Data and Code for: Can Successful Schools Replicate? Scaling Up Boston’s Charter School Sector

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Sarah R. Cohodes, Columbia University. Teachers College; Elizabeth M. Setren, Tufts University; Christopher R. Walters, University of California-Berkeley

Version: View help for Version V1

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Code_Repository			03/28/2020 04:52:PM
Scale_Up_README_final.pdf	application/pdf	119.4 KB	05/07/2020 04:14:PM

Project Citation:

Cohodes, Sarah R., Setren, Elizabeth M., and Walters, Christopher R. . Data and Code for: Can Successful Schools Replicate? Scaling Up Boston’s Charter School Sector. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-28. https://doi.org/10.3886/E118542V1

Project Description

Summary: Abstract. Can schools that boost student outcomes reproduce their success at new campuses? We study a policy reform that allowed effective charter schools in Boston, Massachusetts to replicate their school models at new locations. Estimates based on randomized admission lotteries show that replication charter schools generate large achievement gains on par with those produced by their parent campuses. The average effectiveness of Boston’s charter middle school sector increased after the reform despite a doubling of charter market share. An exploration of mechanisms shows that Boston charter schools compress the distribution of teacher effectiveness and may reduce the returns to teacher experience, suggesting the highly standardized practices in place at charter schools may facilitate replicability.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: 32; 627 ; 62712; 62722; 6271

JEL Classification:
      H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
      I21 Analysis of Education
      I28 Education: Government Policy

Geographic Coverage: Boston, Massachusetts

Time Period(s): 2002 – 2014

Collection Date(s): 2002 – 2014

Universe: Applicants to Boston charter schools from 2004 - 2013.

Data Type(s): administrative records data; aggregate data

Methodology

Data Source: The data for this project are confidential, but may be obtained with Data Use Agreements with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Boston area charter schools. DESE provided data on student demographics and school enrollment (SIMS), test scores (MCAS), student-classroom links (SCS) and teachers (EPIMS). Charter school lottery records were collected from individual charter schools over many years.

Unit(s) of Observation: individual student-level data

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Published Versions

V1 [2021-01-28]

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