Working Paper: NBER ID: w19444
Authors: David J. Deming; Sarah Cohodes; Jennifer Jennings; Christopher Jencks
Abstract: We study the impact of accountability pressure in Texas public high schools in the 1990s on postsecondary attainment and earnings, using administrative data from the Texas Schools Project (TSP). Schools respond to the risk of being rated Low-Performing by increasing student achievement on high-stakes exams. Years later, these students are more likely to have attended college and completed a four-year degree, and they have higher earnings at age 25. However, we find no overall impact of accountability pressure to achieve a higher rating, and large negative impacts on attainment and earnings for the lowest-scoring students.
Keywords: accountability; postsecondary attainment; earnings; high school; Texas
JEL Codes: I20; I24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Accountability pressure (D73) | 10th grade math exam scores (C29) |
| Accountability pressure (D73) | likelihood of graduating on time (C41) |
| Accountability pressure (D73) | accumulation of math credits (C00) |
| Accountability pressure (D73) | college attendance rates (I23) |
| Accountability pressure (D73) | earnings at age 25 (J31) |
| Accountability pressure (for lower-scoring students) (C92) | likelihood of graduating from college (D29) |
| Accountability pressure (for lower-scoring students) (C92) | earnings at age 25 (J31) |