(Note: for information on how to obtain copies of my UCSD Economics Discussion Papers, see the  California Digital Library .)

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1. (2012), Betts, Julian R. Andrew C. Zau, Yendrick Zieleniak and Karen Volz Bachofer. “Passing the California High School Exit Exam:  Have Recent Policies Improved Student Performance?,” San Francisco, CA: Public Policy Institute of California.

    Abstract || PDF File || Technical Appendix || Download the CAHSEE Early Warning Model here 

2.  (2012), Betts, Julian R. and Richard C. Atkinson. “Better Research Needed on the Impact of Charter Schools,” Science, January 13: Volume 335 no. 6065 pp. 171-172.

    PDF File
   

3. (2012), Bachofer, Karen Volz, Andrew C. Zau, and Julian R. Betts.  “The Impact of the Use of the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project in San Diego Unified School District: Teacher Survey Component,” Long Beach, CA: California Academic Partnership Program.

   Executive Summary  ||  Main Report
   

4. (2011), Betts, Julian R. and Y. Emily Tang. “The Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Literature,” Bothell, WA: National Charter School Research Project, Center on Reinventing Public Education, available at www.ncsrp.org. 
   

    Abstract || PDF File

5. (2011), Betts, Julian R., Youjin Hahn and Andrew C. Zau. Does Diagnostic Math Testing Improve Student Learning? San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    PDF File || Technical Appendix

6. (2011), “The Economics of Tracking in Education”, in Hanushek, Eric A., Stephen Machin and Ludger Woessmann (Eds.), Handbook of the Economics Of Education, Volume 3, Amsterdam: North Holland, pp. 341-381.

    PDF of pre-publication version

7. (2011), Koedel, Cory and Julian R. Betts, “Does Student Sorting Invalidate Value-Added Models of Teacher Effectiveness? An Extended Analysis of the Rothstein Critique”, Education Finance and Policy, (6:1), 18–42.

   PDF
   

8. (2010), Betts, Julian, Andrew C. Zau and Cory Koedel, Lessons in Reading Reform: Finding What Works, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    PDF File || Technical Appendix

9. Betts, Julian R (2010), “School Quality and Earnings”, in Peterson, Penelope, Eva Baker, Barry McGaw, (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Education, Volume 2, pp. pp. 313-320. Oxford: Elsevier.

    PDF of pre-publication version

10. (2010), Koedel, Cory and Julian R. Betts, “Value-Added to What?  How a Ceiling in the Testing Instrument Influences Value-Added Estimation”, Education Finance and Policy, (5:1), 54-81.

     PDF File 

11. (2010), Julian R. Betts and Paul T. Hill (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
    

    
    

12. (2010), Julian R. Betts and Paul T. Hill, “Through a Glass Darkly: An Introduction to Issues in Measuring the Quality of Charter Schools”, Chapter 1 in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    PDF of pre-publication version
    

13. (2010), Julian R. Betts, “The Effect of Attending Charter Schools on Achievement, Educational Attainment and Behavioral Outcomes: A Review”, Chapter 4 in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    PDF of pre-publication version
    

14. (2010), Julian R. Betts, Y. Emily Tang, and Andrew C. Zau, “Madness in the Method? A Critical Analysis of Popular Methods of Estimating the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement”, Chapter 2 in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    PDF of pre-publication version
    

15. (2010), Julian R. Betts, “The Selection of Students into Charter Schools: A Critical Issue for Research and Policy”, Chapter 5 in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    PDF of pre-publication version
    

16. (2010), Julian R. Betts and Paul T. Hill, “Conclusions about Charter School Policy and Research”, Chapter 11 in Paul T. Hill and Julian R. Betts (Eds.), Taking Measure of Charter Schools:  Better Assessments, Better Policymaking, Better Schools, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    PDF of pre-publication version
    

17. (2009), Betts, Julian R., “The Competitive Effects of Charter Schools on Traditional Public Schools”, Chapter 11 in Handbook of Research on School Choice, Mark Berends, Matthew G. Springer, Dale Ballou, and Herbert Walberg (Eds.), New York: Routledge, pp. 195-208. 

    Pre-publication Version
    

18. (2009), Cory Koedel, Julian R. Betts, Lorien A. Rice, and Andrew C. Zau, “The Integrating and Segregating Effects of School Choice”, Peabody Journal of Education,  (84:2), pp. 110-129. p>
    

    Pre-publication version
    

19. (2009), Philip Babcock and Julian R. Betts, “Reduced-Class Distinctions: Effort, Ability, and the Education Production Function”, Journal of Urban Economics (65), pp. 314-322. p>
    

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20. (2009), Julian R. Betts, “The San Diego Blueprint for Student Success: A Retrospective Overview and Commentary”, Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, (14:1), pp. 120-129. p>
    

    Pre-Publication Version
    

21. (2008), Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang, Value-Added and Experimental Studies of the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement: A Literature Review, Bothell, WA: National Charter School Research Project, Center on Reinventing Public Education, available at www.ncsrp.org.
    

    PDF
    

22. (2008), Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang, “Charter Schools and Student Achievement: A Review of the Evidence”, in Robin J. Lake, (Ed.), Hopes, Fears and Reality: A Balanced Look at Charter Schools in 2008,  Bothell, WA: National Charter School Research Project, Center on Reinventing Public Education, pp. 1-8, available at www.ncsrp.org. 

    PDF
    

23. (2008 ), Zau, Andrew C., Julian R. Betts,  Predicting Success, Preventing Failure: An Investigation of the California High School Exit Exam, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    Main Report  ||  Technical Appendix (important to download for empirical detail!)  ||  Research Brief
    

24. (2007), Julian R. Betts, “California: Does the Golden State Deserve A Gold Star?”, Chapter 3 in Frederick M. Hess and Chester E. Finn Jr. (Eds.) No Remedy Left Behind: Lessons from a Half-Decade of NCLB, Washington, D.C.: AEI Press, pp. 121-152. 

    PDF
    

25. (2007), Julian R. Betts and John E. Roemer,  “Equalizing Opportunity for Racial and Socioeconomic Groups in the United States Through Educational Finance Reform,” in Ludger Woessmann and Paul E. Peterson (Eds.) Schools and the Equal Opportunity Problem, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    PDF Part 1 of 3  ||  PDF Part 2 of 3  ||  PDF Part 3 of 3
    

26. (2006), Paul T. Hill and Julian Betts, “Improving State and Local Assessments of Charter School Performance” Chapter 4 in Robin J. Lake and Paul T. Hill (Eds.)  Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2006, The National Charter School Research Project, Center on Reinventing Public Education, Seattle, WA: University of Washington, pp 37-47.

    PDF
    

27. (2006), The Charter School Achievement Consensus Panel (Principal Drafters Paul T. Hill and Julian Betts),  Key Issues in Studying Charter Schools and Achievement: A Review and Suggestions for National Guidelines, Seattle, WA: The Centre on Reinventing Public Schools, University of Washington, downloadable from http://www.crpe.org/cs/crpe/view/csr_pubs/5.

    PDF
    

28. (2006), Julian R. Betts, Lorien A. Rice, Andrew C. Zau, Y. Emily Tang, and Cory R. Koedel,  Does School Choice Work? Effects on Student Integration and Achievement, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    Main Report  ||  Technical Appendix (Importand to download for details of lottery analysis)  ||  Research Brief
    

29. (2005), Julian R. Betts, Andrew Zau and Kevin King, From Blueprint to Reality:  San Diego’s Education Reforms, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    Main Report  ||  Research Brief
    

30. (2005), Julian R. Betts and Tom Loveless, “School Choice, Equity, and Efficiency,” Chapter 1 in Julian R. Betts and Tom Loveless (Eds.) Getting Choice Right: Ensuring Equity and Efficiency in Education Policy, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, pp. 1-13.

    PDF
    

31. (2005), Julian R. Betts, “The Economic Theory of School Choice,” Chapter 2 in Julian R. Betts and Tom Loveless (Eds.) Getting Choice Right: Ensuring Equity and Efficiency in Education Policy, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, pp. 14-39.

    PDF
    

32. (2005), Julian R. Betts, Dan Goldhaber, and Larry Rosenstock, “The Supply Side of School Choice,” Chapter 4 in Julian R. Betts and Tom Loveless (Eds.) Getting Choice Right: Ensuring Equity and Efficiency in Education Policy, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, pp. 61-84.

    PDF Part 1 of 3  ||  PDF Part 2 of 3  ||  PDF Part 3 of 3
    

33. (2005), Julian R. Betts, “The Promise and Challenge of Accountability in Public Schooling,” in Frederick M. Hess (Ed.) Urban School Reform: Lessons from San Diego, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press, pp. 157-176.

    PDF
    

34. (2005), Andrew Zau and Julian R. Betts, “The Evolution of School Choice,” in Frederick M. Hess (Ed.) Urban School Reform: Lessons from San Diego, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press, pp. 223-241.

    PDF
    

35. (2005), Julian R. Betts and Carolyn W.B. Lee, “Universities as Drivers of Regional and National Innovation: An Assessment of the Linkages from Universities to Innovation and Economic Growth”, in Charles M. Beach, Robin W. Boadway and R. Marvin McInnis (Eds.) Higher Education in Canada, Kingston, Ontario: Queen’s University: John Deutsch Institute, pp. 113-157.

    PDF
    

36. (2004), Julian R. Betts and Anne Danenberg, “San Diego: Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth?”, in Frederick Hess and Chester Finn (Eds.), Leaving No Child Behind? Options for Kids in Failing Schools, New York: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 213-238.

    PDF
    

37. (2004), Heather Rose and Julian R. Betts, “The Effect of High School Courses on Earnings”, Review of Economics and Statistics, (86:2), May,  pp. 497-513.

    PDF
    

38. (2003), Julian R. Betts and Anne Danenberg, “The Effects of Accountability in California,” in Paul E. Peterson and Martin R. West, eds.  No Child Left Behind? The Politics and Practice of Accountability, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, pp. 197-212.

    PDF
    

39. (2003), Julian R. Betts, Andrew Zau and Lorien Rice, Determinants of Student Achievement:  New Evidence from San Diego, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    Main Report  ||  Research Brief
    

40. (2003), Julian R. Betts, “Discussion: Do State Governments Matter?,” in Yoland K. Kodrzycki, ed., Education in the 21st Century: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing World, Boston: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

    PDF
    

41. (2003), Julian R. Betts and Robert W. Fairlie, “Does Immigration Induce ‘Native Flight’ from Public Schools into Private Schools?”, Journal of Public Economics, (87:5-6 ), May, pp. 987-1012.

    PDF
    

42. (2003), Julian R. Betts and Jeff Grogger, “The Impact of Grading Standards on Student Achievement, Educational Attainment, and Entry-Level Earnings”, Economics of Education Review, (22:4), August, pp. 343-352.

    PDF
    

43. (2002), Julian R. Betts and Anne Danenberg, “School Accountability in California: An Early Evaluation”, in Diane Ravitch (Ed.), Brookings Papers on Education Policy 2002,  (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution), pp. 123-197.

    PDF
    

44. (2002), Julian R. Betts, Critical Path Analysis of California’s S&T System: California’s K-12 Sector, Irvine: California Council on Science and Technology. 

    PDF
    

45. (2001), Julian R. Betts and Robert W. Fairlie, “Explaining Ethnic, Racial, and Immigrant Differences in Private School Attendance”, Journal of Urban Economics, (50:1), 26-51.

    PDF
    

46. (2001), Julian R. Betts, Cameron W. Odgers and Michael K. Wilson, “The Effects of Unions on Research and Development: An Empirical Analysis Using Multi-Year Data”, Canadian Journal of Economics, (34:3), pp. 785-806.

    PDF
    

47. (2001), Heather Rose and Julian R. Betts, Math Matters: The Links between High School Curriculum, College Graduation, and Earnings, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    PDF
    

48. (2001), Julian R. Betts and Anne Danenberg, “Resources and Student Achievement: An Assessment”, in Jon Sonstelie and Peter Richardson, (Eds.), School Finance and California’s Master Plan for Education, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California, pp. 47-79.

    Pre-publication Draft
    

49. (2001), Julian R. Betts and Robert M. Costrell, “Incentives and Equity under Standards Based Reform”, in Diane Ravitch (Ed.), Brookings Papers on Education Policy 2001,  (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution), pp. 9-74.

    PDF
    

50. (2001), “The Impact of School Resources on Women’s Earnings and Educational Attainment: Findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women”, Journal of Labor Economics, (19:3), pp. 635-657.

    PDF
    

51. (2000), Julian R. Betts, The Changing Role of Education in California, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    PDF
    

52. (2000), Julian R. Betts, Kim S. Rueben and Anne Danenberg, Equal Resources, Equal Outcomes? The Distribution of School Resources and Student Achievement in California, San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California.

    PDF of Book
    

53. (2000), Julian R. Betts and Magnus Lofstrom, “The Educational Attainment of Immigrants: Trends and Implications”, in George Borjas (Ed.), Issues in the Economics of Immigration, Chicago: University of Chicago Press for National Bureau of Economic Research, pp. 51-115.

    PDF Part 1 of 3  ||  PDF Part 2 of 3  ||  PDF Part 3 of 3
    

54. (2000), Julian R. Betts and Jamie L. Shkolnik, “Key Difficulties in Identifying the Effects of Ability Grouping on Student Achievement”, Economics of Education Review, (19:1), pp. 21-26.

    PDF
    

55. (2000), Julian R. Betts and Jamie L. Shkolnik, “The Effects of Ability Grouping on Student Math Achievement and Resource Allocation in Secondary Schools”, Economics of Education Review, (19:1), pp. 1-15.

    PDF
    

56. (1999), Julian R. Betts and Jamie L. Shkolnik, “The Behavioral Effects of Variations in Class Size: The Case of Math Teachers”, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Summer, (20:2), pp. 193-213.

    PDF
    

57. (1999), Julian R. Betts and Darlene Morell, “The Determinants of Undergraduate Grade Point Average: The Relative Importance of Family Background, High School Resources, and Peer Group Effects”, Journal of Human Resources, (34:2), pp. 268-293.

    PDF
    

58. (1998), The Implications of Technological Change for Human Resource Policy, Canada in the 21st Century. II. Resources and Technology series,  Ottawa, Ontario: Industry Canada.

    PDF of Pre-publication Version
    

59. (1998), "Educational Crowding Out: Do Immigrants Affect the Educational Attainment of American Minorities?", in Daniel S. Hamermesh and Frank D. Bean (Eds.), Help or Hindrance? The Economic Implications of Immigration for African-Americans, New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

    Abstract || Postscript file or PDF File

60. (1998), "The Impact of Educational Standards on the Level and Distribution of Earnings", American Economic Review,(88:1), pp. 66-76.

    Abstract || Postscript file or PDF file

61. (1998), "The Two-Legged Stool: The Neglected Role of Educational Standards in Improving America's Public Schools", Economic Policy Review, (4:1), pp. 97-116.

    Abstract || Download PostScript or PDF File

62. (1997), (jointly with Cameron Odgers) "Do Unions Reduce Investment?", Industrial and Labor Relations Review, (51:1), pp. 18-36.

    Abstract || From the discussion paper version of this paper: Postscript file part 1 || Postscript file part 2 || PDF File

63. (1997), (with Christopher Ferrall), "Policies for Improving Public Schools", Policy Options, (18:6), pp. 35-39.

64. (1997), Review of Arrow, Kenneth J., et al., "Education in a Research University", Journal of Economic Literature, (35:3), pp. 1392-1394.

65. (1997), "The Skill Bias of Technological Change in Canadian Manufacturing Industries", Review of Economics and Statistics, (79:1), pp. 146-150.

    Abstract || Postscript file of the extended version (UCSD Discussion Paper 94-18) || PDF file

66. (1996), "Do School Resources Matter Only for Older Workers?", Review of Economics and Statistics, (78:4), pp. 638-652.

    Abstract || Postscript file or PDF file

67. (1996), "Is There a Link between School Inputs and Earnings? Fresh Scrutiny of an Old Literature", in Gary Burtless (Ed.), "Does Money Matter? The Effect of School Resources on Student Achievement and Adult Success", Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.

    Abstract || Postscript file || PDF file || Information on the Brookings book

68. (1996), "What do Students Know about Wages? Evidence from a Survey of Undergraduates", Journal of Human Resources, (31:1), pp. 27-56.

    Abstract and a (20Kb) Graph Showing Distribution of Wage Beliefs || Postscript file || PDF file

    The above paper is available as UCSD Discussion Paper 95-07.

69. (1995), "Does School Quality Matter? Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth", Review of Economics and Statistics, (77:2), pp. 231-250.

    Abstract || PDF file || The above paper is available as UCSD Discussion Paper 93-10R.

70. (1995), (with Laurel McFarland) "Safe Port in a Storm: The Impact of Labor Market Conditions on Community College Enrollments", Journal of Human Resources, (30:4), pp. 741-765.

    Abstract || Postscript file || PDF file || The above paper is available as UCSD Discussion Paper 93-12R.

71. (1995), Review of Hanushek, E.A. et al., "Making Schools Work: Improving Performance and Controlling Costs", Issues in Science and Technology, (11:3), pp. 85-87.

72. (1994), "Technological Change, Sectoral Shifts and the Distribution of Earnings: A Human Capital Model", Economica, (61:244), pp. 475-492.

    Abstract || PDF file

73. (1993), (jointly with Thomas H. McCurdy) "Sources of Employment Growth by Occupation and Industry in Canada: A Comparison of Structural Changes in the 1960's and 1970's", Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, (48:2), pp. 285-304.

    Abstract || PDF file

74. (1989), "Two Exact, Non-Arbitrary and General Methods of Decomposing Temporal Change", Economics Letters, (30), pp. 151-156.

    Abstract || PDF file

75. (1988), "A Review of Leibenstein, H., Inside the Firm: the Inefficiencies of Hierarchy", Canadian Journal of Economics, (21:3), pp. 684-686.

76. (1984), "Technology and the Third World: a Review of the Central Issues", in Mary Thornton and Jane Willms, (Eds.), Science, Knowledge and Power, Ottawa: CSP Publications.

77. (1982), "The Protection of Privacy in a Computerized Society: the Case for Regulation", in Fraser Homer-Dixon and Anne Perkins, (Eds.), Science in Society: its Freedom and Regulation, Ottawa: CSP Publications.

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