But Do I Get an A? Causal Implications of Changing School Accountability Reports in New York City

• In Event: 21.031 - Accountability for Schools and Teachers

Abstract

School districts often present accountability results in a format that mimics a student report card (A-F) in that it assigns discrete grades. These grades, however, are built from complex, continuous formulas. This paper utilizes a regression discontinuity design to examine the causal effect of receiving a new, categorical, “non-grade” rating in New York City elementary/middle schools and finds evidence that receiving a low rating causes increases on English and Math scores relative to higher rated schools.

Author

• Samuel J. Kamin, University of Connecticut