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Sequential Neighborhood Effects: The Effect of Long-Term Exposure to Concentrated Disadvantage on Children’s Reading and Math Test Scores

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew L. Hicks

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Mark S. Handcock

    (University of California Los Angeles)

  • Narayan Sastry

    (University of Michigan)

  • Anne R. Pebley

    (California Center for Population Research and Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles)

Abstract

Prior research has suggested that children living in a disadvantaged neighborhood have lower achievement test scores, but these studies typically have not estimated causal effects that account for neighborhood choice. Recent studies used propensity score methods to account for the endogeneity of neighborhood exposures, comparing disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged neighborhoods. We develop an alternative propensity function approach in which cumulative neighborhood effects are modeled as a continuous treatment variable. This approach offers several advantages. We use our approach to examine the cumulative effects of neighborhood disadvantage on reading and math test scores in Los Angeles. Our substantive results indicate that recency of exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more important than average exposure for children’s test scores. We conclude that studies of child development should consider both average cumulative neighborhood exposure and the timing of this exposure.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew L. Hicks & Mark S. Handcock & Narayan Sastry & Anne R. Pebley, 2018. "Sequential Neighborhood Effects: The Effect of Long-Term Exposure to Concentrated Disadvantage on Children’s Reading and Math Test Scores," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(1), pages 1-31, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:55:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s13524-017-0636-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-017-0636-5
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    Cited by:

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    2. Mijs, Jonathan Jan Benjamin & Nieuwenhuis, Jaap, 2018. "The Great British Sorting Machine: Adolescents’ future in the balance of family, school and the neighborhood," SocArXiv ac7ew, Center for Open Science.
    3. Nieuwenhuis, Jaap & Kleinepier, Tom & van Ham, Maarten, 2019. "Neighbourhood and School Poverty Simultaneously Predicting Educational Achievement, Taking into Account Timing and Duration of Exposure," IZA Discussion Papers 12396, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Jonathan J. B. Mijs & Jaap Nieuwenhuis, 2022. "Adolescents' future in the balance of family, school, and the neighborhood: A multidimensional application of two theoretical perspectives," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(3), pages 534-549, May.

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