SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCHOOL CHOICE: EFFECTS ON STUDENT SELECTION ACROSS SCHOOLS

This paper examines the effect of the introduction of school accountability policies in Florida on schools' student body composition. We specifically examine the effects of the state issuing official school ''grades" on the composition of incoming kindergarten classes, using novel data on families' socioeconomic characteristics drawn from birth records. High socioeconomic status parents were particularly responsive to the introduction of grades. Schools that received A grades saw significant increases in an index measure of socioeconomic status among their kindergarten students after enactment of the policy. We find some evidence that responses are stronger for A schools that have nearby alternatives, and where nearby alternatives are poorer-performing schools.