Enrolling in publicly funded early childhood education involves searching for programs, applying, verifying eligibility, and registering with the program. Many families do not complete this process, despite demonstrated interest. In this study, we assessed support for families as they verify eligibility as a means for increasing enrollment completion rates. Working with district administrators, we randomly assigned families to receive either (a) the district’s usual, modest communications; (b) the usual communications plus weekly text message reminders with a formal tone; or (c) the usual communications plus weekly personalized, friendly text message reminders. Text message reminders increased verification rates by seven percentage points (regardless of tone), and personalized messages increased enrollment rates for some groups. Exchanges between parents and administrators revealed the obstacles parents confronted.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of providing information to families as they choose schools. Likely applicants to prekindergarten, kindergarten, and ninth grade were assigned to one of three groups. A “growth” group received lists (via U.S. mail, email, and text message) of the highest performing schools they could request. A “distance” group received lists of schools in their home geographic zone. A “control” group did not see any schools highlighted. The growth treatment led applicants to request more high-growth schools, with the strongest effects for high school choosers and families of students with disabilities. In addition, applicants’ first-choice requests appeared less malleable than their lower ranked requests. The distance treatment had only modest effects.

Using administrative and qualitative data, we investigate how decentralization affects the supply of optional educational services using the example of school-based prekindergarten (pre-K) in New Orleans during the transition to a majority-charter system. Although charter school leaders are motivated by student- and school-level benefits of pre-K, they face unique obstacles to funding classrooms. We find that the number of pre-K seats fell substantially as decision making and budgeting were decentralized. Charter schools that did offer pre-K experienced few internal benefits, on average, in terms of future enrollment or test performance, as pre-K graduates are highly mobile. This study provides initial evidence that decentralization without offsetting financial incentives can lead to reduced investments in programs that advance the social goals of education.

New Orleans schools experienced drastic reforms after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. To examine teachers’ perspectives on these reforms, we surveyed 323 teachers who taught in New Orleans public schools before 2005 and in 2013–2014. Teachers directly compared the learning and work environments and student and teacher outcomes of their current schools to those of their pre-Katrina schools. Returning teachers perceived significant and generally positive changes in learning environments and student outcomes but mixed positive and negative changes in work environments. Despite improvements in school environments, the net result is that teachers became less satisfied with their jobs. These results show that intensive, sustained school reform can lead to significant changes, but these changes can have negative impacts on teachers.

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