期刊-NBER美国国民经济研究局-fall2006_44页_990kb

NBER Reporter Summary - Fall 2006

Core Content

The NBER Reporter for Fall 2006 highlights the latest research and developments in the Economics of Education program, as well as other NBER activities. It discusses key findings and ongoing research in three main areas: teacher effects, peer effects, and college students' choices. Additionally, it introduces a new NBER email service that provides free access to U.S. government data releases.

Main Themes and Key Findings

1. Teacher Effects

• Teacher impact: Economists have long believed that teachers significantly affect student outcomes, but empirical evidence has been inconsistent due to selection bias.
• New methods: Recent studies using longitudinal data have shown that teacher effects can be measured independently of credentials.
• Findings:
  • Teacher effectiveness varies widely, even among those with the same certification.
  • Teacher performance is more closely related to job performance than to initial certification status.
  • Pay-for-performance policies, such as those in Israel and Florida, show that financial incentives can improve teacher effectiveness.
  • Bonus programs in North Carolina and salary increases in Australia influence teacher mobility and recruitment to disadvantaged schools.

2. Peer Effects

• Peer influence: Peer effects are a central topic in education economics, affecting academic performance, athletic performance, and behavior.
• Challenges in estimation:
  • Peer effects are often confounded with selection bias.
  • Most studies assume non-linear peer effects, which are more impactful for policy than linear effects.
• Key studies:
  • Ding and Lehrer (12305) find that high-achieving students benefit more from peers with similar abilities.
  • Salyer and Hoxby (Spring 2006) analyze over 80,000 students in North Carolina and find substantial non-linear peer effects, especially in low-achieving classrooms.
  • Military college studies show that peer groups influence academic and behavioral outcomes.

3. College Students and Their Choices

• Shift in focus: Research on higher education is moving from simply asking whether students attend college to examining where, when, and how they choose to attend.
• Key findings:
  • Remediation courses have both encouraging and discouraging effects on student persistence and degree attainment.
  • Financial aid has a modest effect on college attendance but a significant impact on college choice.
  • Curriculum impact: Different majors lead to different long-term earnings.
  • Major selection timing: Choosing a major earlier leads to higher starting wages, while choosing later reduces the likelihood of switching majors.
  • Institutional policies: Studies on doctoral degree programs show that funding experiments can help researchers understand the effectiveness of different educational structures.

Emerging Themes

• As accountability programs expand, their effects on student outcomes will become a key area of study.
• Data availability has increased dramatically, allowing more precise and comprehensive analysis of educational policies.
• Policy experiments are increasingly used to evaluate the impact of education-related interventions.
• There is growing recognition that policies should focus on performance rather than just credentials or initial selection criteria.

NBER Overview

• The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1920.
• It is devoted to objective quantitative analysis of the American economy.
• The NBER relies on funding from individuals, corporations, and private foundations to maintain its independence and flexibility.

NBER Directors and Affiliations

• Board of Directors includes prominent economists from various universities and organizations.
• Directors by university appointment include notable figures such as George Akerlof (Berkeley), Jagdish Bhagwati (Columbia), and David Yoffie (Harvard).
• Directors by other organizations include members from the American Economic Association, Canadian Economics Association, and others.

Additional Sections

• Research Summaries cover topics such as Realized Return Volatility, Firms in International Trade, Pharmaceutical Industry Economics, and Exchange-Rate Models.
• Conferences and Program and Working Group Meetings are highlighted, showing the active engagement of NBER members in various research events.
• Bureau Books list publications by the NBER, indicating its broad research scope.

NBER Email Service

• A new free email service was introduced to provide daily links to U.S. government data releases.
• This includes unemployment, trade, interest rates, GDP, and other economic indicators.
• Users can customize their preferences and receive updates as soon as data is released.

Conclusion

The Economics of Education program at NBER is at the forefront of research into the impact of educational policies and practices. The program has seen a significant increase in research output, driven by policy experimentation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and improved data access. The findings suggest that teacher effectiveness, peer dynamics, and college choice are critical areas for future policy development and research.