EdWorkingPapers
Making a Match: How Successful High-Poverty Schools Hire Teachers
… teacher hiring is fundamental to improving schools and yet few studies investigate this process. In this exploratory study of six successful, high-poverty schools (three charter, three district) in one Massachusetts city, we analyze the policy contexts that influenced hiring and examine the …Effective teacher hiring is fundamental to improving schools and yet few studies investigate this process. In this exploratory study of six successful, high-poverty schools (three charter, three district) in one Massachusetts city, we analyze the policy contexts that influenced hiring and examine the schools’ hiring practices. Through interviews with 142 teachers and administrators, we learned… more →
Take Two! SAT Retaking and College Enrollment Gaps
… Only half of SAT-takers retake the exam, with even lower retake rates among low income and underrepresented minority (URM) students. We exploit …Only half of SAT-takers retake the exam, with even lower retake rates among low income and underrepresented minority (URM) students. We exploit discontinuous jumps in retake probabilities at multiples of 100, driven by left-digit bias, to estimate retaking’s causal effects. Retaking substantially improves SAT scores and increases four-year college enrollment rates, particularly for low income and… more →
Improving Low-Performing Schools: A Meta-Analysis of Impact Evaluation Studies
… The public narrative surrounding efforts to improve … how long it takes, which policies are most effective, and which contexts respond best to intervention? We meta-analyze 141 estimates from 67 studies of turnaround policies implemented post-NCLB. On average, …The public narrative surrounding efforts to improve low-performing K-12 schools in the U.S. has been notably gloomy. Observers argue that either nothing works or we don’t know what works. At the same time, the federal government is asking localities to implement evidence-based interventions. But what is known empirically about whether school improvement works, how long it takes, which policies… more →
A Cautionary Tale of Tutoring Hard-to-Reach Students in Kenya
… lost learning time. Tutoring is backed by a rigorous body of research, but it is unclear whether it can be delivered effectively remotely. We study the effect of teacher-student phone call interventions in … Schools (n=105) were randomly assigned for their 3rd, 5th and 6th graders (n=8,319) to receive one of two versions of a …Covid-19-induced school closures generated great interest in tutoring as a strategy to make up for lost learning time. Tutoring is backed by a rigorous body of research, but it is unclear whether it can be delivered effectively remotely. We study the effect of teacher-student phone call interventions in Kenya when schools were closed. Schools (n=105) were randomly assigned for their 3rd, 5th and… more →
Revisiting Why Superintendents Turn Over: Understanding Pathways Out of School District Leadership
… Research has examined many facets of superintendent turnover but offers an incomplete … understanding of superintendents’ pathways out of the role. We pair administrative data on Tennessee … about the reported reasons for their departures and jobs they took after leaving. Our data show that …Research has examined many facets of superintendent turnover but offers an incomplete understanding of superintendents’ pathways out of the role. We pair administrative data on Tennessee superintendents over 15 years with hand-collected information about the reported reasons for their departures and jobs they took after leaving. Our data show that interpreting exits from state administrative data… more →
Unpacking the Socioeconomic Status Gap in Exam-Based School Admissions
… We analyze the large socioeconomic status (SES) gaps in public high … admissions. Using a rich structural model, decomposition, and simulations, we find that placement score differences explain 83% of the gap in assignment to elite schools, contrasted with …We analyze the large socioeconomic status (SES) gaps in public high school assignments in Mexico City, a centralized choice system with exam-based admissions. Using a rich structural model, decomposition, and simulations, we find that placement score differences explain 83% of the gap in assignment to elite schools, contrasted with preferences (6%) and location (5%). For less-preferred technical… more →
Who Belongs in Math? Gendered Peer Math Beliefs and Girls' Gender Beliefs, Math Beliefs, and Achievement
… This paper studies how exposure to gendered peer math beliefs shapes girls' gender-math beliefs, their own math beliefs, and mathematics achievement. I exploit quasi-random variation … on gender-math beliefs: girls' peer math beliefs reduce the probability that girls believe boys are better than girls …This paper studies how exposure to gendered peer math beliefs shapes girls' gender-math beliefs, their own math beliefs, and mathematics achievement. I exploit quasi-random variation in girls' exposure to peer math beliefs generated by random classroom assignment at entry into Chinese middle schools. Exposure to girls' and boys' peer math beliefs has opposite effects on gender-math beliefs: girls… more →
The Effects of High-Impact Tutoring on Student Attendance: Evidence from a State Initiative
… Student absenteeism surged during and after the pandemic, harming engagement and achievement. We evaluate the impact of Washington DC’s High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) …Student absenteeism surged during and after the pandemic, harming engagement and achievement. We evaluate the impact of Washington DC’s High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Initiative—designed to mitigate learning loss through targeted academic supports—on student absenteeism. Using daily attendance data and a within-student fixed effects design, we find that students were 1.2 percentage points less likely… more →
Democratizing School Reform: Race, Participation, and Redistribution in Education
… school-based participatory budgeting initiative as a form of race-conscious democratic design. Drawing on a multi-year … results: treatment students demonstrated knowledge gains and short-term increases in efficacy, though these gains … institutions to empower racially subaltern groups in the spaces they already inhabit. … democratic innovation, …This paper examines a school-based participatory budgeting initiative as a form of race-conscious democratic design. Drawing on a multi-year study of Participatory Redistribution (PR) in middle schools, I analyze whether embedding deliberative structures into schools can empower racially marginalized youth. Survey evidence from two years shows mixed results: treatment students demonstrated… more →
Title I and IDEA as Complementary Federal Responses: Distinguishing Opportunity-Mediated and Opportunity-Independent Underachievement
… Title I and IDEA are complementary federal responses to different sources of low achievement. Title I targets opportunity-mediated … which deficits in ordinary educational opportunity are not the primary explanation. A simple framework and stylized …Title I and IDEA are complementary federal responses to different sources of low achievement. Title I targets opportunity-mediated underachievement, while IDEA targets persistent underachievement for which deficits in ordinary educational opportunity are not the primary explanation. A simple framework and stylized simulation show that performance-based IDEA increasingly converges toward the same… more →
Americans’ Attitudes about Political Neutrality in Public Schools
… This paper presents the results of a study of Americans’ attitudes about political neutrality … can affect public oversight of American schooling and suggest a mechanism by which the political education of …This paper presents the results of a study of Americans’ attitudes about political neutrality in public schools. Using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in March of 2025, I find that Americans across the political spectrum largely oppose schools attempting to promote either liberal or conservative viewpoints. However, a survey experiment reveals that partisans are… more →
Digital Incentives in Surveys: Response Rates and Sociodemographic Effects in a Large-Scale Parental Nudge Intervention
… how digital incentives influence survey participation and engagement in a large randomized controlled trial of parents across six school districts. We test how incentive … Incentivized parents were more likely to engage in the program, from starting the survey to choosing an …This study examines how digital incentives influence survey participation and engagement in a large randomized controlled trial of parents across six school districts. We test how incentive amount and information about vendor options affect response behavior and explore differences by language background. Incentivized parents were more likely to engage in the program, from starting the survey to… more →
Is Teacher Effectiveness Fully Portable? Evidence from the Random Assignment of Transfer Incentives
… teachers transfer across very different school contexts. The Talent Transfer Initiative program created a rare natural … teachers’ prior value added is only moderately predictive of their effectiveness in low-achieving schools. Using a … by lower match quality, negative indirect school effects, and the loss of student-specific human capital. … Teacher …We examine how performance changes when teachers transfer across very different school contexts. The Talent Transfer Initiative program created a rare natural experiment to study such transfers by randomly assigning low-achieving schools the ability to offer high-performing teachers at higher-achieving schools a $20,000 transfer stipend. Forecast tests show that these high-performing teachers’… more →
Learning to Work Towards Goals: A Sequential Evaluation of the Effect of Goal-Setting Course on Academic and Soft Skills
… evaluates a soft-skills course implemented in Ugandan and Kenyan primary schools that replaced academic review time … An exploratory evaluation in Uganda provided evidence of positive impacts on girls' test scores. A confirmatory evaluation in Kenya found that the course led to improvements in self-reported soft skills, …This study sequentially evaluates a soft-skills course implemented in Ugandan and Kenyan primary schools that replaced academic review time with lessons on goal-setting and related skills as students prepared for high-stakes primary school-leaving exams. An exploratory evaluation in Uganda provided evidence of positive impacts on girls' test scores. A confirmatory evaluation in Kenya found that… more →
The Labor Market Impact of K-11 vs. K-12
… birth cohorts exogenously received different amounts of schooling. We use this natural experiment to evaluate the long-run labor market impact of having an 11-year versus … … Scott Abrahams … Paola Ugalde A. … Policy, Politics, and Governance … K-12 Education … High schools … Returns to …In 1945, Louisiana extended secondary education from 11 years to 12. Since many students followed diploma-based stopping rules, consecutive birth cohorts exogenously received different amounts of schooling. We use this natural experiment to evaluate the long-run labor market impact of having an 11-year versus a 12-year program. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we find that cohorts… more →
Labor supply, learning time, and the efficiency of school spending: Evidence from school finance reforms
… Instead, schools raised quantity measured by time diaries of staff and student hours, more than spending, with most hours added … capital … School reform … Labor supply, learning time, and the efficiency of school spending: Evidence from school …Does school spending raise achievement? I show that effects, benchmarked by schools’ daily value added, are one-tenth to one-third as large as spending growth. Using school finance reforms for identification, I show that schools did not raise quality measured by value added. Instead, schools raised quantity measured by time diaries of staff and student hours, more than spending, with most hours… more →
Bureaucracy and Burden: Understanding Take-up of a Need-Based Financial Aid Program
… college financial aid, often only reach a fraction of eligible beneficiaries. We examine this problem through the lens of Michigan’s Tuition Incentive Program (TIP), a … data on over one million Michigan public-school students, and 55 interviews with front-line administrators, high school …Social welfare programs, including college financial aid, often only reach a fraction of eligible beneficiaries. We examine this problem through the lens of Michigan’s Tuition Incentive Program (TIP), a state need-based grant aid program. We conduct a large-scale mixed-methods study using data on over one million Michigan public-school students, and 55 interviews with front-line administrators,… more →
Leveraging Modern Machine Learning to Improve Early Warning Systems and Reduce Chronic Absenteeism in Early Childhood
… This study focuses on improving the predictive power of early warning systems (EWSs) to decrease chronic … in Boston Public Schools (N=6,698), we demonstrate how and why two modern machine learning algorithms—the Synthetic …This study focuses on improving the predictive power of early warning systems (EWSs) to decrease chronic absenteeism in early childhood. Using a demographically diverse sample of students followed from PreK to third grade in Boston Public Schools (N=6,698), we demonstrate how and why two modern machine learning algorithms—the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and Extreme Gradient… more →
Recent Immigration Raids Increased Student Absences
… Local immigration raids expanded dramatically across the U.S. during the first two months of 2025. Anecdotal accounts suggest that these raids … daily times series of school absences spanning the current and two prior school years from five school districts serving …Local immigration raids expanded dramatically across the U.S. during the first two months of 2025. Anecdotal accounts suggest that these raids increased student absences from schools because parents fear being separated from their children. This study evaluates this claim using a daily times series of school absences spanning the current and two prior school years from five school districts… more →
Do Dual Enrollment Students Realize Better Long-Run Earnings? Variations in Financial Outcomes Among Key Student Groups
… after high school graduation than previously analyzed in the existing literature. Using longitudinal administrative data that span K-12, higher education, and the workforce, we conduct a propensity score analysis to … understand how dual credit participation among the class of 2011 graduates from high schools in one metropolitan area …This study considers whether dual enrollment is associated with students’ financial outcomes over a longer, twelve-year time horizon after high school graduation than previously analyzed in the existing literature. Using longitudinal administrative data that span K-12, higher education, and the workforce, we conduct a propensity score analysis to understand how dual credit participation among the… more →
Integrating Open Science Principles into Quasi-Experimental Social Science Research
… Quasi-experimental methods are a cornerstone of applied social science, providing critical answers to causal questions that inform policy and practice. Although open science principles have influenced experimental research norms across the social sciences, these practices are rarely implemented …Quasi-experimental methods are a cornerstone of applied social science, providing critical answers to causal questions that inform policy and practice. Although open science principles have influenced experimental research norms across the social sciences, these practices are rarely implemented in quasi-experimental research. In this paper, we explore how open science practices can enhance… more →
The Effects of Virtual Tutoring on Young Readers: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
… studied in grade five or above. We present findings from the first randomized controlled trial of virtual tutoring for young children (grades K-2). Students … SD). Students initially scoring well below benchmark and first graders experienced the largest gains from 1:1 …In-person tutoring has been shown to improve academic achievement. Though less well-researched, virtual tutoring has also shown a positive effect on achievement but has only been studied in grade five or above. We present findings from the first randomized controlled trial of virtual tutoring for young children (grades K-2). Students were assigned to 1:1 tutoring, 2:1 tutoring, or a control group… more →
Do the Effects Persist? An Examination of Long-term Effects After Students Leave Turnaround Schools
… received widespread attention, but a critical limitation of the current literature is the lack of evidence around whether these extensive and costly interventions improve students’ long-term outcomes …Whole-school reforms have received widespread attention, but a critical limitation of the current literature is the lack of evidence around whether these extensive and costly interventions improve students’ long-term outcomes after they leave reform schools. Leveraging Tennessee’s statewide turnaround reforms, we use difference-in-differences models to estimate the effect of attending a… more →
Ahead of the Game? Course-Taking Patterns under a Math Pathways Reform
… A controversial, equity-focused mathematics reform in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) featured … on mathematics course-taking across successive cohorts of SFUSD students who spanned the reform’s implementation. We observe large changes in ninth and tenth grades (e.g., delaying Algebra I and Geometry). …A controversial, equity-focused mathematics reform in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) featured delaying Algebra I until ninth grade for all students. This descriptive study examines student-level longitudinal data on mathematics course-taking across successive cohorts of SFUSD students who spanned the reform’s implementation. We observe large changes in ninth and tenth grades (e… more →
Relaxing Electoral Constraints in Local Education Funding
… loosened constraints on some local governments by lowering the share of votes required to pass school capital improvement bond … is concentrated in more racially diverse jurisdictions and that loosening these electoral constraints completely …We study a California policy that loosened constraints on some local governments by lowering the share of votes required to pass school capital improvement bond referendums. We show that the policy change yielded larger tax proposals that received less support from voters, yet led to a doubling of approved spending. We show that this effect is concentrated in more racially diverse jurisdictions… more →
Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students
… we find evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL … Native students’ academic outcomes, especially in the 3rd and 4th grades. Negative impacts are not found for non-Alaska … culture … Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English …Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students’ educational outcomes. This study explores this… more →
Determinants of Ethnic Differences in School Modality Choices during the COVID-19 Crisis
… A growing body of research and popular reporting shows racial differences in school modality choices during the COVID-19 crisis, with white students more likely to …A growing body of research and popular reporting shows racial differences in school modality choices during the COVID-19 crisis, with white students more likely to attend school in person. This in-person learning gap raises serious equity concerns. We use unique panel survey data to explore possible explanations. We find that a combination of factors may explain these differences. School… more →
The Effect of Charter Schools on School Segregation
… We conduct a comprehensive examination of the causal effect of charter schools on school … differences in charter expansion within school systems, and an instrumental variable approach that leverages charter …We conduct a comprehensive examination of the causal effect of charter schools on school segregation, using a triple differences design that utilizes between-grade differences in charter expansion within school systems, and an instrumental variable approach that leverages charter school opening event variation. Charter schools increase school segregation for Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian… more →
Education Leaders’ Knowledge of Causal Research Design: A Measurement Challenge
… Federal policy has both incentivized and supported better use of research evidence by educational leaders. However, the extent to which these leaders are well-positioned to …Federal policy has both incentivized and supported better use of research evidence by educational leaders. However, the extent to which these leaders are well-positioned to understand foundational principles from research design and statistics, including those that underlie the What Works Clearinghouse ratings of research studies, remains an open question. To investigate educational leaders… more →
Can Community Crime Monitoring Reduce Student Absenteeism?
… In this paper we study the impact on student absenteeism of a large school-based community crime monitoring program that employed local community members to monitor and report crime on designated city blocks during students’ …In this paper we study the impact on student absenteeism of a large school-based community crime monitoring program that employed local community members to monitor and report crime on designated city blocks during students’ travel to and from school. We find that the program resulted in a 0.78 percentage point reduction in the school-level absence rate (11 percent effect). We explore two… more →
Sibling Effects on High School Exam Taking and Performance
… Younger siblings take more advanced high school course end of year exams when their older siblings perform better in those same exams. Using a regression discontinuity and data from millions of siblings who take Advanced … are more likely to take at least one AP exam, increase the total number of AP exams, and are more likely to take the …Younger siblings take more advanced high school course end of year exams when their older siblings perform better in those same exams. Using a regression discontinuity and data from millions of siblings who take Advanced Placement (AP) exams, we show that younger siblings with older siblings who marginally “pass” an AP exam are more likely to take at least one AP exam, increase the total number… more →
Experimentally Estimated Impacts of School Vouchers on Educational Attainments of Moderately and Severely Disadvantaged Students
… Although qualitative research suggests that school choice and other interventions are more beneficial for moderately disadvantaged than severely deprived students, the subject has barely been explored by quantitative studies … designs. We estimate experimentally the impact of a voucher offer on college attainment of poor minority …Although qualitative research suggests that school choice and other interventions are more beneficial for moderately disadvantaged than severely deprived students, the subject has barely been explored by quantitative studies with either observational or experimental designs. We estimate experimentally the impact of a voucher offer on college attainment of poor minority students by household… more →
Child beliefs, societal beliefs, and teacher-student identity match
… beliefs impact teacher-student gender match effects, and how this varies across subjects with different societal … about differential ability by gender. A simple model of belief formation predicts that match effects will be … persist but diminish. This yields policy implications for the assignment of teachers to students. … gender; beliefs; …Children routinely benefit from being assigned a teacher who shares an identity with them, such as gender or ethnicity. We study how student beliefs impact teacher-student gender match effects, and how this varies across subjects with different societal beliefs about differential ability by gender. A simple model of belief formation predicts that match effects will be larger for students who… more →
Teacher peer observation and student test scores: Evidence from a field experiment in English secondary schools
… measured by student test scores, resulting from a program of (zero-) low-stakes peer evaluation. Teachers working at the same school observed and scored each other’s teaching. Students in …This paper reports improvements in teacher job performance, as measured by student test scores, resulting from a program of (zero-) low-stakes peer evaluation. Teachers working at the same school observed and scored each other’s teaching. Students in randomly-assigned treatment schools scored 0.07σ higher on math and English exams (0.09σ lower-bound on TOT). Within each treatment school, teachers… more →
Virtual Advising for High-Achieving High School Students
… selective colleges. We test this approach using a sample of approximately 16,000 high-achieving, low- and middle-income students identified by the College Board and randomly assigned to receive virtual …We examine whether virtual advising – college counseling using technology to communicate remotely – increases postsecondary enrollment in selective colleges. We test this approach using a sample of approximately 16,000 high-achieving, low- and middle-income students identified by the College Board and randomly assigned to receive virtual advising from the College Advising Corps. The offer of… more →
Local Signals in a Global Tournament: Information Frictions, Optimism, and College Completion
… children’s skills, such as class rank in high school, yet the college market in which most students ultimately compete is much broader. Using nationally-representative data, we show that student effort, parental investment, and beliefs about college degree attainment all respond …Families frequently receive local signals about children’s skills, such as class rank in high school, yet the college market in which most students ultimately compete is much broader. Using nationally-representative data, we show that student effort, parental investment, and beliefs about college degree attainment all respond predominantly to local ranks as opposed to global ranks, despite both… more →
Unpacking Treatment Effect Heterogeneity in a Large-Scale Dropout-Prevention Experiment
… step in successful transitions to post-secondary schooling and the labor market. This randomized controlled trial, deployed … disadvantaged school districts, tests the effectiveness of a mature and comprehensive student-support program on an …Timely high school completion is a critical step in successful transitions to post-secondary schooling and the labor market. This randomized controlled trial, deployed in two urban, disadvantaged school districts, tests the effectiveness of a mature and comprehensive student-support program on an unusually large scale (n=2,528). While overall effects on graduation rates are small and… more →
Long-term Consequences of Early Access to Educational Opportunity
… This paper examines the long-term consequences of tracking in middle school. Using longitudinal … administrative data from a large, urban school district and regression and quasi-experimental matching methods, we …This paper examines the long-term consequences of tracking in middle school. Using longitudinal administrative data from a large, urban school district and regression and quasi-experimental matching methods, we find that students who had the opportunity to take advanced math earned higher math test scores, completed more rigorous high school coursework, and were more likely to attend a four-year… more →
Classroom Composition Affects Teacher Performance Ratings
… should reflect teaching performance rather than the characteristics of the students assigned to a teacher. Exploiting naturally … whether teacher performance ratings assigned by evaluators and students are influenced by classroom context. We find …Teacher evaluations should reflect teaching performance rather than the characteristics of the students assigned to a teacher. Exploiting naturally occurring year-to-year variation in classroom composition within teachers, this paper examines whether teacher performance ratings assigned by evaluators and students are influenced by classroom context. We find that teachers with higher-achieving and… more →
Bulwark or Barrier? The Effect of Academic Criteria-Based Reclassification on the High School Outcomes of Multilingual Learners in Texas
… in upper grades. We use administrative data from Texas and a regression discontinuity design to estimate the effect of using academic criteria to reclassify students at the end …English learner (EL) classification can provide multilingual students (MLs) with key supports while simultaneously limiting access to important educational opportunities. To determine when students are ready to exit EL status, some states require students to meet academic criteria in addition to demonstrated English proficiency. However, few studies empirically examine these criteria, which may… more →
Assessing Permanent School Closures: A Conceptual Framework
… Amid widespread declining enrollment, the expiration of COVID-19 ESSER funding, and looming uncertainty in federal P-12 education …Amid widespread declining enrollment, the expiration of COVID-19 ESSER funding, and looming uncertainty in federal P-12 education involvement, many school districts may soon consider permanent school closures. While extant permanent school closure literature provides a starting point for future analyses, it often fails to advise the breadth of contexts in which future closures may occur, limiting… more →
The Influence of Partisanship in Local School Board Elections: Evidence from Exit Polling in Michigan & Rhode Island
… Education in the U.S. has long been shaped by local school boards elected … data from 839 voters in Michigan (nonpartisan elections) and Rhode Island (partisan elections), we examine how school … … K-12 Education … School districts … The Influence of Partisanship in Local School Board Elections: Evidence …Education in the U.S. has long been shaped by local school boards elected in nonpartisan contests, a structure intended to shield schools from broader political forces. Today, many states are considering reforms to make school board elections partisan, yet the impact on voters remains unclear. Using exit poll data from 839 voters in Michigan (nonpartisan elections) and Rhode Island (partisan… more →
Early Impacts of the FAFSA Requirement in Texas
… complete a financial aid application. This paper examines the early impacts of this requirement on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates and college enrollment using a difference-in-differences …In 2021−22, Texas implemented a policy requiring all public high school seniors to complete a financial aid application. This paper examines the early impacts of this requirement on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates and college enrollment using a difference-in-differences model. First, using a sample of high schools in Texas, I find that the FAFSA requirement… more →
The Differential Sorting of Disadvantaged Students in the Competitive K-12 Market
… for disadvantaged students, but do they take advantage of such options? I study the sorting patterns of students with prior child welfare … across traditional public, magnet, charter, and private schools in a mid-sized city. These students are …School choice options offer potential educational gains for disadvantaged students, but do they take advantage of such options? I study the sorting patterns of students with prior child welfare reports (12 percent of incoming kindergartners) across traditional public, magnet, charter, and private schools in a mid-sized city. These students are significantly less likely to opt out of traditional… more →
Overpoliced? A Descriptive Portrait of School-Based Targeted Police Interventions in New York City
… This study provides a descriptive analysis of police intervention as a response to student behavior in New York City public schools. We find that between the 2016/17 and 2021/22 academic years, arrests and juvenile referrals …This study provides a descriptive analysis of police intervention as a response to student behavior in New York City public schools. We find that between the 2016/17 and 2021/22 academic years, arrests and juvenile referrals decreased while non-detainment-based and psychiatric police interventions increased. However, Black students, especially those enrolled in schools located in predominantly… more →
When Money Matters Most: Unpacking the Effectiveness of School Spending
… lever to increase educational equality by race, ethnicity, and income, but it remains unclear how to target funds most … We use close tax elections in 9 states to identify effects of operating funds and close bond elections in 8 states to … Finance … Inequality … When Money Matters Most: Unpacking the Effectiveness of School Spending …Targeted school funding is a potentially valuable policy lever to increase educational equality by race, ethnicity, and income, but it remains unclear how to target funds most effectively. We use a regression discontinuity approach to compare districts that narrowly passed or failed a school funding election. We use close tax elections in 9 states to identify effects of operating funds and close… more →
Grow Your Own: An Umbrella Term for Very Different Localized Teacher Pipeline Programs
… teacher supply, address localized teacher shortages, and diversify the profession. However, little is known about the scale and design of GYO programs, which recruit and support individuals from …“Grow Your Own” (GYO) programs have recently emerged as a promising approach to expand teacher supply, address localized teacher shortages, and diversify the profession. However, little is known about the scale and design of GYO programs, which recruit and support individuals from the local community to become teachers. We conduct a quantitative content analysis to describe 94 GYO initiatives. We… more →
Interscholastic Policy Debate Promotes Critical Thinking and College-going: Evidence From Boston Public Schools
… extracurricular activity focused on improving middle and high schoolers’ critical thinking, argumentation, and … skills—in Boston schools serving large concentrations of economically-disadvantaged students of color. Student … positive impacts on ELA test scores of 0.13 SD, equivalent to 68% of a full year of average 9th grade learning. Gains …Few interventions reduce inequality in reading achievement, let alone higher order thinking skills, among adolescents. We study “policy debate”—an extracurricular activity focused on improving middle and high schoolers’ critical thinking, argumentation, and policy analysis skills—in Boston schools serving large concentrations of economically-disadvantaged students of color. Student fixed effects… more →
Cream Skimming and Pushout of Students Participating in a Statewide Private School Voucher Program
… A pervasive issue in the school choice literature is whether schools of choice cream-skim students by enrolling high-achieving, … Berends … School Choice … K-12 Education … Equity … Access and admissions … Markets (vouchers, choice, for-profits, …A pervasive issue in the school choice literature is whether schools of choice cream-skim students by enrolling high-achieving, less challenging, or less costly students. Similarly, schools of choice may “pushout” low-achieving, more challenging, or more costly students. Using longitudinal student-level data from Indiana, we created multiple measures to examine whether there is evidence… more →
Beyond Teachers: Estimating Individual Guidance Counselors’ Effects on Educational Attainment
… common school resource for students navigating complicated and con- sequential education choices. I estimate counselors’ causal effects using quasi-random assignment policies in Massachusetts. … effects on educational attainment are similar in magnitude to teacher effects, but they flow through improved …Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and con- sequential education choices. I estimate counselors’ causal effects using quasi-random assignment policies in Massachusetts. Counselors vary substantially in their effectiveness at increasing high school graduation and college attendance, selectivity, and persistence. Counselor effects on educational attainment… more →