EdWorkingPapers
The West Texas Measles Outbreak and Student Absences
… rates are driving a measles resurgence in the US, yet little evidence documents how these outbreaks may … daily absence data from a school district at the center of the West Texas outbreak, this preregistered analysis finds … infections, suggesting substantial precautionary absences and possible infection undercounting. These findings provide …Declining child-vaccination rates are driving a measles resurgence in the US, yet little evidence documents how these outbreaks may disrupt schooling. Using daily absence data from a school district at the center of the West Texas outbreak, this preregistered analysis finds absences increased 41 percent relative to the within-year variation from two prior years, with larger effects among younger… more →
The Cobb Teaching & Learning System: An Initiative that Advances Educator Collaboration, Transformative Technology, and Real-Time Data Utilization
… The Cobb Teaching & Learning System (CTLS) is a digital learning initiative developed for and by the Cobb County School District (CCSD) in Georgia. … Looking at district-by-district comparisons, Cobb’s level of achievement and learning recovery resembles that of higher …The Cobb Teaching & Learning System (CTLS) is a digital learning initiative developed for and by the Cobb County School District (CCSD) in Georgia. CTLS became a crucial initiative used by the district to maintain student academic progress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this case study seeks to analyze CTLS’s design and implementation, focusing on digital… more →
Resegregating the Academy: How Anti-DEI Politics Dismantle Faculty Racial Equity Infrastructure
… Since 2021, state legislatures and then the federal government have moved to dismantle … argue that the supports under assault constitute a system of faculty racial equity infrastructure spanning K-12 …Since 2021, state legislatures and then the federal government have moved to dismantle programs and offices built over seventy-five years to reduce barriers for racially marginalized people in American higher education—losses largely examined in scholarship and media piecemeal, one policy or state at a time. We argue that the supports under assault constitute a system of faculty racial equity… more →
Closing gaps for racial minorities and immigrants through school-to-work linkages and occupational match
… This study investigates the role of college major choices in labor market outcomes, with a focus on racial minorities and immigrants. Drawing upon research on school-to-work …This study investigates the role of college major choices in labor market outcomes, with a focus on racial minorities and immigrants. Drawing upon research on school-to-work linkages, we examine two measures, linkage – the connection between college majors and specific occupations in the labor market – and match – the alignment of workers’ occupations with their college majors. Analyzing data… more →
Are Students On Track?: Comparing the Predictive Validity of Administrative and Survey Measures of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills for Long-Term Outcomes
… skills, self-regulation, behavior, course performance, and test scores for 8th-grade students from a Northeast … GPA, and an absences-suspensions index are included in the predictive models. For leaders hoping to identify the … … Returns to education and skills … Multiple outcomes of education … Program and policy effects … Are Students On …Education leaders need valid metrics to predict students’ long-term success. We use a unique dataset with cognitive skills, self-regulation, behavior, course performance, and test scores for 8th-grade students from a Northeast school district. We link these data to students' high school outcomes, college enrollment, persistence, and on-time degree completion. Survey-based cognitive and self-… more →
Teacher Retention and Quality in the Four-Day School Week
… The four-day school week is a school calendar that has become … common following the COVID-19 pandemic. Proponents of the calendar often claim that offering teachers a regular … weekend will help schools better retain existing teachers and recruit new teachers to their district without incurring …The four-day school week is a school calendar that has become increasingly common following the COVID-19 pandemic. Proponents of the calendar often claim that offering teachers a regular 3-day weekend will help schools better retain existing teachers and recruit new teachers to their district without incurring additional costs due to higher salaries or other pecuniary benefits. However, there is… more →
How the Engagement of High-Profile Partisan Officials Affects Education Politics, Public Opinion, and Polarization
… intervene in education policy debates? We analyzed the results of 18 survey experiments conducted between 2009 and 2021 with nationally representative samples of U.S. …What happens to public opinion when prominent partisan officials intervene in education policy debates? We analyzed the results of 18 survey experiments conducted between 2009 and 2021 with nationally representative samples of U.S. adults. Each experiment explored the effect of an endorsement of a specific education policy by a high-profile partisan official on the public’s attitudes toward that… more →
Where are the Gifted English Learners and Students with Disabilities?
… documented substantial inequity across, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines within the population of students identified as gifted. Less attention has paid to …Prior research has documented substantial inequity across, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines within the population of students identified as gifted. Less attention has paid to the equity of gifted identification for student learning English or those with disabilities and what effect state policies toward gifted education might have on these rates. This paper attempted to fill that void by… more →
The NCTE Transcripts: A Dataset of Elementary Math Classroom Transcripts
… Classroom discourse is a core medium of instruction --- analyzing it can provide a window into teaching and learning as well as driving the development of new tools for improving instruction. We …Classroom discourse is a core medium of instruction --- analyzing it can provide a window into teaching and learning as well as driving the development of new tools for improving instruction. We introduce the largest dataset of mathematics classroom transcripts available to researchers, and demonstrate how this data can help improve instruction. The dataset consists of 1,660 45-60 minute long 4th… more →
From Disruption to Recovery: Charter School Performance During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
… In recent decades, an increasing number of students have pursued alternative educational options, … has continued to expand. This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is well established that … loss or the pace of recovery has differed between charter and traditional public schools (TPS). In the current study, …In recent decades, an increasing number of students have pursued alternative educational options, including charter schools, as school choice has continued to expand. This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is well established that students experienced widespread learning loss during the pandemic, it remains unclear whether the extent of that loss or the pace of recovery has… more →
The Opportunity Costs of Career and Technical Education: Coursetaking Tradeoffs for High School CTE Students
… Career and Technical Education (CTE) has long played a substantial, … student engagement and prepare students for success in the workforce, detractors caution that CTE may inhibit … to which CTE may limit course taking in a wide range of subjects (including core academic subjects, electives, and …Career and Technical Education (CTE) has long played a substantial, though controversial, role within America’s public schools. While supporters argue that CTE may increase student engagement and prepare students for success in the workforce, detractors caution that CTE may inhibit students’ access to the rigorous academic coursework needed for college and high-status careers. As students’ time… more →
A Systematic Review of Research on Tutoring Implementation: Considerations when Undertaking Complex Instructional Supports for Students
… academically. This study synthesizes 33 articles on the implementation of tutoring, defined as one-to-one or small-group instruction … an academic subject, to better understand the facilitators and barriers to program success. We find that policies …Tutoring has emerged as an especially promising strategy for supporting students academically. This study synthesizes 33 articles on the implementation of tutoring, defined as one-to-one or small-group instruction in which a human tutor supports students grades K-12 in an academic subject, to better understand the facilitators and barriers to program success. We find that policies influenced… more →
COVID-19 Diagnoses and University Student Performance: Evidence from Linked Administrative Health and Education Data
… We analyze the impact of COVID-19 diagnoses on student grades, retention, and on-time graduation at a large public university. Even … quarantine may cause non-trivial disruptions to learning. Using event study analysis, we find that a COVID-19 diagnosis …We analyze the impact of COVID-19 diagnoses on student grades, retention, and on-time graduation at a large public university. Even though COVID-19 rarely causes major health complications for a typical university student, diagnosis and quarantine may cause non-trivial disruptions to learning. Using event study analysis, we find that a COVID-19 diagnosis decreased a student's term grade point… more →
Labor Market Effects of Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs: Lessons from Colombia
… This paper estimates the heterogeneous labor market effects of enrolling in higher education short-cycle (SC) programs. … who would not have enrolled in higher education otherwise) and the diversion margin (students who would have enrolled in …This paper estimates the heterogeneous labor market effects of enrolling in higher education short-cycle (SC) programs. Expanding access to these programs might affect the behavior of some students (compliers) in two margins: the expansion margin (students who would not have enrolled in higher education otherwise) and the diversion margin (students who would have enrolled in bachelor’s programs… more →
School Segregation, Teacher Sorting, and the Distribution of Teachers
… The distribution of teaching effectiveness across schools is fundamental to understanding how schools can address disparities in educational outcomes. Research and policy have recognized the importance of teaching …The distribution of teaching effectiveness across schools is fundamental to understanding how schools can address disparities in educational outcomes. Research and policy have recognized the importance of teaching effectiveness for decades. Five stylized facts predict that teachers should be differentially allocated across schools such that poor, Black and Hispanic students are taught by less… more →
The Revealed Preferences for School Reopening: Evidence from Public-School Disenrollment
… Before the 2020-21 school year, educators, policymakers, and parents confronted the stark and uncertain trade-offs … by the health, educational, and economic consequences of offering instruction remotely, in person, or through a …Before the 2020-21 school year, educators, policymakers, and parents confronted the stark and uncertain trade-offs implied by the health, educational, and economic consequences of offering instruction remotely, in person, or through a hybrid of the two. Most public schools in the U.S. chose remote-only instruction and enrollment fell dramatically (i.e., a loss of roughly 1.1 million K-12 students… more →
All States Close but Red Districts Reopen: The Politics of In-Person Schooling during the COVID-19 Pandemic
… The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous challenges for public education. We assess the role of political factors and public health in state and local education decisions, …The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous challenges for public education. We assess the role of political factors and public health in state and local education decisions, especially the continuation of learning during COVID-19. Using an original dataset of state education policies since the start of the pandemic, we find that governors took the lead on ordering school closures in Spring 2020 but… more →
What Limits College Success? A review and further analysis of Holzer and Baum’s ‘Making College Work’
… Holzer and Baum’s recent book, ‘Making College Work: Pathways to … Students ,’ provides an excellent up-to-date review of higher education. My review first summarizes its key … themes: 1) who gains from college and why? 2) mismatch and the need for more structure; 3) problems with remediation; 4) …Holzer and Baum’s recent book, ‘Making College Work: Pathways to Success for Disadvantaged Students,’ provides an excellent up-to-date review of higher education. My review first summarizes its key themes: 1) who gains from college and why? 2) mismatch and the need for more structure; 3) problems with remediation; 4) financial barriers and 5) the promise of comprehensive support. I then… more →
Sustaining a Sense of Success: The Protective Role of Teacher Working Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
… COVID-19 shuttered schools across the United States, upending traditional approaches to … experiences during emergency remote teaching in the spring of 2020 using responses to a working conditions survey from a sample of 7,841 teachers across 206 schools and 9 states. Teachers reported a range of challenges related …COVID-19 shuttered schools across the United States, upending traditional approaches to education. We examine teachers’ experiences during emergency remote teaching in the spring of 2020 using responses to a working conditions survey from a sample of 7,841 teachers across 206 schools and 9 states. Teachers reported a range of challenges related to engaging students in remote learning and… more →
Collective Racial Bias and the Black-White Test Score Gap
… This study examines the relationship between county-level estimates of implicit racial bias and black-white test score gaps in U.S. schools. Data from …This study examines the relationship between county-level estimates of implicit racial bias and black-white test score gaps in U.S. schools. Data from over 1 million respondents from across the United States who completed an online version of the Race Implicit Association Test (IAT) were combined with data from the Stanford Education Data Archive covering over 300 million test scores from U.S.… more →
The Role of Course Delivery Modality in Dual Enrollment
… offered in high school, can be delivered using a variety of modalities. Conducted in North Carolina, this study uses a statewide dataset to examine participation in and outcomes for three different delivery modalities for … Technical Education (CTE) dual enrollment courses: 1) on the college campus; 2) online; and 3) at a high school/other …Dual enrollment, or college courses offered in high school, can be delivered using a variety of modalities. Conducted in North Carolina, this study uses a statewide dataset to examine participation in and outcomes for three different delivery modalities for general academic courses and Career and Technical Education (CTE) dual enrollment courses: 1) on the college campus; 2) online; and 3) at a… more →
Indiana Charter School Performance During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
… The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling nationwide and contributed to substantial declines in student … and after the pandemic. This study estimates the effect of attending a charter school on student achievement growth …The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling nationwide and contributed to substantial declines in student achievement. At the same time, enrollment patterns shifted and charter school sectors expanded in several states, raising questions about whether charter schools were better positioned to support student learning during and after the pandemic. This study estimates the effect of attending a… more →
Time to Transfer: Long-Term Effects of a Sustained and Spiraled Content Literacy Intervention in the Elementary Grades
… We investigated the effectiveness of a sustained and spiraled content literacy intervention …We investigated the effectiveness of a sustained and spiraled content literacy intervention that emphasizes building domain and topic knowledge schemas and vocabulary for elementary-grade students. The Model of Reading Engagement (MORE) intervention underscores thematic lessons that provide an intellectual structure for helping students connect new learning to a general schema in Grade 1 (animal… more →
Operational Funding and Early Educator Wage Growth: Evidence from Massachusetts
… Early educators are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States, in part because most early care and education (ECE) programs operate within constrained … for operational expenses, including workforce investments. Using monthly application data submitted by center-based ECE …Early educators are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States, in part because most early care and education (ECE) programs operate within constrained business models. In Massachusetts, the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program distributes noncompetitive grants to licensed providers that can be used for operational expenses, including workforce investments. Using monthly… more →
Incidence and Effects of Reported University Student Absences
… Despite the potential for illness or bereavement to significantly … education, there is little evidence about the frequency and impact of absences in higher education. Using administrative data …Despite the potential for illness or bereavement to significantly disrupt education, there is little evidence about the frequency and impact of absences in higher education. Using administrative data from a large public university in the United States, we analyze the incidence of reported student absences and their effects on grades and retention. We document significant heterogeneity in the use… more →
A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence Linking Mathematics and Science Professional Development Interventions to Teacher Knowledge, Classroom Instruction, and Student Achievement
… professional development interventions in mathematics and science can increase student achievement, our understanding of the mechanisms by which this occurs – particularly how …Despite evidence that teacher professional development interventions in mathematics and science can increase student achievement, our understanding of the mechanisms by which this occurs – particularly how these interventions affect teachers themselves, and the extent to which teacherlevel changes predict student learning – remains limited. The current meta-analysis synthesizes 46 experimental… more →
Within-School Heterogeneity in Quality: Do Schools Provide Equal Value Added to All Students?
… Low-socioeconomic status (SES), minority, and male students perform worse than their high-SES, … achievement gaps. Using individual-level data on the universe of public-school students in California, I estimate school …Low-socioeconomic status (SES), minority, and male students perform worse than their high-SES, non-minority, and female peers on standardized tests. This paper investigates how within-school differences in school quality contribute to these educational achievement gaps. Using individual-level data on the universe of public-school students in California, I estimate school quality using a value… more →
The Impact of Armed Conflict on College Students
… Given the spike of homicides in conflict zones of Colombia after the 2016 … the causal effect of violence on college test scores. Using a difference-in-difference design with heterogeneous … in violence had a negative effect on college learning, and how this negative effect is mediated by factors such as …Given the spike of homicides in conflict zones of Colombia after the 2016 peace agreement, I study the causal effect of violence on college test scores. Using a difference-in-difference design with heterogeneous effects, I show how this increase in violence had a negative effect on college learning, and how this negative effect is mediated by factors such as poverty, college major, degree type,… more →
Going the Distance: Exploring Variation in Access to High-Quality PreK by Geographic Proximity, Race/Ethnicity, Family Income, and Home Language
… This study leverages six years of public prekindergarten (PreK) and kindergarten data (N = 22,469) from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) to examine enrollment in BPS …This study leverages six years of public prekindergarten (PreK) and kindergarten data (N = 22,469) from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) to examine enrollment in BPS PreK from 2012–2017 for students from different racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and linguistic groups. The largest differences in enrollment emerged with respect to race and ethnicity—and for enrollment in programs in higher-quality… more →
Estimating Treatment Effects with the Explanatory Item Response Model
… This simulation study examines the characteristics of the Explanatory Item Response Model (EIRM) when estimating … effects when compared to classical test theory (CTT) sum and mean scores and item response theory (IRT)-based theta …This simulation study examines the characteristics of the Explanatory Item Response Model (EIRM) when estimating treatment effects when compared to classical test theory (CTT) sum and mean scores and item response theory (IRT)-based theta scores. Results show that the EIRM and IRT theta scores provide generally equivalent bias and false positive rates compared to CTT scores and superior… more →
Choice and Change: The Implications of Charter School Expansion for School and Neighborhood Diversity in NYC
… In this paper we estimate the effect of charter schools on the diversity of nearby traditional public schools (TPSs) and neighborhoods in New York City. We employ a …In this paper we estimate the effect of charter schools on the diversity of nearby traditional public schools (TPSs) and neighborhoods in New York City. We employ a difference-in-differences approach that exploits the differences in the expansion of the charter sector between grades in the same school. This approach allows us to isolate the effect of charter schools from other neighborhood… more →
Who Wants to Reopen Schools in a Pandemic? Explaining Public Preferences Reopening Schools and Public Compliance with Reopening Orders During the COVID-19 Pandemic
… Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the decision to reopen schools for … drive public support for schools re-opening in person, and whether members of the public are any more or less willing to comply with …Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the decision to reopen schools for in-person instruction has become a highly salient policy issue. This study examines what overall factors drive public support for schools re-opening in person, and whether members of the public are any more or less willing to comply with school re-opening decisions based on their own preferences and the level of government from… more →
The role of student effort on performance in PISA: Revisiting the gender gap in achievement
… International assessments are important to benchmark the quality of education across countries. However, on low-stakes tests, … to explain test scores heterogeneity across countries and by gender groups. Our results highlight the importance of …International assessments are important to benchmark the quality of education across countries. However, on low-stakes tests, students’ incentives to invest their maximum effort may be minimal. Research stresses that ignoring students’ effort when interpreting results from low-stakes assessments can lead to biased interpretations of test performance across groups of examinees. We use data from… more →
A Kindergarten Lottery Evaluation of Core Knowledge Charter Schools: Should Building General Knowledge Have a Central Role in Educational and Social Science Research and Policy?
… The Core Knowledge curriculum is a K-8 curriculum focused on … in that is hypothesized to increase reading comprehension and Reading/English-LA achievement. This study utilizes an experimental design to evaluate the long term effects of attending Charter schools teaching the Core Knowledge …The Core Knowledge curriculum is a K-8 curriculum focused on building students General Knowledge about the world they live in that is hypothesized to increase reading comprehension and Reading/English-LA achievement. This study utilizes an experimental design to evaluate the long term effects of attending Charter schools teaching the Core Knowledge curriculum. Fourteen oversubscribed kindergarten… more →
O Brother, Where Start Thou? Sibling Spillovers on College and Major Choice in Four Countries
… Family and social networks are widely believed to influence … siblings’ college options, we present evidence from the United States, Chile, Sweden and Croatia that older … a better college increases a younger sibling’s probability of enrolling in college at all, especially for families with …Family and social networks are widely believed to influence important life decisions but identifying their causal effects is notoriously difficult. Using admissions thresholds that directly affect older but not younger siblings’ college options, we present evidence from the United States, Chile, Sweden and Croatia that older siblings’ college and major choices can significantly influence their… more →
Teachers of Color, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Student Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from the Random Assignment of Teachers to Classes
… Black teachers are critical resources for our children and schools. Pairing experimental data with rich measures of teacher mindsets and practices and varied student … teachers in upper-elementary grades have large effects on the self-efficacy and classroom engagement of their Black …Black teachers are critical resources for our children and schools. Pairing experimental data with rich measures of teacher mindsets and practices and varied student outcomes, I document that: (1) Black teachers in upper-elementary grades have large effects on the self-efficacy and classroom engagement of their Black students (0.7 and 0.8 SD) but not for non-Black students, potentially driven by… more →
A Family Affair: The Effects of College on Parent and Student Finances
… for college is often a family affair, with both parents and students contributing. We study the effects of college on family finances using administrative data on …Paying for college is often a family affair, with both parents and students contributing. We study the effects of college on family finances using administrative data on the universe of federal aid applicants in California linked to credit records. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of how both students and their parents use debt with college attendance and how prices affect those… more →
The Chronic(les) of Absenteeism Measurement: Unpacking the Many Measures of Attendance and Evidence for a Lower Chronic Absenteeism Threshold
… be more rigorously measured as an early warning indicator of future academic risk. Using administrative data from 8,891 … grade, we (1) describe patterns in excused, unexcused, and total absences, measured as both days and rates, across … Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses to compare the diagnostic accuracy of different absenteeism measures for …This study investigates how absenteeism can be more rigorously measured as an early warning indicator of future academic risk. Using administrative data from 8,891 Boston Public Schools students followed from Pre-K through eighth grade, we (1) describe patterns in excused, unexcused, and total absences, measured as both days and rates, across grades; (2) apply Signal Detection Theory and Receiver… more →
Year-Round School Calendars: Effects on Summer Learning, Achievement, Parents, Teachers, and Property Values
… Year-round school calendars take the usual 175-180 instruction days of the school year and redistribute them, replacing the usual schedule – nine …Year-round school calendars take the usual 175-180 instruction days of the school year and redistribute them, replacing the usual schedule – nine months on, three months off – with a more “balanced” schedule of short instruction periods alternating with shorter breaks across all four seasons of the year. Over the past three decades, the number of schools using year-round calendars has increased… more →
How Free Market Logic Fails in Schooling— and What It Means for the Role of Government
… especially school vouchers, are expanding rapidly and shifting students out of traditional public schools. This essay broadens, deepens, and updates prior critiques of the free market logic in five ways. First, while prior …Market-based policies, especially school vouchers, are expanding rapidly and shifting students out of traditional public schools. This essay broadens, deepens, and updates prior critiques of the free market logic in five ways. First, while prior articles have pointed to some of the conditions necessary for efficient market functioning, I provide a more comprehensive list. Second, with an up-to-… more →
Improving school management in low and middle income countries: a systematic review
… Improving school quality in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is a global priority. One way to improve quality may be to improve the management skills of school leaders. In this systematic review, we analyze the …Improving school quality in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is a global priority. One way to improve quality may be to improve the management skills of school leaders. In this systematic review, we analyze the impact of interventions targeting school leaders' management practices on student learning. We begin by describing the characteristics and responsibilities of school leaders using… more →
McCleary at Twelve: Examining Policy Designs Following Court-Mandated School Finance Reform in Washington State
… litigation challenging state school finance systems, and in over half the cases, judges ruled the systems unconstitutional and … In 2012, state supreme court judges ruled in favor of plaintiff school districts in McCleary v. Washington State …All fifty U.S. state constitutions include language that guarantees residents’ access to a free public education. Plaintiffs in all but two states have brought litigation challenging state school finance systems, and in over half the cases, judges ruled the systems unconstitutional and mandated state legislators to provide more equitable and adequate funding. In 2012, state supreme court judges… more →
The Access–Enrollment Disconnect in Corequisite Math Reform: Causal Evidence and Stakeholder Perspectives from a Community College
… Although corequisite support has been widely adopted and generally promising, less is known about how these … not always translate into actual enrollment. Focusing on the largest community college in Virginia, we use regression … enrollment and completion patterns. We find that one-third of students did not enroll in recommended math courses. RD …This study examines a statewide developmental education reform in Virginia that allows students who would have been placed in standalone remedial math to enroll directly in college-level math with corequisite support. Although corequisite support has been widely adopted and generally promising, less is known about how these reforms operate when expanded access does not always translate into… more →
On-the-Job Learning: How Peers and Experience Drive Productivity among Teachers
… Workers learn on the job from both repetition and peers. Less understood is how specific types of experience and peer characteristics affect on-the-job …Workers learn on the job from both repetition and peers. Less understood is how specific types of experience and peer characteristics affect on-the-job learning. This likely differs by context (e.g., occupation, tasks, or roles). Absent such knowledge, it is unclear how to optimally assign workers to tasks and peers. We examine on-the-job learning among elementary school teachers. We focus on… more →
Same Idea, Shifting Standards: An Experimental Study of Racial-Ethnic Biases in Ambitious Math Teaching
… Teacher expectations and judgments about student capabilities are predictive of student achievement, yet such judgments may be influenced … math teaching may also invite teacher biases due to the emphasis on student-generated inputs and ideas. In this …Teacher expectations and judgments about student capabilities are predictive of student achievement, yet such judgments may be influenced by salient dimensions of student identity and invite biases. Moreover, ambitious math teaching may also invite teacher biases due to the emphasis on student-generated inputs and ideas. In this pre-registered audit experiment, we investigate teacher biases in a… more →
Distance to Degrees: How College Proximity Shapes Students’ Enrollment Choices and Attainment Across Race-Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status
… Leveraging rich data on the universe of Texas high school graduates, we estimate how the relationship between geographic access to public two- and four-year postsecondary institutions and postsecondary …Leveraging rich data on the universe of Texas high school graduates, we estimate how the relationship between geographic access to public two- and four-year postsecondary institutions and postsecondary outcomes varies across race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status. We find that students are sensitive to the distance they must travel to access public colleges and universities, but there are… more →
Local Licensure and Teacher Shortage: Policy Analysis and Implications
… We use frame analysis to analyze the first iteration of the Texas District of Innovation policy, which allows … state certified teacher. We analyzed 451 district policies and find the plans use very similar, and sometimes identical, …We use frame analysis to analyze the first iteration of the Texas District of Innovation policy, which allows districts to take exemption from state education requirements mandating the hiring of a state certified teacher. We analyzed 451 district policies and find the plans use very similar, and sometimes identical, language to frame both the problem of teacher shortage and their proposed… more →
The Heterogeneous and Longer-Term Effects of the Great Recession on Public School District Finances
… During the Great Recession and in the years that immediately followed, previous research … that U.S. public school districts receiving larger shares of their funding from state governments experienced larger …During the Great Recession and in the years that immediately followed, previous research has well-documented that U.S. public school districts receiving larger shares of their funding from state governments experienced larger declines in expenditures per student, as the GR impacted state tax bases more than it impacted local tax bases. Using detailed financial data from the academic years 2004 to… more →
In School, Engaged, On-track? The Effect of the Pandemic on Student Attendance, Course Grades, and Grade Retention in North Carolina
… The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ experiences in school … show reductions in test scores across grade levels and student groups. This study extends research evidence to … how pandemic effects are distributed across students. Using a combination of descriptive and regression analyses, …The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ experiences in school were widespread. Early research show reductions in test scores across grade levels and student groups. This study extends research evidence to additional student outcomes – absences, course grades, and grad retention – and to examine how pandemic effects are distributed across students. Using a combination of descriptive and… more →
The contribution of short-cycle programs to student outcomes: Evidence from Colombia
… lasting two or three years, capture about a quarter of higher education enrollment in the world and can play a key role enhancing workforce skills. In this …Short-cycle higher education programs (SCPs), lasting two or three years, capture about a quarter of higher education enrollment in the world and can play a key role enhancing workforce skills. In this paper, we estimate the program-level contribution of SCPs to student academic and labor market outcomes, and study how and why these contributions vary across programs. We exploit unique… more →