Using Propensity Score Matching to Evaluate Differences in Public and Private Students on Self-Control

Authors

Matthew Hanauer, Centerstone Research InstituteFollow

Keywords

propensity score matching, social and emotional learning, private schools, school social workers

Abstract

With the Educational Childhood Longitudinal Kindergarten Cohort class of 2011 (ECLSK-2011) database, I used propensity score matching and a longitudinal multilevel model to evaluate how 4970 kindergarteners in public (assigned public, charter, or magnet) and private (religious, non-religious private) schools, who were matched on a host of covariates, differed on a psychometrically sound self-control construct from fall 2010 to spring 2012. I found no statistically significant difference in self-control scores between private and public-school children. I discuss possible more effective and equitable mechanisms for improving student self-control, as well as suggesting guidance for future research on this topic.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Hanauer, Matthew (2019) "Using Propensity Score Matching to Evaluate Differences in Public and Private Students on Self-Control," International Journal of School Social Work: Vol. 4: Iss. 1. https://doi.org/10.4148/2161-4148.1034