Richard Buddin

Getting Inside the Black Box: Examining How the Operation of Charter Schools Affects Performance

In recent years, a series of articles have examined the performance of charter schools with mixed results. Some of this research has shown that charter school performance varies by charter type or the age of the school (Bifulco & Ladd, 2006; Buddin & Zimmer, 2005; Hanushek, Kain, & Rivkin, 2002; Sass, 2006). However, this research has not examined the school attributes that lead to high- or low-achieving charter schools. In this article, we examine how student achievement varies with school operational features using student-level achievement and survey data for charter and a matched-set of traditional public schools from California. We did not find operational characteristics that were consistently related with student achievement, but we did identify some features that are more important at different grade levels or in charter schools versus in traditional public schools. We also examined the relationship between greater autonomy within schools, which is a major tenet of the charter movement, and student achievement and found very little evidence that greater autonomy leads to improved student achievement.

The Economics of Charter Schools

Abstract Charter schools are an educational reform that provides alternatives to the traditional public school system for students and parents. They are granted greater autonomy for management of the school but are subjected to greater accountability for results. In this chapter, we tackle four contentious policy issues surrounding these schools of choice. First, we examine the profile of students attending charter schools and how this affects the profile of students in traditional public schools. We then compare funding between charter schools and traditional public schools. Next, we review the literature on the effects charter schools have had on the achievement of their students. Lastly, we ask how charter school competition has affected the performance of traditional public schools.

Teacher Qualifications and Middle School Student Achievement

This research examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher qualifications affect middle school student achievement. The results are based on longitudinal student-level data from Los Angeles. The achievement analysis uses a value-added approach that adjusts for both student and teacher fixed effects. The results show little relationship between traditional measures of teacher quality (e.g., experience and education level) and student achievement in reading or math. Similarly, licensure test scores in general aptitude, subject-matter knowledge, and reading pedagogy had no significant effects on student achievement. Teachers with elementary school credentials had slightly better success in the classroom than did teachers with secondary school credentials.

Teacher Effectiveness in Urban High Schools

This research examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher qualifications affect high school student achievement. The results are based on longitudinal student-level data from Los Angeles. The achievement analysis uses a value-added approach that adjusts for both student and teacher fixed effects. The results show little relationship between traditional measures of teacher quality (e.g., experience and education level) and student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) or math. Similarly, teacher aptitude and subject-matter knowledge, as measured on state licensure tests, have no significant effects on student achievement. Achievement outcomes differ substantially from teacher to teacher, however, and the effects of a good ELA or math teacher spillover from one subject to the other.

Recruiting for joint active/reserve tours

The US Army reserve components have traditionally drawn about half of their annual accessions from individuals with prior active-duty experience. The military drawdown will substantially reduce this pool of trained, experienced personnel available to the reserves and create reserve manning difficulties. This study describes the effects of a national experiment on a new Army recruiting program that recruits individuals for joint active/reserve tours. The so-called “2 + 2 + 4” recruiting option expands eligibility for the Armys post-service educational benefit to include recruits entering two-year, active-duty tours in selected noncombat occupational specialties, provided they agree to serve an additional two years in the Selected Reserve and approximately four years in the Individual Ready Reserve. The findings indicate that the 2 + 2 + 4 program expanded the market for high-quality male recruits by about 3 percent. The program did not shift a large number of recruits away from longer terms of service and helped channel recruits into selected, hard-to-fill noncombat specialties. The program should provide substantial reserve benefits, because the educational benefits are tied to individual participation in a reserve unit.