"Schools and districts seeking to improve need education policy researchers to provide information that moves beyond how effective a given policy type usually is (the mean treatment effect); instead offering guidance on which characteristics of a policy are related to better student outcomes, and whether those relationships between policy design and outcomes differ based on student characteristics. This type of policy research can better inform the policy design decisions that principals and superintendents face. This dissertation provides three examples of applying this lens to timely areas of education policy. Chapter 2 looks at measures of college knowledge and college eligibility (net of other common college-going supports), providing evidence that the constructs are distinct: college knowledge relates to whether students enroll in postsecondary education, college eligibility relates to institutional quality, and both relationships are stronger for disadvantaged students. Chapter 3 looks at a subset of studies on year-round education (YRE)--only calendars where all students are on the same schedule--and (after confirming that YRE has a positive effect on student achievement) identifies calendar design characteristics that are linked with better student performance. Chapter 4 returns to college access, but investigates how four different levels of course advising by high school counselors link with whether students demonstrate college eligibility, college knowledge, and enrollment. Analysis reveals that earlier course advising may allow students to reach a higher most-difficult math class and that more frequent counseling is likely linked with intending to submit the FAFSA, but also reveals relatively small marginal effects that do not persist to become differences in college enrollment. Each study has implications for research and practice in its own area, but more importantly, they showcase the type of research that can help inform not just the selection of a policy type, but the design and characteristics of school policies."--Abstract.
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