Working Paper: NBER ID: w15812
Authors: Graham J. McKee; Steven G. Rivkin; Katharine Re Sims
Abstract: With few exceptions, empirical research investigating the possibility of heterogeneous benefits of class size reduction lacks a conceptual framework about specific dimensions of potential heterogeneity. In this paper we develop a model of education production that incorporates disruption and student achievement and illustrates how these underlying sources of variation may drive heterogeneity in the benefits of class size reductions. We test for results consistent with this model using the Tennessee STAR data. The estimates show that students in higher poverty schools and with greater learning aptitude realize larger benefits from smaller classes.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I20; I21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| subsidized lunch eligibility (I24) | control for confounding factors (C90) |
| class size reduction (C55) | increased time available for learning (I24) |
| increased time available for learning (I24) | improved student outcomes (I24) |
| class size reduction (C55) | larger benefits in higher poverty schools (I24) |
| class size reduction (C55) | increased instructional quality and teacher attention (I24) |
| class size reduction (C55) | benefits more pronounced for higher-achieving students (I24) |