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Student well-being
School-Based Support Staff and Chronic Absenteeism: Evidence from North Carolina
Topics: Student Well-BeingIn this paper, I investigate the causal impact of school-based support staff on student absences and chronic absenteeism using the introduction of the Child and Family Support Team (CFST) program in North Carolina. Introduced during the 2006/07 school year, the CFST program funded two-person… more →
The Impact of Cellphone Bans in Schools on Student Outcomes: Evidence from Florida
Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Absenteeism, School climate and culture, Student discipline, Student engagement, Student well-beingCellphone bans in schools have become a popular policy in recent years in the United States, yet very little is known about their effects on student outcomes. In this study, we try to fill this gap by examining the causal effects of bans on student test scores, suspensions, and absences using… more →
Contemporary Child Labor and Declining School Attendance in the U.S.
Topics: Families and CommunitiesThe United States has experienced a 400% increase in reported child labor violations over the past decade, coinciding with declines in K-12 school attendance and enrollment. We examine the causal relationships between these patterns with microdata from the American Community Survey (ACS) from… more →
"Send Them Home?" Rethinking What Public Education Owes to Flourishing Children
Topics: Student Well-BeingThis essay asks what justice requires for children who are already thriving in school and argues that the dominant frameworks in educational philosophy do not answer the question. Priority, equality of opportunity, adequacy, and capabilities treat public education chiefly as redistribution to… more →
Unequal Foundations: Racial Disparities in School Building Conditions in New York State
Topics: Student Well-BeingSchool infrastructure is a critical yet often overlooked factor shaping student health, learning, and well-being. This study examines racial disparities in public school building conditions across New York State using building inspection data linked to demographic and fiscal data. Schools… more →
The Effects of Daily Air Pollution on Students and Teachers
Recent empirical research shows that air pollution harms student test scores and attendance and increases office discipline referrals. However, the mechanism by which air pollution operates within schools to negatively affect student and teacher outcomes remains largely opaque. The existing… more →
Under the Weather? Seasonal Effects of Temperature on Student Test Performance
Topics: Student LearningAs students are exposed to extreme temperatures with ever-increasing frequency, it is important to understand how such exposure affects student performance. Drawing on detailed Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) achievement data combined with high-resolution weather records, we estimate the… more →
From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice in Schools
Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Absenteeism, Counseling, Culturally responsive schooling, Curriculum, Elementary schools, High schools, Human capital, Juvenile justice, Learning environments, School climate and culture, School districts, School reform, Social and emotional learning, Student discipline, Student well-beingSchool districts historically approached conflict-resolution from the perspective that suspending disruptive students was necessary to protect their classmates, even if this caused harm to perceived offenders. Restorative practices (RP) – focused on reparation, accountability, and shared… more →