Achievement in Indiana Catholic and Public Schools: A Statewide Analysis in a School Choice Environment

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Achievement and Equity in Catholic Schools

Abstract

A reputation for strong academic preparation is a primary reason parents choose Catholic schools. Yet research demonstrating a Catholic school effect on achievement is a decade or more old. We use Indiana state assessment data to provide a recent statewide comparison of academic achievement in math and reading in the elementary and middle grades in Catholic and public schools. We use matching methods to measure differences in performance. Preliminary findings suggest students in similar Catholic and public schools perform similarly in math, while Catholic school students perform somewhat better in reading. Comparing students who moved to Catholic schools with similar peers at their previous public school, achievement is initially lower in math and similar in reading, but improves over time.

Authors

• Julie W. Dallavis, University of Notre Dame
  Presenting Author

• Stephen Ponisciak, University of Notre Dame
  Presenting Author