The First Wave of School Sanctions: A Regression Discontinuity Study of Being on a Probationary List

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Education Policy and Politics

Abstract

Since No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), most states have imposed sanctions on public schools whose students do not make adequate yearly progress in achievement. To present day, the evidence of the effects of NCLB sanctions on school improvement is relatively sparse and inconsistent. In Michigan, the first stage of sanctioning process is being placed on a probationary list. This study employs a regression discontinuity design to analyze the effects of being on “the probationary list.” Analyses from longitudinal analyses and an analysis of a pseudo list from former years suggest that labeling may have some positive effects for the lowest performing schools. Findings show the effects of labeling as a possible mechanism for changing school performance.

Authors

• Guan Saw, Michigan State University

• I-Chien Chen, Michigan State University

• Barbara Schneider, Michigan State University

• Kenneth A. Frank, Michigan State University