Peer-Reviewed Academic & Policy Contributions

Highest Cited (Google Scholar), in order of publication year:

1.        “High School Choices and the Gender Gap in Stem,” with David Card, Economic Inquiry, 59(1): 9-28, (previously NBER Working Paper #23769), 2021

2.       “School Competition and Efficiency with Publicly Funded Catholic Schools,” with David Card and Martin Dooley, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2(4) (note previous version is NBER Working Paper #14176, 2010

3.        “School Finance Reform, the Distribution of School Spending, and the Distribution of SAT Scores,” with David Card, Journal of Public Economics, 83(1), 49-82, 2002

Additional Publications (Peer-Reviewed Academic & Policy Reports)

4.         “Big Fish, Small Pond: The Effect of Rank at Entry on Postsecondary Outcomes” with Justin Smith, Southern Economic Journal, 86(4): 1575-1509, 2020

5.         “Understanding the STEM Path through High School and into University Programs”, with Martin Dooley, Mitch Steffler, and Jessica Wagner, Canadian Public Policy, 43(1): 1-16, 2017

6.         “Understanding the Gaps in Postsecondary Education Participation Based on Income and Place of Birth: The role of high school course selection and performance” with Martin Dooley and Les Robb, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2017

7.         “Understanding the STEM Path through High School and into University Programs” with Martin Dooley, Mitchel Steffler, and Jessica Wagner, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2016

8.         “Understanding the Gender Gap in Post-Secondary Schooling Participation: The Importance of High School Choices and Outcomes,” with David Card, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2015

9.         “Understanding the Determinants of Academic Success in Apprenticeship Programs at Mohawk College,” with Martin Dooley, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Research Report, 2013

10.      “The Impact of Scholarships and Bursaries on Persistence and Academic Success in University,” with Martin Dooley and Leslie Robb, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Research Report, January 2013

11.       “Persistence and Academic Success in University,” with Martin Dooley and Les Robb, Canadian Public Policy 38(3): 315-337, 2012

12.      “The Impact of Cost on the Choice of University,” with Martin Dooley and Les Robb, Canadian Journal of Economics 45(2):755-783, 2012

13.    "Understanding the Gender Gap in University Participation: An Exploration of the Application Behaviour of Ontario High School Students,” with David Card and Cristina Sechel, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Research Report, 2011

14.    “Understanding the Determinants of Persistence and Academic Success in University: An Exploration of Data from Four Ontario Universities,” with Martin Dooley and Leslie Robb, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Research Report, 2011

15.       “The Effects of School Board Consolidation and Financing on Student Performance,” with Steve Chan and Jack Leach, Economics of Education Review, 29(6):1034-1046, 2010

16.        “An Open and Shut Case: Catholic and Public School Choices in Ontario,” C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder 115, 2008

Contributions to Books:

17.       “Competition and Student Performance,” in Eva Baker, Barry McGaw, and Penelope Person (editors) the International Encyclopedia of Education, 3rd Edition, and Economics of Education, Dominic Brewer and Patrick McEwen (editors), 2010

Working Papers / Works in Progress

18.      “The Long-Term Effects of Rank in Elementary School,” with Elizabeth Dhuey and Justin Smith. October 2025 (in submission)

19. “Gender Differences in University Enrollment and STEM Major: The Role of Tuition Policy in Australia,” with Katherine Cuff and Ana Gamarra Rondinel. September 2025 (in submission)

20. “Tuition Increases and University Behavior: Theory and Evidence on Student Enrollment” with Katherine Cuff and Ana Gamarra Rondinel. August 2025 (in submission)

21. “The Impacts of Unconditional Post-Secondary Education Loans on Employment, Earnings and Family Dynamics” (working title), with Ana Gamarra Rondinel

22. “Effects of Tuition Increases and Income-Contingent Loans on Low Income Student University Registrations,” (working title)

Unpublished Manuscripts

23.        “An Investigation of the Impact of Ontario’s Primary School Class Size Reduction on Student Test Scores,” with Michael Baker and Natalie Malak, 2021

Non-Peer-Reviewed Reports/Commentary

24.        Report discussion patterns of matriculation for Niagara College, (Olesya Kotlyachkov, Martin Dooley, Abigail Payne, Les Robb), 2011

25.        Review of Helping Children Left Behind: State Aid and the Pursuit of Educational Equity, edited by John Yinger, 

National Tax Journal, 58, 843-46, 2005

26.        “State Governance of Higher Education,” with Jack Knott, Institute of Government and Public Affairs Report, University of Illinois, 2001

27.        “The Impact of Federal Fiscal Arrangements: Evidence From the ‘Cap on CAP’,” with Michael Baker and Michael Smart, Policy Options, 1998

28.         Report discussing school enrollments and the employment of teachers in the London, Ontario School System, prepared for Legate and Associates, 2005

29.        Report discussing school enrollments and the employment of teachers in the London, Ontario School System, prepared for Legate and Associates, 2004

30.        "The Impact of State Governance Structures on Higher Education Resources and Research Activity,” with Jack Knott, 2001