KIPP middle school admission lotteries as a random assignment instrument for estimating long-term charter impacts¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The study uses oversubscribed KIPP middle school admission lotteries as "a random assignment instrument" to estimate causal impacts of attendance on college outcomes. The network studied is the nation's largest charter school network, serving "disadvantaged students of color," and the analysis covers "13 KIPP middle schools" with outcomes through the first two postsecondary years. This design addresses selection bias that complicates comparisons of charter and non-charter students.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Access to admission lottery applicant and enrollment data from KIPP middle schools that are oversubscribed, so lotteries determine offers
• Postsecondary enrollment records for lottery applicants over at least two years after expected high school graduation

Constraints¶

• Findings apply to KIPP middle schools serving disadvantaged students of color and to applicants who entered the lotteries; generalization beyond this population is limited by the study's scope

Target Learners¶

• Middle school students from disadvantaged backgrounds, primarily students of color

Target Learning Goals¶

• Increasing 4-year college enrollment and persistence

Claims¶

• Enrolling at a KIPP middle school is associated with a 12.9 percentage-point higher rate of college enrollment [+M]
• Receiving an offer of admission to a KIPP middle school increases enrollment in 4-year college programs by 6.9 percentage points [+M]
• KIPP middle schools' positive effects extend to enrollment in 4-year college programs, not only middle school achievement [+M]
• The study also examines persistence in college over the first two postsecondary years [+M]

Related Elements¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ira Nichols-Barrer, Maria Bartlett, Thomas Coen, Philip Gleason. (2022). The Impacts on College Enrollment of a Charter Network Serving Disadvantaged Students: Evidence from KIPP Middle School Lotteries. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness (online ahead of print). https://www.mathematica.org/publications/the-impacts-on-college-enrollment-of-a-charter-network-serving-disadvantaged-students-evidence