Selection Bias in College Admissions Test Scores

Melissa Clark, Jesse Rothstein and Diane Schanzenbach

No 14265, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Data from college admissions tests can provide a valuable measure of student achievement, but the non-representativeness of test-takers is an important concern. We examine selectivity bias in both state-level and school-level SAT and ACT averages. The degree of selectivity may differ importantly across and within schools, and across and within states. To identify within-state selectivity, we use a control function approach that conditions on scores from a representative test. Estimates indicate strong selectivity of test-takers in "ACT states," where most college-bound students take the ACT, and much less selectivity in SAT states. To identify within- and between-school selectivity, we take advantage of a policy reform in Illinois that made taking the ACT a graduation requirement. Estimates based on this policy change indicate substantial positive selection into test participation both across and within schools. Despite this, school-level averages of observed scores are extremely highly correlated with average latent scores, as across-school variation in sample selectivity is small relative to the underlying signal. As a result, in most contexts the use of observed school mean test scores in place of latent means understates the degree of between-school variation in achievement but is otherwise unlikely to lead to misleading conclusions.

JEL-codes: C24 I2 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-lab and nep-ure
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Published as Clark, Melissa & Rothstein, Jesse & Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore, 2009. "Selection bias in college admissions test scores," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 295-307, June.

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Related works:
Working Paper: Selection Bias in College Admissions Test Scores (2023)
Journal Article: Selection bias in college admissions test scores (2009)
Working Paper: Selection Bias in College Admissions Test Scores (2007)
Working Paper: Selection Bias in College Admissions Test Scores
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