The Effect of Grade Retention on Adult Crime: Evidence from a Test-Based Promotion Policy

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Eren, Ozkan; Lovenheim, Michael F.; Mocan, H. Naci
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Riverside; Cornell University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Louisiana State University System; Louisiana State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/715836
• 发表日期: 2022
• 页码: 361-395
• 关键词: male incarceration; school; education; HEALTH; benefits; dropout; AGE

摘要

We present the first analysis of the effect of grade retention on adult criminal convictions, exploiting test cutoffs for ninth-grade promotion in Louisiana. Eighth-grade retention increases the likelihood of violent crime conviction by 1.05 percentage points (58.44%) and increases the number of violent crime convictions at first conviction. The effects are likely driven by declines in high school peer quality and reduced educational investments that result in lower noncognitive skill acquisition. Extrapolating effects away from the cutoff shows that our results are generalizable to a larger group of low-performing students and are evident for both property and drug crimes.