I investigate the determinants of high school completion and college attendance, the likelihood of taking science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) courses in the first year of college and the probability of earning a degree in a STEM field. The focus is on women, who tend to be...

In this paper we consider the challenges and implications of controlling for school contextual bias when modeling teacher preparation program effects. Because teachers from any one preparation program are hired in more than one school and teachers are not randomly distributed across schools,...

We employ individual-level panel data on students with disabilities in Florida to determine the relationship between high school teacher quality and the likelihood a student drops out and the type of diploma they receive if they do finish high school. Our data include five cohorts of 9th graders...

Since their inception in 1992, the number of charter schools has grown to more than 6,000 in 40 states, serving more than 2 million students. Various studies have examined charter schools’ impacts on test scores, and a few have begun to examine longer-term outcomes including graduation and...

In this paper I use a rich longitudinal data base from Florida to compare the characteristics of alternatively certified teachers with their traditionally prepared colleagues. I then analyze the relative effectiveness of teachers who enter the profession through different pathways by estimating...

Using matched student-teacher panel data from the state of Florida, we study the determinants of teacher job change and the impact of such mobility on the distribution of teacher quality. We find that the quality of teachers who exit teaching is bimodal with peer teacher characteristics playing...

Using student-level microdata from 2000-2001 to 2004-2005 from Florida and North Carolina, we compare the effectiveness of teachers in schools serving primarily students from low-income families (70% free-and-reduced-price-lunch students) with teachers in schools serving more advantaged...

Traditionally, teacher salaries have been determined solely by experience and educational attainment. This has led to chronic shortages of teachers in particular subject areas, such as math, science and special education. We study the first long-running statewide program to differentiate teacher...