| Craig Esposito
University of Connecticut
Does school type affect student achievement? A comparison of magnet school and public school academic achievement using the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) 2002 data set
FINAL REPORT
Proponents of school choice and school reform often claim that different school "types" will produce better academic outcomes for students than the traditional public school model. Because of differences in subject assignment and setting equivalency, as well as the nested nature of education, when there are differences in academic performances between schools it is extremely difficult to determine whether it is due to school differences, student differences, or some combination of the two.
This study uses student and school-level observational data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002, a nationally representative sample of high school sophomores and seniors with vertically scored mathematics tests from the 10th and 12th grades. To determine if there are statistically significant (p<.05) differences in performance based on school type, I employ propensity score models to identify and match similar treatment and control students, as well as similar treatment and control schools, more closely approximating a randomized experiment. I estimate the magnet school effect on individual student mathematics achievement with a hierarchical linear regression model that accounts for the clustering of students within schools. A final analysis examines selected post-secondary indicators to see if there are differences between magnet and public school students on these outcomes.
The results question the current broad and imprecise policy of wholesale school change to accomplish school improvement, and suggest a more precise focus on specific school practices. A policy that focused on school practices and targeting and reforming those practices in need of change might be more productive, less disruptive, and less expensive than changing school types or closing or restructuring entire schools.
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