Download or read book An Analysis of the Effect of School Quality on Transfer Student Achievement written by Patrick Mitoraj and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Several education policies prominent in recent years, such as school closings and school choice, increase student mobility in order to move students to better performing schools. There is a large research base demonstrating the negative effect of transferring schools on student achievement, but less is known about how going to a higher quality school moderates this effect. I examine this question using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, a national study that follows 10th grade students into their college and careers. My study assesses the effect on student GPA of students who transferred to better, worse, or the same quality schools, as well as how this effect differed based on their reason for transferring schools. I find that, while there is a significant negative effect on GPA from transferring, changes in school quality are unrelated to transfer student GPA. Furthermore, of the stated reasons for transferring, those students who transferred for better instruction or for better programs were negatively affected by transferring.
Download or read book Essays on the Determinants of School Quality and Student Achievement written by Vasudha Rangaprasad and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My dissertation examines the determinants of school quality and its impact on student achievement. The first essay studies the impact of class size on student achievement. The impact of class size on student achievement remains an open question despite hundreds of empirical studies and the perception amongst parents, teachers, and policymakers that larger classes are a significant detriment to student development. This essay attempts to shed new light on this ambiguity by explicitly recognizing the distributed nature of educational outcomes. This paper utilizes recently developed nonparametric tests for stochastic dominance to uniformly rank entire distributions of test scores. Moreover, by using bootstrap techniques, we are able to report the results of the dominance tests to a degree of statistical certainty. This type of analysis is very useful for policy decisions as it lends itself to broad-based, consensus ranking of outcomes. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we estimate the effects of eighth and tenth grade class size on the unconditional and conditional distributions of contemporaneous test scores, subsequent test scores, and test score gains. The results are quite surprising. First, after controlling for a host of determinants of student achievement, we find compelling evidence suggesting that students benefit from relatively large classes. Second, we document several instances where the relationship between student achievement and class size is non-monotonic. Finally, these conclusions are unaltered when we allow for heterogeneous effects of class size by student race or subject matter. In my second essay, I address questions regarding school competition using a spatial autoregressive model. Education reforms involving expanded school choice are receiving increased attention. Many view the heightened competition that would presumably result from such reforms as a panacea for the ills currently plaguing the US public education system. However, the present system is not devoid of competition even absent such reforms; public schools compete for students through the Tiebout (1956) process. Thus, this essay seeks to answer two questions: (i) Does competition alter the behavior of public school districts? and (ii) Do public school districts compete with neighboring public school districts? To answer such questions, we utilize panel data from Illinois over the period 1990-2000 and estimate a multi-dimensional mixed regressive, spatial autoregressive model via instrumental variables, thereby eliminating the possibility of confounding strategic competition with spatial error correlation. The data come from two sources: the Common Core of Data and the Census of Population and Housing. We find robust evidence that public school districts incorporate the educational input decisions of other public school districts in the same county into their decision calculus, thereby acting strategically when setting own input levels. Thus, reforms leading to expansion of school choice would not introduce competition into the US school system, but rather would at best accentuate the level of competition. The third essay examines the impact of peer group effects on student achievement. The current empirical evidence on the magnitude of these effects is, however, inconclusive. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, I assess the impact of peer group influences on the test scores of tenth grade students using school-by-subject specific fixed effects models, as well as a Generalized Methods of Moments approach (via instrumental variables) to account for potential endogeneity of the peer group formation. The results are striking. In particular, I fail to uncover widespread evidence in favor of positive peer group effects. The OLS estimations yield strong and positive effects of peer group achievement on test score gains. When I account for potential endogeneity of peer group formation via instrumental variables and fixed effects these effects disappear. In addition, the dispersion of peer group achievement has no systematic influence on achievement growth. Moreover, I find no evidence supporting the hypothesis that peer effects have differential impacts in schools in which tracking is present. The only exception to the above findings is in models that control for both peer effects and tracking, and allow the effect of each to differ according to student ability. In this case, while the impact of tracking is not found to be substantially different in tracked versus nontracked schools, the results are consistent with a nonuniform effect of tracking on achievement across students of different abilities. Finally, these fundamental conclusions are not substantially altered when I allow for changes in the definitions of peer group effect and tracking.
Download or read book Transfer Students in Institutions of Higher Education written by Research Triangle Institute and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Resources in Education written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Handbook of Research in Education Finance and Policy written by Helen F. Ladd and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-17 with total page 693 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sponsored by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), the second edition of this groundbreaking handbook assembles in one place the existing research-based knowledge in education finance and policy, with particular attention to elementary and secondary education. Chapters from the first edition have been fully updated and revised to reflect current developments, new policies, and recent research. With new chapters on teacher evaluation, alternatives to traditional public schooling, and cost-benefit analysis, this volume provides a readily available current resource for anyone involved in education finance and policy. The Handbook of Research in Education Finance and Policy traces the evolution of the field from its initial focus on school inputs and revenue sources used to finance these inputs, to a focus on educational outcomes and the larger policies used to achieve them. Chapters show how decision making in school finance inevitably interacts with decisions about governance, accountability, equity, privatization, and other areas of education policy. Because a full understanding of important contemporary issues requires inputs from a variety of perspectives, the Handbook draws on contributors from a number of disciplines. Although many of the chapters cover complex, state-of-the-art empirical research, the authors explain key concepts in language that non-specialists can understand. This comprehensive, balanced, and accessible resource provides a wealth of factual information, data, and wisdom to help educators improve the quality of education in the United States.
Download or read book Handbook of the Economics of Education written by Eric A Hanushek and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2006-11-13 with total page 853 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbooks in Economics series continues to provide the various branches of economics with handbooks which are definitive reference sources, suitable for use by professional researchers, advanced graduate students, or by those seeking a teaching supplement. With contributions from leading researchers, each Handbook presents an accurate, self-contained survey of the current state of the topic under examination. These surveys summarize the most recent discussions in journals, and elucidate new developments. Although original material is also included, the main aim of this series is the provision of comprehensive and accessible surveys. *Every volume contains contributions from leading researchers *Each Handbook presents an accurate, self-contained survey of a particular topic *The series provides comprehensive and accessible surveys
Download or read book No Child Left Behind and the Reduction of the Achievement Gap written by Alan R. Sadovnik and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-11 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monumental collection presents the first-ever sociological analysis of the No Child Left Behind Act and its effects on children, teachers, parents, and schools. More importantly, these leading sociologists consider whether NLCB can or will accomplish its major goal: to eliminate the achievement gap by 2014. Based on theoretical and empirical research, the essays examine the history of federal educational policy and place NCLB in a larger sociological and historical context. Taking up a number of policy areas affected by the law—including accountability and assessment, curriculum and instruction, teacher quality, parental involvement, school choice and urban education—this book examines the effects of NCLB on different groups of students and schools and the ways in which school organization and structure affect achievement. No Child Left Behind concludes with a discussion of the important contributions of sociological research and sociological analysis integral to understanding the limits and possibilities of the law to reduce the achievement gap.
Download or read book Effects of School Quality on Student Achievement Discontinuity written by Adrienne M. Lucas and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Creating a New Teaching Profession written by Daniel D. Goldhaber and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume is about the human capital systems that help determine the quality of the K-12 teaching workforce in the United States and how to improve them.
Download or read book Essays on School Choice and the Returns to School Quality written by Kehinde Funmilola Ajayi and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation consists of three studies which collectively seek to examine: what the barriers are to receiving a high-quality education in a merit-based school choice setting; how policy reforms can address these barriers; and what benefits students gain from attending a high-quality school. Altogether, the papers focus on understanding the role of socio-economic background in explaining differences in education-related decisions and student outcomes. Chapter 2 examines whether school choice programs increase opportunities for educational mobility or reinforce initial disparities in schooling. I address this question in the context of the public education system in Ghana, which uses standardized tests and a nation-wide application process to allocate 150,000 elementary school students to 650 secondary schools. As has been found in other settings, students from lower-performing elementary schools in Ghana apply to less selective secondary schools than students with the same test scores from higher-performing elementary schools. I consider four potential explanations for this behavior: differences in decision-making quality, imperfect information about admission chances, costs and accessibility of schooling, and preferences for school quality. I use detailed data from three cohorts of applicants to evaluate the relative importance of these explanations. My analysis suggests that differences in application behavior are largely due to poor decision-making and incorrect beliefs about admission chances, rather than differences in preferences or the costs and accessibility of schools. Building on the theoretical framework outlined in the preceding analysis, Chapter 3 evaluates the impact of institutional reforms in school choice settings. Focusing again on the case of Ghana, I estimate the effects of a series of reforms in the application process that expanded the number of choices students could list and encouraged students to select a diversified portfolio of schools. I use a difference-in-differences approach to analyze the effect of each reform and find that both reforms decreased the difference in selectivity of schools chosen by students from high-performing and low-performing elementary schools, which suggests that application and admission rules play a significant role in explaining differences in application behavior. Moreover, these results are consistent with a setting in which imperfect information has a strong impact on students' choices and the effects can both be explained as a consequence of uncertainty in the Ghanaian choice system. Chapter 4 uses a unique dataset on Ghana's education system to examine the effect of school quality on student outcomes. My analysis draws on exogenous variation in student assignment due to the fact that admission of elementary school students into secondary school in 2005 was based on students' ranking of their three most preferred choices and their performance on a standardized test. I compare students on different sides of the cutoff for admission to their lowest-ranked choice and find that students who are not admitted to their chosen school are assigned to schools of lower-quality and are less likely to complete secondary school. Additionally, these students are more likely to transfer out of their initially-assigned schools. However, those who do complete secondary school do not perform any worse on the exit exam several years later. Thus, students' behavioral responses to their admission outcomes appear to moderate the effects of school quality on educational attainment in this context.
Download or read book The Wiley Handbook of School Choice written by Robert A. Fox and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 557 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wiley Handbook of School Choice presents a comprehensive collection of original essays addressing the wide range of alternatives to traditional public schools available in contemporary US society. A comprehensive collection of the latest research findings on school choices in the US, including charter schools, magnet schools, school vouchers, home schooling, private schools, and virtual schools Viewpoints of both advocates and opponents of each school choice provide balanced examinations and opinions Perspectives drawn from both established researchers and practicing professionals in the U.S. and abroad and from across the educational spectrum gives a holistic outlook Includes thorough coverage of the history of traditional education in the US, its current state, and predictions for the future of each alternative school choice
Download or read book Handbook of Research on School Choice written by Mark Berends and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-20 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Updated to reflect the latest developments and increasing scope of school-based options, the second edition of the Handbook of Research on School Choice makes readily available the most rigorous and policy-relevant research on K–12 school choice. This comprehensive research handbook begins with scholarly overviews that explore historical, political, economic, legal, methodological, and international perspectives on school choice. In the following sections, experts examine the research and current state of common forms of school choice: charter schools, school vouchers, and magnet schools. The concluding section brings together perspectives on other key topics such as accountability, tax credit scholarships, parent decision-making, and marginalized students. With empirical perspectives on all aspects of this evolving sphere of education, this is a critical resource for researchers, faculty, and students interested in education policy, the politics of education, and educational leadership.
Download or read book Dropping Out written by Russell W. Rumberger and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-11-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The vast majority of kids in the developed world finish high school—but not in the United States. More than a million kids drop out every year, around 7,000 a day, and the numbers are rising. Dropping Out offers a comprehensive overview by one of the country’s leading experts, and provides answers to fundamental questions: Who drops out, and why? What happens to them when they do? How can we prevent at-risk kids from short-circuiting their futures? Students start disengaging long before they get to high school, and the consequences are severe—not just for individuals but for the larger society and economy. Dropouts never catch up with high school graduates on any measure. They are less likely to find work at all, and more likely to live in poverty, commit crimes, and suffer health problems. Even life expectancy for dropouts is shorter by seven years than for those who earn a diploma. Rumberger advocates targeting the most vulnerable students as far back as the early elementary grades. And he levels sharp criticism at the conventional definition of success as readiness for college. He argues that high schools must offer all students what they need to succeed in the workplace and independent adult life. A more flexible and practical definition of achievement—one in which a high school education does not simply qualify you for more school—can make school make sense to young people. And maybe keep them there.
Download or read book The Effect of School Closures on Student Achievement written by Kori James Stroub and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School closures are an increasingly common reform strategy for districts facing declining enrollments and low academic performance. In this study, I examine the impact of 46 closures on the achievement of 6,826 displaced students in Houston between 2003 and 2010, comparing their achievement trajectories to those of a matched sample of non-displaced students. I find that closures are associated with a short-term increase in math achievement; however, displaced students have flatter math achievement slopes than their non-displaced peers. Cumulatively, closures have a relatively small effect on reading achievement. Finally, while closures can benefit students that transfer to high-performing campuses, few students – particularly low-achieving and non-white students – transfer to campuses of sufficiently high academic quality to produce achievement gains.
Download or read book Hearings written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 1836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Urban and Regional Policy and its Effects written by Nancy Pindus and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Urban and Regional Policy and Its Effects, the third in a series, sets out to inform policymakers, practitioners, and scholars about the effectiveness of select policy approaches, reforms, and experiments in addressing key social and economic problems facing cities, suburbs, and metropolitan areas. The chapters analyze responses to five key policy challenges that most metropolitan areas and local communities face: • Creating quality neighborhoods for families • Governing effectively • Building human capital • Growing the middle class • Enlarging a competitive economy through industry-based strategies • Managing the spatial pattern of metropolitan growth and development Each chapter discusses a specific topic under one of these challenges. The authors present the essence of what is known, as well as its likely applications, and identify the knowledge gaps that need to be filled for the successful formulation and implementation of urban and regional policy.
Download or read book Achievement Spirals written by Paula J. Gordon and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This case study examined achievement differences in an urban school where student achievement was high in K-5 but declined in Grades 6-8. School- and classroom-level factors, such as the principal's leadership, school culture, school vision, qualified teachers, use of student performance data, curriculum and instructional practices, and external factors such as parent and community partnerships were examined. Quantitative data were analyzed to identify differences in student achievement between transfer students from a feeder school and nontransfer students. Where differences existed, multiple and fixed effect regressions identified the most likely predictor(s) of the differences. Analysis identified a combination of contributing student-level factors: special education, Limited English Proficiency, transfer, race/ethnicity, and poverty, leading to the conclusion that the problem stemmed from a combination of factors. While transfer students contributed to depressed academic achievement in Mathematics, the decline had begun in Grade 4, before the merger of students. Thus, it was concluded that transfer students were not the sole cause of the overall decline in performance. Similar findings for Language Arts Literacy led to the same conclusion. Analysis of qualitative data indicated that the effectiveness of the school was dependent on several key factors: the cited student-level factors, consistent and stable leadership, accessible resources (defined as support and time), teacher expectations, lower curricular rigor, and parental involvement. The effectiveness of the school was dependent on perceived accessible resources, such as support and time, and effective stable leadership. Inconsistent guidance and planning were reflected in the instability of leadership at the middle school level, inadequate time to plan and collaborate, pressure of accountability and minimal parental involvement. This challenge created an environment in which meeting the high expectations and accountability standards seemed unattainable and insurmountable, producing a less effective school. The study provides important quantitative and qualitative evidence of school and student factors that can contribute to decline in achievement at an urban middle school, especially with regard to problems with the transfer component of No Child Left Behind. It was concluded that factors affecting student achievement are multidimensional and that solutions are very difficult but not insurmountable.
