@article{egalite_mills_2021, title={Competitive Impacts of Means-Tested Vouchers on Public School Performance: Evidence from Louisiana}, volume={16}, ISSN={["1557-3079"]}, DOI={10.1162/edfp_a_00286}, abstractNote={Given the significant growth rate and geographic expansion of private school choice programs over the past two decades, it is important to examine how traditional public schools respond to the sudden injection of competition for students and resources. Although prior studies of this nature have been limited to Florida and Milwaukee, using multiple analytic strategies this paper examines the competitive impacts of the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) to determine its achievement impacts on students in affected public schools. Serving 4,954 students in its first year of statewide expansion, this targeted school voucher program provides public funds for low-income students in low-performing public schools to enroll in participating private schools across the state of Louisiana. Using (1) a school fixed effects approach and (2) a regression discontinuity framework to examine the achievement impacts of the LSP on students in affected public schools, this competitive effects analysis reveals neutral to positive impacts that are small in magnitude. Policy implications are discussed.}, number={1}, journal={EDUCATION FINANCE AND POLICY}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Mills, Jonathan N.}, year={2021}, month={Jan}, pages={66–91} }
 @article{egalite_stallings_porter_2020, title={An Analysis of the Effects of North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship Program on Student Achievement}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2332-8584"]}, DOI={10.1177/2332858420912347}, abstractNote={ The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program is a private school voucher program that provides state-funded vouchers worth up to $4,200 to eligible students entering kindergarten through 12th grade. Because the public and private school sectors administer different assessments, we recruited approximately 700 students to take a common, nationally normed, standardized test. Matching on baseline achievement and rich demographic data, we use a quasi-experimental inverse propensity weighting approach to maximize comparability between the public and private school student samples. Our preferred specification examines first-year effects for new Opportunity Scholarship students, revealing positive estimates of .36 SD in math and .44 SD in language; there is no effect on reading scores. Results for renewal students are statistically significant in language scores only. In further analyses, we estimate separate effects for private schools that regularly administer another version of the assessment used in this study, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. We conclude by discussing policy implications. }, number={1}, journal={AERA OPEN}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Stallings, D. T. and Porter, Stephen R.}, year={2020}, month={Jan} }
 @article{anderson_egalite_mills_2019, title={Discipline Reform: The Impact of a Statewide Ban on Suspensions for Truancy}, volume={24}, ISSN={["1532-7671"]}, DOI={10.1080/10824669.2018.1537794}, abstractNote={Abstract Chronic absenteeism and truancy have been linked to a variety of undesirable outcomes for students including increased risk of dropout, lower test scores, lower educational and social engagement, juvenile delinquency, and substance abuse. One controversial response to truancy is the use of exclusionary discipline, such as out-of-school suspensions (OSS). Out of concern that such a practice is counter-intuitive and likely not effective at improving student engagement or academic outcomes, some states have recently banned this practice altogether. This analysis uses Arkansas as a case study to estimate the impact of a state-level ban on the use of OSS for truancy on attendance—an important measure related to student engagement and opportunity to learn. Using an eight-year panel of student-level data in a difference-in-differences framework, we find no evidence of improvement in attendance for truant students. Implications for policy design, implementation, and evaluation are discussed.}, number={1}, journal={JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS PLACED AT RISK}, author={Anderson, Kaitlin P. and Egalite, Anna J. and Mills, Jonathan N.}, year={2019}, pages={68–91} }
 @article{dixon_egalite_humble_wolf_2019, title={Experimental results from a four-year targeted education voucher program in the slums of Delhi, India}, volume={124}, ISSN={["0305-750X"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104644}, abstractNote={We present experimental evidence from a school choice program carried out in a 20-square kilometer, highly urbanized slum area known as Shahdara, which is situated in East Delhi, India. The lottery-based allocation of vouchers allows us to structure an impact evaluation as a randomized controlled trial. We conduct an Intent-to-Treat (ITT) analysis of the impact of the offer of a voucher as well as a Treatment-on-Treated (TOT) analysis of the impact of using a voucher, employing the lottery results as an instrumental variable. Four years after random assignment, we find large positive impacts of voucher use on student test scores in English (0.31σ, p < .05). We find suggestive negative impacts of voucher use on test scores in the native language of Hindi (−0.20σ, p < .10), but this impact is not significant at the standard 95% confidence level. We find no voucher impact on student test scores in mathematics.}, journal={WORLD DEVELOPMENT}, author={Dixon, Pauline and Egalite, Anna J. and Humble, Steve and Wolf, Patrick J.}, year={2019}, month={Dec} }
 @article{egalite_2019, title={Peers with special educational needs and students' absences}, volume={45}, ISSN={["1465-3400"]}, DOI={10.1080/03055698.2018.1446325}, abstractNote={Abstract In the United States, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifies that students with disabilities should be educated in the “least restrictive environment,” yet little is known about how successfully schools have been able to apply appropriate supports, practices and resources so that all students benefit from inclusion. Using a quasi-experimental method and a longitudinal data-set provided by the Florida Department of Education that spans an eight-year panel from 2001 through 2009, this paper analyses the relationship between the density and diversity of peers with special educational needs and general education students’ absence rates in grades three through eight. Results show that a one standard deviation increase in the measure of special education peers is associated with an increase in general education students’ absences of .03 to .43 more days per year, depending on the empirical specification chosen. This represents as much as a five percent increase in the average student’s annual absences. Implications are discussed.}, number={2}, journal={EDUCATIONAL STUDIES}, author={Egalite, Anna J.}, year={2019}, month={Mar}, pages={182–208} }
 @article{egalite_daniela barriga_2018, title={Muslim Educators in American Communities}, volume={12}, ISSN={1558-2159 1558-2167}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2018.1524406}, DOI={10.1080/15582159.2018.1524406}, abstractNote={Charles Glenn’s timely book about Muslim educators in the United States addresses some of the burning questions of the day: How should we accommodate immigrants in a way that respects their culture, religious identity, and expression of community but also ensures their children are being well-educated in preparation for citizenship? It is a thoughtful volume that tackles tough, but important questions about pluralism, assimilation, and the ingredients for building a healthy civil society. Few would disagree that being Muslim in America today has its challenges, including what is frequently a hostile political climate. The president of the United States has stated he would “strongly consider” closing mosques, told a reporter, “I think Islam hates us,” and issued an executive order widely dubbed the “Muslim ban” that has since been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The fear of violent, antiwestern jihadism has led many of his supporters to wonder if Islam itself is fundamentally incompatible with democracy. In the midst of heated popular rhetoric about their religion, culture, and practices, the seven Islamic secondary schools profiled here teach their students they must represent “the true face of Islam” (p. 121) and that they must balance adherence to the transcendent moral authority of their faith with the responsibilities and civic obligations associated with living in a democracy that is home to non-Muslims with diverse beliefs and perspectives. Drawing on rich qualitative data, Glenn documents the personal advantages of attending a faith-based school, such as a feeling of unity and solidarity with one’s peers and the development of “psychological strength” (p. 122) to maintain a Muslim lifestyle. Student quotes reveal how this sense of belonging builds their self-confidence and helps them develop a social identity built around their faith. The role of school staff in modeling appropriate behavior appears to be crucial, “arguably even more influential than specific instruction,” (p. 110) we learn. This emphasis on character education and adherence to Islamic principles as the foremost goal of Islamic schools comes at a price, however, which is the risk that academic considerations will be a secondary concern to religious formation. The author describes how the schools profiled here are grappling with this balance. Academic considerations aside, it’s clear that Islamic schools offer their students a rootedness in faith. Critics may wonder if this focus on the development of private virtue and character building is compatible with the cultivation of civic virtue. Do these private benefits come with a public cost? A teacher quote about the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks illustrates why some prefer a multicultural public education to a faith-based private education:}, number={4}, journal={Journal of School Choice}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Daniela Barriga, M.}, year={2018}, month={Oct}, pages={605–607} }
 @article{ackerman_egalite_2017, title={A critical look at methodologies used to evaluate charter school effectiveness}, volume={29}, ISSN={["1874-8600"]}, DOI={10.1007/s11092-017-9266-0}, number={4}, journal={EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY}, author={Ackerman, Matthew and Egalite, Anna J.}, year={2017}, month={Nov}, pages={363–396} }
 @article{egalite_mills_wolf_2017, title={The Impact of Targeted School Vouchers on Racial Stratification in Louisiana Schools}, volume={49}, ISSN={["1552-3535"]}, DOI={10.1177/0013124516643760}, abstractNote={ The question of how school choice programs affect the racial stratification of schools is highly salient in the field of education policy. We use a student-level panel data set to analyze the impacts of the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) on racial stratification in public and private schools. This targeted school voucher program provides funding for low-income, mostly minority students in the lowest-graded public schools to enroll in participating private schools. Our analysis indicates that the vast majority (82%) of LSP transfers have reduced racial stratification in the voucher students’ former public schools. LSP transfers have marginally increased stratification in the participating private schools, however, where just 45% of transfers reduce racial stratification. In those school districts under federal desegregation orders, voucher transfers result in a large reduction in traditional public schools’ racial stratification levels and have no discernible impact on private schools. The results of this analysis provide reliable empirical evidence on whether or not parental choice harms desegregation efforts in Louisiana. }, number={3}, journal={EDUCATION AND URBAN SOCIETY}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Mills, Jonathan N. and Wolf, Patrick J.}, year={2017}, month={Mar}, pages={271–296} }
 @article{egalite_fusarelli_fusarelli_2017, title={Will Decentralization Affect Educational Inequity? The Every Student Succeeds Act}, volume={53}, ISSN={["1552-3519"]}, DOI={10.1177/0013161x17735869}, abstractNote={Purpose: In December 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was a long overdue reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. What is remarkable about this new federal legislation is that it explicitly reverses the decades-long federal effort to more tightly couple the U.S. educational system. While not removing testing requirements, the legislation dramatically reduces the federal role in shaping education policy, returning significant power to the states to design educational systems as they best see fit. The law places sharp limits on the use of federal executive power over education and has the potential to remove the federal government from oversight and accountability over schools, raising questions about the equity implications of this policy change. Research Method: Utilizing public documents, including legislation, speeches by federal officials, analyses by policy organizations, and news accounts, the authors trace the evolution of federal efforts from a more tightly coupled educational system to one with greater state and local flexibility in order to estimate the equity impact of efforts to decentralize governance. Findings: While certain provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act may reduce inequity and improve educational outcomes for all students, rigorous enforcement of the law’s protections will be necessary in order to ensure existing inequities are not exacerbated.}, number={5}, journal={EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION QUARTERLY}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Fusarelli, Lance D. and Fusarelli, Bonnie C.}, year={2017}, month={Dec}, pages={757–781} }
 @article{egalite_wolf_2016, title={A Review of the Empirical Research on Private School Choice}, volume={91}, ISSN={0161-956X 1532-7930}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2016.1207436}, DOI={10.1080/0161956X.2016.1207436}, abstractNote={Parents in the United States have had the legal right to choose the school their child attends for a long time. Traditionally, parental school choice took the form of families moving to a neighborhood with good public schools or self-financing private schooling. Contemporary education policies allow parents in many areas to choose from among public schools in neighboring districts, public magnet schools, public charter schools, private schools through the use of a voucher or tax-credit scholarship, virtual schools, or even homeschooling. The newest form of school choice is education savings accounts (ESAs), which make a portion of the funds that a state spends on children in public schools available to their parents in spending accounts that they can use to customize their children's education. Opponents claim that expanding private school choice yields no additional benefits to participants and generates significant harms to the students “left behind” in traditional public schools. A review of the empirical research on private school choice finds evidence that private school choice delivers some benefits to participating students—particularly in the area of educational attainment—and tends to help, albeit to a limited degree, the achievement of students who remain in public schools.}, number={4}, journal={Peabody Journal of Education}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Wolf, Patrick J.}, year={2016}, month={Jun}, pages={441–454} }
 @article{gottfried_egalite_kirksey_2016, title={Does the presence of a classmate with emotional/behavioral disabilities link to other students' absences in kindergarten?}, volume={36}, ISSN={["1873-7706"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.ecresq.2016.02.002}, abstractNote={In recent decades, there has been a policy push for including students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Little is known, however, on the effects that this classroom compositional change may have on other students. This study focuses on the increased presence of classmates with emotional/behavioral disabilities (EBDs), as these children often exhibit behavioral disruptions. Given that classroom disruptions are associated with decreased school engagement, we tested for an association between the presence of classmates with EBDs and other students’ absences. Using a national dataset and relying on within-school variation in classrooms that do and do not have a classmate with an EBD as well as a rich set of control variables, we found that annual student absences increased when students had a classmate with an EBD. Further, the likelihood of being chronically absent was higher when students had a classmate with an EBD. Importantly, we examined what malleable factors might support inclusion for more successful classroom environments. We found an array of teacher and classroom characteristics that could create more supportive classrooms for all children. Implications for how compositional changes to inclusive classroom contexts might address all children’s needs are discussed.}, journal={EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY}, author={Gottfried, Michael A. and Egalite, Anna and Kirksey, J. Jacob}, year={2016}, pages={506–520} }
 @article{egalite_kisida_2016, title={School size and student achievement: a longitudinal analysis}, volume={27}, ISSN={["1744-5124"]}, DOI={10.1080/09243453.2016.1190385}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Numerous initiatives by private philanthropies and the US government have supported school size reduction policies as an educational reform intended to improve student outcomes. Empirical evidence to support these claims, however, is underdeveloped. In this article, we draw on information from a longitudinal dataset provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association covering more than 1 million students in 4 US states. Employing a student fixed effects strategy, we estimate how a student’s achievement changes as (s)he moves between schools of different sizes. We find evidence that students’ academic achievement in math and reading declines as school size increases. The negative effects of large schools appear to matter most in higher grades, which is also when schools tend to be the largest.}, number={3}, journal={SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Kisida, Brian}, year={2016}, month={Sep}, pages={406–417} }
 @article{egalite_kisida_winters_2015, title={Representation in the classroom: The effect of own-race teachers on student achievement}, volume={45}, ISSN={0272-7757}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.ECONEDUREV.2015.01.007}, DOI={10.1016/J.ECONEDUREV.2015.01.007}, abstractNote={Previous research suggests that there are academic benefits when students and teachers share the same race/ethnicity because such teachers can serve as role models, mentors, advocates, or cultural translators. In this paper, we obtain estimates of achievement changes as students are assigned to teachers of different races/ethnicities from grades 3 through 10 utilizing a large administrative dataset provided by the Florida Department of Education that follows the universe of test-taking students in Florida public schools from 2001–2002 through 2008–2009. We find small but significant positive effects when black and white students are assigned to race-congruent teachers in reading (.004–.005 standard deviations) and for black, white and Asian/Pacific Island students in math (.007–.041 standard deviations). We also examine the effects of race matching by students' prior performance level, finding that lower-performing black and white students appear to particularly benefit from being assigned to a race-congruent teacher.}, journal={Economics of Education Review}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Kisida, Brian and Winters, Marcus A.}, year={2015}, month={Apr}, pages={44–52} }
 @article{egalite_jensen_stewart_wolf_2014, title={Finding the Right Fit: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Milwaukee Choice Schools}, volume={8}, ISSN={1558-2159 1558-2167}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2014.875418}, DOI={10.1080/15582159.2014.875418}, abstractNote={This article explores differential hiring and retention practices across schools of choice using data gathered as part of a comprehensive evaluation of a large-scale school voucher program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A variety of interview, survey, and observation instruments are used to describe the challenges and strategies that 13 schools report regarding teacher recruitment and retention. We conclude that schools with established partnerships with institutions that share a religious or philosophical commitment experience the highest success with recruiting and retaining teachers. We describe the strategies used by these schools and make recommendations for improving teacher retention in schools of choice.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of School Choice}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Egalite, Anna J. and Jensen, Laura I. and Stewart, Thomas and Wolf, Patrick J.}, year={2014}, month={Jan}, pages={113–140} }
 @article{beck_egalite_maranto_2014, title={Why they choose and how it goes: Comparing special education and general education cyber student perceptions}, volume={76}, ISSN={0360-1315}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2014.03.011}, DOI={10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2014.03.011}, abstractNote={While critics offer concerns that cyber charter schools under-enroll special education students, such schools may offer advantages for these students, and some cyber schools have identified this market niche. Little is known about such schools. We surveyed parents (n = 232; 48.7% response rate) and students (n = 269; 53.7% response rate) at a cyber charter school that we will call SunTech, where special education students account for 26% of the student body. Findings indicate that special education students and their parents were more likely than general education peers to mention behavioral issues as influencing their decision to choose SunTech. Compared to general education counterparts, special education students and parents reported somewhat higher levels of satisfaction in the school and somewhat lower levels of satisfaction in their prior schools. Implications are discussed.}, journal={Computers & Education}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Beck, Dennis and Egalite, Anna and Maranto, Robert}, year={2014}, month={Jul}, pages={70–79} }
 @article{egalite_2013, title={Measuring Competitive Effects From School Voucher Programs: A Systematic Review}, volume={7}, ISSN={1558-2159 1558-2167}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2013.837759}, DOI={10.1080/15582159.2013.837759}, abstractNote={Studies of the competition effects from voucher or tuition tax credit scholarship programs on public school student academic outcomes have taken place in seven locations throughout the United States, with the majority of studies taking place in Florida, followed by Wisconsin. This article reviews 21 total studies of the impacts on student academic outcomes, finding neutral to positive results. The various competition measures used in the literature are thoroughly reviewed and regression discontinuity design is identified as the most rigorous estimation strategy capable of identifying the causal effect of competition threats on traditional public schools.}, number={4}, journal={Journal of School Choice}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Egalite, Anna J.}, year={2013}, month={Oct}, pages={443–464} }
 @article{egalite_2013, title={Response to John Merrifield's Comment, “Can We Reasonably Assess ‘Productivity of Market-Based Educational Reforms’?”}, volume={7}, ISSN={1558-2159 1558-2167}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2013.837764}, DOI={10.1080/15582159.2013.837764}, abstractNote={John Merrifield (this issue) raises three important observations regarding this review of the literature on the competition effects of school vouchers. The first is an acknowledgment of the limited nature of current school choice markets in the United States. Even in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the site of the nation’s oldest and largest means-tested school voucher program, what exists is more accurately termed a “quasimarket” (Barber, 2012). Private schools participating in voucher or tuition tax credit programs experience greater levels of autonomy over curriculum, pedagogy, organization, and management, but certain constraints hinder the full extent of potential market forces. For instance, although participating private schools were not required to test their students in the early years of the program, Wisconsin Act 28 now requires all participating private schools to administer the state test. In general, school choice programs across the United States differ greatly in terms of the market environments they operate within, yet none of the environments in the studies reviewed here would qualify as a truly free market. Clowes (2009) provides a clear description of the key design features needed to ensure an effective competitive environment. In the meantime, however, the absence of genuine educational markets in the United States should not prevent researchers from assessing the contemporary policy environments we actually have, qualifying their takeaways and diagnoses, and making informed predictions of likely future responses to competitive threats given an expansion of existing market forces. The 21 studies reviewed in this article span 7 locations in the United States, from Florida to Maine. While the magnitude of impacts varies by location, the direction of effects is consistent. All but one study revealed neutral to positive or positive effects of competition on public school students’ outcomes, suggesting that increasing choice and competition via this mechanism has the potential to improve student achievement in the traditional public school sector. Merrifield’s second observation is that the potential responses to competition that I hypothesize may be occurring are not actions that are typically}, number={4}, journal={Journal of School Choice}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Egalite, Anna J.}, year={2013}, month={Oct}, pages={468–470} }
 @article{jacob_2012, title={The Secret of TSL: The Revolutionary Discovery that Raises School Performanceby William G. Ouchi}, volume={6}, ISSN={1558-2159 1558-2167}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2012.650101}, DOI={10.1080/15582159.2012.650101}, abstractNote={William G. Ouchi titles his book: The Secret of TSL: The Revolutionary Discovery that Raises School Performance, advertising his secret sauce for school reform. While many of his suggestions are praiseworthy, there is nothing “revolutionary” in this book that cannot be created by a market system of education. Ouchi has started to unravel the complex knot of education management and organization, but falls short of actually revolutionizing the education sector by failing to imagine a schooling system too far removed from the current traditional structures that dominate most districts. It turns out that Total Student Load (TSL) is not in fact the central theme of the book. Rather, Ouchi presents observations on a series of carefully selected case studies of districts that have implemented decentralized decision making and funding based on student population characteristics, building on his previous work in this area. Ouchi is critical of top-down, centralized bureaucratic mandates in districts and advocates instead for the “five pillars” of choice, empowerment, effective principals, accountability and weighted student formula budgeting. Ironically, the politically savvy Ouchi recommends pursuing these new and improved objectives within the existing top-down, centralized bureaucratic system. Tinkering at the edges by granting some improved managerial autonomy to school principals is simply not a bold enough reform to effect lasting, meaningful change for public school students in failing schools. Ouchi’s “Lesson 1: Big Districts Need Small Schools” (p. 267) is an example of a reform that fundamentally underestimates the scope of the current problem. Reducing the units of governance cannot, even in conjunction with the five pillars as he defines them, solve the bureaucratic problems of public schools in the same way as a broad overhaul towards a system of market incentives could. Ouchi admits, that when “principals who have a bureaucratic mentality are suddenly set free, [. . .] nothing happen[s]” (p. 270). This should be unsurprising considering that many of these principals came to power by persisting in a system that rewards seniority over performance. Innovative climbers are not attracted to such systems. In an earlier chapter, Ouchi acknowledges the merits of a system built on school choice, noting that principals with an incentive to improve student performance are more}, number={1}, journal={Journal of School Choice}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Jacob, Anna}, year={2012}, month={Jan}, pages={141–143} }