Grantee: The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.
Description of the Intervention: This project was a long-term follow-up of an RCT of Core Knowledge Charter Schools in Denver, Colorado. Core Knowledge schools are public charter schools serving students in grades K‑8. They use an integrated curriculum that sets out, in a clear grade-by-grade sequence, the specific knowledge that students should gain in each grade, rather than simply providing teachers with broad goals and objectives about what topics to cover. The Core Knowledge curriculum is implemented in over 1500 schools (charter and non-charter) across 41 states and the District of Columbia.
Study Design: The study used randomized lotteries to allocate offers of kindergarten admission to 1,831 applicants to nine oversubscribed Core Knowledge schools in Denver. f1 The 688 lottery winners (treatment group) were offered admission; the 1,143 lottery losers (control group) were not. The sample was approximately 50% female, 8% low-income, and 8% Black or Hispanic. The primary pre-specified outcome measure was English language arts achievement (ELA), as measured by the Colorado state test, in 6th grade (i.e., the longest-term follow-up, seven years after school entry). The study also measured ELA on the state test in 4th and 5th grade.
Impact on the Primary Outcome: The study found no statistically significant effect on the primary outcome – ELA scores in 6th grade (the non-significant effect size was 0.04). The study found modest positive effects on ELA scores in 4th grade (effect size 0.09, not statistically significant) and 5th grade (effect size 0.12, f2 statistically significant). f3
The above effects, based on the study’s pre-registered primary analysis, are contained in the study team’s final grant report to Arnold Ventures. A public study report contains additional, exploratory analyses and findings.
Study Quality: Based on careful review, we believe this RCT was generally well-conducted and produced valid findings. f4
