We use statewide administrative data from Florida to estimate the impact of attending public
schools with different grade configurations on student achievement through grade 10. Based
on an instrumental variable estimation strategy, we find that students moving from
elementary to middle school suffer a sharp drop in student achievement in the transition year.
These achievement drops persist through grade 10. We also find that middle school entry
increases student absences and is associated with higher grade 10 dropout rates.
Transitions to high school in grade nine cause a smaller one-time drop in achievement but do
not alter students’ performance trajectories.
