Research and Publications

Current Research Projects

The SanDERA projects listed below are currently in progress. Please contact Karen Volz Bachofer for additional information.

Academic Trajectories and Policies to Narrow Achievement Gaps in San Diego (Funded by the US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences)

The Relation Between School Climate and Student Outcomes in San Diego: Using Research to Tailor Socioemotional Supports in a Large Urban District (Funded by The Spencer Foundation)

Changing the Odds: A Short-Cycle Approach to Improving Students' Long-Term Mathematics Outcomes (Funded by the US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences)

Closing the Achievement Gap for Long-Term and Late-Arriving English Learners (Funded by The WT Grant Foundation)

Heterogeneous Effects of English Learner Reclassification on Achievement Trajectories (Funded by the US Department of Education Instutute for Education Sciences)

Charter School Effects on Long-Term Outcomes: A Preuss School Study

Click here for a bibliography of selected publications by SanDERA researchers and affiliates.

Publications

Publication Date	Title	Authors
2018	A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement: A Discussion Paper	Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang
2018	Carefully Designed Multiple Choice Tests Can Help Teachers Quickly Determine What Students Don't Understand	Julian R. Betts, Youjin Hahn, and Andrew C. Zau
2017	The "College Prep for All" Mandate – An Update on How San Diego's Class of 2016 Has Fared with New Graduation Requirements	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2016	College Prep for All: Will San Diego Students Meet Challenging New Graduation Requirements? Published by Public Policy Instutute of California (PPIC) in April 2016 Appendices	Julian R. Betts, Sam M. Young, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2016	College Prep for All: Part II – Will San Diego Students Meet Challenging New Graduation Requirements? Appendix	Julian R. Betts, Sam M. Young, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2015	The "College Prep for All" Mandate – An Examination of New Graduation Requirements in the Context of San Diego: Part I Appendix	Julian R. Betts, Sam M. Young, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2014	Pathways to Fluency: Examining the Link between Language Reclassification Policies and Student Success Technical Appendix \|\| Short Summary	Laura E. Hill, Julian R. Betts, Belen Chavez, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2014	An Evaluation of the Outcomes of Career and Technical Education in San Diego Unified School District: A Quantitative Study CTE Course Availability and Students’ Course-Taking Patterns Relationship Between CTE and High School Outcomes Relationship Between CTE and Postsecondary Outcomes Executive Summary	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, Dallas Dotter, and John McAdams
2014	An Evaluation of the Outcomes of Career and Technical Education in San Diego Unified School District: A Descriptive Case Study Executive Summary	Karen Volz Bachofer, Julian R. Betts, and Andrew C. Zau
2013	College Readiness as a Graduation Requirement: An Assessment of San Diego's Challenges Technical Appendices \|\| On Track Model Manual and Worksheets Short Summary	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2012	The Impact of the Use of the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project in San Diego Unified School District: Teacher Interview Component	Karen Volz Bachofer, Andrew C. Zau, and Julian R. Betts
2012	The Impact of the Use of the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project in San Diego Unified School District: Teacher Survey Component	Karen Volz Bachofer, Andrew C. Zau, and Julian R. Betts
2012	Passing the California High School Exit Exam: Have Recent Policies Improved Student Performance?	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, Yendrick Zieleniak, and Karen Volz Bachofer
2012	Better Research Needed on the Impact of Charter Schools	Julian R. Betts and Richard C. Atkinson
2011	A Meta-Analysis of the Literature on the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement Abstract \|\| PDF File	Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang
2011	Does Diagnostic Math Testing Improve Student Learning?	Julian R. Betts, Youjin Hahn, and Andrew C. Zau
2011	Does Student Sorting Invalidate Value-Added Models of Teacher Effectiveness? An Extended Analysis of the Rothstein Critique PDF File	Cory Koedel and Julian R. Betts
2010	Madness in the Method? A Critical Analysis of Popular Methods of Estimating the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.) “Taking Measure of Charter Schools: Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools” PDF of Pre-Publication Version	Julian R. Betts, Y. Emiy Tang, Andrew C. Zau
2010	Value Added to What? How a Ceiling in the Testing Instrument Influences Value-Added Estimation PDF File	Julian R. Betts and Cory Koedel
2010	Lessons in Reading Reform: Finding What Works	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Cory Koedel
2009	Reduced-Class Distinctions: Effort, Ability, and the Education Production Function PDF	Philip Babcock and Julian R. Betts
2009	The San Diego Blueprint for Student Success: A Retrospective Overview and Commentary PDF of Pre-Publication Version	Julian R. Betts
2009	The Integrating and Segregating Effects of School Choice PDF of Pre-Publication Version	Cory Koedel, Julian R. Betts, Lorien A. Rice, and Andrew C. Zau
2008	Predicting Success, Preventing Failure: An Investigation of the California High School Exit Exam	Andrew C. Zau and Julian R. Betts
2008	Value-Added and Experimental Studies of the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement: A Literature Review PDF	Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang
2007	California: Does the Golden State Deserve a Gold Star? in Frederick M. Hess and Chester E. Finn (Eds.) “No Remedy Left Behind: Lessons from a Half-Decade of NCLB” PDF	Julian R. Betts
2006	Does School Choice Work? Effects on Student Integration and Achievement	Julian R. Betts, Lorien A. Rice, Andrew C. Zau, Y. Emily Tang, and Cory R. Koedel
2005	From Blueprint to Reality: San Diego’s Education Reforms	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Kevin King
2005	The Evolution of School Choice in Frederick M. Hess (Ed.) “Urban School Reform: Lessons from San Diego” PDF	Andrew C. Zau and Julian R. Betts
2005	The Promise and Challenge of Accountability in Public Schooling in Frederick M. Hess (Ed.) “Urban School Reform: Lessons from San Diego”	Julian R. Betts
2004	San Diego: Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth? in Frederick M. Hess and Chester Finn (Eds.) “Leaving No Child Behind? Options for Kids in Failing Schools” PDF	Julian R. Betts and Andrew C. Zau
2003	Determinants of Student Achievement: New Evidence from San Diego	Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Lorien A. Rice