EdWorkingPapers
The Long-Run Impacts of Special Education
… Over 13 percent of US students participate in Special Education (SE) programs annually, at a cost of $40 billion. However, the effect of SE placements remains unclear. This paper uses … … Students with disabilities … Returns to education and skills … Program and policy effects … Standards, …Over 13 percent of US students participate in Special Education (SE) programs annually, at a cost of $40 billion. However, the effect of SE placements remains unclear. This paper uses administrative data from Texas to examine the long-run effect of reducing SE access. Our research design exploits variation in SE placement driven by a state policy that required school districts to reduce SE… more →
Self-Management Skills and Student Achievement Gains: Evidence from California’s CORE Districts
… research on self-management skills shows that measures of self-management predict student success. However, these … describes self-management gaps across student groups, and confirms, at a large scale, the predictive power of self-management for achievement …Existing research on self-management skills shows that measures of self-management predict student success. However, these conclusions are based on small samples or narrowly defined self-management measures. Using a rich longitudinal dataset of 221,840 fourth through seventh grade students, this paper describes self-management gaps across student groups, and confirms, at a large scale, the… more →
STEM Instruction Improvement Programs Improve Student Outcomes
… time? To answer this question, we analyzed a recent wave of rigorous new studies of STEM instructional improvement … teachers can use during instruction: knowledge of the curriculum materials they will use, knowledge of content and how content can be represented for learners, and …How should teachers spend their STEM-focused professional learning time? To answer this question, we analyzed a recent wave of rigorous new studies of STEM instructional improvement programs. We found that programs work best when focused on building knowledge teachers can use during instruction: knowledge of the curriculum materials they will use, knowledge of content and how content can be… more →
A Reanalysis of Impacts of the Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten Program
… We present a reanalysis of the Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (TNVPK), a … largely null effects on measures of behavior, attendance, and retention collected during elementary school. TNVPK …We present a reanalysis of the Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (TNVPK), a state-funded program designed to promote the school readiness of 4-year-olds from low-income families. Oversubscribed programs used a lottery to randomly assign prospective enrollees a chance to attend TNVPK. We found that assignment to the program had largely null effects on measures of behavior… more →
Measuring Conversational Uptake: A Case Study on Student-Teacher Interactions
… In conversation, uptake happens when a speaker builds on the contribution of their interlocutor by, for example, acknowledging, … been linked to higher student achievement. Yet measuring and improving teachers' uptake at scale is challenging, as …In conversation, uptake happens when a speaker builds on the contribution of their interlocutor by, for example, acknowledging, repeating or reformulating what they have said. In education, teachers' uptake of student contributions has been linked to higher student achievement. Yet measuring and improving teachers' uptake at scale is challenging, as existing methods require expensive annotation… more →
Sustaining AI-Enabled Student Support: A Four-Year Implementation and Impact Study
… success, yet evidence on their long-term sustainability and impacts remains limited. We examine the implementation of an AI-enabled text-messaging chatbot at a large, urban …AI-enabled chatbots are increasingly used to support student success, yet evidence on their long-term sustainability and impacts remains limited. We examine the implementation of an AI-enabled text-messaging chatbot at a large, urban public university. Drawing on system observation, discussions with administrators, and a four-year randomized controlled trial, we assess institutional conditions… more →
Boosting Dual Enrollment Participation by Simplifying Access for High School Students
… Despite the promise of dual enrollment to expand college access, racial disparities in participation persist, and limited research examines policies designed to reduce access barriers. Using statewide student-level data from 2013–14 to 2021–22 …Despite the promise of dual enrollment to expand college access, racial disparities in participation persist, and limited research examines policies designed to reduce access barriers. Using statewide student-level data from 2013–14 to 2021–22 and difference-in-differences approaches, I estimate the causal impact of College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnerships, which aimed to reduce… more →
Unequal Foundations: Racial Disparities in School Building Conditions in New York State
… often overlooked factor shaping student health, learning, and well-being. This study examines racial disparities in … demographic and fiscal data. Schools serving more students of color are significantly more likely to have poor overall … decomposition shows that local property taxes are the largest contributor to racial gaps in building quality, …School infrastructure is a critical yet often overlooked factor shaping student health, learning, and well-being. This study examines racial disparities in public school building conditions across New York State using building inspection data linked to demographic and fiscal data. Schools serving more students of color are significantly more likely to have poor overall conditions, inadequate… more →
Reclassifying English Learners
… gain sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified and receive instruction without linguistic supports. Though … prior regression discontinuity estimates for the effect of reclassification are estimated too imprecisely to detect …Most English learners (ELs) eventually gain sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified and receive instruction without linguistic supports. Though well-identified, prior regression discontinuity estimates for the effect of reclassification are estimated too imprecisely to detect policy-relevant effects. Applying a student fixed-effect design to data from Indiana, we show that ELs… more →
High Turnover with Low Accountability: Local School Board Elections in 16 States
… We analyze the most comprehensive dataset on U.S. school board elections. We find that nearly half of races go uncontested and that incumbents are reelected more than 80 percent of the …We analyze the most comprehensive dataset on U.S. school board elections. We find that nearly half of races go uncontested and that incumbents are reelected more than 80 percent of the time when they run. Because many incumbents retire instead of running for another term, however, turnover is high (with 53 percent of incumbents replaced in a typical election cycle). School board turnover is also… more →
Expanding Access to Highly Effective Educators for All Students: A Review of Recent Evidence
… much more effective than others. Highly effective teachers and their students thrive in ways that have been hard to … six cross-cutting and interrelated themes, suggesting the following key areas of consideration for teacher effectiveness: 1) match and fit; …We have long known that some teachers are much more effective than others. Highly effective teachers and their students thrive in ways that have been hard to replicate on a large and consistent scale. In this paper, we read across studies to identify actionable lessons about what it will take to staff all schools with highly effective educators and to surface directions that are particularly… more →
The Effects of In-School Virtual Tutoring on Student Reading Development: Evidence from a Short-Cycle Randomized Controlled Trial
… 12-week cluster randomized controlled trial that examined the efficacy of BookNook, a virtual tutoring platform focused on reading. … J. Shmoys … Methods … K-12 Education … Tutoring … Reading and literacy education … Program and policy effects … The …This paper describes a 12-week cluster randomized controlled trial that examined the efficacy of BookNook, a virtual tutoring platform focused on reading. Cohorts of first- through fourth-grade students attending six Rocketship public charter schools in Northern California were randomly assigned within grades to receive BookNook. Intent-to-Treat models indicate that students in cohorts assigned… more →
The Stickiness of Pandemic-Driven Disenrollment from Public Schools
… The extent to which pandemic-induced public school enrollment … enrollment had partially recovered for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students, but had declined further for … sticky and varies by chosen alternative. Only 21 percent of those who left for private schools in fall 2020 had …The extent to which pandemic-induced public school enrollment declines will persist is unclear. Student-level data from Michigan through fall 2021 yields three relevant findings. First, relative to pre-pandemic trends, fall 2021 enrollment had partially recovered for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students, but had declined further for non-low-income, White, and Asian students. Second, annual… more →
Online tutoring works: Experimental evidence from a program with vulnerable children
… We provide evidence from a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a novel, 100-percent online math tutoring program, … increased standardized test scores (+0.26 SD) and end-of-year math grades (+0.48 SD), while reducing the …We provide evidence from a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a novel, 100-percent online math tutoring program, targeted at secondary school students from highly disadvantaged neighborhoods. The intensive, eight-week-long program was delivered by qualified math teachers in groups of two students during after-school hours. The intervention significantly increased standardized… more →
A Blueprint for Scaling Tutoring Across Public Schools
… be scaled nationally to address COVID-19 learning loss and become a permanent feature of the U.S. public education system. We outline a blueprint …In this thought experiment, we explore how tutoring could be scaled nationally to address COVID-19 learning loss and become a permanent feature of the U.S. public education system. We outline a blueprint centered on ten core principles and a federal architecture to support adoption, while providing for local ownership over key implementation features. High school students would tutor in… more →
Effects of Charter School Competition on District School Budgeting Decisions: Experimental Evidence from Texas
… The effects of competition from public charter schools on district school … believe that central office staff are in better positions to make school-level budget decisions. Competitive pressures … charter schools on reported desire for budget autonomy and expectations about future school-level spending …The effects of competition from public charter schools on district school budget decisions are theoretically ambiguous. Competitive pressures could increase desired budget autonomy since they give district school leaders more flexibility; however, competition could decrease desired budget autonomy if district school leaders are generally risk-averse or if they believe that central office staff… more →
School District Operational Spending and Student Outcomes: Evidence from Tax Elections in Seven States
… We use close tax elections to estimate the impact of school district funding increases on operational spending and student outcomes across seven states. Districts with …We use close tax elections to estimate the impact of school district funding increases on operational spending and student outcomes across seven states. Districts with passing levies directed new revenue toward support services and instructor salaries but did not increase teacher staffing levels. These districts eventually realized gains in student achievement and attainment. Our preferred… more →
The cost-effectiveness of public charter schools in Texas
… I compare per pupil revenues, expenditures, and performance levels in public charter schools to district-run public schools in Texas for the 2017-18 school year. After controlling for several school … schools. … charter schools; school choice; economics of education; school productivity; education spending … Corey …I compare per pupil revenues, expenditures, and performance levels in public charter schools to district-run public schools in Texas for the 2017-18 school year. After controlling for several school and student characteristics, I find that public charter schools are funded around $1,700 (15 percent) less, and spend around $3,700 (28 percent) less, per pupil than district-run public schools.… more →
Beg to DIFfer: Resolving Statistical Complications of Intersectional DIF Analyses
… (DIF) analyses to ensure fairness in educational and psychological testing. To address previously unrecognized … biases, researchers have recently demonstrated the importance of conducting intersectional DIF analyses that attend to the …Modern test developers conduct differential item functioning (DIF) analyses to ensure fairness in educational and psychological testing. To address previously unrecognized biases, researchers have recently demonstrated the importance of conducting intersectional DIF analyses that attend to the intersectional nature of test-takers’ multiple identities. However, these intersectional DIF approaches… more →
Keeping kids in care: What makes a difference in state CCDF policy?
… play an important role in stabilizing parental employment and helping low- income families access care. With limited … and generosity relate to stability in children’s care in the CCDF program, known as subsidy “spells.”: (1) length of eligibility redetermination; (2) reporting requirements …Child care subsidies play an important role in stabilizing parental employment and helping low- income families access care. With limited federal requirements under CCDBG, states developed divergent subsidy program policies. Our study examines how variations in six state policy levers that capture CCDF administrative burdens and generosity relate to stability in children’s care in the CCDF… more →
Who Leaves? Interdistrict Magnet School Openings and Enrollment Dynamics in Nearby Schools
… magnet schools (IMS) intending to reduce racial and socioeconomic segregation across districts, yet the potential unintended effects on student composition in … schools remains unclear. Leveraging the staggered rollout of IMS openings, this study finds that IMS openings reduce …Connecticut expanded interdistrict magnet schools (IMS) intending to reduce racial and socioeconomic segregation across districts, yet the potential unintended effects on student composition in nearby schools remains unclear. Leveraging the staggered rollout of IMS openings, this study finds that IMS openings reduce enrollment by about 5 percent in nearby private K8 and traditional public high… more →
Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory
… to high-school transcript data, treating courses as items and grades as ordered responses, to estimate student … strongly with SAT scores, and demonstrates more than twice the SAT’s power to predict college completion — also … transcript factor ( η̂ ) that combines GPA with counts of AP/IB and STEM courses. θ̂ yields narrower racial/ethnic, …We apply Item Response Theory (IRT) to high-school transcript data, treating courses as items and grades as ordered responses, to estimate student transcript strength (θ̂) and course difficulty on a common scale. IRT estimation orders courses plausibly by difficulty, differentiates students with identical GPAs, correlates strongly with SAT scores, and demonstrates more than twice the SAT’s power… more →
IncreasED: How Court Rulings Impact Special Education Identification
… Healthcare services outside of school impact the likelihood of receiving a school-based special education classification and services. Using Massachusetts administrative data on …Healthcare services outside of school impact the likelihood of receiving a school-based special education classification and services. Using Massachusetts administrative data on public school students, this paper employs difference-in-differences to examine the impacts of expanded Medicaid coverage for mental and behavioral healthcare brought by the Rosie D. lawsuit of 2009. Rosie D. caused… more →
How Early Morning Classes Change Academic Trajectories: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
… in early morning classes lowers students' course grades and the likelihood of future STEM course enrollment. There is a 79% reduction in …Using a natural experiment which randomized class times to students, this study reveals that enrolling in early morning classes lowers students' course grades and the likelihood of future STEM course enrollment. There is a 79% reduction in pursuing the corresponding major and a 26% rise in choosing a lower-earning major, predominantly influenced by early morning STEM classes. To understand the… more →
Clearing Up Transfer Admissions Standards: Impact on Access and Outcomes
… Students’ college choices can affect their chances of earning a degree, but many lack the support to navigate the opaque college application and admissions process. This paper evaluates whether …Students’ college choices can affect their chances of earning a degree, but many lack the support to navigate the opaque college application and admissions process. This paper evaluates whether guaranteeing four-year college admissions based on transparent academic standards affected community college students’ enrollment choices and graduation rates. Guaranteed admissions increased high-GPA… more →
Who Benefits from Remote Schooling? Self-Selection and Match Effects
… We study the distributional effects of remote learning. Our approach combines newly collected … remote learning while also studying selection patterns and treatment effect heterogeneity. We find a negative …We study the distributional effects of remote learning. Our approach combines newly collected data on parental preferences with administrative data from Los Angeles. The preference data allow us to account for selection into remote learning while also studying selection patterns and treatment effect heterogeneity. We find a negative average effect of remote learning on reading (–0.14σ) and math… more →
Can Automated Feedback Improve Teachers’ Uptake of Student Ideas? Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial In a Large-Scale Online Course
… processing to give teachers feedback on their uptake of student contributions, a high-leverage dialogic teaching … computer science course (n=1,136 instructors), to evaluate the effectiveness of our tool. We find that M-Powering … instructors’ uptake of student contributions by 13% and present suggestive evidence that it also improves …Providing consistent, individualized feedback to teachers is essential for improving instruction but can be prohibitively resource-intensive in most educational contexts. We develop M-Powering Teachers, an automated tool based on natural language processing to give teachers feedback on their uptake of student contributions, a high-leverage dialogic teaching practice that makes students feel heard… more →
Does Regulating Entry Requirements Lead to More Effective Principals?
… Anecdotal evidence points to the importance of school principals, but the limited existing research has … to investigate both variations in principal performance and the relationship between effectiveness and key …Anecdotal evidence points to the importance of school principals, but the limited existing research has neither provided consistent results nor indicated any set of essential characteristics of effective principals. This paper exploits extensive student-level panel data across six states to investigate both variations in principal performance and the relationship between effectiveness and key… more →
Self-Interest in Public Service: Evidence from School Board Elections
… In this paper, we show that the election of a new school board member causes home values in their … increase is identified using narrowly-decided contests and is driven by non-Democratic members, whose neighborhoods …In this paper, we show that the election of a new school board member causes home values in their neighborhood to rise. This increase is identified using narrowly-decided contests and is driven by non-Democratic members, whose neighborhoods appreciate about 4% on average relative to those of losing candidates. We find that student test scores in the neighborhood public schools of non-Democratic… more →
Can learning be measured by phone? Evidence from Kenya
… student learning besides in-person exams. We leverage the administration of phone-based assessments (PBAs) measuring numeracy and literacy for primary school children in Kenya, along with …School closures induced by COVID-19 placed heightened emphasis on alternative ways to measure student learning besides in-person exams. We leverage the administration of phone-based assessments (PBAs) measuring numeracy and literacy for primary school children in Kenya, along with in-person standardized tests administered to the same students prior to school shutdowns, to assess the validity of… more →
Equity- oriented accountability for charter schools: Lessons from Massachusetts
… Because of the many special characteristics of charter schools, policy makers who aim to promote a system of charters schools that ensures fair access to, and fair treatment of, disadvantaged students will need a …Because of the many special characteristics of charter schools, policy makers who aim to promote a system of charters schools that ensures fair access to, and fair treatment of, disadvantaged students will need a public accountability system oriented, at least in part, to equity concerns. Massachusetts, with its single statewide authorizer, as well as its system of periodic site visits to schools… more →
Heterogeneous Effects of Early Algebra across California Middle Schools
… scores to place students into 8th grade Algebra courses, and use a regression discontinuity design to estimate average … grade rise by 0.05 standard deviations. Women, students of color, and English-language learners benefit … from placement into early Algebra. Importantly, the benefits of 8th grade algebra are substantially larger in …How should schools assign students to more rigorous math courses so as best to help their academic outcomes? We identify several hundred California middle schools that used 7th grade test scores to place students into 8th grade Algebra courses, and use a regression discontinuity design to estimate average impacts and heterogeneity across schools. Enrolling in 8th grade algebra boosts students’… more →
Delayed Benefits: Effects of California School District Bond Elections on Achievement by Socioeconomic Status
… Contradictory evidence of the relationship between education funding and student achievement could reflect heterogeneous effects …Contradictory evidence of the relationship between education funding and student achievement could reflect heterogeneous effects by revenue source or student characteristics. This study examines potential heterogeneous effects of a particular type of local revenue – bond funds for capital investments – on achievement by socioeconomic status. Comparing California school districts within a narrow… more →
State Merit Aid: Effects on College Enrollment, Labor Market Outcomes, and Government Revenue
… This paper evaluates long-run effects of state merit aid programs that subsidize in-state college … Using national survey data on college enrollment and U.S. Census data, I exploit staggered program adoption … men. Welfare analysis shows net losses for students and the implementing state, with additional negative fiscal …This paper evaluates long-run effects of state merit aid programs that subsidize in-state college attendance. Using national survey data on college enrollment and U.S. Census data, I exploit staggered program adoption across states. Merit aid shifts students from out-of-state to in-state institutions, which are on average relatively less selective. There is little evidence that these programs… more →
Are Work-Based Professional Skills Associated with Postsecondary Entrance and Persistence? Novel Evidence from the Cristo Rey Network
… Professional skills such as initiative, communication, and adaptability are thought to shape postsecondary success, … in school settings. This study uses employer ratings of students’ professional skills gathered through corporate … persists even after controlling for selectivity of the institution of initial enrollment. … Lauren C. Russell … …Professional skills such as initiative, communication, and adaptability are thought to shape postsecondary success, but most evidence comes from self- or teacher-reported measures collected in school settings. This study uses employer ratings of students’ professional skills gathered through corporate internships undertaken by economically disadvantaged high school students. After controlling for… more →
Understanding Disruptions: Causes of and Variation in Lost Instructional Time
… Virtual instruction has boomed after the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use of virtual environments within in-person schools. But, … … Tutoring … Understanding Disruptions: Causes of and Variation in Lost Instructional Time …Virtual instruction has boomed after the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use of virtual environments within in-person schools. But, research has provided little evidence about student experiences on these virtual platforms, nor how to improve the use of these platforms. Through natural language processing techniques, this study examines over 26,000 virtual tutoring sessions that took place… more →
School Choice and Household Participation in School District Politics
… We examine whether policies that enable families to opt out of locally provided public services are associated with … of school choice policy in Michigan: inter-district choice and charter schools. Do parents who send their children to … We conduct our analysis by matching student level data to the Michigan voter file based on addresses, to identify voter …We examine whether policies that enable families to opt out of locally provided public services are associated with reduced political participation. Our study is focused on two types of school choice policy in Michigan: inter-district choice and charter schools. Do parents who send their children to schools of choice or charter schools vote at lower or higher rates than those who use their… more →
Unequal Access: How Public Library Closures Affect Educational Performance
… 2008 to 2019, 766 public library outlets closed across the US, reducing access to these critical resources. This study examines the effect of public library outlet closures on library use and educational outcomes in nearby school districts. Using …Local public institutions, such as public libraries, offer access to low-cost educational resources, potentially mitigating human capital investment disparities. However, from 2008 to 2019, 766 public library outlets closed across the US, reducing access to these critical resources. This study examines the effect of public library outlet closures on library use and educational outcomes in nearby… more →
Local Labor Market Alignment of Short-Term Certificate Programs
… in developing STCs, little evidence exists about where and when STCs are opened and whether community colleges open new programs of study in coordination with labor market trends. Using public workforce and postsecondary data, I examine …Short-term certificate (STC) programs at community colleges represent a longstanding policy priority to align accelerated postsecondary credentials with job opportunities in local labor markets. Despite large investments in developing STCs, little evidence exists about where and when STCs are opened and whether community colleges open new programs of study in coordination with labor market trends… more →
Information Frictions and Teacher Turnover
… Many decentralized matching markets experience high rates of instability due to information frictions. This paper … these frictions in a particularly unstable U.S. market, the labor market for first-year school teachers. We develop and estimate a dynamic, partial equilibrium model of labor …Many decentralized matching markets experience high rates of instability due to information frictions. This paper analyzes these frictions in a particularly unstable U.S. market, the labor market for first-year school teachers. We develop and estimate a dynamic, partial equilibrium model of labor mobility that incorporates non-pecuniary information frictions for school climate and teacher… more →
Does One Plus One Always Equal Two? Examining Complementarities in Educational Interventions
… impose disproportionate burden on communities that lack the resources to implement these policies effectively. In an … community-level interventions focusing on similar needs and providing resources to build capacity in these … could improve outcomes by improving the effectiveness of individual-level interventions. I find that the extended …Public policies targeting individuals based on need often impose disproportionate burden on communities that lack the resources to implement these policies effectively. In an elementary school setting, I examine whether community-level interventions focusing on similar needs and providing resources to build capacity in these communities could improve outcomes by improving the effectiveness of… more →
“Refining” Our Understanding of Early Career Teacher Skill Development: Evidence From Classroom Observations
… teachers improve substantially in their first years on the job, but we know remarkably little about the nature of this skill development. Using data from Tennessee, we … when observing novice teachers: classroom management and presenting content. Struggling with classroom management, …Novice teachers improve substantially in their first years on the job, but we know remarkably little about the nature of this skill development. Using data from Tennessee, we leverage a feature of the classroom observation protocol that asks school administrators to identify an item on which the teacher should focus their improvement efforts. This “area of refinement” overcomes a key measurement… more →
Assessing Atlanta’s Placed-Based College Scholarship
… We investigate whether and how Achieve Atlanta’s college scholarship and associated … experiencing low household income. Qualifying for the scholarship of up to $5,000/year does not meaningfully change college …We investigate whether and how Achieve Atlanta’s college scholarship and associated services impact college enrollment, persistence, and graduation among Atlanta Public School graduates experiencing low household income. Qualifying for the scholarship of up to $5,000/year does not meaningfully change college enrollment among those near the high school GPA eligibility thresholds. However,… more →
Who Benefits From Attending Effective Schools?
… We estimate the longer-run effects of attending an effective high school (one that improves a … scores, survey measures of socio-emotional development, and behaviors in 9th grade) for students who are more versus …We estimate the longer-run effects of attending an effective high school (one that improves a combination of test scores, survey measures of socio-emotional development, and behaviors in 9th grade) for students who are more versus less educationally advantaged (i.e., likely to attain more years of education based on 8th-grade characteristics). All students benefit from attending effective schools… more →
College Field Specialization and Beliefs about Relative Performance: An Experimental Intervention to Understand Gender Gaps in STEM
… academic performance may shape field specialization and explain gender gaps in STEM enrollment, but little causal … in biased beliefs substantially and closes ten percent of the gender gap in subsequent STEM course-taking. The gap …Beliefs about relative academic performance may shape field specialization and explain gender gaps in STEM enrollment, but little causal evidence exists. To test whether these beliefs are malleable and salient enough to change behavior, I run a randomized controlled trial with 5,700 undergraduates across seven introductory STEM courses. Providing relative performance information shrinks gender… more →
Do students improve their academic achievement when assigned to a growth mindset teacher? Evidence from Census Data in Chile using a Student Fixed Effect Design
… Growing evidence shows that a student's growth mindset (the belief that intelligence is malleable) can benefit their … academic achievement. In this paper, we study the impact of teacher growth mindset on academic achievement for a nationwide sample of 8th and 10th grade students in Chile in 2017. Using a student …Growing evidence shows that a student's growth mindset (the belief that intelligence is malleable) can benefit their academic achievement. However, due to limited information, little is known about how a teachers’ growth mindset affects their students’ academic achievement. In this paper, we study the impact of teacher growth mindset on academic achievement for a nationwide sample of 8th and 10th… more →
The Effect of Course Shutouts on Community College Students: Evidence from Waitlist Cutoffs
… Open admissions policies, binding class size constraints, and heavy reliance on state funding may make this channel … especially salient at community colleges, which enroll 47% of U.S. undergraduates in public colleges and 55% of … … Finance … Inequality … Program and policy effects … The Effect of Course Shutouts on Community College Students: …One frequently cited yet understudied channel through which money matters for college students is course availability- colleges may respond to budgetary pressure by reducing course offerings. Open admissions policies, binding class size constraints, and heavy reliance on state funding may make this channel especially salient at community colleges, which enroll 47% of U.S. undergraduates in public… more →
Happy Together? The Peer Effects of Dual Enrollment Students on Community College Student Outcomes
… Nationally, 15% of first-time community college students were high school … percentage of DE peers in entry-level (gateway) math and English courses influences non-DE enrollees’ performance. … Inequality … Program and policy effects … Happy Together? The Peer Effects of Dual Enrollment Students on Community …Nationally, 15% of first-time community college students were high school dual enrollment (DE) students, which raises concerns about how high school peers might influence college enrollees. Using administrative data from a large state community college system, we examine whether being exposed to a higher percentage of DE peers in entry-level (gateway) math and English courses influences non-DE… more →
Ready to Lead on Day One: Predicting Novice Principal Effectiveness with Information Available at Time of Hire
… High rates of principal turnover nationally mean that school districts constantly are called on to recruit and select new principals. The importance of a school’s principal makes choosing …High rates of principal turnover nationally mean that school districts constantly are called on to recruit and select new principals. The importance of a school’s principal makes choosing candidates who will be effective paramount, yet we have little evidence linking information known to school districts at time of selection to principal’s future job performance. Using data from Tennessee, we… more →
The Effect of Increased Funding on Student Achievement: Evidence From Texas's Small District Adjustment
… We leverage an obscure set of rules in Texas’s school funding formula granting some districts additional revenue as a function of size and sparsity. We use variation from kinks and discontinuities … Operations … K-12 Education … School districts … Finance … The Effect of Increased Funding on Student Achievement: …We leverage an obscure set of rules in Texas’s school funding formula granting some districts additional revenue as a function of size and sparsity. We use variation from kinks and discontinuities in this formula to ask how districts spend additional discretionary funds, and whether these improve student outcomes. A $1,000 annual increase in foundation funding, or 10% increase in expenditures,… more →