Research
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Air Pollution and Learning
A policy brief highlighting new findings on the negative effects of air pollution on school learning and the discrepancy in who bears the brunt of the effects.
Special Education Substantially Improves Learning: Evidence from Three States
Special education serves more than one in seven U.S. students, yet its causal impact remains understudied. In this paper, we estimate the effect of individualized supports with an event-study design that tracks achievement around initial classification. The research shows students’ scores decline prior to placement and rise sharply afterward. Overall, individualized supports substantially increase learning productivity.
Early Returns: Reversing Enrollment Declines in Massachusetts Community Colleges through MassReconnect
Analysis of Massachusetts MassReconnect free community college program. Evaluates enrollment impact, student demographics, financial aid distribution, and persistence rates for free tuition initiative targeting adults 25+. Policy brief for states considering free college programs.
Declining Community College Enrollment & Labor Market Strength
Declining U.S. college enrollments have triggered questions about the health of the postsecondary sector. This project examines national data collected through the Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences to better understand shifts in the sector and help situate trends within the context of broader economic and labor market context.
School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic
This research documents the changes in public school enrollment in one state and highlights shifts that may have broader implications for American schools.
The Stickiness of Pandemic-Driven Disenrollment from Public Schools
Using data from Michigan and nationally representative data, authors show how the pandemic affected families’ choices of school sector.
Ability Signals and Rigorous Coursework: Evidence from AP Calculus Participation
The study examines how one signal of ability—whether a student achieves “Advanced” status on Massachusetts’ 10th grade statewide standardized assessment—effects subsequent enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus courses. Short answer: it does, but not equally.
The Pandemic’s Effect on Demand for Public Schools, Homeschooling, and Private Schools
Using data from Michigan and nationally representative data, authors show how the pandemic affected families’ choices of school sector.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupted Both School Bullying and Cyberbullying
As COVID-19 disrupted in-person schooling, researchers examined changing bullying patterns using data from Google internet searches.
Inequality in Household Adaptation to Schooling Shocks: COVID-19 Induced Online Learning Engagement in Real Time
Researchers analyzed internet search trends on school and parent-centered instructional resources during the pandemic.
Oh Brother, Where Start Thou? Sibling Spillovers on College and Major Choice in Four Countries
International researchers identified whether a student’s college and major is affected by the college enrollment of an older sibling.