Immigrant populations in schools have rapidly increased in recent years and schools have had to quickly adapt to changing student demographics and needs. Economist Elizabeth Setren and education policy scholar Kirsten Slungaard Mumma will investigate the academic, social, and behavioral impacts of immigration on schools as well as school responses in Massachusetts. They will analyze data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for their study.

Warn and release interventions – an intervention strategy that provides early warnings and in which typically no record is created – are a common informal diversion strategy. Despite their use, there is limited evidence on how warn and release interventions impact youth outcomes, particularly within the school context. Public policy scholar Jo King and education scholar Luis A. Rodriguez will estimate the impact of warn and release practices in schools on student behavior, including attendance, test scores, and suspensions.

This grant is funded in part by the Spencer Foundation.

Many universities have adopted race-neutral admissions policies in response to the 2023 Supreme Court decision in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) cases. Sociologist Steven Dandaneau and education scholar Bryan Cook will examine the impact of the SFFA case on incoming class diversity and undergraduate admissions policies. They will collect and analyze new institutional data along with National Association for College Admission Counseling survey data on admissions policies and practices for their study.