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Test-based promotion policies, dropping out, and juvenile crime

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  • Eren, Ozkan
  • Depew, Briggs
  • Barnes, Stephen

Abstract

Over the past decade, several states and school districts have implemented accountability systems that require students to demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency through standardized tests. With many states and school districts ending social promotion, policy makers and researchers have gained renewed interest in the role of grade retention and remedial education in US schools. This paper examines the potential effects of summer school and grade retention on high school completion and juvenile crime. To do so, we use administrative data from a number of state agencies in Louisiana and a regression discontinuity design to analyze Louisiana's statewide test-based promotion policy administered to students in fourth and eighth grades. Our results indicate that potential grade retention increases the propensity of a student to drop out of school. In addition, eighth grade remedial education assignment in the form of summer school appears to provide a positive benefit by decreasing the likelihood that a student drops out. As for fourth grade students, however, we do not find any effect of summer school assignment. Finally, for eighth graders, we find that the net effect of the test-based promotion policies is to decrease the probability of being convicted of a juvenile crime.

Suggested Citation

  • Eren, Ozkan & Depew, Briggs & Barnes, Stephen, 2017. "Test-based promotion policies, dropping out, and juvenile crime," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 9-31.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:153:y:2017:i:c:p:9-31
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2017.07.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Ozkan Eren & Naci Mocan, 2021. "Juvenile Punishment, High School Graduation, and Adult Crime: Evidence from Idiosyncratic Judge Harshness," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(1), pages 34-47, March.
    2. Javier Valbuena & Mauro Mediavilla & Álvaro Choi & María Gil, 2021. "Effects Of Grade Retention Policies: A Literature Review Of Empirical Studies Applying Causal Inference," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 408-451, April.
    3. Randi Hjalmarsson & Stephen Machin & Paolo Pinotti, 2024. "Crime and the labor market," CEP Discussion Papers dp2044, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad, 2021. "Minimum Dropout Age and Juvenile Crime in the USA," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 378-405, June.
    5. Hugo Reis & Emilio Borghesan, 2022. "Learning Through Repetition? A Dynamic Evaluation of Grade Retention in Portugal," Working Papers w202220, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    6. Stephen Machin & Matteo Sandi & Steve Machin, 2024. "Crime and Education," CESifo Working Paper Series 11450, CESifo.
    7. Ozkan Eren & Michael F. Lovenheim & H. Naci Mocan, 2022. "The Effect of Grade Retention on Adult Crime: Evidence from a Test-Based Promotion Policy," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(2), pages 361-395.
    8. Figlio, David N. & Karbownik, Krzysztof & Özek, Umut, 2023. "Sibling Spillovers May Enhance the Efficacy of Targeted School Policies," IZA Discussion Papers 16250, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Díaz, Juan & Grau, Nicolás & Reyes, Tatiana & Rivera, Jorge, 2021. "The impact of grade retention on juvenile crime," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Figlio, David & Özek, Umut, 2020. "An extra year to learn English? Early grade retention and the human capital development of English learners," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    11. Bach, Maximilian, 2019. "Strategic grade retention," ZEW Discussion Papers 19-059, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    12. Servaas van der Berg & Gabrielle Wills & Rebecca Selkirk & Charles Adams & Chris van Wyk, 2019. "The cost of repetition in South Africa," Working Papers 13/2019, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Summer remediation programs; Grade retention; Dropping out; Juvenile crime; Regression discontinuity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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