Peer Effects in Advanced Placement Classes: Evidence From Variations in Racial and Economic Compositions

• In Event: 69.056 - Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: 69.056-5 - Research on School and Curricular Reform

Abstract

Over the past two decades, there has been a push to increase access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses to racial/ethnic minority and low-income students. We estimate the effects of having more such minority/poor peers on existing white/affluent students’ AP exam performance, and vice versa. Using ten years administrative data with school fixed-effects model, we attempt to examine a causal relationship between peers’ exogenous background and individual’s performance. We found that having students from different racial background does not negatively impact on student performance. However, having low-income students may have a negative impact for white students. These effects are different from subject to subject.

Authors

• Taek Hyung Kim, Florida State University

• Patrice Iatarola, Florida State University