Work in Progress:

“Welfare Added? Optimal Teacher Assignment with Value-Added Measures” (with Julian Betts, Nathan Mather, and Michael Ricks)

Abstract: We study how teacher “value added” should inform optimal teacher-assignment policy. Our welfare-theoretic framework illustrates (1) how theoretically optimal assignments leverage variation in teachers’ impacts both across student types and across different outcomes, and (2) how empirically optimal assignments trade off improved targeting from estimating richer student heterogeneity against increasing misallocation risk. In practice, optimal assignments use limited student types (only lagged achievement) and multiple outcomes (not just math). Even after correcting for policy overfitting, assignments raise average present-value earnings by $2,800 and increase lower-achieving students’ earnings by 70–156% more than benchmark policies using homogeneous effects, single-subject heterogeneity, or teacher deselection.

 

“Broader Horizons: The Long-Run Impacts of Exposure to New Places” (with Michael Ricks)

Abstract: We study how volunteering in different cultural environments shapes individuals’ social attitudes and actions using variation from the location assignments of volunteer missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Administering an original survey to former volunteers, we find noticeable changes in attitudes about underrepresented minorities, political out-partisans, and women in the workforce. We find that volunteering in places with high Black or Latino populations increases positive sentiment towards these group and increase real-life behaviors like residing in more diverse zip codes and supporting social justice causes. These effects persist for decades after missionary service. Preliminary results also suggest that exposure to locations with more liberal politics seems to reduce the gap in sentiment towards Republicans and Democrats and the gap in related actions like voting and donations. Although we don’t find large effects on attitudes about working women, women who volunteer in more gender-equitable places may have more children.

 

“Meeting Every Qualification: Job Ad Content and Applicant Demographics.” (with Amanda Bonheur)

Abstract: Despite years of policy and revised corporate practice intended to correct inequality in the hiring process, application gaps persist for women and individuals from underrepresented racial minority groups. This study explores whether it is possible to narrow this application gap and promote diversity in the applicant pool by modifying the language around qualification requirements in job ads. We do so using a large-scale, “reverse audit study” field experiment where we randomize the content of job ads and observe job seeker behavior. Specifically, we established a non-profit recruiting firm to act as an intermediary in the job search process. This firm reposts real job ads and collects information from job seekers interested in applying. We randomize whether we encourage people to apply even if they don’t meet all of the listed qualifications and whether we inform them that companies routinely hire individuals who do not have all qualifications. This is a light touch intervention that may change perceptions of the hiring process and nudge more capable people into applying. We hypothesize that wording changes will have larger impacts on women, individuals from underrepresented racial minority groups, and people with non-traditional employment backgrounds. (Pilot results will be available soon.)