Putting "K" in Rank: How Kindergarten Classrooms Impact Short- and Long-Run Outcomes (Poster 1)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Ten
  In Poster Session: Longitudinal Studies SIG Poster Session

Abstract

I use data from the Tennessee STAR project, which randomly assigned over 6,323 kindergarteners to classroom environments, to study the impact of kindergarten class rank on a host of short and long-run outcomes. I find a strong, causal relationship between one's kindergarten classroom rank and subsequent test scores, high school achievement and performance on college entrance exams. I also find that having a higher rank in kindergarten causes an increase in study effort, value of school and decreases disruptive behavior in the classroom. I also leverage the design of project STAR to test various mechanisms and address several outstanding issues in the rank literature, including the role of tracking, parental effort and teacher-level characteristics in driving the effects of rank.

Author

• Derek Rury
  Presenting Author