William Sander - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by William Sander

In this paper, we quantify the religious factor in private education in the United States by esti... more In this paper, we quantify the religious factor in private education in the United States by estimating a Random Utility Model of school-choice in which households choose among public, private-nonsectarian, Catholic and Protestant schools. In our model households differ not only in their income levels but also in their religion and religiosity levels. The model is then estimated using multinomial logit and multinomial probit regressions of attendance at different types of private schools using individual data from the General Social Survey. We find that both religion and religiosity have important effects on the demand for the different types of private schools. Further, it is shown that if religiosity is not taken into account (the usual case), the effect of religion on demand is biased. Our results imply that previous studies on the treatment effect of Catholic schools that have not taken into account the selection of highreligiosity youth into Catholic schools overestimate the positive influence of Catholic schools.

The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area ... more The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area are examined. Particular attention is given to (Lake Michigan) lakefront locations within the city of Chicago. It is shown that high levels of educational attainment are associated with living near Chicago's lakefront relative to locations in the rest of the city of Chicago and suburban areas. Further, it is shown that this relationship holds for non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Data from the five percent PUMS (public use microdata sample) from the 2000 Census of Population are used for the empirical estimates in the paper.

The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area ... more The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area are examined. Particular attention is given to (Lake Michigan) lakefront locations within the city of Chicago. It is shown that high levels of educational attainment are associated with living near Chicago’s lakefront relative to locations in the rest of the city of Chicago and suburban areas. Further, it is shown that this relationship holds for non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Data from the five percent PUMS (public use microdata sample) from the 2000 Census of Population are used for the empirical estimates in the paper. *Vice President and Director of Regional Programs, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Professor of Economics, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, respectively.

Using unique administrative data on Chicago public high school students and their teachers, we es... more Using unique administrative data on Chicago public high school students and their teachers, we estimate the importance of teachers for student mathematical achievement. We find that teachers are educationally and statistically important. To be sure, sampling variation and other measurement issues can strongly influence estimates of teacher effects, and, in some cases, account for much of the dispersion in teacher quality. Even after correcting for these problems, we find that one semester with a teacher rated two standard deviations higher in quality could add 0.3 to 0.5 grade equivalents, or 25 to 45 percent of an average school year, to a student's math score performance. Additionally, our teacher quality ratings remain relatively stable for an individual instructor over time, are reasonably impervious to controlling for non-math teachers, and do not appear to be driven by classroom sorting or selective reporting of test scores. After relating our measured teacher effects to t...

Catholicism and marriage in the United States catholicism and intermarriage in the United States ... more Catholicism and marriage in the United States catholicism and intermarriage in the United States catholicism and the economics of fertility the effects of ethnicity and religion on educational attainment Catholic schools, dropout rates and educational attainment Catholic high schools and test scores the effects of catholicism on earnings and employment Catholics, alcohol and tobacco.

Urban Education

This study examines whether students in the Chicago Public School System are at a disadvantage re... more This study examines whether students in the Chicago Public School System are at a disadvantage relative to students in suburban school systems and other school systems in Illinois after many background factors are taken into account. It is shown that grade school students in Chicago do as well as their counterparts else-where. However, high school students in Chicago have a much larger drop-out rate and lower test scores in reading after adjusting for background variables.

Economic Development Quarterly

The patterns of where households live within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area are examin... more The patterns of where households live within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area are examined over the 1990 to 2010 period with respect to their socioeconomic characteristics. It is seen that city–suburban differences in educational attainment have been eliminated over time. This is particularly the case for non-Hispanic Whites living in Chicago who have become substantially more likely to have a college degree relative to their suburban counterparts. In contrast, educational attainment has a rising propensity of African Americans and Hispanics to suburbanize, especially those households containing children of school age.

Papers in Regional Science, 2013

The revealed residential choice of city versus suburbs within large metropolitan areas is examine... more The revealed residential choice of city versus suburbs within large metropolitan areas is examined with particular focus on families with children, especially those with collegeeducated parents. Probit and bivariate probit estimates are presented for 15 large metropolitan areas in the United States, and for boroughs within New York City. Data are drawn from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. It is shown that overall more affluent and educated families with school-age children are less likely to live in many large central cities including Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia with a few important exceptions including Charlotte, Seattle, and the borough of Manhattan. We contrast our results with estimates for married and never married respondents without school-age children.

Oxford Agrarian Studies, 1983

Catholic Schools, 2001

In a recent study, Black (1999) shows that parents buy better schooling for their children by pay... more In a recent study, Black (1999) shows that parents buy better schooling for their children by paying more for housing. She finds that parents who pay 2.5 percent more for housing receive a 5 percent increase in elementary school test scores. In this chapter, I test a related hypothesis—whether an increase in the percentage of children who attend private grade schools and high schools in Illinois increases housing values. As indicated in the previous chapter, Catholic schools account for more than fifty percent of the enrollment in private grade schools and high schools in Illinois. For this reason, I assume private school effects on housing values are a proxy for Catholic school effect. I show that a one percentage point increase in the percentage who attend private schools increases housing values by about 1 percent.

Catholic Schools, 2001

The effect of Catholic schooling on the demand for the commodities in question could be either di... more The effect of Catholic schooling on the demand for the commodities in question could be either direct on indirect. It could directly affect the demand for alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana if Catholic schooling affected the behavior of students relative to other types of schooling. Catholic schooling might indirectly affect the demand for the commodities in question if it affected educational attainment or test scores. In related studies, it has been shown that educational attainment and test scores reduce smoking and alcohol abuse.

Catholic Schools, 2001

A number of studies have analyzed the effects of Catholic schooling on religious outcomes Davidso... more A number of studies have analyzed the effects of Catholic schooling on religious outcomes Davidson, et al. (1997) reviews many of these studies. Studies by Greeley and Rossi (1966) and Greeley, McCready, and McCourt (1976) find that Catholic schooling at the primary and secondary levels have a positive effect on a number of religious outcomes for young people including church attendance, believing in life after death, belonging to parish organizations, reading Catholic periodicals, and so on. More recent research by Davidson, et al. (1997) indicates that Catholic schools have a more modest effect on religious outcomes.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Oct 1, 2006

J Am Water Resour Assoc, 1980

The national and regional economic impact of the Bureau of Reclamation's Uncompahgre Project whic... more The national and regional economic impact of the Bureau of Reclamation's Uncompahgre Project which was authorized in 1903 is assessed. Benefit-cost ratios for the project are calculated for a range of production cost estimates and discount rates. An economic base approach is used to estimate the project's regional economic impact. Although the project has been marginal in terms of an economic efficiency rationale it has been an important impetus to regional economic growth in the Uncompahgre Region over time.

Upse Discussion Papers, Aug 31, 2010

The impact of the Upper Pampanga River Project, a large-scale irrigation project in the Philippin... more The impact of the Upper Pampanga River Project, a large-scale irrigation project in the Philippines, on agricultural production and income and nonfarm employment is estimated. It is shown that the project contributes significantly to agricultural development in the Nueva Ecija region as well as to nonfarm employment in the region. The project s primary contribution to nonfarm employment in the region is brought about by Additional spending by farmers on consumer goods and services. It also contributes to nonfarm jobs in the agriculturally related industries -- industries which supply inputs to the farmer or industries which process or distribute agricultural products. The impact in the agricultural industries is less significant than the impact in the consumer goods and services industries.

Four criteria that have been suggested to evaluate the effects of private schooling and education... more Four criteria that have been suggested to evaluate the effects of private schooling and education vouchers are: (1) freedom of choice, (2) productive efficiency, (3) equity, and (4) social cohesion. This study uses these criteria to evaluate some of the effects of Catholic schooling in the United States. Catholic schools are shown to increase the ability of Catholic families to promote Catholic values and beliefs. That is, Catholic schools increase the ability of Catholic families to provide a faith-based education for their children. The effect of Catholic schools on productive efficiency is mixed. Data from Illinois suggest that private school competition does not improve the quality of public schooling. Further, national data indicate that Catholic schools at best only have modest positive effects on educational outcomes for white students. However, Catholic schools seem to have significant and substantial positive effects on educational outcomes for black and Hispanic students. For this reason, Catholic schools have favorable effects on equity.

The effects of religion and religiosity on the demand for private schooling are considered both t... more The effects of religion and religiosity on the demand for private schooling are considered both theoretically and empirically. Probit estimates of private school attendance and multinomial logit estimates of attendance at different types of private schools including Catholic schools, Protestant schools, and nonsectarian private schools are undertaken. It is shown that both religion and religiosity have important effects on the demand for the different types of private schools. Further, it is shown that if religiosity is not taken into account (the usual case), the effect of religion on demand is biased. The effects of race, ethnicity, family background, and location on the demand for private schooling are also considered. Data from the National Opinion Research Center's "General Social Survey" are used.

In this paper, we quantify the religious factor in private education in the United States by esti... more In this paper, we quantify the religious factor in private education in the United States by estimating a Random Utility Model of school-choice in which households choose among public, private-nonsectarian, Catholic and Protestant schools. In our model households differ not only in their income levels but also in their religion and religiosity levels. The model is then estimated using multinomial logit and multinomial probit regressions of attendance at different types of private schools using individual data from the General Social Survey. We find that both religion and religiosity have important effects on the demand for the different types of private schools. Further, it is shown that if religiosity is not taken into account (the usual case), the effect of religion on demand is biased. Our results imply that previous studies on the treatment effect of Catholic schools that have not taken into account the selection of highreligiosity youth into Catholic schools overestimate the positive influence of Catholic schools.

The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area ... more The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area are examined. Particular attention is given to (Lake Michigan) lakefront locations within the city of Chicago. It is shown that high levels of educational attainment are associated with living near Chicago's lakefront relative to locations in the rest of the city of Chicago and suburban areas. Further, it is shown that this relationship holds for non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Data from the five percent PUMS (public use microdata sample) from the 2000 Census of Population are used for the empirical estimates in the paper.

The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area ... more The effects of educational attainment on household location within the Chicago metropolitan area are examined. Particular attention is given to (Lake Michigan) lakefront locations within the city of Chicago. It is shown that high levels of educational attainment are associated with living near Chicago’s lakefront relative to locations in the rest of the city of Chicago and suburban areas. Further, it is shown that this relationship holds for non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Data from the five percent PUMS (public use microdata sample) from the 2000 Census of Population are used for the empirical estimates in the paper. *Vice President and Director of Regional Programs, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Professor of Economics, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, respectively.

Using unique administrative data on Chicago public high school students and their teachers, we es... more Using unique administrative data on Chicago public high school students and their teachers, we estimate the importance of teachers for student mathematical achievement. We find that teachers are educationally and statistically important. To be sure, sampling variation and other measurement issues can strongly influence estimates of teacher effects, and, in some cases, account for much of the dispersion in teacher quality. Even after correcting for these problems, we find that one semester with a teacher rated two standard deviations higher in quality could add 0.3 to 0.5 grade equivalents, or 25 to 45 percent of an average school year, to a student's math score performance. Additionally, our teacher quality ratings remain relatively stable for an individual instructor over time, are reasonably impervious to controlling for non-math teachers, and do not appear to be driven by classroom sorting or selective reporting of test scores. After relating our measured teacher effects to t...

Catholicism and marriage in the United States catholicism and intermarriage in the United States ... more Catholicism and marriage in the United States catholicism and intermarriage in the United States catholicism and the economics of fertility the effects of ethnicity and religion on educational attainment Catholic schools, dropout rates and educational attainment Catholic high schools and test scores the effects of catholicism on earnings and employment Catholics, alcohol and tobacco.

Urban Education

This study examines whether students in the Chicago Public School System are at a disadvantage re... more This study examines whether students in the Chicago Public School System are at a disadvantage relative to students in suburban school systems and other school systems in Illinois after many background factors are taken into account. It is shown that grade school students in Chicago do as well as their counterparts else-where. However, high school students in Chicago have a much larger drop-out rate and lower test scores in reading after adjusting for background variables.

Economic Development Quarterly

The patterns of where households live within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area are examin... more The patterns of where households live within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area are examined over the 1990 to 2010 period with respect to their socioeconomic characteristics. It is seen that city–suburban differences in educational attainment have been eliminated over time. This is particularly the case for non-Hispanic Whites living in Chicago who have become substantially more likely to have a college degree relative to their suburban counterparts. In contrast, educational attainment has a rising propensity of African Americans and Hispanics to suburbanize, especially those households containing children of school age.

Papers in Regional Science, 2013

The revealed residential choice of city versus suburbs within large metropolitan areas is examine... more The revealed residential choice of city versus suburbs within large metropolitan areas is examined with particular focus on families with children, especially those with collegeeducated parents. Probit and bivariate probit estimates are presented for 15 large metropolitan areas in the United States, and for boroughs within New York City. Data are drawn from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. It is shown that overall more affluent and educated families with school-age children are less likely to live in many large central cities including Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia with a few important exceptions including Charlotte, Seattle, and the borough of Manhattan. We contrast our results with estimates for married and never married respondents without school-age children.

Oxford Agrarian Studies, 1983

Catholic Schools, 2001

In a recent study, Black (1999) shows that parents buy better schooling for their children by pay... more In a recent study, Black (1999) shows that parents buy better schooling for their children by paying more for housing. She finds that parents who pay 2.5 percent more for housing receive a 5 percent increase in elementary school test scores. In this chapter, I test a related hypothesis—whether an increase in the percentage of children who attend private grade schools and high schools in Illinois increases housing values. As indicated in the previous chapter, Catholic schools account for more than fifty percent of the enrollment in private grade schools and high schools in Illinois. For this reason, I assume private school effects on housing values are a proxy for Catholic school effect. I show that a one percentage point increase in the percentage who attend private schools increases housing values by about 1 percent.

Catholic Schools, 2001

The effect of Catholic schooling on the demand for the commodities in question could be either di... more The effect of Catholic schooling on the demand for the commodities in question could be either direct on indirect. It could directly affect the demand for alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana if Catholic schooling affected the behavior of students relative to other types of schooling. Catholic schooling might indirectly affect the demand for the commodities in question if it affected educational attainment or test scores. In related studies, it has been shown that educational attainment and test scores reduce smoking and alcohol abuse.

Catholic Schools, 2001

A number of studies have analyzed the effects of Catholic schooling on religious outcomes Davidso... more A number of studies have analyzed the effects of Catholic schooling on religious outcomes Davidson, et al. (1997) reviews many of these studies. Studies by Greeley and Rossi (1966) and Greeley, McCready, and McCourt (1976) find that Catholic schooling at the primary and secondary levels have a positive effect on a number of religious outcomes for young people including church attendance, believing in life after death, belonging to parish organizations, reading Catholic periodicals, and so on. More recent research by Davidson, et al. (1997) indicates that Catholic schools have a more modest effect on religious outcomes.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Oct 1, 2006

J Am Water Resour Assoc, 1980

The national and regional economic impact of the Bureau of Reclamation's Uncompahgre Project whic... more The national and regional economic impact of the Bureau of Reclamation's Uncompahgre Project which was authorized in 1903 is assessed. Benefit-cost ratios for the project are calculated for a range of production cost estimates and discount rates. An economic base approach is used to estimate the project's regional economic impact. Although the project has been marginal in terms of an economic efficiency rationale it has been an important impetus to regional economic growth in the Uncompahgre Region over time.

Upse Discussion Papers, Aug 31, 2010

The impact of the Upper Pampanga River Project, a large-scale irrigation project in the Philippin... more The impact of the Upper Pampanga River Project, a large-scale irrigation project in the Philippines, on agricultural production and income and nonfarm employment is estimated. It is shown that the project contributes significantly to agricultural development in the Nueva Ecija region as well as to nonfarm employment in the region. The project s primary contribution to nonfarm employment in the region is brought about by Additional spending by farmers on consumer goods and services. It also contributes to nonfarm jobs in the agriculturally related industries -- industries which supply inputs to the farmer or industries which process or distribute agricultural products. The impact in the agricultural industries is less significant than the impact in the consumer goods and services industries.

Four criteria that have been suggested to evaluate the effects of private schooling and education... more Four criteria that have been suggested to evaluate the effects of private schooling and education vouchers are: (1) freedom of choice, (2) productive efficiency, (3) equity, and (4) social cohesion. This study uses these criteria to evaluate some of the effects of Catholic schooling in the United States. Catholic schools are shown to increase the ability of Catholic families to promote Catholic values and beliefs. That is, Catholic schools increase the ability of Catholic families to provide a faith-based education for their children. The effect of Catholic schools on productive efficiency is mixed. Data from Illinois suggest that private school competition does not improve the quality of public schooling. Further, national data indicate that Catholic schools at best only have modest positive effects on educational outcomes for white students. However, Catholic schools seem to have significant and substantial positive effects on educational outcomes for black and Hispanic students. For this reason, Catholic schools have favorable effects on equity.

The effects of religion and religiosity on the demand for private schooling are considered both t... more The effects of religion and religiosity on the demand for private schooling are considered both theoretically and empirically. Probit estimates of private school attendance and multinomial logit estimates of attendance at different types of private schools including Catholic schools, Protestant schools, and nonsectarian private schools are undertaken. It is shown that both religion and religiosity have important effects on the demand for the different types of private schools. Further, it is shown that if religiosity is not taken into account (the usual case), the effect of religion on demand is biased. The effects of race, ethnicity, family background, and location on the demand for private schooling are also considered. Data from the National Opinion Research Center's "General Social Survey" are used.