Credible School Value-Added with Undersubscribed School Lotteries

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2024
Volume: 106
Issue: 1
Pages: 1-19

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

We introduce two empirical strategies harnessing the randomness in school assignment mechanisms to measure school value-added. The first estimator controls for the probability of school assignment, treating take-up as ignorable. We test this assumption using randomness in assignments. The second approach uses assignments as instrumental variables (IVs) for low-dimensional models of value-added and forms empirical Bayes posteriors from these IV estimates. Both strategies solve the underidentification challenge arising from school undersubscription. Models controlling for assignment risk and lagged achievement in Denver and New York City yield reliable value-added estimates. Estimates from models with lower-quality achievement controls are improved by IV.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:106:y:2024:i:1:p:1-19
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-24