Working Paper: NBER ID: w21865
Authors: Thomas Dee; Emily Penner
Abstract: An extensive theoretical and qualitative literature stresses the promise of instructional practices and content aligned with the cultural experiences of minority students. Ethnic studies courses provide a growing but controversial example of such “culturally relevant pedagogy.” However, the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these courses is limited. In this study, we estimate the causal effects of an ethnic studies curriculum piloted in several San Francisco high schools. We rely on a “fuzzy” regression discontinuity design based on the fact that several schools assigned students with eighth-grade GPAs below a threshold to take the course in ninth grade. Our results indicate that assignment to this course increased ninth-grade student attendance by 21 percentage points, GPA by 1.4 grade points, and credits earned by 23. These surprisingly large effects are consistent with the hypothesis that the course reduced dropout rates and suggest that culturally relevant teaching, when implemented in a supportive, high-fidelity context, can provide effective support to at-risk students.
Keywords: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy; Ethnic Studies; Student Outcomes; Regression Discontinuity
JEL Codes: I0
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Assignment to the ethnic studies course (I24) | Ninth-grade student attendance (I21) |
| Assignment to the ethnic studies course (I24) | GPA (C00) |
| Assignment to the ethnic studies course (I24) | Credits earned (G12) |
| Assignment to the ethnic studies course (I24) | Dropout rates (I21) |
| Ethnic studies course (J15) | Male students' attendance (I24) |
| Ethnic studies course (J15) | Hispanic students' attendance (I24) |