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School District Reform in Newark: Within- and Between-School Changes in Achievement Growth

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Listed:
  • Mark J. Chin
  • Thomas J. Kane
  • Whitney Kozakowski
  • Beth E. Schueler
  • Douglas O. Staiger

Abstract

In 2011-12, Newark launched a set of educational reforms supported by a gift from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. Using data from 2009 through 2016, we evaluate the change in Newark students’ achievement growth relative to similar students and schools elsewhere in New Jersey. We measure achievement growth using a “value-added” model, controlling for prior achievement, demographics and peer characteristics. By the fifth year of reform, Newark saw statistically significant gains in English and no significant change in math achievement growth. Perhaps due to the disruptive nature of the reforms, growth declined initially before rebounding in recent years. Aided by the closure of low value-added schools, much of the improvement was due to shifting enrollment from lower- to higher-growth district and charter schools. Shifting enrollment accounted for 62 percent of the improvement in English. In math, such shifts offset what would have been a decline in achievement growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark J. Chin & Thomas J. Kane & Whitney Kozakowski & Beth E. Schueler & Douglas O. Staiger, 2017. "School District Reform in Newark: Within- and Between-School Changes in Achievement Growth," NBER Working Papers 23922, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23922
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    Cited by:

    1. Mark Cimiluca & Brian Hill, 2023. "District‐wide school reform and student performance: Evidence from Montgomery County, Maryland," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 813-827, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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