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Race and the Mismeasure of School Quality

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua Angrist
  • Peter Hull
  • Parag A. Pathak
  • Christopher R. Walters

Abstract

In large urban districts, schools enrolling more White students tend to have higher performance ratings. We use an instrumental variables strategy leveraging centralized school assignment to explore this relationship. Estimates from Denver and New York City suggest that the correlation between school performance ratings and White enrollment shares reflects selection bias rather than causal school value added. In fact, value added in these two cities is essentially unrelated to White enrollment shares. A simple regression adjustment is shown to yield school ratings uncorrelated with race while predicting value added as well as or better than the corresponding unadjusted measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Angrist & Peter Hull & Parag A. Pathak & Christopher R. Walters, 2024. "Race and the Mismeasure of School Quality," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 20-37, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aerins:v:6:y:2024:i:1:p:20-37
    DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20220292
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    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
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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