@EdWorkingPaper{ai26-1556,
title = "Estimating the Overall Effects of Statewide Early Literacy Policies: Evidence from Michigan",
author = "Seth Walker, Josep M. Nadal-Fernandez, Tara Kilbride",
number = "1556",
year = "2026",
month = "August",
URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1556",
abstract = {This paper evaluates the impacts of Michigan's statewide early literacy reform using a synthetic difference-in-differences approach. We estimate the policy’s effects on student achievement and grade retention and compare them to statewide literacy reforms in South Carolina and Mississippi. We find that the policy increased third-grade reading achievement by 8.7% of a standard deviation, with smaller gains in later grades and larger effects for cohorts exposed to the policy for longer. Importantly, these achievement gains remain positive and significant as students progress beyond third grade. We also find no evidence of spillover effects on math achievement or increases in retention. Compared to South Carolina, Michigan experienced larger and more consistent gains, though effects remained smaller than those in Mississippi.},
}