Headed to College: The Effects of New York City's Small High Schools of Choice on Postsecondary Enrollment

Abstract

Taking advantage of lottery-like features in New York City’s high school admissions process, previous MDRC reports have provided rigorous evidence that new small public high schools are narrowing the educational attainment gap and markedly improving high school graduation prospects, particularly for disadvantaged students. The new findings in this policy brief demonstrate that these schools are also having a sustained effect on students’ enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education, with positive impacts for many different subgroups, including male and female students of color, students who partially or fully met their eighth-grade proficiency standards in math or English, and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. These gains involve postsecondary institutions representing a broad range of selectivity. Given available data, it is too early to determine the resulting effect on college degree attainment.

Keywords: high school, postsecondary education, randomized experiment, disadvantaged students

JEL Classification: I28