The Causal Impact of Attending High Tech High’s High Schools on Postsecondary Enrollment

Abstract

In recent years, a small but growing number of empirical studies have examined the causal impact of attending charter schools on academic achievement (Betts and Tang, 2011). In assessing achievement, researchers have focused on short-term, educational outcomes such as student results on state-mandated exams. To date, little research has examined how charter schools impact educational outcomes over the medium- and long-term. I examine the causal impact of attending High Tech High (HTH), a well-established charter school network of 12 schools based in San Diego, California, on postsecondary enrollment. I find that attending HTH in high school increases the likelihood of enrollment in a four-year college by 10.9 percentage points and decreases the likelihood of enrollment in a two-year college by 11.2 percentage points. This observed shift suggests that HTH effectively prepares its students to apply, gain admission, and/or ultimately attend four-year colleges over two-year colleges. My study also speaks to the question of who applies to charter schools. I find that the postsecondary enrollment rate among those who apply but are not admitted to HTH is roughly 12 percentage points higher than the overall rate among graduates of high schools managed by the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). This observation suggests that the composition of students and families who apply to HTH in high school and those who attend district-managed high schools in SDUSD differ in ways that likely influence their propensity of enroll in postsecondary education.