Description

The main objectives of this research are to (1) quantify the extent to which completing arts coursework in high school correlates with and plausibly has causal effects on student academic outcomes, particularly achievement as measured by grade point average and attainment as measured by high school graduation; and (2) quantify the extent to which the beneficial effects of arts coursework are especially pronounced for non-white, especially black and Latinx, students and/or for students in large urban school districts. By taking advantage of the nationally representative data available in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009), as well as the extensive list of covariates available in and the panel data structure of the HSLS:2009, we aim to produce nationally representative, plausibly causal estimates of the effects of arts education on the aforementioned outcomes. In particular, we will estimate OLS and logistic regression models that assess the extent to which completing arts coursework is associated with higher GPA and/or an increased probability of high school graduation among the student populations of interest, net of controls for various potential sources of spuriousness, such as student family SES background, family immigrant status, English language proficiency, and the like.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Building on our collaborative work during the summer of 2020, the student will be involved in all aspects of the research process, including expanding the literature review, managing and analyzing the HSLS:2009 data using Stata statistics software, interpreting the results, constructing professional quality tables, and writing up at least one manuscript for submission to a social scientific journal such the Sociology of Education.

Desired Qualifications

None Listed