Working Paper: NBER ID: w13623
Authors: Justine S. Hastings; Jeffrey M. Weinstein
Abstract: We analyze two experiments that provided direct information on school test scores to lower-income families in a public school choice plan. We find that receiving information significantly increases the fraction of parents choosing higher-performing schools. Parents with high-scoring alternatives nearby were more likely to choose non-guaranteed schools with higher test scores. Using random variation from each experiment, we find evidence that attending a higher-scoring school increases student test scores. The results imply that school choice will most effectively increase academic achievement for disadvantaged students when parents have easy access to test score information and have good options to choose from.
Keywords: School choice; Academic achievement; Public policy; Information provision
JEL Codes: D83; H0; I2; I28
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Proximity to high-scoring schools (I23) | Increased likelihood of choosing an alternative school (I21) |
| Attending a higher-scoring school (I23) | Significant gains in student test scores (I21) |
| Providing information on school test scores (I21) | Increased fraction of parents choosing higher-performing schools (I21) |
| Simplified information format (Y10) | No substantial added impact over NCLB format (I24) |