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Missed signals: The effect of ACT college-readiness measures on post-secondary decisions

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  • Foote, Andrew
  • Schulkind, Lisa
  • Shapiro, Teny M.

Abstract

In the face of shrinking government budgets and a growing need to train a high-skilled labor force, policymakers have become increasingly interested in cost-effective measures that induce more students to apply to and enroll in college. In this paper, we use a regression discontinuity design to identify the causal effect of students receiving information about their own college-readiness after taking the ACT on their subsequent college enrollment decisions. Using data from Colorado, where all high school students are required to take the ACT, we find that students who receive information that they are college-ready are no more likely to attend college than those that do not receive this information. We discuss possible reasons for these findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Foote, Andrew & Schulkind, Lisa & Shapiro, Teny M., 2015. "Missed signals: The effect of ACT college-readiness measures on post-secondary decisions," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 39-51.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:46:y:2015:i:c:p:39-51
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.02.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Bo, Shiyu & Liu, Jing & Shiu, Ji-Liang & Song, Yan & Zhou, Sen, 2019. "Admission mechanisms and the mismatch between colleges and students: Evidence from a large administrative dataset from China," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 27-37.
    3. Naihobe Gonzalez, "undated". "Small Changes Make a Big Difference: How Behavioral Science Improved Participation in Advanced Placement (Issue Brief)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports e2356565d4c04588af65ca5ac, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Christopher Avery & Oded Gurantz & Michael Hurwitz & Jonathan Smith, 2018. "Shifting College Majors in Response to Advanced Placement Exam Scores," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(4), pages 918-956.
    5. Feng, Qiang & Wang, Xiaojun, 2018. "The psychological effects of academic labeling: The case of class tracks," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 568-581.
    6. Adam Weiss & Sang Hwang, 2019. "Utilizing American and Korean College Admissions Exams to Assess Adult ESL Students’ College Readiness," Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 6(2), pages 30-38.
    7. Mauricio Villamizar‐Villegas & Freddy A. Pinzon‐Puerto & Maria Alejandra Ruiz‐Sanchez, 2022. "A comprehensive history of regression discontinuity designs: An empirical survey of the last 60 years," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 1130-1178, September.
    8. Naihobe Gonzalez, "undated". "How Learning About One's Ability Affects Educational Investments: Evidence from the Advanced Placement Program," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 307d565f1bf14eb8808071847, Mathematica Policy Research.
    9. Joshua Hyman, 2018. "Nudges, College Enrollment, and College Persistence: Evidence From a Statewide Experiment in Michigan," Working papers 2018-10, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    10. Kolesnikova, Irina Vladimirovna & Dobrynina, Valentina Ivanovna & Kal'chenko, Anna Georgievna, "undated". "Management of Entrepreneurial Activity in Family Business. Russian Experience," Published Papers nvg124, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Higher education; ACT; Information treatments; College enrollment; Regression discontinuity design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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