Working Paper: NBER ID: w30798
Authors: Kristin Butcher; Patrick McEwan; Akila Weerapana
Abstract: In Fall 2014, Wellesley College began mandating pass/fail grading for courses taken by first-year, first-semester students, although instructors continued to record letter grades. We identify the causal effect of the policy on course choice and performance, using a regression-discontinuity-in-time design. Students shifted to lower-grading STEM courses in the first semester, but did not increase their engagement with STEM in later semesters. Letter grades of first-semester students declined by 0.13 grade points, or 23% of a standard deviation. We evaluate causal channels of the grade effect—including sorting into lower-grading STEM courses and declining instructional quality—and conclude that the effect is consistent with declining student effort.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I23
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Mandatory pass/fail grading policy (Z28) | Reduced student effort (D29) |
| Decline in average letter grades (I21) | Lower instructional quality or increased class sizes (I24) |
| Shift in course selection (A22) | Decline in average letter grades (I21) |
| Mandatory pass/fail grading policy (Z28) | Shift in course selection (A22) |
| Mandatory pass/fail grading policy (Z28) | Decline in average letter grades (I21) |