Do refugee students affect the academic achievement of peers? Evidence from a large urban school district

B-Tier
Journal: Economics of Education Review
Year: 2022
Volume: 89
Issue: C

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Policy debate on refugee resettlement focuses on perceived adverse effects on local communities, with sparse credible evidence to ascertain its impact. In this paper, I present evidence on the impact of refugee integration in public schools by examining whether attending school with refugees affects the academic outcomes of non-refugee students. Leveraging variation in the share of refugees within schools and across grades, I find that a 1 percentage point increase in the share of refugees raises math test scores of non-refugee students by 0.01 standard deviations. I find no impact on average English Language Arts performance, although results in this subject differ by incumbent students’ prior achievement levels. Supplemental analyses suggest that the positive spillovers in math achievement are in part driven by compensatory funding and in-kind support made available to schools serving refugee students.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecoedu:v:89:y:2022:i:c:s0272775722000589
Journal Field
Education
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26