Beyond Teachers: Estimating Individual School Counselors' Effects on Educational Attainment

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Mulhern, Christine
• 署名单位: RAND Corporation
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200847
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 2846-2893
• 关键词: class size; college; specialization; INFORMATION; completion; enrollment; earnings; impacts; QUALITY; CHOICE

摘要

Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices. I estimate counselors' causal effects using quasi-random assignment policies in Massachusetts. Counselors vary substantially in their effectiveness at increasing high school graduation and college attendance, selectivity, and persistence. Counselor effects on educational attainment are similar in magnitude to teacher effects, but they flow through improved information and assistance more than cognitive or noncognitive skill development. Counselor effectiveness is most important for low-income and low-achieving students, so improving access to effective counseling may be a promising way to increase educational attainment and close socioeconomic gaps in education.