The Causal Effect of Class Size on Academic Achievement: Multivariate Instrumental Variable Estimators with Data Missing at Random

Autor/inn/en	Shin, Yongyun; Raudenbush, Stephen W.
Titel	The Causal Effect of Class Size on Academic Achievement: Multivariate Instrumental Variable Estimators with Data Missing at Random
Quelle	In: Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 36 (2011) 2, S.154-185 (32 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	Weitere Informationen
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1076-9986
DOI	10.3102/1076998610388632
Schlagwörter	Small Classes; Correlation; Reading Achievement; Mathematics Achievement; Listening Skills; Class Size; Causal Models; Academic Achievement; Word Recognition; Grade 3; Grade 2; Elementary School Students; Teacher Student Ratio; African American Students; Low Income Groups + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Korrelation; Leseleistung; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Klassengröße; Kausalanalyse; Schulleistung; Worterkennung; School year 03; 3. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 03; School year 02; 2. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 02; Lehrer-Schüler-Relation; African Americans; Student; Students; Afroamerikaner; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin
Abstract	This article addresses three questions: Does reduced class size cause higher academic achievement in reading, mathematics, listening, and word recognition skills? If it does, how large are these effects? Does the magnitude of such effects vary significantly across schools? The authors analyze data from Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio study (STAR) of 1985, where students and teachers are randomly assigned to a small or regular class. The authors propose a three-level multivariate simultaneous equation model with an instrumental variable (IV) and estimation via maximum likelihood (ML) to analyze the data under an assumption of data missing at random (MAR). The IV, random assignment of students to a small or regular class, reduces class size which, by hypothesis, improves academic achievement in these domains. The authors extend Rubin's Causal Model (RCM) by involving a modified Stable Unit Treatment Value Assumption (SUTVA), requiring no interference between classrooms and intact schools. The method accommodates data with a general missing pattern and extracts full information for analysis from the STAR data. The authors investigate both homogenous and heterogenous causal effects of class size on academic achievement scores across schools. The results show that reducing class size improves reading, mathematics, listening, and word recognition test scores from kindergarten to third grade, although the effects appear relatively small in second grade. The authors find no evidence that the causal effects vary across schools. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10