The Impact of Alternative Grade Configurations on Student Outcomes through Middle and High School

49 Pages Posted: 2 Aug 2011

See all articles by Guido Schwerdt

Guido Schwerdt

University of Konstanz - Faculty of Economics and Statistics

Martin R. West

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 29, 2011

Abstract

We use statewide administrative data from Florida to estimate the impact of attending public schools with different grade configurations on student achievement through grade 10. To identify the causal effect of structural school transitions, we use student fixed effects and instrument for middle and high school attendance based on the terminal grade of the school attended in grades 3 and 6, respectively. Consistent with recent evidence from other settings, we find that students moving from elementary to middle school in grade 6 or 7 suffer a sharp drop in student achievement in the transition year. We confirm that these achievement drops occur in non-urban areas and persist through grade 10, by which time most students have transitioned into high school. We also find that middle school entry increases student absences and is associated with higher grade 10 dropout rates. Transitions to high school in grade nine cause a smaller one-time drop in achievement but do not alter students’ performance trajectories.

Keywords: educational production, public schools, grade configuration, middle schools, high schools

JEL Classification: H520, I210, I280

Suggested Citation

Schwerdt, Guido and West, Martin R., The Impact of Alternative Grade Configurations on Student Outcomes through Middle and High School (July 29, 2011). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 3530, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1903669 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1903669

Guido Schwerdt (Contact Author)

University of Konstanz - Faculty of Economics and Statistics ( email )

Universitaetsstr. 10
78457 Konstanz
Germany

Martin R. West

Harvard Graduate School of Education ( email )

6 Appian Way
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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