Putting the K in Rank: How Kindergarten Classrooms Impact Short and Long-Run Outcomes. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-641
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| Title: | Putting the K in Rank: How Kindergarten Classrooms Impact Short and Long-Run Outcomes. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-641 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Derek Rury, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University |
| Source: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2022. |
| Availability: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 62 |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Elementary Education Kindergarten Primary Education High Schools Secondary Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Kindergarten, Young Children, Classroom Environment, Class Rank, Outcomes of Education, Scores, High School Students, Academic Achievement, College Entrance Examinations, Influences |
| Geographic Terms: | Tennessee |
| Abstract: | A student's class rank has important short and long-term effects on important educational outcomes. Despite our growing understanding of these rank effects, we still do not know how early in a child's academic career they begin. To address this, I use data from the Tennessee STAR project, which randomly assigned over 6,323 kindergarteners to classroom environments, to study the impact of kindergarten class rank on a host of short and long-run outcomes. I find a strong, causal relationship between one's kindergarten classroom rank and subsequent test scores, high school achievement and performance on college entrance exams. I also find that having a higher rank in kindergarten causes an increase in study effort, value of school and initiative in the classroom. I also leverage the design of project STAR to test various mechanisms and address several outstanding issues in the rank literature, including the role of tracking, parental effort and teacher-level characteristics in driving the effects of class rank. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED672147 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A student's class rank has important short and long-term effects on important educational outcomes. Despite our growing understanding of these rank effects, we still do not know how early in a child's academic career they begin. To address this, I use data from the Tennessee STAR project, which randomly assigned over 6,323 kindergarteners to classroom environments, to study the impact of kindergarten class rank on a host of short and long-run outcomes. I find a strong, causal relationship between one's kindergarten classroom rank and subsequent test scores, high school achievement and performance on college entrance exams. I also find that having a higher rank in kindergarten causes an increase in study effort, value of school and initiative in the classroom. I also leverage the design of project STAR to test various mechanisms and address several outstanding issues in the rank literature, including the role of tracking, parental effort and teacher-level characteristics in driving the effects of class rank. |
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