Causal Inference on Education Policies

Causal Inference on Education Policies PDF Author: José Cordero
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The identification of the causal effects of educational policies is the top priority in recent education economics literature. As a result, a shift can be observed in the strategies of empirical studies. They have moved from the use of standard multivariate statistical methods, which identify correlations or associations between variables only, to more complex econometric strategies, which can help to identify causal relationships. However, exogenous variations in databases have to be identified in order to apply causal inference techniques. This is a far from straightforward task. For this reason, this paper provides an extensive and comprehensive overview of the literature using quasi-experimental techniques applied to three well-known international large-scale comparative assessments, such as PISA, PIRLS or TIMSS, over the period 2004-2016. In particular, we review empirical studies employing instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, difference in differences and propensity score matching to the above databases. Additionally, we provide a detailed summary of estimation strategies, issues treated and profitability in terms of the quality of publications to encourage further potential evaluations. The paper concludes with some operational recommendations for prospective researchers in the field.

Causal Inference on Education Policies

Causal Inference on Education Policies PDF Author: José Cordero
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The identification of the causal effects of educational policies is the top priority in recent education economics literature. As a result, a shift can be observed in the strategies of empirical studies. They have moved from the use of standard multivariate statistical methods, which identify correlations or associations between variables only, to more complex econometric strategies, which can help to identify causal relationships. However, exogenous variations in databases have to be identified in order to apply causal inference techniques. This is a far from straightforward task. For this reason, this paper provides an extensive and comprehensive overview of the literature using quasi-experimental techniques applied to three well-known international large-scale comparative assessments, such as PISA, PIRLS or TIMSS, over the period 2004-2016. In particular, we review empirical studies employing instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, difference in differences and propensity score matching to the above databases. Additionally, we provide a detailed summary of estimation strategies, issues treated and profitability in terms of the quality of publications to encourage further potential evaluations. The paper concludes with some operational recommendations for prospective researchers in the field.

Methods Matter

Methods Matter PDF Author: Richard J. Murnane
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199890153
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
Educational policy-makers around the world constantly make decisions about how to use scarce resources to improve the education of children. Unfortunately, their decisions are rarely informed by evidence on the consequences of these initiatives in other settings. Nor are decisions typically accompanied by well-formulated plans to evaluate their causal impacts. As a result, knowledge about what works in different situations has been very slow to accumulate. Over the last several decades, advances in research methodology, administrative record keeping, and statistical software have dramatically increased the potential for researchers to conduct compelling evaluations of the causal impacts of educational interventions, and the number of well-designed studies is growing. Written in clear, concise prose, Methods Matter: Improving Causal Inference in Educational and Social Science Research offers essential guidance for those who evaluate educational policies. Using numerous examples of high-quality studies that have evaluated the causal impacts of important educational interventions, the authors go beyond the simple presentation of new analytical methods to discuss the controversies surrounding each study, and provide heuristic explanations that are also broadly accessible. Murnane and Willett offer strong methodological insights on causal inference, while also examining the consequences of a wide variety of educational policies implemented in the U.S. and abroad. Representing a unique contribution to the literature surrounding educational research, this landmark text will be invaluable for students and researchers in education and public policy, as well as those interested in social science.

Causal Inferences in Education Politics and Policy

Causal Inferences in Education Politics and Policy PDF Author: Alexander Karl Mayer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781267029133
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Education is among the most important and widely used explanatory covariates in the social sciences, yet we know little about causal effects related to educational advancement or educational policies. Deficits in our knowledge generally derive from the infrequent use of randomized controlled trials and the considerable challenges associated with causal inferences using observational data. This dissertation focuses on two causal questions whose answers have eluded social scientists for nearly fifty years. Both questions involve mechanisms to improve outcomes for the disadvantaged. The obstacles to causal inference for these questions, moreover, are common to questions pertaining to education. Research designs that overcome these obstacles may inform a variety of related research questions. The first question asks whether higher education causes political participation. The second asks whether Title I funding -- additional federal funding for K-12 schools with high concentrations of low-income students -- improves academic performance. Both of these questions have profound implications for politics and public policy in the United States. Individuals with higher education participate in politics at higher rates and consequently have greater influence over political outcomes. Household income correlates highly with children's educational success, and the United States currently spends over $13 billion annually on Title I programs to improve education for low-income students. Recent studies suggest that neither intervention is effective, but this dissertation demonstrates that they neglect to properly evaluate assumptions necessary to support such conclusions. The following chapters re-evaluate the research designs, identify flaws in the studies, demonstrate that the conclusions are premature, and provide evidence for positive effects in each case. Methodologically, this dissertation emphasizes matching and regression discontinuity (RD) designs for causal inference with observational data. These methods are becoming increasingly popular for causal inferences in the social sciences, yet they are not as generally applicable as recent use would imply. This dissertation reviews the identifying assumptions behind each method, and employs a variety of tests to examine the plausibility of these assumptions and provide a firmer foundation for causal inferences. It also identifies flaws in previous applications of these methods to the substantive questions considered here. Moreover, these flaws are not uncommon in the social sciences. In the case of RD applications, few studies that conclude interventions were ineffective consider the statistical power of their designs. Through a series of new analyses using data from three randomized controlled trials, this dissertation also demonstrates how failure to consider statistical power -- a common occurrence in RD applications -- can often lead to incorrect interpretations of null findings. Overall, this dissertation provides evidence for positive effects of higher education on political participation, and for Title I funding on academic performance. This dissertation also demonstrates limits of regression discontinuity designs that have been widely overlooked, and it presents rigorous examples of matching applications -- with detailed post-matching analyses -- to support causal inferences in two important substantive areas at the intersection of education and politics.

Methods Matter

Methods Matter PDF Author: Richard J. Murnane
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199780315
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
Educational policy-makers around the world constantly make decisions about how to use scarce resources to improve the education of children. Unfortunately, their decisions are rarely informed by evidence on the consequences of these initiatives in other settings. Nor are decisions typically accompanied by well-formulated plans to evaluate their causal impacts. As a result, knowledge about what works in different situations has been very slow to accumulate. Over the last several decades, advances in research methodology, administrative record keeping, and statistical software have dramatically increased the potential for researchers to conduct compelling evaluations of the causal impacts of educational interventions, and the number of well-designed studies is growing. Written in clear, concise prose, Methods Matter: Improving Causal Inference in Educational and Social Science Research offers essential guidance for those who evaluate educational policies. Using numerous examples of high-quality studies that have evaluated the causal impacts of important educational interventions, the authors go beyond the simple presentation of new analytical methods to discuss the controversies surrounding each study, and provide heuristic explanations that are also broadly accessible. Murnane and Willett offer strong methodological insights on causal inference, while also examining the consequences of a wide variety of educational policies implemented in the U.S. and abroad. Representing a unique contribution to the literature surrounding educational research, this landmark text will be invaluable for students and researchers in education and public policy, as well as those interested in social science.

Handbook of Education Policy Research

Handbook of Education Policy Research PDF Author: Gary Sykes
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113585646X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 2586

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Book Description
Co-published by Routledge for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Educational policy continues to be of major concern. Policy debates about economic growth and national competitiveness, for example, commonly focus on the importance of human capital and a highly educated workforce. Defining the theoretical boundaries and methodological approaches of education policy research are the two primary themes of this comprehensive, AERA-sponsored Handbook. Organized into seven sections, the Handbook focuses on (1) disciplinary foundations of educational policy, (2) methodological perspectives, (3) the policy process, (4) resources, management, and organization, (5) teaching and learning policy, (6) actors and institutions, and (7) education access and differentiation. Drawing from multiple disciplines, the Handbook’s over one hundred authors address three central questions: What policy issues and questions have oriented current policy research? What research strategies and methods have proven most fruitful? And what issues, questions, and methods will drive future policy research? Topics such as early childhood education, school choice, access to higher education, teacher accountability, and testing and measurement cut across the 63 chapters in the volume. The politics surrounding these and other issues are objectively analyzed by authors and commentators. Each of the seven sections concludes with two commentaries by leading scholars in the field. The first considers the current state of policy design, and the second addresses the current state of policy research. This book is appropriate for scholars and graduate students working in the field of education policy and for the growing number of academic, government, and think-tank researchers engaged in policy research. For more information on the American Educational Research Association, please visit: http://www.aera.net/.

Educational Policy Evaluation Through International Comparative Assessments

Educational Policy Evaluation Through International Comparative Assessments PDF Author: Rolf Strietholt
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783830930914
Category : Aufsatzsammlung
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
One of the most salient findings from the field of education is that there are huge national differences in student achievement as shown in international comparative studies like PISA and TIMSS. The shockingly large gap between the highest performing countries (mostly in East Asia) and many European countries corresponds to a difference in attainment of two years of schooling. Although this finding has been replicated in several studies, the reasons for and consequences of such differences are currently not well understood. This book is a collection of essays and studies by leading experts in international comparative education who demonstrate how international comparative assessments can be used to evaluate educational policies. The volume is organized into two parts that address, first, theoretical foundations and methodological developments in the field of international assessments, and, second, innovative substantive studies that utilize international data for policy evaluation studies. The intention of this book is to revisit the idea of 'using the world as an educational laboratory', both to inform policy and to facilitate theory development.

Demystifying Causal Inference

Demystifying Causal Inference PDF Author: Vikram Dayal
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9819939054
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
This book provides an accessible introduction to causal inference and data analysis with R, specifically for a public policy audience. It aims to demystify these topics by presenting them through practical policy examples from a range of disciplines. It provides a hands-on approach to working with data in R using the popular tidyverse package. High quality R packages for specific causal inference techniques like ggdag, Matching, rdrobust, dosearch etc. are used in the book. The book is in two parts. The first part begins with a detailed narrative about John Snow’s heroic investigations into the cause of cholera. The chapters that follow cover basic elements of R, regression, and an introduction to causality using the potential outcomes framework and causal graphs. The second part covers specific causal inference methods, including experiments, matching, panel data, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity design, instrumental variables and meta-analysis, with the help of empirical case studies of policy issues. The book adopts a layered approach that makes it accessible and intuitive, using helpful concepts, applications, simulation, and data graphs. Many public policy questions are inherently causal, such as the effect of a policy on a particular outcome. Hence, the book would not only be of interest to students in public policy and executive education, but also to anyone interested in analysing data for application to public policy.

Causal Inference

Causal Inference PDF Author: Scott Cunningham
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300255888
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 585

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Book Description
An accessible, contemporary introduction to the methods for determining cause and effect in the Social Sciences “Causation versus correlation has been the basis of arguments—economic and otherwise—since the beginning of time. Causal Inference: The Mixtape uses legit real-world examples that I found genuinely thought-provoking. It’s rare that a book prompts readers to expand their outlook; this one did for me.”—Marvin Young (Young MC) Causal inference encompasses the tools that allow social scientists to determine what causes what. In a messy world, causal inference is what helps establish the causes and effects of the actions being studied—for example, the impact (or lack thereof) of increases in the minimum wage on employment, the effects of early childhood education on incarceration later in life, or the influence on economic growth of introducing malaria nets in developing regions. Scott Cunningham introduces students and practitioners to the methods necessary to arrive at meaningful answers to the questions of causation, using a range of modeling techniques and coding instructions for both the R and the Stata programming languages.

Causal Inference in Social Policy Evidence from Education, Health, and Immigration

Causal Inference in Social Policy Evidence from Education, Health, and Immigration PDF Author: Gabriel Heller Sahlgren
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


The Philosophy of Causality in Economics

The Philosophy of Causality in Economics PDF Author: Mariusz Maziarz
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000069109
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
Approximately one in six top economic research papers draws an explicitly causal conclusion. But what do economists mean when they conclude that A ‘causes’ B? Does ‘cause’ say that we can influence B by intervening on A, or is it only a label for the correlation of variables? Do quantitative analyses of observational data followed by such causal inferences constitute sufficient grounds for guiding economic policymaking? The Philosophy of Causality in Economics addresses these questions by analyzing the meaning of causal claims made by economists and the philosophical presuppositions underlying the research methods used. The book considers five key causal approaches: the regularity approach, probabilistic theories, counterfactual theories, mechanisms, and interventions and manipulability. Each chapter opens with a summary of literature on the relevant approach and discusses its reception among economists. The text details case studies, and goes on to examine papers which have adopted the approach in order to highlight the methods of causal inference used in contemporary economics. It analyzes the meaning of the causal claim put forward, and finally reconstructs the philosophical presuppositions accepted implicitly by economists. The strengths and limitations of each method of causal inference are also considered in the context of using the results as evidence for policymaking. This book is essential reading to those interested in literature on the philosophy of economics, as well as the philosophy of causality and economic methodology in general.