scholarly journals Engagement and Attainment: The Longer-Run Effects of Ethnic Studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sade Bonilla ◽  
Thomas Sean Dee ◽  
Emily K. Penner
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Ethnic Studies ◽  
High School Graduation ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
School Graduation

Increased interest in anti-racist education has motivated the rapidly growing but politically contentious adoption of ethnic-studies (ES) courses in U.S. public schools. A long-standing rationale for ES courses is that their emphasis on culturally relevant and critically engaged content (e.g., social justice, anti-racism, stereotypes, contemporary social movements) has potent effects on student engagement and outcomes. However, the quantitative evidence supporting this claim is limited. In this pre- registered, regression-discontinuity study, we examine the longer-run impact of a grade-9 ES course offered in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Our key confirmatory finding is that assignment to this course significantly increased the probability of high-school graduation among students near the grade-GPA threshold (i.e., 2.0 GPA in grade 8) used for assigning students to the course. Our exploratory analyses also indicate that this assignment increased measures of engagement throughout high school (e.g., attendance) as well as the probability of postsecondary matriculation.

scholarly journals Ethnic studies increases longer-run academic engagement and attainment

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (37) ◽  
pp. e2026386118
Author(s):  
Sade Bonilla ◽  
Thomas S. Dee ◽  
Emily K. Penner
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Grade Point Average ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Ethnic Studies ◽  
High School Graduation ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
School Graduation

Increased interest in anti-racist education has motivated the rapidly growing but politically contentious adoption of ethnic studies (ES) courses in US public schools. A long-standing rationale for ES courses is that their emphasis on culturally relevant and critically engaged content (e.g., social justice, anti-racism, stereotypes, contemporary social movements) has potent effects on student engagement and outcomes. However, the quantitative evidence supporting this claim is limited. In this preregistered regression-discontinuity study, we examine the longer-run impact of a grade 9 ES course offered in the San Francisco Unified School District. Our key confirmatory finding is that assignment to this course significantly increased the probability of high school graduation among students near the grade 8 2.0 grade point average (GPA) threshold used for assigning students to the course. Our exploratory analyses also indicate that assignment increased measures of engagement throughout high school (e.g., attendance) as well as the probability of postsecondary matriculation.

Closer to the Finish Line? Compulsory Attendance, Grade Attainment, and High School Graduation

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-53
Author(s):  
Wael S. Moussa
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Graduation Rates ◽  
High School Graduation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Finish Line ◽  
High School Graduation Rates ◽  
Compulsory Attendance ◽  
School Graduation ◽  
The Impact

High school graduation rates are a central policy topic in the United States and have been shown to be stagnant for the past three decades. Using student-level administrative data from New York City Public Schools, I examine the impact of compulsory school attendance on high school graduation rates and grade attainment, focusing the analysis on ninth and tenth grade cohorts. I exploit the interaction between the school start-age cutoff and compulsory attendance age requirement to identify the effect of compulsory schooling. I find that an additional year in compulsory attendance leads to an increase of 9 to 12 percent in the probability of progressing to grades 11 and 12, and raises the probability of graduating from high school by 9 to 14 percent, depending on the specification.

scholarly journals Education Reforms and Student Achievement in the American States

1991 ◽  
Vol 6 (0) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Doh C. Shin ◽  
Jack R. Vanderslik
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Merit Pay ◽  
High School Graduation ◽  
Education Reforms ◽  
American States ◽  
School Graduation ◽  
Certification Requirements

The educational reforms by the states in the early 1980s were aimed at toughening the school environment and enriching student learning. Critics said that gains in schooling and learning are incompatible goals. We found small but consistent gains in learning, but inconsistent consequences of reform on schooling. State-imposed reforms accomplished more in learning than schooling, but the measurement of educational changes are too rough to make elaborate statistical analyses fruitful. "Legislators legislated. Bureaucrats regulated. Commissions wrote reports. And all these groups pointed fingers and accused. The result was inability to address the real issues of schooling in America." Mary Hatwood Futrell (1989) "Don't destroy education reform now; it's working." Bill Honig (1990) "Many states have beefed up academic requirements for high school graduation. Much has been heard of stiffer certification requirements for teachers. The spasms have given us more homework for students, merit pay for teachers, career ladders, alternative schools, something for everyone. And the level of academic achievement across the nation is pathetic. James Kilpatrick (1990) "Reforms in public schools to date have been superficial and that nothing short of restructuring is needed. " Chris Pipho (1989)

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