DOES THIS MEAN WE GET AN A? CAUSAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGES IN SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY

Abstract

Many states and districts in the United States use school report cards to share accountability data in which K–12 schools are rated on a variety of metrics, including test scores, which create a categorical grade or rating. These report cards are shared with the public as a mechanism of school accountability and in the process of school choice. This paper explores the causal impact of a school report card used by the New York City Department of Education which was not attached to specific rewards and/or sanctions. I use a regression discontinuity approach to analyze the impact of receiving a lower rating. I find that just receiving a low rating leads to an increase in Math score growth in comparison to similar schools just beyond the cut point, although no such effect is found in English score growth. I also explore implications in the context of school/district policy and leadership.