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Who Gets What in Education: Can School Matching Improve Student Achievement? Working Paper 34936

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Title: Who Gets What in Education: Can School Matching Improve Student Achievement? Working Paper 34936
Language: English
Authors: Atila Abdulkadiroglu, Parag A. Pathak, Christopher R. Walters, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research. 2026.
Availability: National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Urban Schools, Educational Change, School Organization, School Closing, Academic Achievement, High Schools, Resource Allocation, School Choice, Admission (School), Educational Policy, Educational Resources
Geographic Terms: New York (New York)
Abstract: We examine two approaches to improving urban school systems: changing who gets to go to existing schools (reallocation) and restructuring school portfolios through closures and reconstitution (resource augmentation). Using data from New York City high schools, we estimate models of school effects allowing for both vertical school quality differences and horizontal student-specific match effects. While sophisticated reallocation policies that optimize student-school matches can generate modest educational gains, they are constrained by limited seats at highly effective schools. Simple resource-augmentation policies targeting replacement of low-performing schools achieve comparable improvements with less systemic disruption. Analysis of NYC's school closures reveals that basic graduation rate metrics effectively identify struggling schools, suggesting complex value-added models may be unnecessary for targeting closure decisions. Our findings indicate that capacity constraints, rather than poor school matching, primarily drive educational inequality.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Access URL: https://www.nber.org/papers/w34936
Accession Number: ED679664
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Who Gets What in Education: Can School Matching Improve Student Achievement? Working Paper 34936
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Atila+Abdulkadiroglu%22">Atila Abdulkadiroglu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Parag+A%2E+Pathak%22">Parag A. Pathak</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+R%2E+Walters%22">Christopher R. Walters</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Bureau+of+Economic+Research+%28NBER%29%22">National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)</searchLink>
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  Data: National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Organization%22">School Organization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Closing%22">School Closing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resource+Allocation%22">Resource Allocation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Choice%22">School Choice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Admission+%28School%29%22">Admission (School)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Resources%22">Educational Resources</searchLink>
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  Data: We examine two approaches to improving urban school systems: changing who gets to go to existing schools (reallocation) and restructuring school portfolios through closures and reconstitution (resource augmentation). Using data from New York City high schools, we estimate models of school effects allowing for both vertical school quality differences and horizontal student-specific match effects. While sophisticated reallocation policies that optimize student-school matches can generate modest educational gains, they are constrained by limited seats at highly effective schools. Simple resource-augmentation policies targeting replacement of low-performing schools achieve comparable improvements with less systemic disruption. Analysis of NYC's school closures reveals that basic graduation rate metrics effectively identify struggling schools, suggesting complex value-added models may be unnecessary for targeting closure decisions. Our findings indicate that capacity constraints, rather than poor school matching, primarily drive educational inequality.
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  Data: 2026
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      – Text: English
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Organization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Closing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resource Allocation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Admission (School)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Resources
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New York (New York)
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Who Gets What in Education: Can School Matching Improve Student Achievement? Working Paper 34936
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            NameFull: Atila Abdulkadiroglu
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            NameFull: Parag A. Pathak
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              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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