EdWorkingPapers
Female Science Advisors and the STEM Gender Gap
… In an effort to reduce the STEM gender gap, policymakers often propose providing … the idea that female scientists might act as role models and counteract negative gender stereotypes that are pervasive in science fields. However, as of yet, there is still no clear evidence on the role of …In an effort to reduce the STEM gender gap, policymakers often propose providing women with close mentoring by female scientists. This is based on the idea that female scientists might act as role models and counteract negative gender stereotypes that are pervasive in science fields. However, as of yet, there is still no clear evidence on the role of mentor or advisor gender in reducing the STEM… more →
Understanding Performance in Test Taking: The Role of Question Difficulty Order
… economic outcomes in life. However, many design features of the tests themselves may lead to psychological reactions … an accurate assessment of the test taker's aptitudes and knowledge? We conduct a field experiment with about …Standardized assessments are widely used to determine access to educational resources with important consequences for later economic outcomes in life. However, many design features of the tests themselves may lead to psychological reactions influencing performance. In particular, the level of difficulty of the earlier questions in a test may affect performance in later questions. How should we… more →
Marginal Returns to Public Universities
… This paper studies the returns to enrolling in American public universities by comparing the long-term outcomes of barely admitted versus barely rejected applicants. I use … public university students, to systematically identify and employ decentralized cutoffs in SAT/ACT scores that …This paper studies the returns to enrolling in American public universities by comparing the long-term outcomes of barely admitted versus barely rejected applicants. I use administrative admission records spanning all 35 public universities in Texas, which collectively enroll 10 percent of all American public university students, to systematically identify and employ decentralized cutoffs in SAT/… more →
Unequal and Persistent Effects of Student Loan Policy: Evidence from Parent PLUS Reforms
… institutions differ in their reliance on specific sources of financing. We study how these differences shape the transmission of policy shocks using two reforms to the … of credit standards that limited access to these loans and a 2015 revision that partially restored access. We …Federal student loan policy is designed as a uniform intervention, yet institutions differ in their reliance on specific sources of financing. We study how these differences shape the transmission of policy shocks using two reforms to the Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (Parent PLUS) program: a 2012 tightening of credit standards that limited access to these loans and a 2015 revision that… more →
STEM teacher workforce in high-need schools resilient despite shrinking supply and increasing demand
… The teacher workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has been a perpetual weak spot in public … schools’ teaching rosters. Prior reports show the pipeline of new STEM teachers into the profession is weak while demand …The teacher workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has been a perpetual weak spot in public schools’ teaching rosters. Prior reports show the pipeline of new STEM teachers into the profession is weak while demand for instruction in STEM fields continues to grow. This paper seeks to document whether and how the STEM teacher workforce in high-need settings has been impacted… more →
Right to Education (RTE) Act’s Influence on Caste-based Enrollment Gaps and Segregation in India
… Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of India expanded … of their admissions for students from marginalized castes and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using variation …Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of India expanded affirmative action to primary schooling by requiring non-government-funded private schools to reserve 25% of their admissions for students from marginalized castes and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using variation in implementation of the policy across states in a difference-in-differences framework, this study… more →
Do Human Capital Adjustments Protect Youths from Structural Change?
… changes to labor demand can have lasting consequences on the employment and earnings of workers in affected industries and geographies. However, …Structural changes to labor demand can have lasting consequences on the employment and earnings of workers in affected industries and geographies. However, individuals coming of age may avoid similar fates if they internalize salient changes to the returns to education and adjust their human capital investments. This paper studies the effects of exposure to structural labor demand shocks during… more →
Implementation Matters: Generalizing Treatment Effects in Education
… Targeted instruction is one of the most effective educational interventions in low- and middle-income countries, yet reported impacts vary by an …Targeted instruction is one of the most effective educational interventions in low- and middle-income countries, yet reported impacts vary by an order of magnitude. We study this variation by aggregating evidence from prior randomized trials across five contexts, and use the results to inform a new randomized trial. We find two factors explain most of the heterogeneity in effects across contexts… more →
High School Equivalency Credentialing and Post-Secondary Success: Pre-Registered Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the GED® Test
… For the over 24 million American adults who do not hold a … uses current, representative data to assess whether, how, and for whom HSE credentials promote post-secondary success. Examining post-secondary outcomes in a sample of 102,000 GED testers who attempted a GED subject test in …For the over 24 million American adults who do not hold a traditional high school diploma, high school equivalency (HSE) credentials represent the primary “second-chance” pathway to many careers or educational opportunities. This project uses current, representative data to assess whether, how, and for whom HSE credentials promote post-secondary success. Examining post-secondary outcomes in a… more →
The Effect of Centralized-Admission School Lotteries on Between-School Segregation: Evidence from 300 Largest School Districts in the United States
… school lotteries affect between-school racial and ethnic segregation in the largest U.S. public school districts. Using original … exposure rose by 1.6 percentage points and student of color-White exposure by 1.8 points. However, White …This study examines how centralized-admission school lotteries affect between-school racial and ethnic segregation in the largest U.S. public school districts. Using original nationwide panel data and a difference-in-differences design with staggered adoption, the research analyzes effects on school composition, intergroup exposure, and distribution evenness. The findings reveal that centralized-… more →
From Rural Schools to City Factories: Assessing the Quality of Chinese Rural Schools
… The changing pattern of quality in China’s rural schools across time and province is extracted from the differential labor market … of rural migrant workers. Variations in rates of return to years of schooling across migrant workers working in the …The changing pattern of quality in China’s rural schools across time and province is extracted from the differential labor market earnings of rural migrant workers. Variations in rates of return to years of schooling across migrant workers working in the same urban labor market but having different sites of basic education provide for direct estimation of provincial school quality. Corroborating… more →
Exploring Claims of Critical Race Theory, Divisive Topics, and Indoctrination in the Classroom
… Critical race theory (CRT) and claims of political indoctrination in K-12 classrooms are at the forefront of the ongoing culture wars surrounding public …Critical race theory (CRT) and claims of political indoctrination in K-12 classrooms are at the forefront of the ongoing culture wars surrounding public education. Despite a wave of legislative action targeting CRT-related instruction, little systematic evidence documents the extent to which critics’ claims have merit. Using a nationally representative survey of American high school students, we… more →
The (Conference) Room Where it Happens: Explaining Disproportional Representation in Gifted and Talented Education
… The current study leveraged comprehensive data from a large … by mean assessment score differences across racial and socioeconomic groups. The findings indicate that after … math achievement, reading achievement, and teacher ratings of gifted behaviors, Black students, Hispanic students, and …The current study leveraged comprehensive data from a large school district to better understand the degree to which disproportional representation in gifted education can be explained by mean assessment score differences across racial and socioeconomic groups. The findings indicate that after controlling for nonverbal ability, cognitive ability, math achievement, reading achievement, and teacher… more →
What happened to adult education in the United States?
… adult education programs provided basic skills training and English language instruction to over 2.6 million students, or about 1.5% of the U.S. adult population. By 2021, enrollment had …In 2000, federally funded public adult education programs provided basic skills training and English language instruction to over 2.6 million students, or about 1.5% of the U.S. adult population. By 2021, enrollment had plummeted to under 900,000, or less than 0.4% of adults. What explains these declines? This policy brief describes the evolution of federally supported U.S. adult education over… more →
Pathways into the CTE Teaching Profession: A Descriptive Analysis of Degrees, Licenses, and Race in Maryland
… Despite substantial interest in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in U.S. high … on this topic—very little is known about characteristics of CTE teachers who are a critical resource for program … statewide data from Maryland, we document key facts about the CTE teacher workforce and pathways into the profession. …Despite substantial interest in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in U.S. high schools—and associated scholarship on this topic—very little is known about characteristics of CTE teachers who are a critical resource for program implementation and expansion. Using eight years of statewide data from Maryland, we document key facts about the CTE teacher workforce and pathways into the… more →
Assessing the Benefits of Education in Early Childhood: Evidence from a Pre-K Lottery in Georgia
… a strong link between participation in pre-K programs and both short-term student achievement and positive … evidence primarily stems from experimental studies of small-scale, high-quality programs conducted in the 1960s and 1970s and analyses of the federal Head Start …Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong link between participation in pre-K programs and both short-term student achievement and positive later-life outcomes. Existing evidence primarily stems from experimental studies of small-scale, high-quality programs conducted in the 1960s and 1970s and analyses of the federal Head Start program. Meanwhile, evidence on state-funded pre-K… more →
Improving elementary school students’ reading comprehension through content-rich literacy curriculum: The effect of structured read-aloud supplements on measures of reading comprehension transfer
… This study contributes to the science of teaching reading by illustrating how a ubiquitous … understanding. This experimental study examines whether and to what extent providing structured teacher read aloud …This study contributes to the science of teaching reading by illustrating how a ubiquitous classroom practice – read alouds – can be enhanced by fostering teacher language practices that support students’ ability to read for understanding. This experimental study examines whether and to what extent providing structured teacher read aloud supplements in a social studies read aloud can allow… more →
Integrated Student Support Intervention Mitigates the Adverse Impact of School Mobility on Middle School Students' Achievement and Behavior
… inequities, can undermine academic achievement and behavior, particularly during middle school years. This study investigates the effect of a school-based integrated student support intervention – …School mobility, compounding socioeconomic inequities, can undermine academic achievement and behavior, particularly during middle school years. This study investigates the effect of a school-based integrated student support intervention – City Connects – on the achievement and behavior of middle school students who experience school mobility. Using administrative data from a large, urban, public… more →
Parental and Student Time Use Around the Academic Year
… We demonstrate how mothers, fathers, and 15–17-year-old students alter their schedules around the K-12 academic year. Using regression discontinuity (RDD) … in educational pursuits when school is out (a decrease of about 5.5 hours per day on weekdays), and most of that …We demonstrate how mothers, fathers, and 15–17-year-old students alter their schedules around the K-12 academic year. Using regression discontinuity (RDD) methods, combined with dates on school year start and end dates by locality, we document several notable results. First, mothers are substantially more affected by the school year than are fathers. When school is in session, mothers sleep less… more →
School District Borrowing and Capital Spending: The Effectiveness of State Credit Enhancement
… School districts in the United States often borrow on the municipal bond market … communities tend to receive lower credit ratings and pay higher interest rates. To remedy this problem, 24 … and within-district variations to estimate the effect of receiving state credit enhancement on district bond …School districts in the United States often borrow on the municipal bond market to pay for capital projects. Districts serving economically disadvantaged communities tend to receive lower credit ratings and pay higher interest rates. To remedy this problem, 24 states have established credit enhancement programs that promise to repay district debt when a district cannot do so, thereby enhancing… more →
Putting the K in Rank: How Kindergarten Classrooms Impact Short and Long-Run Outcomes
… A student's class rank has important short and long-term effects on important educational outcomes. Despite our growing understanding of these rank effects, we still do not know how early in a … career they begin. To address this, I use data from the Tennessee STAR project, which randomly assigned over …A student's class rank has important short and long-term effects on important educational outcomes. Despite our growing understanding of these rank effects, we still do not know how early in a child's academic career they begin. To address this, I use data from the Tennessee STAR project, which randomly assigned over 6,323 kindergarteners to classroom environments, to study the impact of… more →
STEM Summer Programs for Underrepresented Youth Increase STEM Degrees
… The federal government and many individual organizations have invested in programs … school students, but there is little rigorous evidence of their efficacy. We fielded a randomized controlled trial …The federal government and many individual organizations have invested in programs to support diversity in the STEM pipeline, including STEM summer programs for high school students, but there is little rigorous evidence of their efficacy. We fielded a randomized controlled trial to study a suite of such programs targeted to underrepresented high school students at an elite, technical institution… more →
What is a School Finance Reform? Uncovering the ubiquity and diversity of school finance reforms using a Bayesian changepoint estimator
… School finance reforms are not well defined and are likely more prevalent than the current literature has documented. Using a Bayesian … that gave rise to these changes. We find 108 instances of abrupt increases in state education revenues across 43 …School finance reforms are not well defined and are likely more prevalent than the current literature has documented. Using a Bayesian changepoint estimator, we quantitatively identify the years when state education revenues abruptly increased for each state between 1960 and 2008 and then document the state-specific events that gave rise to these changes. We find 108 instances of abrupt increases… more →
The Impacts of School District Consolidation on Rural Communities: Evidence from Arkansas Reform
… Over the past fifty years, school districts have consolidated in an effort to achieve economies of scale. While the determinants and effects of district mergers on operations have been …Over the past fifty years, school districts have consolidated in an effort to achieve economies of scale. While the determinants and effects of district mergers on operations have been studied (Gordon and Knight 2006; Duncombe and Yinger 2007; Jones et al 2008), the impact on communities has not. In small towns, schools not only educate, but also provide stable employment and are a cornerstone… more →
The Disciplinary Differences in the Characteristics And Effects of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
… system, this study examines disciplinary variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hired through temporary and …Using data with detailed instructor employment information from a state college system, this study examines disciplinary variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hired through temporary and long-term employment. We identify substantial differences in the demographic and employment characteristics between the two types of non-tenure-line faculty, where the… more →
Can Greater Access to Education Be Inequitable? New Evidence from India's Right to Education Act
… to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 that called for full access of children aged 6-14 to free schooling. This paper considers the offsetting effects to RTE from induced expansion of … find a strong impact of RTE on the private tutoring market and show that this holds across alternative definitions of …India took a decisive step toward universal basic education by proclaiming a constitutionally-guaranteed Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 that called for full access of children aged 6-14 to free schooling. This paper considers the offsetting effects to RTE from induced expansion of private tutoring in the educationally competitive districts of India. We develop a unique database of… more →
The learning curve: Revisiting the assumption of linear growth across the school year
… policy decisions, like whether to shorten or extend the school year, often require accurate estimates of how much students learn during the year. Yet, related … examine this assumption using a data set containing math and reading test scores for over seven million students in …Important educational policy decisions, like whether to shorten or extend the school year, often require accurate estimates of how much students learn during the year. Yet, related research relies on a mostly untested assumption: that growth in achievement is linear throughout the entire school year. We examine this assumption using a data set containing math and reading test scores… more →
Taking the Long View: State Efforts to Solve Teacher Shortages by Strengthening the Profession
… Much is known about how to attract, develop, and retain a strong and stable teacher workforce, and states across the country are taking action to address their teacher … compensation, and recruitment policies to expand the pool of qualified educators. … education policy, teacher shortage, …Much is known about how to attract, develop, and retain a strong and stable teacher workforce, and states across the country are taking action to address their teacher shortages in ways that strengthen their overall teacher workforce. This report highlights research on six evidence-based policies that have been used to address teacher shortages and boost teacher recruitment and retention: service… more →
Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness: Insights for Policymakers
… high-quality preschool benefits children’s early learning and later life outcomes has led to increased state engagement … public preschool. However, mixed results from evaluations of two programs—Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K program and Head … how to ensure productive investments. This report presents the most rigorous evidence on the effects of preschool and …Research showing that high-quality preschool benefits children’s early learning and later life outcomes has led to increased state engagement in public preschool. However, mixed results from evaluations of two programs—Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K program and Head Start—have left many policymakers unsure about how to ensure productive investments. This report presents the most rigorous evidence on… more →
Can Information Widen Socioeconomic Gaps in Postsecondary Aspirations? How College Costs and Returns Affect Parents’ Preferences for their Children
… survey experiment to a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents. After respondents estimate costs of and returns to further education, we ask whether they prefer … or no further education. Before this question is posed, the treated are first told (1) the net annual costs of …To estimate whether information can close socioeconomic gaps in parents’ aspirations for their child’s postsecondary education, we administer a four-armed survey experiment to a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents. After respondents estimate costs of and returns to further education, we ask whether they prefer that their child pursue a four-year degree, a two-year degree, or no… more →
The Unintended Consequences of Academic Leniency
… In response to widening achievement gaps and increased demand for post-secondary education, local and federal governments across the US have enacted policies that have boosted high school … paper provides both theoretical and empirical evidence of the causal effect of academic standards on student effort …In response to widening achievement gaps and increased demand for post-secondary education, local and federal governments across the US have enacted policies that have boosted high school graduation rates without an equivalent rise in student achievement, suggesting a decline in academic standards. To the extent that academic standards can shape effort decisions, these trends can have important… more →
The Effects of Educational Supports for the "Missing One-Offs" in Vocational High Schools
… A growing body of evidence suggests that vocationally focused programs of study substantially improve high-school completion and longer-run economic success. However, the corresponding recommendations to expand vocational …A growing body of evidence suggests that vocationally focused programs of study substantially improve high-school completion and longer-run economic success. However, the corresponding recommendations to expand vocational programs may have unintended, negative consequences for low-income, academically successful students (i.e., the “missing one offs”) who have the capacity and motivation to… more →
The Segregation of Students by Income in Public Schools
… Over the past three decades, children from low-income families and those from more affluent families have increasingly been … While recent work has helped us understand patterns of income segregation between districts and schools within …Over the past three decades, children from low-income families and those from more affluent families have increasingly been attending different public schools. While recent work has helped us understand patterns of income segregation between districts and schools within districts, we know very little about segregation of students as they experience school: in the classroom. In this paper, we… more →
The COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupted Both School Bullying and Cyberbullying
… School bullying is widespread and has substantial social costs. One in five U.S. high … each school year and these students face greater risks of serious mental health challenges that extend into adulthood. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced most students into online …School bullying is widespread and has substantial social costs. One in five U.S. high school students report being bullied each school year and these students face greater risks of serious mental health challenges that extend into adulthood. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced most students into online education, many have worried that cyberbullying prevalence would grow dramatically. We use data… more →
Transitional Kindergarten: The New Kid on the Early Learning Block
… Kindergarten (TK). TK programs bridge prekindergarten and kindergarten in their eligibility, requirements, and … design. We use Michigan’s TK program as a case study on the fit of this new entrant in the early learning landscape. …In recent years, several states have expanded a new publicly funded learning option: Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK programs bridge prekindergarten and kindergarten in their eligibility, requirements, and design. We use Michigan’s TK program as a case study on the fit of this new entrant in the early learning landscape. Michigan’s program is well suited for this purpose because it contains… more →
Cheapskin Effects? The Heterogeneous Value of Industry-Recognized Certificates Earned by High School Students
… Human capital theory and signaling models posit that educational credentials … producing discrete labor market returns beyond years of schooling. While extensive evidence documents these … administrative data from Texas, this study examines the relationship between IRC attainment and early labor …Human capital theory and signaling models posit that educational credentials convey information about workers’ skills, producing discrete labor market returns beyond years of schooling. While extensive evidence documents these “sheepskin effects” for degrees, far less is known about industry-recognized certifications (IRCs) earned in high school. Using statewide administrative data from Texas,… more →
High School Career and Technical Education Finance: Impact of State-Level Policy Changes
… changes to K-12 funding systems in order to promote and encourage student engagement in secondary-level career and technical education (CTE). Two of the most prevalent reforms include: a) establishing tiered …States are increasingly adopting changes to K-12 funding systems in order to promote and encourage student engagement in secondary-level career and technical education (CTE). Two of the most prevalent reforms include: a) establishing tiered weights for CTE in school funding formulas based on the connection between a program of study and workforce needs and b) incentive grant programs that provide… more →
The Effects of a Statewide Ban on School Suspensions
… This research analyzes the implementation of a school suspension ban in Maryland to investigate whether … on discipline outcomes for students in both treated grades and upper elementary grades not subject to the ban? (2) did …This research analyzes the implementation of a school suspension ban in Maryland to investigate whether a top-down state-initiated ban on suspensions in early primary grades can influence school behavior regarding school discipline. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the State of Maryland banned the use of out-of-school suspensions for grades PK-2, unless a student posed an “imminent threat” to staff… more →
Impact of States' Adoption of Response to Interventions (RTI) on the Identification and Placement of Students in Special Education
… This study investigates the impact of states' adoption of Response to Interventions (RTI) on the identification and placement of students in special education. RTI, adopted …This study investigates the impact of states' adoption of Response to Interventions (RTI) on the identification and placement of students in special education. RTI, adopted by the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2004, is designed to improve the identification and support of children with learning disabilities within inclusive educational settings. Using… more →
Of DEI and Denials: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Texas’ 88th Legislative Session
… suggest that these attacks represent a rearticulation of racial ideologies which seek to contain racial progress. Although crafting anti-CRT and anti-DEI policies is primarily conducted through discourse, few studies explore the specific discursive mechanisms used to justify these …Emerging literature on anti-CRT, anti-DEI efforts in education suggest that these attacks represent a rearticulation of racial ideologies which seek to contain racial progress. Although crafting anti-CRT and anti-DEI policies is primarily conducted through discourse, few studies explore the specific discursive mechanisms used to justify these efforts as racially neutral. Using critical discourse… more →
Signal Weighted Value-Added Models
… This study introduces the signal weighted teacher value-added model (SW VAM), a … Specifically, the model leverages the repeated appearance of a given student to estimate student reliability and sensitivity parameters, whereas traditional VAMs …This study introduces the signal weighted teacher value-added model (SW VAM), a value-added model that weights student-level observations based on each student’s capacity to signal their assigned teacher’s quality. Specifically, the model leverages the repeated appearance of a given student to estimate student reliability and sensitivity parameters, whereas traditional VAMs represent a special… more →
Did Spending Cuts During the Great Recession Really Cause Student Outcomes to Decline?
… Jackson, Wigger, and Xiong (2020a, JWX) provide evidence that education spending reductions following the Great Recession had widespread negative impacts on … and attainment. This paper describes our process of duplicating JWX and highlights a variety of tests we …Jackson, Wigger, and Xiong (2020a, JWX) provide evidence that education spending reductions following the Great Recession had widespread negative impacts on student achievement and attainment. This paper describes our process of duplicating JWX and highlights a variety of tests we employ to investigate the nature and robustness of the relationship between school spending reductions and student… more →
The Dynamic Effects of a Summer Learning Program on Behavioral Engagement in School
… The evidence that student learning declines sharply (or … two subjects, have modest effects on students’ achievement and no impact on measures of their engagement in school. In this quasi-experimental …The evidence that student learning declines sharply (or stagnates) during the summer has motivated a substantial interest in programs that provide intensive academic instruction during the summer. However, the existing literature suggests that such programs, which typically focus on just one or two subjects, have modest effects on students’ achievement and no impact on measures of their… more →
What Factors Drive Individual Misperceptions of the Returns to Schooling in Tanzania? Some Lessons for Education Policy
… Evidence on educational returns and the factors that determine the demand for schooling in … variable methods, we find that each additional year of schooling in Tanzania increases earnings, on average, by 9 …Evidence on educational returns and the factors that determine the demand for schooling in developing countries is extremely scarce. We use two surveys from Tanzania to estimate both the actual and perceived schooling returns and subsequently examine what factors drive individual misperceptions regarding actual returns. Using ordinary least squares and instrumental variable methods, we find that… more →
College Now...or Later: Measuring the Effects of Dual Enrollment on Postsecondary Access and Success
… that earning college credits in high school increases the likelihood of postsecondary progress and graduation. In this study, we measure the impact of dual …Research suggests that earning college credits in high school increases the likelihood of postsecondary progress and graduation. In this study, we measure the impact of dual enrollment in high school and college courses through the College Now (CN) program on college enrollment for students in New York City. We use a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that estimates the causal local… more →
Government Privatization and Political Participation: The Case of Charter Schools
… Governments around the world have privatized public services in the name of efficiency and citizen empowerment, but some argue that privatization …Governments around the world have privatized public services in the name of efficiency and citizen empowerment, but some argue that privatization could also affect citizen participation in democratic governance. We explore this possibility by estimating the impact of charter schools (which are publicly funded but privately operated) on school district elections. The analysis indicates that the… more →
The Effects and Local Implementation of School Finance Reforms on Teacher Salary, Hiring and Turnover
… salary schedule changes affect teacher recruitment and retention will significantly advance our understanding of how resources matter for K-12 student learning. This study … funding changes in Washington state in 2018-19—induced by the McCleary court-ordered reform—affected teacher salaries …Knowing how policy-induced salary schedule changes affect teacher recruitment and retention will significantly advance our understanding of how resources matter for K-12 student learning. This study sheds light on this issue by estimating how legislative funding changes in Washington state in 2018-19—induced by the McCleary court-ordered reform—affected teacher salaries and labor market outcomes… more →
Proactive student support using artificially intelligent conversational chatbots: The importance of targeting the technology
… We examine through a field experiment whether outreach and support provided through an AI-enabled chatbot can reduce … at a four-year university and at a community college. At the four-year college, the chatbot increased overall success … financial aid processes, such that student take up of educational loans increased by four percentage points. …We examine through a field experiment whether outreach and support provided through an AI-enabled chatbot can reduce summer melt and improve first-year college enrollment at a four-year university and at a community college. At the four-year college, the chatbot increased overall success with navigating financial aid processes, such that student take up of educational loans increased by four… more →
School Finance in the US
… This chapter provides an overview of K-12 public school finance in the United States by tracing how funding systems changed over time, how they operate today, and how well they advance core policy goals. Section 2 …This chapter provides an overview of K-12 public school finance in the United States by tracing how funding systems changed over time, how they operate today, and how well they advance core policy goals. Section 2 documents the long-run shift from local property tax finance toward larger state and federal roles, driven by economic crises, legislation, and litigation. Section 3 describes the… more →
Is Effective Teacher Evaluation Sustainable? Evidence from DCPS
… Ten years ago, many policymakers viewed the reform of teacher evaluation as a highly promising mechanism to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Recently, that enthusiasm has dimmed …Ten years ago, many policymakers viewed the reform of teacher evaluation as a highly promising mechanism to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Recently, that enthusiasm has dimmed as the available evidence suggests the subsequent reforms had a mixed record of implementation and efficacy. Even in districts where there was evidence of efficacy, the early promise of teacher… more →