Publications
Publications
- 2021
- HBS Working Paper Series
Who Closed the Schools?
By: Joshua D. Coval
Abstract
This paper examines the differences in characteristics between U.S. public schools that opted for virtual instruction because of COVID-19, and schools that did not. Much of the variation can be explained by measures of the degree to which districts favored teachers over students before the pandemic: Districts that chose virtual instruction exhibited a far greater willingness to prioritize teacher interests over those of students and the interests of teachers with seniority over younger and/or higher-performing teachers. We provide evidence that this prioritization is associated with significant costs in terms of student test results and graduation rates.
Keywords
Public Education; COVID-19; Virtual Learning; Education; Health Pandemics; Teaching; Online Technology; Policy; Outcome or Result; United States
Citation
Coval, Joshua D. "Who Closed the Schools?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-127, June 2021.
About The Author
