EdWorkingPapers
How to “QuantCrit:” Practices and Questions for Education Data Researchers and Users
… is a rapidly developing approach that seeks to challenge and improve the use of statistical data in social research by applying the …‘QuantCrit’ (Quantitative Critical Race Theory) is a rapidly developing approach that seeks to challenge and improve the use of statistical data in social research by applying the insights of Critical Race Theory. As originally formulated, QuantCrit rests on five principles; 1) the centrality of racism; 2) numbers are not neutral; 3) categories are not natural; 4) voice and insight (data cannot ‘… more →
The Role of Comprehensive Student Support Interventions during School Turnaround
… The persistence of underperformance in schools within large urban districts … turnaround with comprehensive student support intervention and the timing of the implementation of the intervention … efforts demonstrate improvement in math and English language arts compared to those not implementing the …The persistence of underperformance in schools within large urban districts remains a significant challenge in the U.S. K-12 education system. Education policymakers have enacted legislation aiming at improving these schools through ``turnaround'' initiatives. However, students attending underperforming schools face multifaceted challenges that extend beyond the classroom. Therefore,… more →
Testing, Teacher Turnover and the Distribution of Teachers Across Grades and Schools
… turnover has adverse consequences for student achievement and imposes large financial costs for schools. Some have … to teacher attrition. In this paper, we exploit changes in the tested grades and subjects in Georgia to study the effects of eliminating high-stakes testing on teacher turnover and …Teacher turnover has adverse consequences for student achievement and imposes large financial costs for schools. Some have argued that high-stakes testing may lower teachers’ satisfaction with their jobs and could be a major contributor to teacher attrition. In this paper, we exploit changes in the tested grades and subjects in Georgia to study the effects of eliminating high-stakes testing on… more →
Community College Bachelor's Degrees: How CCB Graduates' Earnings Compare to AAs and BAs
… We provide the first national descriptive analysis of the economic value of Community College Baccalaureate … earnings, the costs of completing these programs, and the alignment between field of study and subsequent …We provide the first national descriptive analysis of the economic value of Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) degrees by examining graduates’ early-career earnings, the costs of completing these programs, and the alignment between field of study and subsequent employment. Using administrative data and controlling for institution and field, we find that CCB graduates earn $4,000 to $9,000 more… more →
Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? An Analysis of Pension Structure and Retirement Timing
… Over the last two decades, t wenty-two states have moved away from traditional defined benefit (DB) pension systems and toward pension plan structures like the defined … are considering such a reform as it is seen as a means of limiting future pension funding risk. It is important to …Over the last two decades, twenty-two states have moved away from traditional defined benefit (DB) pension systems and toward pension plan structures like the defined contribution (DC) plans now prevalent in the private sector. Others are considering such a reform as it is seen as a means of limiting future pension funding risk. It is important to understand the implications of such reforms for… more →
Public Higher Education Costs and College Enrollment
… How have changes in the costs of enrolling for full-time study at public 2-year and 4-year colleges have affected the decisions about whether …How have changes in the costs of enrolling for full-time study at public 2-year and 4-year colleges have affected the decisions about whether and where to enroll in college? We exploit local differences in the growth of tuition at community colleges and public 4-year colleges to study the impact of public higher education costs on the postsecondary enrollment decisions of high school graduates… more →
Empty Plates, Empty Seats: Food Insecurity and Student Absence in the US and Across the Globe
… Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in student absenteeism in the US and elsewhere. Meanwhile, food insecurity remains a … We used multi-level zero-inflated Poisson regression to analyze novel, individual-level data of about half a …Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in student absenteeism in the US and elsewhere. Meanwhile, food insecurity remains a persistent issue across the globe, including in the US. Food insecurity shapes students’ immediate and wider contexts and may worsen school attendance. Applying ecological systems theory, we examined the relationship between food insecurity… more →
On the Margin: Who Receives a Juvenile Referral in School and What Effect Does It Have?
… Involvement with the juvenile justice system carries immense consequences both to detained youth and to society more broadly. Extant research on the … suspension with less attention on understanding the impact of school referrals to the juvenile justice system on …Involvement with the juvenile justice system carries immense consequences both to detained youth and to society more broadly. Extant research on the “school-to-prison pipeline” often focuses on school disciplinary practices such as suspension with less attention on understanding the impact of school referrals to the juvenile justice system on students. Using novel administrative data from North… more →
Racialized Reactivity: How Metrics-Formation Contributed to a Racialized Organizational Order in Medical Education
… A common point of contention across education policy debates is whether and how facially race-neutral metrics of quality produce or … interrogating this relationship, as many scholars point to the 1910, Carnegie-funded Flexner Report—which proposed …A common point of contention across education policy debates is whether and how facially race-neutral metrics of quality produce or maintain racialized inequities. Medical education is a useful site for interrogating this relationship, as many scholars point to the 1910, Carnegie-funded Flexner Report—which proposed standardized quality metrics—as a main driver of the closure of five of the seven… more →
Are Connections the Way to Get Ahead? Social Capital, Student Achievement, Friendships, and Social Mobility
… Chetty et al. (2022) say county density of cross-class friendships (referred to here as … capital”) has causal impacts on social mobility within the United States. We instead find that social mobility rates … of county density of family capital (higher marriage rates and two-person households), community capital (community …Chetty et al. (2022) say county density of cross-class friendships (referred to here as “adult-bridging capital”) has causal impacts on social mobility within the United States. We instead find that social mobility rates are a function of county density of family capital (higher marriage rates and two-person households), community capital (community organizations, religious congregations, and… more →
Public Investments and Class Gaps in Parents’ Developmental Expenditures
… Families and governments are the primary sources of investment in children, proving access to basic resources …Families and governments are the primary sources of investment in children, proving access to basic resources and other developmental opportunities. Recent research identifies significant class gaps in parental investments that contribute to high levels of inequality by family income and education and, potentially, to inequality in children’s development. State-level public… more →
The Unintended Effects of the Common Core State Standards on Non-Targeted Subjects
… states have aligned their education standards by adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English Language Arts. The CCSS did not target other … such as science and social studies. We estimate spillovers of the CCSS on student achievement in non-targeted subjects …From 2010 onwards, most US states have aligned their education standards by adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English Language Arts. The CCSS did not target other subjects such as science and social studies. We estimate spillovers of the CCSS on student achievement in non-targeted subjects in models with state and year fixed effects. Using student achievement data from… more →
Uniform Admissions, Unequal Access: Did the Top 10% Plan Increase Access to Selective Flagship Institutions?
… The Top 10% Plan admissions policy has now been in place in Texas for over two decades. We analyze 18 years of post-Top 10% Plan data to look for evidence of increased … benefits of the policy appear to be overstated and may not go as far as advocates might have hoped in terms …The Top 10% Plan admissions policy has now been in place in Texas for over two decades. We analyze 18 years of post-Top 10% Plan data to look for evidence of increased access to the selective Texas flagship campuses among all Texas high schools. We provide a detailed description of changes in enrollment patterns at the flagship campuses from Texas high schools after the implementation of the Top… more →
Diversifying the Teaching Profession: How to Recruit and Retain Teachers of Color
… Research illustrates the importance of greater teacher diversity because of the substantial … benefits teachers of color provide to all students, and to students of color in particular. Studies also show …Research illustrates the importance of greater teacher diversity because of the substantial benefits teachers of color provide to all students, and to students of color in particular. Studies also show that policies must focus more effectively on retention of teachers of color, if diversity in the teaching profession is to be sustained. While more teachers of color are being recruited than in… more →
College Students and Career Aspirations: Nudging Student Interest in Teaching
… students at a large public university to understand the pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors driving their college major and … will pursue teaching, almost 27% report a nonzero chance of working as a teacher in the future. Students, relative to …We survey undergraduate students at a large public university to understand the pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors driving their college major and career decisions with a focus on K-12 teaching. While the average student reports there is a 6% chance they will pursue teaching, almost 27% report a nonzero chance of working as a teacher in the future. Students, relative to existing statistics,… more →
Do Civic Infrastructures Predict Student Outcomes? Comparing Grassroots and Professional Education Nonprofits
… Local civic infrastructures—the networks of organizations, relations, and community resources supporting schools—can shape …Local civic infrastructures—the networks of organizations, relations, and community resources supporting schools—can shape education policy and practice, yet evidence of their relationship to student outcomes remains limited. We examine this relationship using a novel panel dataset of US education nonprofits from 2010 to 2019, geocoded and linked to over 10,000 school districts. Grassroots… more →
The Enduring Struggle of Standards-Based Reform: Lessons from a National Research Center on College and Career-Ready Standards
… Standards have been at the heart of state and federal efforts to improve education for several …Standards have been at the heart of state and federal efforts to improve education for several decades. Most recently, standards-based reforms have evolved with a focus on more ambitious "college- and career-ready" (CCR) standards. This paper synthesizes the results of a seven-year national research center focused on the implementation and effects of CCR standards. The paper draws on… more →
Experimental education research: clarifying why, how and when to use random assignment
… Over the last twenty years, education researchers have … conducted randomised experiments with the goal of informing the decisions of educators and policymakers. Such experiments have generally employed …Over the last twenty years, education researchers have increasingly conducted randomised experiments with the goal of informing the decisions of educators and policymakers. Such experiments have generally employed broad, consequential, standardised outcome measures in the hope that this would allow decisionmakers to compare effectiveness of different approaches. However, a combination of small… more →
What Drives Special Education Spending: Evidence from Texas School Districts
… observable indicators such as disability classifications and educational placements to allocate resources, yet limited … exists regarding whether these indicators correspond to the expenditures districts incur serving students with … indicate that districts serving larger proportions of students in highly self-contained placements and districts …Special education finance systems rely on observable indicators such as disability classifications and educational placements to allocate resources, yet limited evidence exists regarding whether these indicators correspond to the expenditures districts incur serving students with disabilities. This study examines variation in special education spending across Texas public school districts… more →
The Lingering Legacy of Redlining on School Funding, Diversity, and Performance
… Between 1935-1940 the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) assigned A (minimal … reflected their lending risk from previously issued loans and visualized these grades on color-coded maps, which … In this study, we leverage a spatial analysis of 144 HOLC-graded core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) to …Between 1935-1940 the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) assigned A (minimal risk) to D (hazardous) grades to neighborhoods that reflected their lending risk from previously issued loans and visualized these grades on color-coded maps, which arguably influenced banks and other mortgage lenders to provide or deny home loans within residential neighborhoods. In this study, we leverage a spatial… more →
The Reform Logics of Teaching: How Institutionalized Conceptions of Teaching Shape Teacher Professional Identity
… Teachers’ professional identities are the foundation of their practice. Previous scholarship has largely … across four US states (California, New York, Florida, and Texas), and develop an original survey measure to capture …Teachers’ professional identities are the foundation of their practice. Previous scholarship has largely overlooked the extent to which the broader institutional environment shapes teachers’ professional identities. In this study, I bridge institutional logics with theory on teacher professional identity to empirically examine the deeply institutionalized, taken-for-granted ways American society… more →
The impact of increasing school resources on peer victimization: Evidence from targeted funding on low-income families in Chile
… While a large body of literature has examined the impact of school spending on … about its effect on students’ socioemotional development and school experiences. This study contributes to narrowing …While a large body of literature has examined the impact of school spending on academic outcomes, far less is known about its effect on students’ socioemotional development and school experiences. This study contributes to narrowing this gap by evaluating the impact of a nationwide school finance reform in Chile on peer victimization in high schools. The reform significantly increased school… more →
Correspondence Measures for Assessing Replication Success
… Given recent evidence challenging the replicability of results in the social and behavioral sciences, critical questions have been raised …Given recent evidence challenging the replicability of results in the social and behavioral sciences, critical questions have been raised about appropriate measures for determining replication success in comparing effect estimates across studies. At issue is the fact that conclusions about replication success often depend on the measure used for evaluating correspondence in… more →
How America’s Schools Responded to the COVID Crisis
… COVID-19 has forced essentially all schools in the country to close their doors to inperson activities. In … across school types. We focus on five main constructs of school activity during COVID-19: personalization and engagement in instruction, personalization and engagement …COVID-19 has forced essentially all schools in the country to close their doors to inperson activities. In this study, we provide new evidence about variation in school responses across school types. We focus on five main constructs of school activity during COVID-19: personalization and engagement in instruction, personalization and engagement in other school communication with students,… more →
Beyond the Shutdown: Tracking Language Growth in Early Head Start Children Before, During, and After COVID-19
… early language outcomes for low-income children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important concern for researchers, policymakers, and educators. We examined language environments and language …Understanding early language outcomes for low-income children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important concern for researchers, policymakers, and educators. We examined language environments and language development among infants and toddlers in Early Head Start from pre-COVID, through the pandemic peak and beyond to 2025. Study children were aged 2-43 months (N = 2,763; 47% girls; 42… more →
New Places, New Players, a New Politics of Education
… In the last decade, many political conflicts over K-12 education … it may seem like this development represents a sudden and surprising departure from a long-standing tradition of bipartisanship, I argue that the politics of education has …In the last decade, many political conflicts over K-12 education in the United States have increasingly divided along party lines. While it may seem like this development represents a sudden and surprising departure from a long-standing tradition of bipartisanship, I argue that the politics of education has been gradually growing more exposed to partisan conflict over a much longer period of time… more →
Bring in the Subs: A Mixed-Method Investigation of the Substitute Teacher Labor Market in Michigan
… function, yet little research has focused on understanding the contours of the substitute labor market. This paper uses a mixed … of substitute teachers, state administrative data, and interviews with district administrators and substitute …Substitute teachers play a crucial role in how schools can function, yet little research has focused on understanding the contours of the substitute labor market. This paper uses a mixed method approach, including a survey of a random sample of the population of substitute teachers, state administrative data, and interviews with district administrators and substitute teachers in Michigan to… more →
The Decline in Teacher Working Conditions During and After the COVID Pandemic
… 2016-17 to 2022-23, covering school years before, during, and after the COVID pandemic. We show working conditions were improving … the pandemic arrived. Perhaps more surprisingly, the peak of the pandemic was not a low point for teacher working …We study changes to teacher working conditions from 2016-17 to 2022-23, covering school years before, during, and after the COVID pandemic. We show working conditions were improving leading into the pandemic but declined when the pandemic arrived. Perhaps more surprisingly, the peak of the pandemic was not a low point for teacher working conditions, which have continued to decline during the post… more →
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? The Gap between Students’ Test Performance and Teachers’ Estimations in India and Bangladesh
… This is one of the first studies of the mismatch between students’ test scores and teachers’ estimations of those scores in low- and … leverage data on actual and estimated scores in math and language from India and Bangladesh and find that teachers …This is one of the first studies of the mismatch between students’ test scores and teachers’ estimations of those scores in low- and middle-income countries. Prior studies in high-income countries have found strong correlations between these metrics. We leverage data on actual and estimated scores in math and language from India and Bangladesh and find that teachers misestimate their students’… more →
The Democratic Deficit in U.S. Education Governance
… Political scientists have largely overlooked the democratic challenges inherent in the governance of U.S. public education—despite profound implications for educational delivery and, ultimately, social mobility and economic growth. In this …Political scientists have largely overlooked the democratic challenges inherent in the governance of U.S. public education—despite profound implications for educational delivery and, ultimately, social mobility and economic growth. In this study, we consider whether the interests of adult voters who elect school boards in each community are likely to be aligned with the educational needs of local… more →
Effects of the Flipped Classroom: Evidence from a Randomized Trial
… pedagogical model, students view a video lecture at home and work on exercises with the instructor during class time. Advocates of the flipped classroom claim the practice not only improves …In a flipped classroom, an increasingly popular pedagogical model, students view a video lecture at home and work on exercises with the instructor during class time. Advocates of the flipped classroom claim the practice not only improves student achievement, but also ameliorates the achievement gap. We conduct a randomized controlled trial at West Point and find that the flipped classroom… more →
Bidirectional associations between executive function and social behavior across childhood: A registered report using a nationally representative sample
… Executive function (EF) refers to a set of cognitive skills involved in deliberate, goal-oriented … research has established links between children’s EF and aspects of their social skills, it remains unclear how EF … such as prosociality and social aggression. Additionally, the co-development of EF and social behavior during childhood …Executive function (EF) refers to a set of cognitive skills involved in deliberate, goal-oriented behavior. Although research has established links between children’s EF and aspects of their social skills, it remains unclear how EF skills are related to specific social behaviors, such as prosociality and social aggression. Additionally, the co-development of EF and social behavior during… more →
Who refers whom? The effects of teacher characteristics on disciplinary office referrals
… Teachers affect a wide range of students’ educational and social outcomes, but how they … in school discipline is less understood. We estimate the impact of teacher demographics and other observed …Teachers affect a wide range of students’ educational and social outcomes, but how they contribute to students’ involvement in school discipline is less understood. We estimate the impact of teacher demographics and other observed qualifications on students’ likelihood of receiving a disciplinary referral. Using data that track all disciplinary referrals and the identity of both the referred and… more →
Estimating Student Growth on Psychological and Social-emotional Constructs: A Comparison of Multiple Scoring Approaches
… A huge portion of what we know about how humans develop, learn, behave, and interact is based on survey data. Researchers use longitudinal growth modeling to understand the development of students on psychological and …A huge portion of what we know about how humans develop, learn, behave, and interact is based on survey data. Researchers use longitudinal growth modeling to understand the development of students on psychological and social-emotional learning constructs across elementary and middle school. In these designs, students are typically administered a consistent set of self-report survey items across… more →
GenAI-101: What Undergraduate Students Need to Know and Actually Know About Generative AI
… various applications in education, from Socratic tutoring and writing assistance to teacher training and essay scoring. … widespread use among high school and college students in the United States, there is limited research on students’ understanding and perception of these technologies. This study aims to fill that gap by …In November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, a groundbreaking generative AI chatbot backed by large language models (LLMs). Since then, these models have seen various applications in education, from Socratic tutoring and writing assistance to teacher training and essay scoring. Despite their widespread use among high school and college students in the United States, there is limited research on… more →
Testing frequency and student achievement: A systematic review
… Proponents argue that testing ensures accountability and guides teachers and managers, whereas opponents point to adverse consequences such as teaching to the test, and frequent testing creating anxiety and stress. This review examined the effects of interventions that change how frequently primary and …School-based testing is widely used for monitoring students’ academic progress. Proponents argue that testing ensures accountability and guides teachers and managers, whereas opponents point to adverse consequences such as teaching to the test, and frequent testing creating anxiety and stress. This review examined the effects of interventions that change how frequently primary and second-ary… more →
Education and Climate Change: Synthesizing the Evidence to Guide Future Research
… The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible across … U.S. PreK-12 education system. Schools are both vulnerable to climate change and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. We …The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible across all aspects of the U.S. PreK-12 education system. Schools are both vulnerable to climate change and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. We synthesize interdisciplinary research and data to illustrate the bi-directional relationship between schools and our changing climate. Drawing on this evidence, we map out a… more →
The Four Day Gamble: The Quasi-Experimental Effects of Four-Day School Week Adoption on Teacher, Principal, and Paraprofessional Staff Turnover and District Financial Outcomes
… districts that are seeking to reduce educator turnover and district expenditures. Using a staggered treatment event study design, I am among the first to estimate the quasi-experimental effects of 4DSW adoption on teacher, principal, and paraprofessional …Four-day school week (4DSW) adoption is an increasingly popular policy, particularly for rural districts that are seeking to reduce educator turnover and district expenditures. Using a staggered treatment event study design, I am among the first to estimate the quasi-experimental effects of 4DSW adoption on teacher, principal, and paraprofessional staff turnover. Further, I provide a valuable… more →
Teacher Working Conditions and Dissatisfaction Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
… With a goal of contextualizing teacher job dissatisfaction during the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we contrast teachers’ experiences to the decade and a half leading up to the pandemic. We draw on nationally …With a goal of contextualizing teacher job dissatisfaction during the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we contrast teachers’ experiences to the decade and a half leading up to the pandemic. We draw on nationally representative data from the Schools and Staffing Survey and National Teacher and Principal Survey from the 2003-04 to 2020-21 school years. Through descriptive and… more →
How Context Shapes the Relationship between School Autonomy and Test-Scores: An Explanatory Analysis using PISA 2015
… School autonomy has been and continues to be one of the most important education reform strategies around the …School autonomy has been and continues to be one of the most important education reform strategies around the world despite ambiguity about its theoretical and empirical effects on students learning. We use international data from PISA to test three country-level factors that might account for inconsistent results in prior literature: (1) the selective implementation of school autonomy based on… more →
Uncovering the sources of gender wage gaps among teachers: The role of compensation off the salary schedule
… male peers after controlling for experience, education, and school characteristics. Building on this literature, this … examines teacher salaries to provide empirical evidence of the extent of gender wage gaps in the teaching profession …Public teacher compensation is largely determined by fixed salary schedules that were designed to avoid payment inequalities based on demographic characteristics. Yet, recent research shows female teachers earn less than their male peers after controlling for experience, education, and school characteristics. Building on this literature, this paper examines teacher salaries to provide empirical… more →
The Dynamic Market for Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs
… (SCPs) form skilled human capital in two or three years and could be key to upskilling and reskilling the workforce, provided their supply responds fast and nimbly to local labor market needs. We study determinants of SCP entry and exit in Colombia for markets defined by …Short-cycle higher education programs (SCPs) form skilled human capital in two or three years and could be key to upskilling and reskilling the workforce, provided their supply responds fast and nimbly to local labor market needs. We study determinants of SCP entry and exit in Colombia for markets defined by geographic location and field of study. We show greater dynamism in the market for SCPs… more →
Best and Brightest? The Impact of Student Visa Restrictiveness on Who Attends College in the US
… international students to obtain F-1 visas. Yet, before the COVID-19 pandemic, student visa applicants already faced … approximately 27 percent refusal rate that varies by time and region. Using data on the universe of SAT takers between 2004 and 2015 matched with college …Recent immigration policies have created massive uncertainty for international students to obtain F-1 visas. Yet, before the COVID-19 pandemic, student visa applicants already faced an approximately 27 percent refusal rate that varies by time and region. Using data on the universe of SAT takers between 2004 and 2015 matched with college enrollment records, we examine how the anticipated F-1 visa… more →
Nudges Don’t Work When the Benefits Are Ambiguous: Evidence from a High-Stakes Education Program
… expose high school students to college-level content and provide the opportunity to earn college credits, in part to smooth … the transition to college. With the Tennessee Department of Education, we conduct the first randomized controlled …Dual-credit courses expose high school students to college-level content and provide the opportunity to earn college credits, in part to smooth the transition to college. With the Tennessee Department of Education, we conduct the first randomized controlled trial of the effects of dual-credit math coursework on a range of high school and college outcomes. We find that the dual-credit advanced… more →
The Role of Emergency Financial Relief Funding in Improving Low-Income Students’ Academic and Financial Outcomes Across Demographic Characteristics
… This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a one-time emergency financial relief program among Pell … pursuing their first bachelor’s degree across academic and financial outcomes. The academic outcomes included …This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a one-time emergency financial relief program among Pell Grant eligible undergraduate students in Spring 2015 pursuing their first bachelor’s degree across academic and financial outcomes. The academic outcomes included retention to the next semester, degree completion, attempted credit hours, and grade point average. The financial… more →
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Corequisite English Developmental Education: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Texas Community Colleges
… We estimate the societal costs associated with corequisite and traditional pre-requisite English developmental education … by Miller et al. (2022) that estimated the effects of three different approaches to English corequisites …We estimate the societal costs associated with corequisite and traditional pre-requisite English developmental education and compare them to societal benefits. Our context is the randomized controlled trial conducted by Miller et al. (2022) that estimated the effects of three different approaches to English corequisites implemented in 5 Texas community colleges. The main drivers of differential… more →
Does Coursework Matter? Uncovering the Role of Skills in the Returns to College
… The continuing shift of the U.S. economy toward a high-skill base has increased … of literature in labor economics has focused on the causes and consequences of college enrollment, institutional … course descriptions from Texas public universities. Using a large language model (GPT-4), I construct …The continuing shift of the U.S. economy toward a high-skill base has increased the demand for college-educated workers. To understand how higher education prepares students for this evolving economy, a large body of literature in labor economics has focused on the causes and consequences of college enrollment, institutional selectivity, and major choice. Much less attention has been paid to a… more →
Using experimental variation to examine the (co-)development of cognitive and social-emotional skills in early childhood
… How cognitive and social-emotional skills emerges in childhood is a central … in developmental psychology. Despite a proliferation of theory and empirical work, the field has struggled to establish causal effects. We …How cognitive and social-emotional skills emerges in childhood is a central question in developmental psychology. Despite a proliferation of theory and empirical work, the field has struggled to establish causal effects. We employed a novel approach to test the stability and codevelopment of cognitive and social-emotional skills in early childhood using longitudinal randomized controlled trial… more →
School-based language, math, and reading interventions for executive functions in children and adolescents: A systematic review
… Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills and processes used when directing behaviour towards the attainment of a certain goal. A large literature has …Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills and processes used when directing behaviour towards the attainment of a certain goal. A large literature has documented positive associations between executive functions and a variety of desirable outcomes throughout life, including academic achievement. However, training executive functions appears to have limited effects on academic achievement… more →
Staffing and Resource Allocation in College Access Reform: How Dual Credit Shifts Educational Costs
… that confers credit towards both high school graduation and a postsecondary degree. As DC has grown rapidly across the country, this study provides needed evidence about how … . We use economic evaluation methods to assess the cost of DC across three delivery models, where DC is administered …Objective. Dual credit (DC), or dual enrollment, is college-level coursework that confers credit towards both high school graduation and a postsecondary degree. As DC has grown rapidly across the country, this study provides needed evidence about how these courses shift resources and cost burdens among community colleges, school districts, and families.Methods. We use economic evaluation methods… more →