Author ORCID Identifier
Date of Award
Summer 7-29-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Economics
First Advisor
Tom Mroz
Second Advisor
Tim Sass
Third Advisor
Jonathan Smith
Fourth Advisor
Nicholas Wright
Abstract
This dissertation examines the impact of two significant educational reforms on several key educational outcomes: a grading reform at the university level, and a rescheduling reform at the secondary level. Firstly, it explores how a grade policy reform at the tertiary level affects student decision-making and academic performance, particularly focusing on dropout rates and strategic academic adjustments made by persisting students. Secondly, the dissertation investigates the school-level factors that influence the adoption of a school rescheduling policy and examines the rescheduling’s subsequent effects on students' average academic performance and attendance rates at the early secondary school level.
The first chapter co-authored with Dr. Nicholas Wright examines the impact of a grade policy reform on college students' decision-making and academic performance. Rolled out at a renowned university in the Caribbean, this reform entails increasing the minimum pass mark and recalibrating the numerical grade thresholds for every letter grade. Using administrative student-level data and various quasi-experimental approaches, we find that adopting this new grading policy resulted in a notable rise in dropout rates, primarily affecting students with incoming college scores in the lower 67th percentile of college entry scores, and those students who commenced their college education at a later stage in life. Furthermore, we find that students who persisted strategically adjusted their behavior to minimize the effect of the policy change on their academic performance. Specifically, these students were more likely to reduce their credit load, delay enrolling in general education courses, and enroll in courses that were historically more likely to award better grades. Our results also reveal a compression in the distribution of GPAs around the mid-range indicating a decreased likelihood of students achieving exceptionally high or low GPAs post reform. These results highlight the potential unintended consequences of grading policy changes and emphasize the need for careful consideration when implementing such reforms.
The second chapter examines the impact of a school rescheduling reform in Jamaica, where schools transitioned from a double-shift to a full-day schooling system resulting in a significant increase in formal school hours. Using data from the Ministry of Education in Jamaica, I examine the school-level factors influencing the timing of this policy adoption amongst double shift schools, and the subsequent effects on students' average academic performance and attendance rates at the grade nine level. Results indicate that junior high schools, particularly those with more classrooms in 2011 and historically higher attendance rates transitioned from double-shift to full-day schooling more quickly. Conversely, schools with higher enrollment experienced a slower transition. Additionally, the switch to full-day schooling resulted in an uptick in students' average grade nine achievement test scores and school attendance rates, with the improvement being more pronounced and significant for Language Arts compared to Mathematics. These findings highlight the importance of structured school time on students’ academic performance and engagement, offering insights for policymakers to improve secondary education policies for a more cohesive and equitable system.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/37418080
Recommended Citation
Boothe, Durronjae, "Educational Policies in Motion - An Exploration of Grading and Scheduling Reforms in Academic Settings." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/37418080