Girls to the front: How redshirting and test-score gaps are affected by a change in the school-entry cut date

Most states have moved their public-school-entry cut date forward in recent years. In North Carolina the latest date by which a matriculant must turn 5 was recently changed from October 16th to August 31st. Those born in between the old and new cut dates (the “swing group”), formerly among the youngest entrants, became the oldest. Utilizing a comprehensive statewide administrative data set, we demonstrate that for the swing group the black-white standardized test-score gaps (3rd and 4th grade) has narrowed, and the gender gaps changed markedly to favor girls. These shifts are explained in part by the near elimination of redshirting for the swing group, and in part by gender differences in the gain to being older.

Duke Scholars

Author Philip J. Cook Sanford School of Public Policy