Does Attendance in Private Schools Predict Student Outcomes at Age 15? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study
Abstract
By tracking longitudinally a sample of American children (n = 1,097), this study examined the extent to which enrollment in private schools between kindergarten and ninth grade was related to students’ academic, social, psychological, and attainment outcomes at age 15. Results from this investigation revealed that in unadjusted models, children with a history of enrollment in private schools performed better on nearly all outcomes assessed in adolescence. However, by simply controlling for the sociodemographic characteristics that selected children and families into these schools, all of the advantages of private school education were eliminated. There was also no evidence to suggest that low-income children or children enrolled in urban schools benefited more from private school enrollment.
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Biographies
ROBERT C. PIANTA is Novartis US Foundation Professor of Education, professor of psychology, and dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, 405 Emmet St. South, Charlottesville, VA 22903; [email protected]. His research interests focus on policy and interventions aimed to improve the quality and impact of classroom teaching.
ARYA ANSARI is a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Advanced Study for Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia, PO Box 800784, Charlottesville, VA 22904; [email protected]. His research focuses on understanding how contextual factors influence the early learning and development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the aim of informing policies and intervention programs that can benefit such children.
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Article first published online: July 9, 2018
Issue published: October 2018
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