Do Schools Respond to Value-Added Accountability? Evidence From Ohio

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: How Schools and Systems Experience Accountability: A View Across Contexts

Abstract

This study contributes to the growing body of research on the effectiveness of test-based accountability at increasing student achievement. I use a regression discontinuity design to evaluate whether Ohio’s use of a value-added measure to rate schools as part of the state’s school accountability system led to improved student achievement. Consistent with existing research, I find positive a positive effect for schools facing the threat of sanctions, but that this is concentrated in lower grade levels. However, this improvement does not emerge until two years after a school faces the threat of sanctions. School-level contextual factors may also play a role. Policy implications are discussed.

Author

• Jason Burns, Michigan State University