Supplemental Educational Services and Student Test Score Gains: Evidence from a Large, Urban School District. Working Paper

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Supplemental Educational Services and Student Test Score Gains: Evidence from a Large, Urban School District. Working Paper
Language: English
Authors: Springer, Matthew G., Pepper, Matthew J., Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie, Urban Institute
Source: Urban Institute (NJ1). 2009.
Availability: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 51
Publication Date: 2009
Contract Number: R305A040043
Document Type: Reports - Research
Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: Elementary Education
Middle Schools
Descriptors: Urban Schools, Middle Schools, Federal Legislation, Academic Achievement, Robustness (Statistics), Scores, Tutoring, Elementary Education, Supplementary Education, Academic Support Services, Program Effectiveness, Achievement Gains, Comparative Testing, Longitudinal Studies, Evidence, Academic Records
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Abstract: This study examines the effect of supplemental educational services (SES) on student test score gains and whether particular subgroups of students benefit more from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) tutoring services. The sample used includes information on students enrolled in 3rd through 8th grades nested in 121 elementary and middle schools over a five-year period from 2003-04 to 2007-08. A total of 17 elementary and middle schools were required to offer SES at some point during the period under study, and 9,861 student-year pairings in the sample were eligible to receive SES. While the authors' preferred analytic approach takes advantage of panel data to implement an analysis strategy with student fixed effect regression methods, they also test the robustness of these estimates to a number of alternative approaches, including a comparison of student test score gains between current and future SES participants. The authors find consistently significant and positive average effects of SES on test score gains in mathematics. Results in reading tend to be insignificant. SES tutoring does not appear to disproportionately benefit a particular racial/ethnic group or ability level. Female students and students with disabilities appear to benefit more from participating in SES. SES has a significant, cumulative effect on students in both mathematics and reading. They also demonstrate that not accounting for content area of tutoring can cause downward bias in estimates of the SES treatment effect. These findings are qualified on a couple of dimensions. Summary Statistics for Student Test Scores is appended. (Contains 11 tables, 1 figure, and 15 footnotes.) [This paper was presented at the "NCLB: Emerging Findings Research Conference" at the Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. on August 12, 2009. Part of the funding for this study was provided by the National Center on School Choice at Vanderbilt University.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 32
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2010
Accession Number: ED508279
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This study examines the effect of supplemental educational services (SES) on student test score gains and whether particular subgroups of students benefit more from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) tutoring services. The sample used includes information on students enrolled in 3rd through 8th grades nested in 121 elementary and middle schools over a five-year period from 2003-04 to 2007-08. A total of 17 elementary and middle schools were required to offer SES at some point during the period under study, and 9,861 student-year pairings in the sample were eligible to receive SES. While the authors' preferred analytic approach takes advantage of panel data to implement an analysis strategy with student fixed effect regression methods, they also test the robustness of these estimates to a number of alternative approaches, including a comparison of student test score gains between current and future SES participants. The authors find consistently significant and positive average effects of SES on test score gains in mathematics. Results in reading tend to be insignificant. SES tutoring does not appear to disproportionately benefit a particular racial/ethnic group or ability level. Female students and students with disabilities appear to benefit more from participating in SES. SES has a significant, cumulative effect on students in both mathematics and reading. They also demonstrate that not accounting for content area of tutoring can cause downward bias in estimates of the SES treatment effect. These findings are qualified on a couple of dimensions. Summary Statistics for Student Test Scores is appended. (Contains 11 tables, 1 figure, and 15 footnotes.) [This paper was presented at the "NCLB: Emerging Findings Research Conference" at the Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. on August 12, 2009. Part of the funding for this study was provided by the National Center on School Choice at Vanderbilt University.]