and action — and which do not. Accounts from national legislatures typically explain agenda control in terms of party leadership and discipline. But, do politicians exert agenda control outside highly professionalized legislatures? We bring the agenda control discussion to U.S. school boards, which lack strong… more →
What Impacts Should We Expect from Tutoring at Scale? Exploring Meta-Analytic Generalizability
… engaged in an unprecedented effort to expand tutoring in the wake of the pandemic. Broad-based support for scaling tutoring … an expanded meta-analysis of 282 randomized control trials and explore how estimates change when we better align our …U.S. public schools are engaged in an unprecedented effort to expand tutoring in the wake of the pandemic. Broad-based support for scaling tutoring emerged, in part, because of the large effects on student achievement found in prior meta-analyses. We conduct an expanded meta-analysis of 282 randomized control trials and explore how estimates change when we better align our sample with a policy… more →
The Racial Gap in Friendships Among High-Achieving Students
… than their majority counterparts. Exploring patterns of friendship formation in the Add Health data, we find strong racial homophily in … Learning … K-12 Education … Equity … Race, ethnicity, and education … Inequality … Race, ethnicity and culture … …High-achieving minority students have fewer friends than their majority counterparts. Exploring patterns of friendship formation in the Add Health data, we find strong racial homophily in friendship formations as well as strong achievement homophily within race. However, we find that achievement matters less in cross-racial friendships. As a result, high-achieving Black students lose Black… more →
Which Colleges Increase Voting Rates?
… shape their students' voting habits by linking millions of SAT takers to their college-enrollment and voting histories. To begin, we show that the fraction of students from a particular college who vote …We study how colleges shape their students' voting habits by linking millions of SAT takers to their college-enrollment and voting histories. To begin, we show that the fraction of students from a particular college who vote varies systematically by the college's attributes (e.g. increasing with selectivity) but also that seemingly similar colleges can have markedly different voting rates.… more →
Can a Commercial Screening Tool Help Select Better Teachers?
… selection is an important strategy for strengthening the quality of the teacher workforce. As districts adopt commercial … between Frontline Education’s TeacherFit instrument and newly hired teachers’ outcomes. We find that a one SD …Improving teacher selection is an important strategy for strengthening the quality of the teacher workforce. As districts adopt commercial teacher screening tools, evidence is needed to understand these tools’ predictive validity. We examine the relationship between Frontline Education’s TeacherFit instrument and newly hired teachers’ outcomes. We find that a one SD increase on an index of… more →
Impacts of state aid for non-traditional students on educational and labor market outcomes
… Up to three-fourths of college students can be classified as “non-traditional”, … typical policy interventions improves their education and labor market outcomes is understudied. I use a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impacts of a state financial aid program aimed towards …Up to three-fourths of college students can be classified as “non-traditional”, yet whether typical policy interventions improves their education and labor market outcomes is understudied. I use a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impacts of a state financial aid program aimed towards non-traditional students. Eligibility has no impacts on degree completion for students intending… more →
Buying time: Financial aid allows college students to work less while enrolled
… able to test why. This study used administrative records of employment and earnings to get a more complete picture of students’ … New Jersey’s need-based Tuition Aid Grant (TAG). We used the eligibility cutoffs of TAG to identify groups of …Many empirical studies have found that financial aid improves college attainment. Few have been able to test why. This study used administrative records of employment and earnings to get a more complete picture of students’ finances during college and test one potential mechanism: financial aid buys students time by allowing them to work less in off-campus jobs. We studied recipients of New… more →
Experimental Estimates of College Coaching on Postsecondary Re-enrollment
… College attendance has increased significantly over the last few decades, but dropout rates remain high, with fewer than half of all adults ultimately obtaining a postsecondary … one-on-one college coaching improves college attendance and completion outcomes for former low- and middle-income …College attendance has increased significantly over the last few decades, but dropout rates remain high, with fewer than half of all adults ultimately obtaining a postsecondary credential. This project investigates whether one-on-one college coaching improves college attendance and completion outcomes for former low- and middle-income income state aid recipients who attended college but left… more →
Measuring grading standards at high schools: a methodology and an example
… grades across multiple courses than students with the same skills receive at schools with high grading … have smaller course cohorts, have a smaller percentage of lone parent households and a larger percentage of well-educated parents. Variation …At schools with low grading standards, students receive higher school-awarded grades across multiple courses than students with the same skills receive at schools with high grading standards. A new methodology shows grading standards vary substantially, certainly enough to affect post-secondary opportunities, across high schools in Alberta. Schools with low grading standards are more likely to… more →
Common support violations in clustered observational studies of educational interventions
… are measured for students. This research design is called the clustered observational study (COS). We examine the consequences of common support violations in the COS context. Common … occur when the covariate distributions of treated and control units do not overlap. Such violations are likely …In education settings, treatments are often non-randomly assigned to clusters, such as schools or classrooms, while outcomes are measured for students. This research design is called the clustered observational study (COS). We examine the consequences of common support violations in the COS context. Common support violations occur when the covariate distributions of treated and control units… more →
Can Successful Schools Replicate? Scaling Up Boston’s Charter School Sector
… gains on par with those produced by their parent campuses. The average effectiveness of Boston’s charter middle school sector increased after the … charter schools reduce the returns to teacher experience and compress the distribution of teacher effectiveness, …Can schools that boost student outcomes reproduce their success at new campuses? We study a policy reform that allowed effective charter schools in Boston, Massachusetts to replicate their school models at new locations. Estimates based on randomized admission lotteries show that replication charter schools generate large achievement gains on par with those produced by their parent campuses.… more →
Educational Consequences of a Sibling’s Disability: Evidence from type 1 diabetes
… challenge. In this paper we use Danish administrative data and variation in the onset of type 1 diabetes to compare education outcomes of focal …While there is a growing literature on family health spillovers, questions remain about how sibling disability status impacts educational outcomes. As disability is not randomly assigned this is an empirical challenge. In this paper we use Danish administrative data and variation in the onset of type 1 diabetes to compare education outcomes of focal children with a disabled sibling to outcomes… more →
Causal Mechanisms of Relative Age Effects on Adolescent Risky Behaviours
… We investigate the mechanisms by which a student’s age relative to … after controlling for absolute age, country fixed effects, and birth season effects. In the second part of the paper, we conduct two sets of analyses on possible …We investigate the mechanisms by which a student’s age relative to classmates (i.e., relative age) influences risky health behaviors among European adolescents. Using a two-stage least squares approach, we show that relatively young students are more prone to engage in risky behaviors. These results hold after controlling for absolute age, country fixed effects, and birth season effects. In… more →
Engaging Teachers: Measuring the Impact of Teachers on Student Attendance in Secondary School
… performance. For this study, we explore a second dimension of teacher effectiveness by creating measures of teachers’ … effectiveness at reducing unexcused class absences at the middle and high school level. These differences across teachers are …Teachers’ impact on student long-run success is only partially explained by their contributions to students’ short-run academic performance. For this study, we explore a second dimension of teacher effectiveness by creating measures of teachers’ contributions to student class-attendance. We find systematic variation in teacher effectiveness at reducing unexcused class absences at the middle… more →
Staffing Interventions to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness: Evidence from New York City
… two school staffing interventions in New York City shaped the attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records from 2013-2022 and a difference-in-differences design. We find suggestive …There is limited empirical evidence about educational interventions for students experiencing homelessness, who experience distinct disadvantages compared to their low-income peers. We explore how two school staffing interventions in New York City shaped the attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records from 2013-2022 and a difference-in-differences… more →
Teachers’ Willingness To Pay For Retirement Benefits: A National Stated Preferences Experiment
… little is known about how teachers value various elements of their retirement benefits versus other aspects of their jobs and compensation. To help alleviate this gap, we use a … pension and alternative retirement plan designs if the alternatives were paired with 2 to 3 percent salary …Many states have recently made or are considering changes to their teacher retirement systems. However, little is known about how teachers value various elements of their retirement benefits versus other aspects of their jobs and compensation. To help alleviate this gap, we use a discrete choice stated preferences experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey of teachers to… more →
Experimental Evidence on Teachers' Racial Bias in Student Evaluation: The Role of Grading Scales
… literature documents racial bias in teachers’ evaluations of students. Theory suggests bias may be larger on grading … versus scales with clearly-specified criteria, raising the possibility that well-designed grading policies may … experiment … David M. Quinn … Standards, Assessment, and Curriculum … K-12 Education … Race, ethnicity, and …A vast research literature documents racial bias in teachers’ evaluations of students. Theory suggests bias may be larger on grading scales with vague or overly-general criteria versus scales with clearly-specified criteria, raising the possibility that well-designed grading policies may mitigate bias. This study offers relevant evidence through a randomized web-based experiment… more →
Clinical teaching learning trajectory: Exploring field supervisor written feedback on clinical teacher pedagogy
… feedback, which indicates 2 broad pedagogical categories and 9 separate skills. We then quantize these feedback codes to identify the variation in the presence of these codes across PST characteristics, and then use …Field supervisors are central to clinical teaching, but little is known about how their feedback informs preservice teachers (PSTs) development. This sequential mixed methods study examines over 3,000 supervisor observation evaluations. We qualitatively code supervisor written feedback, which indicates 2 broad pedagogical categories and 9 separate skills. We then quantize these feedback codes… more →
Ever Failed, Try Again, Succeed Better: Results from a Randomized Educational Intervention on Grit
… grit, a skill that has been shown to be highly predictive of achievement, is malleable in childhood and can be fostered in the classroom environment. We evaluate a randomized …We show that grit, a skill that has been shown to be highly predictive of achievement, is malleable in childhood and can be fostered in the classroom environment. We evaluate a randomized educational intervention implemented in two independent elementary school samples. Outcomes are measured via a novel incentivized real effort task and performance in standardized tests. We find that treated… more →
The Effects of Losing Pell Grant Eligibility on Student Outcomes
… lower aid. This non-random attrition introduces bias in the Local Average Treatment Effects. I construct … … Financial Aid … Shinyoung Kim … Policy, Politics, and Governance … Post-secondary education … Returns to education and skills … The Effects of Losing Pell Grant Eligibility on Student Outcomes …While initial Pell Grant eligibility is solely determined by financial need, students must achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress to retain it. Students eligible for higher aid are less likely to complete college when they lose eligibility compared to those with lower aid. This non-random attrition introduces bias in the Local Average Treatment Effects. I construct nonparametric bounds on LATE… more →
From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice in Schools
… districts historically approached conflict-resolution from the perspective that suspending disruptive students was … practices (RP) – focused on reparation, accountability, and shared ownership of disciplinary justice – are designed to address undesirable …School districts historically approached conflict-resolution from the perspective that suspending disruptive students was necessary to protect their classmates, even if this caused harm to perceived offenders. Restorative practices (RP) – focused on reparation, accountability, and shared ownership of disciplinary justice – are designed to address undesirable behavior without harming students.… more →
College Enrollment and Mandatory FAFSA Applications: Evidence from Louisiana
… to college. To test whether FAFSA completion is one of these barriers, I utilize a natural experiment brought about by a Louisiana mandate for seniors to file the FAFSA upon graduation from high school. Exploiting … Aid, College Enrollment … Christa Deneault … Pathways to and Through Postsecondary … Post-secondary education … Higher …Barriers to accessing financial aid may keep students from matriculating to college. To test whether FAFSA completion is one of these barriers, I utilize a natural experiment brought about by a Louisiana mandate for seniors to file the FAFSA upon graduation from high school. Exploiting pre-treatment FAFSA completion rates as a treatment intensity in a dosage differences-in-differences… more →
Will Mentoring a Student Teacher Harm My Evaluation Scores? Effects of Serving as a Cooperating Teacher on Evaluation Metrics
… that preservice candidates receive better coaching and are more instructionally effective when they are mentored … serving may negatively impact district evaluation scores. Using a unique dataset on over 4,500 CTs, we compare … a Student Teacher Harm My Evaluation Scores? Effects of Serving as a Cooperating Teacher on Evaluation Metrics …Growing evidence suggests that preservice candidates receive better coaching and are more instructionally effective when they are mentored by more instructionally effective cooperating teachers (CTs). Yet, teacher education program leaders indicate it can be difficult to recruit instructionally effective teachers to serve as CTs, in part because teachers worry that serving may negatively… more →
Competitive Effects of Charter Schools
… merges student-level school records with birth records, and leveraging three alternative identification strategies, … (TPS). We consistently find that competition stemming from the opening of new charter schools improves reading—but not …Using a rich dataset that merges student-level school records with birth records, and leveraging three alternative identification strategies, we explore how increase in access to charter schools in twelve districts in Florida affects students remaining in traditional public schools (TPS). We consistently find that competition stemming from the opening of new charter schools improves reading—… more →
Can Patience Account for Subnational Differences in Student Achievement? Regional Analysis with Facebook Interests
… Facebook interests – to construct novel regional measures of patience within Italy and the United States. Patience is strongly positively associated …Decisions to invest in human capital depend on people’s time preferences. We show that differences in patience are closely related to substantial subnational differences in educational achievement, leading to new perspectives on longstanding within-country disparities. We use social-media data – Facebook interests – to construct novel regional measures of patience within Italy and the United… more →
Nudging at Scale: Experimental Evidence from FAFSA Completion Campaigns
… state or nationwide? What specific mechanisms explain the positive impacts of promising smaller-scale nudges? We investigate, through … two randomized controlled trials, the impact of a national and state-level campaign to encourage students to apply for …Do nudge interventions that have generated positive impacts at a local level maintain efficacy when scaled state or nationwide? What specific mechanisms explain the positive impacts of promising smaller-scale nudges? We investigate, through two randomized controlled trials, the impact of a national and state-level campaign to encourage students to apply for financial aid for college. The… more →
Virtual Charter Students Have Worse Labor Market Outcomes as Young Adults
… are increasingly popular, yet there is no research on the long-term outcomes of virtual charter students. We link statewide education … rates, bachelor's degree attainment, employment rates, and earnings than students in traditional public schools. …Virtual charter schools are increasingly popular, yet there is no research on the long-term outcomes of virtual charter students. We link statewide education records from Oregon with earnings information from IRS records housed at the US Census Bureau to provide evidence on how virtual charter students fare as young adults. Virtual charter students have substantially worse high school… more →
Student Demand For Relative Performance Feedback: Evidence from a Field Experiment
… their rank on a midterm exam. Our results show that 10% of students are willing to pay to avoid learning their rank. … needing more study hours to achieve their desired grade and being less likely in the top half of the ability distribution in the class. These …We administer a survey to study students' preferences for relative performance feedback in an introductory economics class. To do so, we elicit students' willingness to pay for/avoid learning their rank on a midterm exam. Our results show that 10% of students are willing to pay to avoid learning their rank. We also find that female students are willing to pay $1 more than male students. We… more →
A Tale of Two Types of Schools: An Exploration of How School Working Conditions Influence Black Male Teacher Turnover
… schools with three or more Black male teachers and seven schools with one Black male teacher. Consistent … cited for leaving, and participants’ actual decisions to stay or leave. … Black Male Teachers; Teacher Turnover; … and organizations … Race, ethnicity and culture … A Tale of Two Types of Schools: An Exploration of How School Working …This phenomenological study draws on semi-structured interviews with 27 Black male teachers across 14 schools in an urban school district—seven schools with three or more Black male teachers and seven schools with one Black male teacher. Consistent with theories about teacher turnover, findings indicate a relationship between organizational characteristics, reasons participants cited for… more →
Staffing Interventions to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness: Evidence from New York City
… interventions in New York City shaped attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records from 2013-2022 and a difference-in-differences estimator. We find suggestive …There is limited empirical evidence about educational interventions for students experiencing homelessness, who experience distinct disadvantages compared to their low-income peers. We explore how two school staffing interventions in New York City shaped attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records from 2013-2022 and a difference-in-differences… more →
Disparate Pathways: Understanding Racial Disparities in Teaching
… Mounting evidence supporting the advantages of a diverse teacher workforce prompts policymakers to … … Wenjing Gao … Ramon Goings … Seth Gershenson … Teacher and Leader Development … K-12 Education … Race, ethnicity, …Mounting evidence supporting the advantages of a diverse teacher workforce prompts policymakers to scrutinize existing recruitment pathways. Following four cohorts of Maryland public high-school students over 12 years reveals several insights. Early barriers require timely interventions, aiding students of color in achieving educational milestones that are prerequisites for teacher candidacy (… more →