Geography, Academic Quality, and Choice: Evidence from the Boston Public School System

Abstract

This paper uses linear probability models (LPM) to examine the relationship between academic quality and participation in school choice within the Boston Public School (BPS) choice system. Using BPS administrative data this paper controls for characteristics of the feasible choice sets students had during the 2011-2012 school year. The results of the analysis find little evidence of academic quality increasing participation in school choice. The results suggest that race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status may influence the probability of a student's participation. This paper finds additional evidence that there may be a positive relationship between the number of choices a student faces and the likelihood that they do not participate. These results could have policy implications for policymakers concerned with the educational resource allocative nature of school choice.