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Can Successful Schools Replicate? Scaling Up Boston's Charter School Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah R. Cohodes
  • Elizabeth M. Setren
  • Christopher R. Walters

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah R. Cohodes & Elizabeth M. Setren & Christopher R. Walters, 2021. "Can Successful Schools Replicate? Scaling Up Boston's Charter School Sector," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 138-167, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:1:p:138-67
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20190259
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    Cited by:

    1. Evan Riehl & Meredith Welch, 2023. "Accountability, Test Prep Incentives, and the Design of Math and English Exams," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(1), pages 60-96, January.
    2. Francis, Abigail & Goodman, Joshua, 2025. "School enrollment shifts five years after the pandemic," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    3. Serena Canaan & Pierre Mouganie & Peng Zhang, 2025. "The long‐run educational benefits of high‐achieving classrooms," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 1347-1373, September.
    4. Sorensen, Lucy C. & Holt, Stephen B., 2021. "Sorting it Out: The Effects of Charter Expansion on Teacher and Student Composition at Traditional Public Schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Elizabeth Setren, 2024. "Busing to Opportunity? The Impacts of the METCO Voluntary School Desegregation Program on Urban Students of Color," CESifo Working Paper Series 11320, CESifo.
    6. David N. Figlio & Cassandra M.D. Hart & Krzysztof Karbownik, 2020. "Effects of Scaling Up Private School Choice Programs on Public School Students," NBER Working Papers 26758, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. repec:osf:socarx:y6wh4_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Emma Duchini & Victor Lavy & Stephen Machin & Shqiponja Telhaj, 2025. "Personnel policy in public sector organizations: evidence from England's academy schools," CEP Discussion Papers dp2129, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. de Hoyos, Rafael & Djaker, Sharnic & Ganimian, Alejandro J. & Holland, Peter A., 2024. "The impact of combining performance-management tools and training with diagnostic feedback in public schools: Experimental evidence from Argentina," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    10. Matthew A. Kraft & John P. Papay & Olivia L. Chi, 2020. "Teacher Skill Development: Evidence from Performance Ratings by Principals," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 315-347, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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