Addressing the Needs of Under-Prepared Students in Higher Education: Does College Remediation Work?

Each year, thousands of students graduate high school academically unprepared for college. As a result, approximately one-third of entering postsecondary students require remedial or developmental work before entering college-level courses. However, little is known about the causal impact of remediation on student outcomes. At an annual cost of over $1 billion at public colleges alone, there is a growing debate about its effectiveness. Who should be placed in remediation, and how does it affect their educational progress? This project addresses these critical questions by examining the effects of math and English remediation using a unique dataset of approximately 28,000 students. To account for selection biases, the paper uses variation in remedial placement policies across institutions and the importance of proximity in college choice. The results suggest that students in remediation are more likely to persist in college in comparison to students with similar test scores and backgrounds who were not required to take the courses. They are also more likely to transfer to a higher-level college and to complete a bachelor's degree.

Paying to Learn: The Effect of Financial Incentives on Elementary School Test Scores

Policymakers and academics are increasingly interested in applying financial incentives to individuals in education. This paper presents evidence from a pay for performance program taking place in Coshocton, Ohio. Since 2004, Coshocton has provided cash payments to students in grades three through six for successful completion of their standardized testing. Coshocton determined eligibility for the program using randomization, and using this randomization, this paper identifies the effects of the program on students' academic behavior. We find that math scores improved about 0.15 standard deviations but that reading, social science, and science test scores did not improve.

Improving College Performance and Retention the Easy Way: Unpacking the ACT Exam

Colleges rely on the ACT exam in their admission decisions to increase their ability to differentiate between students likely to succeed and those that have a high risk of under-performing and dropping out. We show that two of the four sub tests of the ACT, English and Mathematics, are highly predictive of positive college outcomes while the other two subtests, Science and Reading, provide little or no additional predictive power. This result is robust across various samples, specifications, and outcome measures. We demonstrate that focusing solely on the English and Mathematics test scores greatly enhances the predictive validity of the ACT exam.

The Role of Simplification and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment

Growing concerns about low awareness and take-up rates for government support programs like college financial aid have spurred calls to simplify the application process and enhance visibility. This project examines the effects of two experimental treatments designed to test of the importance of simplification and information using a random assignment research design. H&R Block tax professionals helped low- to moderate-income families complete the FAFSA, the federal application for financial aid. Families were then given an estimate of their eligibility for government aid as well as information about local postsecondary options. A second randomly-chosen group of individuals received only personalized aid eligibility information but did not receive help completing the FAFSA. Comparing the outcomes of participants in the treatment groups to a control group using multiple sources of administrative data, the analysis suggests that individuals who received assistance with the FAFSA and information about aid were substantially more likely to submit the aid application, enroll in college the following fall, and receive more financial aid. These results suggest that simplification and providing information could be effective ways to improve college access. However, only providing aid eligibility information without also giving assistance with the form had no significant effect on FAFSA submission rates.

The effects of charter schools and educational vouchers on students

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-104).This thesis evaluates whether two market-based educational reforms, charter schools and educational vouchers, have led to better student outcomes for both the students who participate them and for students in public schools around them. In Chapter l, I estimate the effects of Michigan charter schools on student achievement for both the students attending them and students at neighboring public schools. Adjusting for previous test scores, I find that charter students do no better and may actually do worse than public school students. I also find that Michigan charter schools have had little or no effect on test scores in neighboring public schools. In Chapter 2, I estimate the effects of Colombia's high school voucher program. Between 1992 and 1997, the Colombian government awarded vouchers to over 100,000 poor students. Most of these vouchers were awarded randomly. Using the randomization to eliminate selection bias, I estimate the effects of the vouchers on participating students. The results suggest voucher winners had higher grade completion, lower repetition rates, a higher probability of taking the college entrance exam, and higher test scores. In Chapter 3, I study the effects of private school scholarships on disadvantaged, elementary students in Michigan. I find that the scholarship did not have a significant effect on the likelihood that a student attends private schools. Students who applied for this scholarship were planning to attend private schools anyway.by Eric P. Bettinger.Ph.D