Professor of Economics
 

Columbia Business School
3022 Broadway,
Uris Hall 603
New York, NY 10027

Phone: (212) 854-9799
Fax: (212) 316-9219
 
 
 

For a PDF version, click here.

Academic Positions Held:
Columbia University, Graduate School of Business
            Professor, 2016-present
            Associate Professor with Tenure, 2012-2016
            Sidney Taurel Associate Professor of Business, 2010- 2012
            Associate Professor, 2008 – 2009
            Assistant Professor, 2004 – 2007

NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
           Visiting Scholar, 2016-2017

Courses Taught:
Modern Econometrics for Business 2018
Managerial Economics 2009-2017
Taxes and Business Strategy 2004-2008
 
Education:
Ph.D. Economics, Harvard University, 2004
B.A. Economics, Amherst College, 1997
 
Research Publications:

"Measuring the Impacts of Teachers: Reply to Rothstein” (with Raj Chetty and John Friedman), American Economic Review, June 2017, pp.1685-1717.

“Using Lagged Outcomes to Evaluate Bias in Value-Added Models” (with Raj Chetty and Joh Friedman), Amercian Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, May 2016, pp.393-399.

“Fifty Ways to Leave a Child Behind: Idiosyncrasies and Discrepancies in States’ Implementation of NCLB” (with Elizabeth Davidson, Randall Reback, and Heather L. Schwartz) Educational Researcher, August/September 2015 pp. 347-358.

“Value-Added Modeling: A Review,” (with Cory Koedel and Kata Mihaly) Economics of Education Review, August 2015, pp. 180-195

"Measuring the Impacts of Teachers I: Evaluating Bias in Teacher Value-Added Estimates” (with Raj Chetty and John Friedman), American Economic Review, September 2014, pp. 2593-2632.

"Measuring the Impacts of Teachers II: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood” (with Raj Chetty and John Friedman), American Economic Review, September 2014, pp. 2633-2679.

"Teacher Effects and Teacher-Related Policies,” (with C. Kirabo Jackson and Douglas O. Staiger) Annual Review of Economics, August 2014, pp. 801-825.

"Under Pressure: Job Security, Resource Allocation, and Productivity in Schools under NCLB” (with Randall Reback and Heather Schwartz) American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, August 2014, pp. 207-241.

"School Segregation, Educational Attainment, and Crime: Evidence from the End of Busing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg” (with Steve Billings and David Deming) Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 2014, pp. 435-476.

"Do Menstrual Problems Explain Gender Gaps in Absenteeism and Earnings? Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey” (with Mariesa Herrmann), Labour Economics, October 2013, pp. 12-22.

"Information and Employee Evaluation: Evidence from a Randomized Intervention in Public Schools” (with Douglas Staiger, Thomas Kane, and Eric Taylor), American Economic Review, December 2012, pp. 3184-3213.

“Worker Absence and Productivity: Evidence from Teaching” (with Mariesa Herrmann), Journal of Labor Economics, October 2012, pp. 749-782.

“Does Menstruation Explain Gender Gaps in Work Absenteeism?” (with Mariesa Herrmann), Journal of Human Resources, Spring 2012, pp. 493-508.

“Subjective and Objective Evaluations of Teacher Effectiveness” (with Cecilia Speroni) Labour Economics, October 2011, pp. 687-696. (shorter version in: American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, May 2010, pp. 261-266)

“Do Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Affect Criminal Behavior?” (with JJ Prescott) Journal of Law and Economics, 2011, pp. 161-206.

“Can You Recognize an Effective Teacher When You Recruit One?” (with Brian Jacob, Thomas Kane, and Douglas Staiger) Education Finance and Policy, Winter 2011, pp. 43-74.

“Stuck in the Middle: Impacts of Grade Configuration in Public Schools” (with Benjamin Lockwood), Journal of Public Economics, December 2010, pp. 1051-1061.

“Short Run Impacts of Accountability on School Quality” (with Lesley Turner), American Economic Journal, Economic Policy, November 2010, pp.119-147.

“Local Response to Fiscal Incentives in Heterogeneous Communities,” Journal of Urban Economics, September 2010, pp. 138-147.

"Searching for Effective Teachers with Imperfect Information" (with Douglas Staiger), Journal of Economic Perspectives, Summer 2010, pp. 97-117.

“Subjective and Objective Evaluations of Teacher Effectiveness” (with Cecilia Speroni) American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, May 2010, pp. 211-230.

“Field Experiments in Class Size from the Early Twentieth Century,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, Fall 2009, pp. 211-230.
 
“What Does Certification Tell us about Teacher Effectiveness? Evidence from New York City,”(with Thomas J. Kane and Douglas O. Staiger), Economics of Education Review, December 2008, pp.615-631.
 
“The Narrowing Gap in New York City Teacher Qualifications and its Implications for Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools,” (with Donald Boyd, Hamilton Lankford, Susanna Loeb, and James Wyckoff), Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Fall 2008, pp. 793-818.
 
 “Estimates of the Impact of Crime Risk on Property Values from Megan’s Laws,” (with Leigh Linden) American Economic Review, July 2008, pp. 1103-1127.
 
“The Impact of Individual Teachers on Student Achievement: Evidence from Panel Data,” American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, May 2004, pp. 247-252.

Other Publications:
“Discussion of the American Statistical Association’s Statement (2014) on Using Value-Added Models for Educational Assessment” (with Raj Chetty and John Friedman), Statistics and Public Policy, 2014

“Great Teaching” (with Raj Chetty and John Friedman) Educational Next, Summer 2012

“Organizing Schools to Improve Student Achievement: Start Times, Grade Configurations, and Teaching Assignments,” (with Brian Jacob) The Hamilton Project, September 2011.

“Moving Mountains in New York City: Joel Klein's Legacy by the Numbers,” (with James S. Liebman) Education Week, December 2010.

“Stuck in the Middle” (with Benjamin Lockwood), Education Next, Fall 2010.

“Photo Finish: Which Teachers Are Better? Certification Status Isn’t Going to Tell Us,” (with Thomas J. Kane and Douglas O. Staiger) Education Next, Winter 2007.

“The Truth about Charter Schools: Findings from the City of Big Shoulders”, (with Caroline Hoxby) Education Next, Fall 2005.
 
Active Working Papers:
“Causes and Consequences of Test Scores Manipulation: Evidence from the New York Regents Examinations” (with Thomas Dee, Will Dobbie, and Brian Jacob)

"Teacher Applicant Hiring and Teacher Performance: Evidence from DC Public Schools” (with Brian Jacob, Eric Taylor, Ben Lindy and Rachel Rosen)

"Does Reapeating a Grade Make Students (and Parents) Happier? Regression Discontinuity Evidence from New York City” (with Tong Geng)

Dormant Working Papers:
“School Principals and School Performance” (with Damon Clark and Francisco Martorell)

“Does Mentoring Reduce Turnover and Improve Skills of New Employees? Evidence from Teachers in New York City”

“The Impact of Charter Schools on Student Achievement,” (with Caroline Hoxby)

Grants/Fellowships:
Columbia Business School, George S. Eccles Research Award (2016)

Columbia Business School, Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence (2015)

Columbia Business School, “Selecting for Social Intelligence: Admissions Measures, MBA Student Performance, and Early Career Trajectory” (2010)

U.S. Department of Education, i3 Grant Competition, “School of One” Evaluation Component (2010)

Smith Richardson Foundation, “Accountability and the Allocation of School Resources: Evidence from Micro-Data” (2009)

U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, “The Effects of No Child Left Behind on Student Outcomes and School Services” (2009)

Educational Finance Research Consortium, “The Impact of Teaching Disruptions on Student Achievement in New York City” (2008)

Spencer Foundation, “Effects of No Child Left Behind on School Services and Student Outcomes” (2008) Smith Richardson Foundation Public Policy Research Fellowship, “Identifying and Improving the Effectiveness of New Teachers” (2007)

Chiles Fellowship, Harvard University Economics Department; Dissertation Fellowship, Taubman Center for State and Local Government, Kennedy School of Government (2003)

Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Amherst College Graduate Studies Fellowship (2002)

Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Health Care and Aging, NBER (1999)
 
University Seminars:
UC San Diego (2018), UC Irvine (2018), Paris School of Economics (2018), SciencesPo (2018), Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (2017, 2016, 2015, 2009), Texas A&M (2017, 2013), University of Houston (2017), University of Colorado at Boulder (2017), Harvard University (2017, 2010), Northwestern University (2017, 2012), University of Chicago (2016, 2015, 2007), University of Texas at Austin (2016), Universidad de San Andres (2016, 2015, 2009), Sao Paulo School of Economics (2016), Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (2016), University of Kentucky (2015), Universidad de San Andres (2015, 2009), Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (2015, 2009), Universidad Nacional La Plata (2015), Stanford University (2015, 2010), UC Santa Barbara (2015), Princeton University (2015), New York University (2015, 2011, 2009, 2007), Clemson University (2015), Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2015, 2007, 2004), University of Chicago (2015, 2007), Johns Hopkins University (2015), University of Delaware (2014), Cornell University (2014, 2008), INSEAD (2014), London School of Economics (2014, 2009),Michigan State University (2014), University of Connecticut (2013), Georgetown PPI (2013), University of Rochester (2013, 2004), Texas A&M (2013), SMU (2013), University of Arkansas (2013), Northwestern University (2012), University of Illinois – Chicago (2012), University of Missouri (2012), University of Tennessee (2012), University of Maryland (2011), University of Pennsylvania (2011, 2008, 2004), Brookings Institution (2011, 2009), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2011), University of Pittsburgh (2011), Carnegie Mellon (2011), University of Florida (2011), Harvard University (2010), University of Virginia (2010, 2004), Harvard University Program on Education Policy and Governance (2009, 2004), Virginia Tech (2009), Yale University (2008), University of Maryland Baltimore County (2008), University of Michigan (2007), Syracuse University (2007), Australian National University (2007), Brown University (2007), UC Berkeley (2006), UC Santa Cruz (2006), USC (2006), University of Maryland (2006), Rutgers University (2006), Hunter College (2006), Dartmouth College (2004), Federal Reserve Board of Governors (2004)

Conference Presentations:
Warwick Conference on Education, Innovation and Growth (2016), NBER Conference on Health, Education, and Welfare Programs in China (2012), NBER Economics of Education Program Meeting (2012, 2008, 2004), NBER Summer Institute (2011, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004), American Economic Association Annual Meeting (2011, 2010, 2009, 2004), Association for Public Policy and Management Annual Meeting (2011, 2009, 2006, 2005), American Educational Finance Association Annual Meeting (2010), Workshop on Frontiers in Economics of Education–University of Tel Aviv (2010), New York State Education Finance Research Consortium (2009), Research Institute of Industrial Economics, IFN (2009), University of Maryland Crime and Population Dynamics Summer Workshop (2008, 2007), NBER Working Group on Crime (2007), American Law and Economics Meetings (2007), Canadian Law and Economics Meetings (2007), Economics of Teacher Quality Conference–Australian National University (2007)

Conference Discussions:
NY Federal Reserve Conference on Higher Education Financing and Costs and Returns of Higher Education (2017), American Economic Association Annual Meeting (2011, 2010, 2009), American Educational Finance Association Annual Meeting (2010), Association for Public Policy and Management Annual Meeting (2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006), Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance Merit Pay Conference (2010), NYC Education Reform Retrospective (2010), NBER Cities and Entrepreneurship Conference (2009), NBER Summer Institute (2009, 2005), UNC Tax Symposium (2007), Future of Children (2006)

Professional Affiliations and Activities:
Co-Editor, Journal of Public Economics (2013 – Present)

Research Associate: NBER Economics of Education and Public Economics Programs

Reviewer: Institute of Education Sciences, National Science Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation.

Referee: American Economic Review (Excellence in Refereeing Award 2013), AEJ Applied Economics, AEJ Economic Policy, American Educational Research Journal, B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Econometrica, Economica, Economic Journal, Economics of Education Review, Education Next, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Education Finance and Policy, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Urban Economics, Labour Economics, National Tax Journal, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, Review of Economic Studies, Review of Law and Economics, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Science, Southern Economic Journal

Outside Activities:
Expert Witness: Provided expert testimony on behalf of NY State Education Department (Urbanski vs. King/Ahern) in February 2017
Advisory Positions (Compensated and Uncompensated): Hindsight Advice Inc. (Advisor), Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (Research Associate), Center for Education Data & Research, University of Washington, Spokane Advisory Board (Member), DCPS-UVA Research Partnership Advisory Board (Member), Wallace Foundation Technical Working Group on Principal Pipeline Initiative (Member), USDOE Meeting on Advances in the Use of Value Added Models as One Measure of Teacher Effectiveness (Participant), NY State Education Department Growth Model Technical Review Committee (Member), New York City Department of Education School Survey Advisory Panel (Member), New York State Regents Task Force on Teacher and Principal Effectiveness (Research Advisor), Schoolnet Inc. (Advisor), DC Public Schools Technical Advisory Board on IMPACT Effectiveness Assessment System (Member), U.S. DOE Technical Working Group on the Teacher Quality Distribution Study by Mathematica Inc. (Member), U.S. DOE Technical Working Group on the Teacher and Leader Evaluations Study by American Institutes for Research (Member), Teach For America Research Advisory Panel (Member), American Enterprise Institute Future of American Education Working Group (Member)

Compensated Presentations: Inter-American Development Bank (2016), Centro de Estudios Públicos (Chile, 2014), Consejo Nacional de Educación (Chile, 2014), New Jersey State Board of Education (2013), Long Island Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2013), Gates Foundation Strategic Data Project (2013, 2010), Instituto Nacional de Evaluación Educativa (Spain, 2012), Mathematica Policy Research Inc. (2012), Eastern Suffolk BOCES (2012), New York State Department of Education (2011, 2010), Nassau County BOCES (2011), Western Suffolk BOCES (2011), Schoolnet Inc. (2010), Learning to Teach (2010), Edvoice (2009), Teachers College Summer Principals Academy (2009, 2008), New Teacher Center, UC Santa Cruz (2008), NYC Teacher Quality Workshop (2008), New Teacher Project (2008)

School/University Service:
Course Coordinator, Managerial Economics (2012-present)

Coorganizer, Applied Microeconomics Seminar, (2007-present)
Organizer, Microeconomics Faculty Lunch, (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008)
Teachers College Economics of Education Recruiting Committee (2013)
Microeconomics Recruiting Committee (2012, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005)
Doctoral Dissertation Committee Member: Tong Geng (2018), Martha Kluttig (2018), Florence Ran (2018), Vivian Liu (2017), Meiping Sun (2017), Elizabeth Davidson (2016), Andres Lieberman (2013), Di Xu (2013), Mariesa Herrmann (2012), Lesley Turner (2012), Rachel Rosen (2012), You You (2012), Cecilia Speroni (2011), Johannes Schmieder (2010); Yinghua He, (2010); Fang He (2010); Joshua Goodman, (2009); Ting Wu, (2008); Allison Schrager, (2006)
Speaker, Education Law & Policy Symposium, Columbia Law School (2016)
Speaker, Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy, Reviving U.S. Economic Growth (2015)
Speaker, Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy, Global Justice Forum (2014)
Speaker, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, NY Times Institute Fellowship on Education Reporting (2010)
Speaker, Nonprofit Leadership Forum, CBS Social Enterprise Program (2010)
Panel Moderator, CBS Social Enterprise Conference (2010, 2007, 2006)
Columbia University Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, Seed Grant Committee (2010)
Committee Member, Student Government Academics Committee (2014, 2013)
Co-organizer, Conference on “Entrepreneurship, Growth, and Inclusion” (2009, in Buenos Aires)
University Senate, Untenured Representative from the Business School (2007, 2006)
University Senate, Alumni Relations Committee (2007, 2006)